The teaching profession is one of the most important jobs in our country. Teachers help shape the lives of our children, which in turn impacts our own lives when we grow older, as well as those of future generations. The impact they have on society cannot be underestimated or underappreciated. The way we treat and … More Urge legislators to increase teacher pay
The Florida Education Association hosted a statewide gathering of education advocates on May 18 titled: Bringing Voices Together: An Education Summit for Florida’s Public Schools. Over 1,000 teachers, parents, school board members, superintendents, and students, came together in Orlando for conversations about how to save our public schools. Emerging themes included: Educate the public – … More Bringing Voices Together: 100 conversations about public education
by Heide Janshon There has been a great deal of “I doth protest” from districts and superintendents when the case is made attaching the Common Core State Standards (or any standards for that matter) to the high stakes standardized tests used to evaluate teachers, give schools a grade, and of course, determine standards mastery by … More Separating Testing from the Common Core State Standards is like tearing muscle from bone
As a result of a bill by titled HB7069 which passed in 2017, many schools across the state have faced the threat of potential closure if they receive lower than a “C” grade for two years or more. Based on data from the FL DOE, an estimated 79 schools faced this fate this past school … More School Closures Should be Local Decisions
by: Heide Janshon Dear parents, I’m sure you’ve been terrified by all sorts of claims that the Third Grade ELA FSA (English Language Arts Florida Standards Assessment) determines whether your child is retained or promoted. Please read on and stand firmly on the fact that you are informed, empowered and can rest in the knowledge … More What exactly determines Third Grade retention?
A tale of a rural school Public schools are pillars of the community in which they serve – and rightfully so, given that they are funded by the community itself. That has never been more true than in Hawthorne, FL. With a city-wide population of just over 1,400, Hawthorne is the very definition of “small … More The downside to school closures
Following is a summary of the special Senate session held on March 3, 2018 to discuss the school safety bill (aka 7026). The information was tweeted by @lmower3, Times Tallahassee Bureau and compiled/edited by Anne Hartley. More information can be found here. Update on HB7026: the final vote is Monday. The marshal plan to deputize … More School Safety Bill Update
United for Florida Children was founded four years ago with the goal of uniting parents, grandparents, school staff, students and the community to advocate for a high quality education for all students across the state. At the very foundation of a high quality education lies basic safety. We are deeply saddened by the shootings that … More Not. One. More.
An open letter to Representative Richard Corcoran, Speaker of the House… I’ve been hearing a lot about “hope” in education circles lately – “Schools of Hope”, “Hope Scholarships”, providing hope for students in “failing” schools. The term seems to be used by you and other legislative leaders as a way to garner public support for … More Dear Mr. Speaker: What is Your Definition of “Hope?”
At the end of the 2017 legislative session, Florida’s “schools of hope” plan was approved, tucked inside House Bill 7069. This 274-page education bill was assembled at the last minute behind closed doors with little to no opportunity for public input, discussion and debate. 1 HB 7069 allows the Florida Department of Education to approve … More Questions that State Legislators Should Have Answered Before Approving HB 7069
