Rep. Travis Hutson was among the Republicans crossing party lines to oppose the bill, favered by the charter-school movement, as it would let parents petition their school district to consider a turnaround option for a school that receives an “F” on the state report card for two consecutive years.
charter schools
Parent Trigger Bill: A Trojan Horse of Corporate Charter Schools
The so-called parent-trigger bill does not empower parents. Rather, it empowers out-of-state corporate interests and their lobbyists to siphon Florida tax dollars away from our already underfunded public school system, argues Paula Dockery.
Parent Trigger Bill That Would Boost Conversions to Charter Schools Nearing Law
The measure would allow parents to petition their school board to adopt a specific turnaround option for any school that draws an “F” on state report cards for two straight years.
“Parent Trigger” Bill Advances In Backdoor Victory for Charter School Lobby
Supporters say the proposal will improve chances for children trapped in failing schools.Opponents worry that politically savvy for-profit corporations could encourage parents to back the charter school option.
Less Than 5 Months In, Charter School Closes, Upending Parents, District and County
Global Outreach Charter Academy opened hurriedly at the Flagler County Airport in August, with generous lease terms from county government and accommodations from the school board, only to tell its 122 students and staff on New Year’s Day that the school was out of business.
Flagler Schools’ Overall Enrollment Flat For 4th Straight Year as Charters Keep Growing
Flagler County’s three charter schools’ enrollment exceeds 1,000, or 8 percent of the district, which saw its traditional schools’ enrollment fall to the lowest level since the 2005-06 school year.
More Charter Schools, and Debit Cards to Teachers, as Scott Unveils Education Agenda
The most controversial element of Scott’s plan could potentially prove to be measures to increase the role of charter schools, removing enrollment caps on existing charter schools and allowing school districts to operate their own charter schools.
Flagler School Board Takes a Hard Line on Corporate Charters as it Delays Latest Bid
The Phoenix-based Leona Group’s application to open a middle and high school charter in Flagler next year was tabled at least two weeks as Flagler board members raised concerns with the company’s track record and its dearth of local involvement or support.
Two Flagler School Board Races Will be Decided Aug. 14: The Live Interviews
Three-term incumbents Sue Dickinson and Colleen Conklin are being challenged by Bill Corkran and Debbie Laury in two contests for the Flagler County School Board that will be decided Aug. 14. All registered voters may vote regardless of party affiliation or address.
Bill Corkran, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Bill Corkran is one of four candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 14 primary election, which will decide the winners: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Sue Dickinson, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Sue Dickinson is one of four candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 14 primary election, which will decide the winners: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Colleen Conklin, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Colleen Conklin is one of four candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 14 primary election, which will decide the winners: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Deborah Laury, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Deborah Laury is one of four candidates in two races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 14 primary election, which will decide the winners: all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Help Wanted: Palm Coast’s New Charter School Is Moving In, Hiring and Enrolling
The K-8 Global Outreach Academy at the Flagler County Airport is beginning to fill its 19,000-square-foot digs and hiring up to 30 people, including teachers, in preparation for its mid-August opening.
From Food Lion to Charter School: Deal Close To Convert Long-Vacant Flagler Beach Store
Jacksonville-based Florida International Language Academy has been on the hunt for a location in Flagler for its 364-student K-8, language-oriented school, opening in August. Talks in Bunnell and Palm Coast fell through, returning the company to the Food Lion location in Flagler Beach.
Parent Trigger Bill: Florida Senate’s Rebel Republicans Help Defeat Charter School Ploy
The Senate on a tie vote defeated a bill that would have let parents turn failing schools into charters, the latest and perhaps final victory for a dissident faction of the GOP caucus as the curtain came down on the 2012 legislative session.
Charter School Giveaway Bill Veiled as Parental Control Drawing Frantic Opposition
Democrats are looking to the Senate and a rogue set of lawmakers to help them defeat an education bill they think is a giveaway to the charter school industry at the expense of public schools.
Silencing Maneuvers: When the Florida Legislature Resembles the Politbureau
Stopping debate at three minutes, Republicans in the House Education Committee passed a bill overhauling standards and finances for charter schools and another limiting the power of the Florida High School Athletics Association.
Bill Requiring Property Tax Revenue to Pay For Charter School Construction Advances
Supporters say the measure creates more parity between charter schools and other public schools. Opponents slammed the measure as corporate welfare that would provide tax dollars to the private operators of charter schools — despite the fact that supporters of charter legislation said years ago that they would not ask for capital outlay dollars.
Mediocre Results for Flagler Schools, Worse for Its Charters, in Controversial State Rankings
School-by-school rankings follow last week’s district rankings. Belle Terre Elementary and Indian Trails Middle ranked best, but still barely in the top quartile, while Flagler’s three charter schools scraped the bottom, in contrast with several top-performing charters elsewhere in the state.
In Another Move To Charters, Florida Would Give Parents More Say Over Failing Schools
Parents of children in chronically failing schools would get greater power to force the schools to change, including the possibility they could make the school into a charter school or contract its management out, under a Jeb Bush-inspired bill that advanced Tuesday in the Florida House.
Superintendent Valentine Seeking to Close Failing Heritage Charter School By June
After two successive F’s from the state, Valentine informed Heritage Academy Principal Nicole Richards by letter that she’ll recommend the school board close the school, which has about 180 students, by year’s end. Heritage is likely to appeal.
Florida Charter Schools: A Go-Go Industry Awash in Tax Money and Little Oversight
Florida lawmakers have been more concerned about promoting rather than regulating charter schools, so bad charter schools operate with impunity. A Miami Herald investigation uncovers the charter school bandwagon.
Flagler Schools’ Enrollment Is Flat Overall But Showing Strong Migration to Charters
On the first day of school in Flagler, every elementary school but one lost students, all three charter schools gained, and problems were limited to several overcrowded buses and enormous car lines at Imagine and Belle Terre.
Charter School Heist, Obama’s Surrender, Scrutinizing Fox: The Live Wire
How Florida charter schools swiped all the construction money, the GOP’s disenfranchisement of voters, MTV at 30, pyramid-building, time to scrutinize Fox, and more.
Soaring Corporate Tax Credit Voucher Program Costing Flagler Schools Half a Million Dollars
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.
Charter, Voucher Advocate Gerard Robinson Is Florida’s New Education Commissioner
Robinson, a Jeb Bush protege, was Virginia’s secretary of education and president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options, a pro-school choice group ideologically aligned with Republican reforms.
How School-Voucher Lobbyist John Kirtley Buys Florida Lawmakers’ Votes
John Kirtley successfully lobbied in 2001 to get the corporate tax credit scholarship program approved, and has since, with generous contributions, shifted numerous lawmakers to his crusade.
Last-Minute Budget Deal Reduces Districts’ Dollars and Oversight of Charter Schools
Charter schools that have received an “A” or “B” rating in the last three years would be given the ability to expand enrollment or add new grades without having to wait for approval from the school district.
School Districts Will Have to Vastly Expand Virtual Education; Charters to Click In
At least one virtual class would be mandatory for graduation, kindergarten students could take online courses, and charter schools could offer full or part-time classes in what’s almost certain to become law.
Charter Schools To Be Allowed To Go Virtual As Florida Expands Online Public Education
A proposed law would let charter schools open full-time K-12 “virtual” charter schools, all students would be required to take at least one online class, and school districts would have to offer full or part-time virtual programs.
From Teacher Merit Pay to Charter School Expansion: Legislature Marches On
Like the swiftly-approved teacher merit pay reforms, the push to expand charter schools, including expanding preferential admittance, has the strong backing of Gov. Rick Scott, and continues to revamp education.
As the School District Agonizes Over Cuts, Imagine Prepares to Almost Double in Size
Imagine School at Town Center is expanding to accommodate 910 students even as the rest of the district’s enrollment stalls and its budgets are being slashed. A video report of Imagine’s expansion plans.
More Charter Schools, Less District Oversight: Where Rick Scott and Jeb Bush Merge
Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Jeb Bush’s education foundation are teaming up for a concerted push to open more charter schools while reducing or eliminating local school district approval and oversight, among other plans under the school “choice” umbrella.
FPC Improves from D to B, Matanzas High School Maintains a B, Heritage is an F
The Flagler County school district as a whole was tentatively awarded an A last year, pending today’s results. Heritage’s F is not expected top affect that overall grade.
Charter School Failure: Why Imagine and Heritage Weren’t Included in FCAT Tallies
Charter schools are not in the same league as traditional public schools. Their standards are lower. The burden is on charters to prove their worth.
Flagler Schools Bracing for Dismal
Fiscal (and Oil Spill) Impact
Budget shortfalls, new financial burdens and disappearing sources of money are all converging on the Flagler school district at the same time, setting up a potential funding crisis in the next two years.