Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners — Tuesday, April 12
Apr 12, 2011
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Florida House, Senate prepare to close gap in budget plans
Life gets more complicated for Florida lawmakers in the second half of the legislative session. In addition to a $3.7 billion budget shortfall, Republican leaders must also focus on closing the $3.3 billion gulf that separates their rival spending plans.
Tax Cap Could Come Before Florida Voters in 2012
Florida’s budget boomed with the real estate market for much of the last decade, a period top Florida Republicans now call an epic failure of their own conservative spending principles.
Cutting school board pay raises questions about who will run
A move to slash pay for school board members in Florida would transfer $10 million a year directly to Florida’s students, its chief proponent says.
Editorial: Escambia tax breaks worth it
Are tax breaks for businesses, used as an economic development tool, good public policy?
Beach agency ‘still on full blast’ despite economy
Assistant City Manager Mario Gisbert was in Washington recently with other Florida transportation experts trying to wring a few extra federal transportation dollars from lawmakers.
Teacher pay soon linked to FCAT
With the signing of the Student Success Act, dubbed the merit-pay bill, teacher evaluations, their pay and jobs are inextricably linked to student performance growth on tests.
Ohio school districts use schoolkids to pitch levy message
Noelle Johnson knows whats important to her. Vote yes, she said when asked what the banner in the gymnasium should read.
How 3 Chicago area school districts coaxed voters to pass ballot measures
During these economically challenging times when school referendum proposals often are defeated, three suburban districts in the Chicago area persuaded enough residents to vote yes in last week’s elections.
Lee property appraiser to offer expertise to Chinese
Property taxes are coming to China, and business leaders there want pointers from Lee County’s property appraiser before it happens.
Black residents in St. Petersburg look to vouchers, charters for better school choices
Frustrated by poor test scores and dismal graduation rates, black residents in Pinellas County are increasingly exploring alternatives to traditional public schools.
Florida law challenges schools to boost recycling
A state law passed last year that will require Palm Beach County to keep increasing the amount it recycles the next 20 years also will require the School District to measure and report how much waste it recycles as a part of that county total.
Florida releases data on kids restrained in schools
New data from the Florida Department of Education shows that Orange County schools physically restrain far more students than any other school district in the state.
Broward schools superintendent made top dollar – will his successor?
Broward Schools Superintendent Jim Notter earns more than the state’s education commissioner, the chancellor of the state university system and each of Florida’s Supreme Court justices.
Jupiter High students’ moon buggy wins awards at NASA competition
As teenage joyrides go, the NASA moon buggy competition is hard to beat. The course zigzags insanely and is strewn with big rocks, sand pits and anything else that simulates moon topography.
Palm Beach County acting schools chief agrees to contract extension, pay increase
School Board wants acting Superintendent Bill Malone for an extra year
Palm Beach County’s acting schools chief is closer to getting a new title, higher salary and an additional year in office.
The state has made significant changes ranging from how the students take the test to reaching back in history for material.
The big day has arrived.
While the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests may be routine to students, this year the exams, which begin today, come with a lot of changes:
Florida lawmakers, Jeb Bush foundation push for private online education
A pair of lawmakers and former Governor Jeb Bush’s education foundation are pushing to grow Florida’s online schools by letting private providers offer classes.
More students could learn from a laptop in their bedroom rather than a whiteboard in a brick-and-mortar classroom under a pair of proposals in the Florida Legislature that would dramatically expand virtual school.
Lawmakers Poised to Expand Voucher Programs
Lawmakers are poised to expand the state’s school voucher programs instituted more than 10 years ago that enable more students to attend private schools.
Scholarship Gives Low-Income Students a Step Up
Step Up For Students scholarship is cheaper than regular education funding
As legislators continue to chew over education funding in budget talks, a scholarship program funded with corporate tax dollars is quietly performing better than normal public education spending.
Blog: New bill could line a Bush’s pockets, and put Florida one step closer to privatized education
Anitere Flores is at it again. The Bushite state Senate Judiciary chairwoman from Miami, who’s already on record throwing other women under the bus by seeking to force them to have children (or be subjected to anti-abortion indoctrination by even unwilling doctors), and attacking fellow Hispanics by agreeing to be the Latina face of Florida Republicans’ noxious Arizona-style immigration bill, now has an idea the Bush family will adore: Forcing all Florida school children to take online classes.
Florida Raises Requirements for New Students
Admission requirements for incoming freshmen will be heightened for all schools in the State University System including Florida A&M.
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