Trump recently proposed billions in spending to allow the nation’s poorest students to leave public schools and enroll elsewhere, including by using homeschooling. Except the plan won’t work for the poorest students.
Charter Schools
Homeschooling: Not So Eccentric Anymore
The number of American K–12 children educated at home increased from 1.09 million in 2003 to 1.77 million in 2012. That means they make up 3.4 percent of the nation’s school population.
Flagler School District Is Rated B For Third Straight Year, All Schools Either A or B
This year’s grades are almost eight months late. They’re less reliable than in previous years. And they’re still facing bitter criticism because of the state’s troubled standardized testing system.
Proposal Would End Local Districts’ Oversight of Charter Schools in Favor Of State Power
The proposed constitutional amendment would set up a statewide entity with the power to approve charter schools anywhere in Florida, bypassing local school districts. The Legislature is expected to approve sending the proposal to the ballot.
Bunnell Elementary’s Sean Gilliam Is Flagler County’s Champion, Buoyant Speller
Sean Gilliam, a sixth grader at Bunnell Elementary, correctly spelled the word buoyancy to defeat 16 competitors. Fifth grader Grayson Ronk of Wadsworth Elementary School was the runnerup.
Matanzas Woods Construction Forces Temporary School Bus Routes For Nearby Students
As school resumes Monday, transportation changes are afoot in the Matanzas High area, while the sheriff’s office has issued a series of cautions and tips to parents and students.
Charter Schools Are Not Required To Provide Bus Transportation to Students, Judge Rules
As part of a school-choice movement heavily backed by state Republican leaders, charter schools do not have to operate under all of the same requirements as more-traditional public schools.
Teachers Union has No Standing to Sue Over Florida’s School Voucher System, Judge Rules
The voucher-like program provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that help pay for children to attend private schools. Some 70,000 students are enrolled.
7 Flagler Schools Share $668,000 in Bonus Dollars for Improving or Keeping High Grades
The money rewards schools that either maintain A or B grades or improve significantly toward such grades. It is one of the reasons Florida’s high-stakes testing has been facing criticism, as student testing is directly tied to monetary consequences.
District Adopts School Calendar It Did Not Want, Starting Late and Shortening Thanksgiving Break
The Flagler School Board wanted to start school in early August to give students more time to prepare for exams, but state law forbids it, forcing a calendar of its own on local districts.