Broward Schools & Property Tax Edition: Capitol to Courthouse Headliners — Tuesday, January 25
Jan 25, 2011
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Blog: Governor Scott asks for more time to write his budget
Governor Rick Scott has asked for a weekend reprieve from the Feb. 4 deadline for submitting his budget to lawmakers, the long-awaited proposal that Scott has promised will both close the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall and make good on his campaign promises to slash taxes.
Blog: Sales tax holidays on school supplies…and guns?
Florida has a long history of holding (mostly annual) sales-tax holidays on clothing and school supplies just before the start of the school year.
Counties please builders, but critics say taxpayers will pay
Governments that long relied on impact fees charged to developers are backing off from charging the fees as a way to stimulate construction and the economy.
Florida Governor Rick Scott’s school-voucher push faces legal hurdles
Stung by court defeats in Florida and Arizona earlier this decade, school-voucher advocates set out to create a new system that would give students choices beyond public schools but still pass constitutional muster.
New House Speaker Opposes Florida Supreme Court on Property Tax Amendment Toss
Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon remains irked about the state Supreme Court’s decision to toss three constitutional amendments written by the Legislature off last fall’s general election ballot.
Boynton Beach to give property owners tax breaks if they fix up historic homes
Commissioners are hoping to spur the economic future of Boynton Beach by looking to the city’s past.
Jacksonville representative proposes retaliatory estate tax on non-residents
If other states stop taxing us, we’ll stop taxing them, he says.
A Northeast Florida lawmaker is trying to shield Floridians from estate taxes on property they inherit in other states by returning fire.
Florida’s financial reckoning appears imminent
Florida is open for business. That’s the natural conclusion drawn from a report that ranked the cheapest places to locate corporate headquarters.
Lots of empty seats in new Florida school buildings
A state program to aid school districts with urgent construction needs spent $108 million to add seats that now are empty.
Race to the Top grant puts Broward teacher pay on front burner
Less than a year after teachers beat back a plan to tie their raises to student performance, school officials across the state, including Broward, are being compelled to resurrect the policy by May 1 or risk losing millions in federal funding.
Hot-button issues to dominate South Florida education summit
Get ready for bruising battles this year over such hot-button education issues as merit pay, vouchers and charter schools.
Teachers Union Gets Political With Union Dues
National Education Association funneled $13 million to ballot measures and liberal social causes
Schoolteachers may be “underpaid,” but National Education Association bosses scraped up $13 million in union dues to spend on social and political causes.
Blog: Would an Expansion of Florida Vouchers Stand Up in Court?
There’s considerable speculation in Florida about whether new Governor Rick Scott and state lawmakers will make a push for a major new voucher-type program, dubbed education savings accounts.
Column: Florida Governor Rick Scott doesn’t want to fix public education, he wants to destroy it
The new governor and his advisory team on education don’t seem to care what respected studies or the law say about poverty, merit pay or vouchers, but they seem destined to try the opposite of what sound research says should work.
Florida Prepaid college plans: Yes or no?
Enrollment is down and prices have surged along with tuition; some parents are considering 529 savings plans
Alden and Kelly Kooken already face the challenge of raising a 5-year-old and 3½-year-old twins, but that challenge will take on a new dimension in 2025.
A weekend interview with Kathy Hebda, Florida deputy chancellor for educator quality
As Florida strives to improve the education in its lowest performing schools, one key goal is to get top-notch teachers into those classrooms. Sometimes it’s not so easy to recruit and retain teachers in those schools, though.
Sarasota and Manatee Counties’ Substitute Teacher Systems Have Safety Gaps
If Booker Elementary School officials had tracked the past job performance of substitute teacher William Amory, they might have known he had a temper long before he was arrested and charged last week with punching several students.
Blog: Florida principal of the year is from Broward School District
How about some good news for a Broward public school principal for a change?
Coral Park Elementary pilots unique sports program
Buoyed by the positive effect of its “Play Pals” program on students with disabilities, Coral Park Elementary School is partnering with Special Olympics Broward for a new program that also targets “differently-abled” students.
Gainesville High School Teacher Opinion: An outdated model for schools
“Everyone talks about it, but no-one does anything about it.”
Mark Twain might well have been referring to America’s public education system, instead of the weather.
Unlikely Allies Fight Cuomo’s Plan for Property Tax Cap
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has vowed to rein in New York’s taxes, declaring them a burden to residents and businesses, and proposing help in the form of a state-imposed cap on property taxes.
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