After lobbying the state to let it start school on Aug. 10 instead of Aug. 24, the Flagler school board on Tuesday stuck with the Aug. 24 date even though a new law would have allowed the district to move up the calendar.
Schools
School Officials Tamp Down Credibility of Threatening Message on Matanzas High School Wall
The message–“I am going To shoot up the School Tomorrow Happy Friday” is believed to be a hoax spreading on social media, and made to appear as if it had been scrawled on a bathroom wall at Matanzas High School.
Proposal Allowing Concealed Guns in Schools, Largely Opposed By Flagler Board, Dies
Bills that would lead to guns at schools have traditionally faced an uphill challenge in the Senate, which is more moderate on such issues than the House.
Daytona State Honors 179 Students, Employees and Alumnus at Awards Convocation
A list of those honored is included. The awards convocation is the preceding event to the college’s commencement exercises that will take place on Monday, May 18, at 2 and 6:30 p.m. at the Ocean Center.
Draft Lease With YMCA at Belle Terre Racquet Club May Be Ready in May, But First, a Trial
The Flagler schoolo administration has made steady progress toward a lease agreement with the YMCA to take over the Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club, but a negligence lawsuit hanging over the club since 2012 may be heading for trial at the end of May or in early June.
Rejoice, Students: There’ll Be Less Testing. But Not Much Less. House Approves Roll-Back.
The bill puts a hold on the use of student test data for school grades, teacher evaluations and student promotion to fourth grade until the new Florida Standards Assessments can be independently validated.
Guess Who’s Rethinking Guns In Schools: Colleen Conklin May Not Oppose Designating Concealed Carriers, But She’s In a Minority
Most Flagler County School Board members, the superintendent and the sheriff say school officers, not individuals carrying concealed weapons, can best address security needs in local schools. A bill making its way through the Legislature would allow school boards to designate employees or volunteers to carry concealed weapons.
Daytona State College May Have To Drop “State” From Name and Limit 4-Year Degrees
A Florida Senate proposal would forbid community colleges from using the word “state” in their name and cap at 5 percent the share of a college’s enrollment that could be made up of students pursuing baccalaureate, or four-year, degrees.
Flagler Students From 6 Schools Collect 62 Awards at State Future Problem Solvers Competition
Some 35 Flagler County students have been invited to the competition’s International Conference this summer in Ames, Iowa. A list of the winners is included.
House Ties Money to School Dress Codes, More Dollars for Charters, Fewer Class-Size Penalties
Most of the school-related bills were passed in lopsided votes, though Democrats united to oppose a measure that could funnel local tax dollars to charter-school construction.
Proposal Would Suspend 3rd Grade Test Required For Promotion to 4th Grade This Year
The proposal calls for suspending the language-arts test for 3rd graders until the state’s new Florida Standards Assessments are found to be valid by an independent examination.
School Board Honors Cheryl Tristam With Power of One Award For Youth Orchestra’s 10-Year Triumphs
Cheryl Tristam stressed the importance of making music education accessible to every child regardless of background or ability as she received an award bestowed periodically on community members who have had a broad impact on students.
School Choice Bill That Vastly Increases Parental Control–And Undermines Educators’–Advances
The measure gives parents the right to have their children attend any school in the state that hasn’t reached capacity and remove their child from one class to another under certain circumstances.
School Bus On Its Way to Buddy Taylor Middle Strikes Jogger on Sesame Blvd. in Palm Coast
The school bus’ jutting side mirror is believed to have struck the jogger around 6:26 this morning. The victim was evacuated to Halifax hospital. The students on the bus were taken to school on a different bus.
Favoring Flagler and Other Districts, Lawmakers May Move Up School Start Time to Aug. 10
In the shadow of the state’s recent standardized-testing problems and proposals to curb the amount of time students spend on exams, lawmakers are considering moving up the start date of the school year.
Education Committee Easily Approves Gun-Carrying By Select Florida School Employees
School superintendents could allow designated people to carry weapons on campus. Those people could be current or former law enforcement officers or current or former members of the military.
Florida Blames School Testing Trouble on Cyber Attack as FDLE Investigates
The news came after the rollout for the new Florida Standards Assessment was plagued by slow logins and other technical glitches. The state paid $220 million for the tests over six years.
13-Year-Old Indian Trails Boy Arrested on Knife Charge at School and Tied to Stolen Gun
A 13-year-old Indian Trails Middle School student, on probation over a drug charge, was arrested Tuesday on a felony weapons possession charge for taking a knife to school after authorities discovered he had allegedly given a stolen .380 Glock 42 to a friend.
YMCA May Return to Flagler As School District Considers Leasing Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club
Facing a deficit that will exceed $200,000, the school district’s Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club may find its savior in the Volusia Flagler YMCA, which has been in discussions with the school administration over a potential lease arrangement of the health facility.
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.
Correctly Anticipating State Problems, Flagler Delayed School Testing Until Thursday
Rarely in the spotlight, Shawn Schmidli, the Flagler school district’s assessment director, anticipated that state-issued computer tests would have problems, and delayed Flagler’s testing until Thursday.
School District’s Broadest Uniform Policy Survey: Tepid Support and No Effect on Discipline or Grades
The survey of more than 2,000 students, parents and faculty was prompted by a student leader’s push to loosen the policy, which has had no effect on improving discipline or grades.
Flagler Youth Orchestra Performs Strings Around the World Concert at Auditorium Monday
The FYO presents an evening of music featuring compositions from five continents and a dozen cultures in the second of its 10th year anniversary performance featuring the entirety of its musician corps–five ensembles, upwards of 325 students.
FPC’s William Gibbs and Alex Lull Will Represent Flagler at Boys State in June
William Gibbs and Alex Lull, with Devin Ritter as an alternate, were chosen Thursday from a field of five applicants by American Legion Flagler Post 115 representative George Stockley.
Days Before 11th Grade Language Test, Gov. Scott Issues Executive Order Suspending It
Union officials had pushed for suspending the entire school-accountability testing system for a year. The education commissioner wants a few more tests curtailed, but the bulk of the system would remain in place.
Dustin Sims of Flagler Palm Coast High School Named Florida’s Assistant Principal Of the Year
For the first time in recent memory–and possibly in the district’s history–a Flagler County educator has won his category’s top honor in Florida.
FPC’s Dustin Sims Is One of Three Finalist For State Assistant Principal of the Year
The Assistant Principal of the Year receives a cash prize of $2,500 and a weekend resort stay at the Walt Disney World Resort and theme park admission also courtesy of Disney Youth Programs.
Fearful of Scaring Buyers or Undervaluing Property, School Board Haggles to $2.3 Million Price for Corporate Building
The Flagler school board now finds itself in the paradoxical position of attractively advertising the ex-ITT property for sale after it was essentially condemned as a school facility.
Education Commissioner Stewart Joins Calls For Eliminating Some High-Stakes Testing
Stewart recommended that the state get rid of a language-arts test students take in 11th grade, eliminating some final exams and making optional a college readiness test.
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.
Senate Panel Easily Clears Bill Granting Secrecy to Top College and University Job Applicants
The Senate Higher Education Committee voted 7-2 to approve the measure (SB 182), which would exempt information about applicants for the jobs of president, provost or dean from the state’s open-records laws.
Guns on Florida Campuses: University System Says No, Citing Values and Protection
Florida’s university system wants state lawmakers to holster the idea of allowing guns on campus, saying it would jeopardize providing a safe and secure learning environment.
Buddy Taylor’s Tyler Irigoyen, 13, Gets Shining Award For Bravery on Day of Fatal Crash
Immediately after Elisa Marie Homen was fatally injured in a crash with a school bus last month,13-year-old Tyler Irigoyen went to work, ushering his 50-some schoolmates to safety and tending to the injured bus driver before first responders arrived.
Back In Tallahasee, Jeb Bush Gets a Taste of Push-Back Against His Education Legacy
Appearing at an education Summit, Jeb Bush, who is preparing a run for the presidency, saw his common core, school voucher and high-stakes testing ideas challenged, as they would likely be on the campaign trail.
Resurrection: In 3-1 Vote, County Approves Lease of Old Courthouse to Baptist School
The vote also represents an unexpected, 11th-hour turn-around for a building most people, including some commissioners (and Bunnell’s city government, which briefly took possession of it before rejecting it), had written off as unusable.
Parents Ask Judge To Disqualify Union From Challenging School Voucher Program
Lawyers for the state and parents whose children use Florida’s de facto school-voucher program argued Monday that groups including the state’s largest teachers union don’t have the right to challenge the program in court.
With Generous County Subsidy, Christian School May Be Next Tenant of Old Courthouse
County government will vote Tuesday on a proposal by First Baptist Christian Academy of Palm Coast to lease the old courthouse in Bunnell for $5,700 a month, and with an interest-free, 30-year tax-funded loan of $360,000.
Florida Lawmaker Proposes Capping All State and Local Testing at 5% of School Time
The bill would authorize districts to use something other than tests to assess students in some courses, revamp laws tying teachers’ evaluations and pay more closely to student performance.
13-Year-Old Girl Walking Home From Indian Trails Was Molested, Incident Report Shows
The subject is described as a white male, 30-40 years of age, large build with brown hair (possibly balding) and brown eyes.
For Black Students in Flagler Schools, Some Progress But “Systemic Bias” and Startling Disparities Persist
Amir Whitaker, a staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, presented a report card on the school district’s treatment of black students, acknowledging some progress but pointing out enduring racism, especially in suspensions.
Spirited Proposal to Relax Dress Code in Flagler Schools Meets More Resistance Than Reason From Board
Michael Manning, the student representative on the school board, is proposing to extend Friday’s more relaxed dress code to all days of the week, and he doesn’t fear challenging board members’ claims along the way.
8 Weeks After FSU Shooting, House Panel Approves Concealed Guns on Florida Campuses
Currently, people are banned from carrying such weapons at Florida colleges and universities, with the exception of stun guns or similar devices. Data show that 246,632 Floridians between the ages of 21 and 35 have concealed carry permits.
Flagler Schools’ Classroom to Careers Symposium Showcases Business’ Growing Presence on Campuses
The first Flagler County education symposium featured the spread of flagship programs that merge private or non-profit businesses with classroom projects, from banking to journalism to medicine.
Facing $236,000 Deficit, School Board Rethinks Belle Terre Swim Club and Adult Education
Membership at the Belle Terre Swim and Racque Club is down almost by half in two years, maintenance is wanting, and patrons like the Palm Coast Synchro Belles are complaining of poor conditions, prompting the School Board to rethink how it can keep it and Community Education going.
Elisa Marie Homen, 22-Year-Old Involved in Friday’s School Bus Crash, Has Died
Elisa Marie Homen, the 22-year-old Palm Coast woman involved in a school bus crash that sent 25 children to a local hospital, died on Tuesday from her injuries, FHP and family report.
Rick Scott Proposing to Raise Per-Student Funding Back to Nominal High of 2007
The proposal would mark an increase of roughly $261 from the current budget year, which ends June 30. But it still has to survive a legislative process in which lawmakers will be eager to fulfill their own priorities.
Senate Appears Ready to Rethink Florida’s Obsession With High-Stakes Testing
With parents complaining about a glut of tests in public schools and the Florida Department of Education investigating how much time students spend on exams, senators appear ready to refocus how the state assesses learning gains.
At Imagine School, Fire Inspection Is Cause For Caution, But “Just For Next Couple Of Weeks”
Palm Coast’s fire chief is incensed by the deception of a cautionary email to school staff this week that warns of a coming fire inspection, but also suggests that problem items must be removed or rearranged only “until after the inspection.”
The Gifted Chemistry of Mentorship: Remembering FPC’s Sylvia Brady
Sylvia Brady, the long-time and popular chemistry teacher at Flagler Palm Coast High School and 1984 Teacher of the Year, died on Friday, age 73. Inna Hardison, former editor of Palm Coast Lifestyles Magazine and current co-owner of Ha Media in Palm Coast, wrote the following profile of Brady in 2009, when Brady was on the verge of retirement.
Slashing Taxes, Fighting Vouchers, Expanding Medicaid (or Not): What’s Ahead in 2015
With Gov. Rick Scott set to be sworn in for his second term and legislative committee meetings beginning this week, the topics that will dominate discussion in the Capitol in the coming year are shaping up. Here’s a rundown.