Buddy Taylor and Indian Trails middle school students will have to wake up even earlier than last year when school resumes on Aug. 19, with first-bell at 7:25 a.m. and dismissal at 1:25 p.m. Most other schools’ schedules are unchanged, with high schools starting at 8 a.m. and elementaries around 9 a.m.
Schools
Fail-Safe: Education Commissioner Recommends Artificial Prop-Up of School Grades
Education Commissioner Tony Bennett will ask the State Board of Education next week to prevent schools from dropping by more than one letter grade on the state report card in an effort to counter what superintendents say could be an alarming drop in grades.
Flagler County School Board July 18 Meeting Notice
The School Board of Flagler County, Florida, will hold a Budget Workshop on Thursday, July 18, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. on the 2013-14 budgets for Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High Schools’ budgets, and that of Indian Trails Middle School.
Flagler District Shelves School-Cop Posting in All Elementaries, Reverting to Previous Plan
Not expecting another case of a parent privately paying for a school cop, the Flagler County School Board Tuesday evening gave its approval to the district’s new contract with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to provide six school resource deputies at high and middle schools only, and seven crossing guards, for the duration of the school year.
Education Commission Reprimands Steve Knob, Ex-Band Director at Matanzas, Over Porn
The formal reprimand of Steve Knob accompanies a settlement agreement that enables him to seek teaching jobs and maintain his teaching certificate but also requires him to remain on probation for two years and pay $800 in fines and monitoring costs while on probation.
Florida’s Corporate Step-Up Scheme: 51,075 Students Now Enrolled in Private Schools at Taxpayers’ Expense
Under the program, corporations are allowed to take tax credits for money that they contribute to Step Up for Students, which then uses those funds to essentially provide private-school vouchers.
Panicked About Big Drop, Superintendents Want School Grades Artificially Held Up
Curbing the possible declines in school scores — which would essentially continue a policy from last year allowing the marks to drop no more than a letter grade at each school — was one of several recommendations the superintendents made during a meeting of a task force Commissioner Bennett put together at the request of the State Board of Education.
Board of Governors Shoots Down Florida College Fee Increases Backed By Students
The most sweeping decision, rejected 3-2, came on a proposal by eight universities to increase the “capital improvement trust fund” fees, or CITF fees, which pay for construction projects approved by university panels that draw at least half their members from the student body.
Days After Tax Defeat, a Divided Flagler School Board Recoils at a Pair of Expensive Contracts
A pair of 3-2 votes approved one vendor contract for $107,700 and rejected another for $534,000 as board members looked to be more like budget hawks in light of the failed tax referendum. Neither item had been part of the budget-cut discussions before the vote.
Fearing Another School Grade Collapse Across Florida, Education Board Looks for a Plan
With preliminary calculations showing a possible collapse in the grades for schools across the state, the State Board of Education is asking the Education Commissioner to appoint a task force to examine the test scores used to calculate the grades and avoid another botched rollout.