A new law passed by the Legislature last year increased the amount of taxpayer dollars available for private-school vouchers, from $118 million to $140 million-money denied the public school system. Some 33,000 students, including 86 in Flagler, are enrolled.
Flagler County School Board
School Board Rejects Administrators’ 2% Raise, Awards It to Lesser-Paid Professionals
The proposed raise for the 50-some administrators in the county, who make between $50,000 and $100,000, had triggered a political wildfire. Board members were more willing to give the raise to supervisors paid, for the most part, less than teachers.
Paging All Parents: Flagler Schools Launch “Graduate One” Campaign on Aug. 4
Flagler schools want parents better informed and more involved as graduation requirements increase. The district is hosting a countywide orientation session at nine locations on Aug. 4 under the banner of its “Graduate One Everyone” campaign.
Do Flagler School Administrators Making $97,000 a Year Need A Raise? They Say Yes.
Some 25 Flagler school administrators make between $80,000 and $105,000 a year. They’re saying they were disrespected when denied a 2 percent raise. The school board is reconsidering.
Flagler Property Tax Bills Set to Drop Markedly As School Board Keeps 2012 Levy Flat
Contrasting with public perceptions that taxes are going up, a typical house may see a $150 drop from school taxes alone next year, giving Palm Coast and the county more room to maneuver for higher tax rates.
Flagler School District Maintains A for 4th Year in a Row As Elementaries Shine
The A rating was powered by substantial improvements at Rymfire Elementary and other schools maintaining their high achievements. Charter schools didn’t do as well.
Foregoing Raise to Top Staff, School Board Awards 2% to Most Others But Cuts Schedules
High and middle school students will lose 45 minutes a day in instructional time, the equivalent of 21 days, and the 2 percent raise won’t make up for salary losses from higher pension and insurance costs and a shorter work year.
Flagler Students Rank 4th in Algebra in Florida, But New Test Won’t Affect District Grade
Because it’s a new, end-of-course exam, the state isn’t yet giving the test the weight it gives FCAT results, which is a disappointment to Flagler. Individual results, however, count for 30 percent of students’ final grade.
No Lawsuit Against the State Yet, But Flagler School Board Warms Up to Actionable Anger
Ronald Meyer, the attorney who’s been challenging imbalances in Florida’s educational system for years, told the Flagler school board Tuesday that building a case will take more time, analysis–and public awareness.
Latest FCAT: Gains in Early-Grade Reading, Losses in Math, Dismal Sciences
FCAT scores for Flagler County schools’ 4th through 11th grades show upper-grade reading scores faring poorly, and science scores faring worse as the district’s quality appears to approach the state average, rather than excel above it.
A Pig’s Tale With Hitchhiking Advice from Thoreau as 327 Graduate Matanzas High
The fourth graduating class in six years at Matanzas included 43 seniors graduating magna cum laude and 23 graduating suma cum laude, with 28 percent of the class receiving high honors.
Widespread Declines in 3rd Grade FCAT, With 2 Exceptions–Rymfire and Imagine
The declines in passing rates in the regular schools were slight but consistent, and more dramatic at two charter schools. Also, 107 of the 990 students tested failed, jeopardizing promotion to 4th grade pending summer school results.
Texbooks in All Florida School Districts Required to Go Digital By 2015-16
The new law requires Florida public schools to adopt digital-only textbooks by the 2015-16 school year, and spend at least 50 percent of their textbook budget on digital materials by that time.
Flagler School Board Defends Its Own Budget Cutting, Batting Down Most Alternatives
The county’s teacher and service employee unions and the tea party all questioned the way the district went about preparing next year’s budget, but without changing the district’s direction.
Conklin: Time to End the Legislature’s
Betrayal of Florida’s Promise to Our Children
Describing relentless attacks on education and a state of fear in Tallahassee that cost her her own job recently, Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin explains why local school boards must take a stand against the state’s erosion of public education.
Florida’s FHSAA Slaps $2,500 Fine on FPC Lacrosse Team; Questions Arise About Payment
The $2,500 fine was the result of the lacrosse coach mingling school athletic funds with funds for a separate lacrosse club team not officially associated with FPC. The case led to a district-wide policy revamp on teams and fund-raising.
Per-Student Funding Dropping $572, or 8%; Flagler District Poised for Severe Cuts
As state lawmakers cut school budgets by $1.3 billion, the Flagler school district already has plans to cut its budget by 3.5 percent through teacher layoffs and other means. It’ll make up the difference by using more than a third of its $9 million reserves.
FCAT Writing Results Are In: Big, and In Some Cases “Abnormal” Improvements
Almost every school’s 4th, 8th and 10th graders improved in Flagler County, some dramatically so. State improvements were also unusually steep. It’s not clear why, though the district is welcoming the results.
Middle School Day Will End at 1:40pm as District’s New Bell Schedules Toll Backlash
Elementary start and end times change only a little, but high school students will start at 8 a.m. and finish at 2 p.m., and middle school students will start at 7:40 a.m. The shorted school day is designed to save money.
School Buses Blowing Through a Stop Sign at FPC: Scrutiny Follows Parent’s Alert
An 11th grader on a motorcycle had a close encounter with a bus that pulled out of an FPC driveway where, a video shows, buses frequently don’t respect a stop sign. The transportation department is responding with monitoring and warnings drivers.
Superintendent in Flight: Janet Valentine Gets Bird’s Eye View of Her Domain
School Superintendent Janet Valentine took a one-hour flight around the county with Jack Howell, director of Flagler’s Teens-in-Flight program. Howell wanted to thank Valentine for her support.
District and Teachers’ Union Seal Crucial Agreement on Vast Cuts and Shorter Days
More than tree and a half hours into their latest bargaining session, the union and the Flagler County school district were almost ready to agree to cuts that would eliminate 40 teachers, shorten school days and save $3.5 million next year.
Conklin Is Fired From State-Backed Job After Talk of Suing the State Over Education Funding
Colleen Conklin has been an outspoken advocate for education as a Flagler County School Board member for 10 years–and as the COO of a largely state-funded education foundation for the last four. One job cost her the other.
Flagler County School District Employee Health Insurance Benefits, 2011-2012
Flagler County school district employee health insurance benefits, dental and vision plans as provided by United Health Care for 2011-2012: chart and comparison with previous year’s premium costs.
FPC Posts Video of Teacher’s Public Apology Over Gay Student Bullying
Shop teacher Floyd Binkley’s apology for telling an offensive gay joke appears in the last fifth of the nearly six-minute video as part of a public service announcement about bullying and harassment. The video skirts the details of the matter.
At Public Forum on Sex Education, Passionate Opinions and Reprimands, But No Consensus
Some 40 people spoke out of the 100 who showed up at the school district’s forum on what direction sex education should take. The disappointing turnout underscored the board’s point–that parents are uninvolved, making the district’s role more vital.
Far Apart, School Unions and Flagler District Negotiators Still Looking for a Common Page
After two sessions on Wednesday, negotiators only agreed to meet again in mid-April to discuss clearer, fresher budget numbers before negotiating proposed cuts of $3.5 million that would affect most employees and students in the district.
School Employees Facing Steep Increases in Health Insurance Costs, Further Eroding Pay
Premiums are rising by up to 37 percent for many of the 1,337 school district employees who seek health coverage, particularly for those with family coverage. Employees also face another pay cut next year if retirement contributions are expected of them.
Conklin Calls on Flagler School Board to Sue Scott and Legislature Over Education Funding
Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin says the state has abdicated its constitutional responsibility to properly fund education, and wants the board to sue the state. The board will discuss the matter on April 19.
In Their Words: What Flagler’s Students and Adults Think of Sex, Abstinence and Condoms
More than 2,600 student surveys on sex education and behavior and 34 pages of students’ comments–and fewer by adults–were tallied ahead of Thursday’s public forum on sex education.
But Should They Be Paid? Flagler School Board Members Defend Their Salaries
A Florida Senate proposal would replace school board members’ salaries with a $100 per-meeting stipend. Retirement and health benefits would be eliminated, too. Savings would exceed $10 million a year.
Flagler Sex Survey: Most Students and Parents OK Better Sex-Ed and Condoms in Schools
Preliminary results from the broadest sex survey every conducted in Flagler schools point to sexual activity among 30 percent of middle school,teens and broad approval for more than abstinence-only education.
Children as Billboards: From School Buildings to Buses, a Lunge for Ads and Revenue
The Flagler school district just broadened its advertising policy to allow ads in school buildings, websites and uniforms. State lawmakers are moving toward lifting the ban on ads on schoolbuses to make up for revenue the state is cutting.
Get Some: Sex Ed Survey Now Open to Flagler Parents; Student Survey March 23 and 24
Parents with children in school and residents without children are invited to take the Flagler school district’s sex education survey to guide school board policy. Middle and high school students take the survey March 23 and 24.
Bullying of Gay Student at FPC Leads to Teacher’s Public Apology and Policy Change
FPC shop teacher Floyd Binkley made gay jokes in front of his students. A gay 9th grader in his class, who’d been repeatedly bullied by others outside of class, took the jokes as an offense directed at him.
Throngs Voice Opposition as School Board Endorses Cuts With Sweeping Consequences
The board voted 4-1 to approve recommended cuts that would reduce middle and high school days by one period, among other cuts totaling $3.5 million. The proposal must be approved by employee unions before it goes into effect.
Sex-Ed in Flagler: School District Prepares to Move Away from Abstinence Only
Flagler’s sex-ed curriculum is abstinence only. But it’s barely taught and it appears not to address rising STD rates, though Flagler’s teen-pregnancy rate is lower than that of Florida or the United States. School board members are exploring a change.
State of Education Forum in Flagler: Anxiety and Advocacy as District Braces for Shock
If the state of education in Flagler County is strong, it won’t stay that way if state policy continues on its budget-slashing course, advocates and school officials told a large crowd at an education forum Thursday evening.
Rally Draws Out Teachers, Supporters and Honks. Lawmakers May Not Be Listening.
Some 150 teachers and other school employees and supporters lined Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast, one of dozens such rallies across the state, hours before Gov. Rick Scott rebuffed them by telling lawmakers: “Don’t blink.”
Flagler Schools Prepare to ‘Awake the State’ As Night of Long Budget Knives Falls on Florida
As school employees prepared to demonstrate against massive state budget cuts on Tuesday, the Flagler School Board got closer to proposing cuts of its own that would eliminate classes and up to four dozen teachers.
Unresolved: Who’s To Arbitrate Daring Artistic Expression–Principals or the School Board?
The triumph of “Mockingbird” is past. The Flagler County School Board’s confusion over how to prevent another controversy without chilling artistic expression isn’t, as a pair of proposed policy changes indicate.
Severe, $3.5 Million in School Cuts on the Way: 40 Teachers, Shorter Days, Shorter Calendar
The Flagler County School Board agreed to the cuts today, the result of federal stimulus aid running out and Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed cuts to the education budget. Many of the cuts must be negotiated with the unions.
Scout’s Up: Mockingbird‘s Real Stars Take the Auditorium Stage Thursday for 3-Day Run
The controversies over, cast members of the Flagler Palm Coast High School Drama Club production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” talk about their roles in the show at the Flagler Auditorium Feb. 24-26.
Facing $3.5 Million Deficit, Flagler Schools Eye Shorter Calendar, Bus Routes, Reserves
School Superintendent Janet Valentine says many options are on the table as Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget cuts force additional reductions on top of the $7.5 million the district has cut since 2007.
Scott Cutting $3 Billion Out of Education as Per-Pupil Spending Would Drop $300
Some 25,000 teachers’ jobs were saved by the federal stimulus in the past two years. Those jobs are now in jeopardy. Public colleges and universities are also hit hard.
More Power to Principals, Less Transparency as Board Kills Policy Inspired by Mockingbird
The rejected policy had called for supporting plays “that challenge, nurture and extend student skills” while respecting community sensibilities. Instead, the board retreated to more general “tweaks” of two existing policies.
Local Governments Agree To a Therapist To Cut Through Economic Dysfunction
After a meeting lasting two hours and 17 minutes Monday, local governments conceded they have no agreement on economic development, except to meet again and let a “facilitator” help them find some.
Economic Development Summit: Can Flagler’s 33 Elected Get It Up?
Many plans, little agreement, no concerted action: Monday evening’s economic development summit between Flagler County’s seven local governments is unlikely to yield substantive results beyond a meet-and-greet of powerpoints.
Belle Terre’s Agatha Lee and Maggie Carcagente Are the Year’s Top Teacher and Employee
It’s Belle Terre Elementary’s year: Agatha Lee is a second grade teacher there, and Maggie Carcagente is a special education paraprofessional. Their district victory gave Belle Terre a sweep this year.
Maureen Stowell, 2011 Teacher of the Year: Adult Education
Maureen Stowell, 2011 Teacher of the Year: Adult Education