Today's news

WILCOX'S QUESTIONABLE ALLEGIANCE: Outgoing Pinellas superintendent Clayton Wilcox should have thought a little bit more about the school district, and less about his own employment opportunities, when currying favor with Scholastic Inc., the Times editorializes. Several school district leaders had the same reaction when they learned of Wilcox's lengthy relationship with the publishing giant.

CAMPUS CLOSING: St. Petersburg College considers shutting down its Midtown campus, considered by some key in revitalizing an economically disadvantaged section of the county, as a cost-saving measure.

VOUCHER SUPPORT GROWS: As the Florida debate intensifies over the role of school vouchers, the supporters have a growing base in the families that use - and like - the system that's already in place. The Washington Post reports that Florida's battle is likely the first of many. Not surprisingly, groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State have already begun weighing in.

PASCO, HERNANDO EXPLORE CUTS: The rising price of gas and food has Hernando officials looking for ways to slash about $2.1-million from next year's budget. Meanwhile, Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino releases her recommendations to reduce spending by $16-million for next year.

NO BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED: Two Florida cases demonstrate that even convicted felons and serial debtors can get into the college student loan business.

SLOPPY, BUT NO FRAUD: An audit of the Pasco-Hernando Early Learning Coalition turns up some bad past business practices, ones the new executive director has begun to repair.

A PROF AND HER 'BOT: USF engineering professor Robin Murphy wins a grant to develop a robot that would provide comfort to disaster victims while awaiting help.

A BOY AND HIS CAMEL: What's the best way to study Egypt? With a real live camel in the classroom, a Lee County 8-year-old decides, as the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

SCHOOLS NEED SHRINKS: Students, especially those with special needs, should not have to do without psychological services as the Miami-Dade district has proposed in its budget cuts, two Nova Southeastern U. psychology profs write in an op-ed piece for the Miami Herald.

ACCUSED: A Broward teacher could lose his job over accusations that he stole money from the high school dance, the Miami Herald reports.

KEEPING THE PEACE: Witt Elementary in Bradenton starts a Peacemakers club after a lesson on hope sparked student interest, the Bradenton Herald reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with interim Pinellas superintendent Julie Janssen.

Pasco superintendent proposes $16M in cuts

The biggest loser in Pasco County's efforts to cut its budget for next year would be full compliance with the 2002 class-size reduction amendment. Superintendent Heather Fiorentino (left) has recommended not filling teaching positions aimed at getting every classroom to the limits set forth in the amendment, instead targeting school averages, as lawmakers allowed during the recent legislative session. That would save the district about $11-million.

But one key item that she didn't propose on paper is likely to loom large over the discussions to come. She did not include any mention of pay raises. Fiorentino told the Gradebook she intends to recommend that the board negotiate with the United School Employees of Pasco to have no annual raises based on years of service, a savings of more than $5-million, and no cost of living raises.

"To be able to preserve the jobs and the benefits, we will have to negotiate that," Fiorentino said. "We'd be able to maintain our people where we are today, which is better than most districts."

In a letter issued Friday, USEP president Lynne Webb praised the administration's efforts to find savings in the general operating budget, which was about $527-million this year after a mid-year $10-million reduction. But Webb questioned the $16-million cutting target, while also reminding Fiorentino that employees "have made it clear that they are expecting to be paid their step increases."

To see Fiorentino's proposed budget cuts, click here. To see her memo to the School Board, click here. To read the USEP's letter to the superintendent, click here. And be sure to check tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times or tampabay.com for our full story.

More brain drain? UF loses renowned economist

Another day, another loss of academic star power for one of Florida's state universities.

UF economics professor David Figlio, also a research associate at the NY-based National Bureau of Economic Research, is leaving the Gainesville public research institution after a decade to take a post at Northwestern University. He'll first go on a research sabbatical, said UF spokesman Steve Orlando.

An international expert in education and public finance, Figlio is famous for studies like the one in 2002 showing that schools loaded students up on high caloric food on standardized test days so that they would perform better.

Another study examined whether teachers show negative bias to black students with ethnic names or names that suggest low-incomes, such as those beginning in "Da-" or ending in "quan."

Academic and economics journals regularly turn to his work, and newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal quote him for his expertise.

And when they do, "UF" is before his name, which lends the university some prestige and national attention. No more. Soon the benefit goes to Northwestern.

Gifted group disappointed by Florida

The National Association for Gifted Children had high hopes that Florida might have taken the lead in making sure all gifted students receive instruction from teachers specifically trained to meet their needs.

"To give an idea of how large this would have been, today only four states require annual staff development hours in gifted education for regular classroom teachers," association spokesman Nick Manetto wrote to the Gradebook.

But HB 297, sponsored by state Rep. John Legg, failed to make it through the Senate.

The problem is most dire for economically challenged communities, which often struggle to provide services beyond basic education, Manetto wrote. "Legg's bill would have helped ensure a more even distribution of gifted education and that all teachers have at least some training in the field, a big boost for students living in economically challenged locales."

The group plans to keep watching and advocating for such legislation in coming years. Interested in learning more about gifted ed? The NAGC will have its annual conference in Tampa this fall.

USF says thumbs down to movie theater classes

Hold the popcorn! The Oracle, USF's student paper, reports that administrators are ending the seven-years-long tradition of holding classes in the nearby University Mall.

Officials told the Oracle that they now have space for students on campus, and that some of the roughly 2,500 students attending classes in the theater didn't like the cinematic academic experience much anyway.

Not only were the classes huge, but students had to pay a $7.50 fee to take the classes there, helping offset what the university paid in shuttle transportation and mall space leasing costs.

Now maybe students can use the money to cover the rising gas costs just to get to the main campus...

FIU: 3-day weekends save money

State universities are finding all kinds of ways to save money, and in one case it means three-day weekends all summer.

FIU President Mitch Maidique, in his latest budget update to students, faculty, and staff, says the Miami institution this summer will shift to a 4-day work week of 10-hour days, allowing FIU to shut down on Fridays and reduce utility and other costs. Maidique estimates it will save $250,000 in utility costs alone.

FIU, facing a $12-million budget cut for the upcoming year and already having lost $10-million this year, also will sell some of the 200 vehicles it owns but does not use full-time.

A town hall meeting to discuss budget cuts comes May 22, and the trustees vote June 17 on final cuts.

Calling all geeks!

How could we resist a press release with a headline like this: "Science Center Targets Science Geeks." That would be the Science Center of Pinellas County, which for the first time this summer will offer more intensive science classes for fifth and sixth graders.

"This is something extra we're trying for die hard science fans," said Madeline McNaughton, the center's executive director.

The one-week sessions, spent entirely in labs, will be offered several times over the summer, even as the center continues to offer its regular classes, too. To find out more, call the center at (727) 384-0027 or go to its website here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Riverview principal wins national award

Robert Heilman, principal of Hillsborough's Riverview High, has received the 2008 MetLife Foundation Ambassadors in Education Award. The honor, which comes with $5,000, goes to a principal or teacher who finds creative ways to collaborate with the community to improve student education.

"Not only has he built relationships among local businesses and organizations, he and his students are reaching out to local elementary schools and offering tutoring services for younger students in the community who are struggling," J. Vince Thompson, a retired principal who nominated Heilman for the award, said in a news release.

Heilman is not the first Hillsborough principal to receive this recognition. Past recipients include Benito Middle principal Bobby Smith, Plant City High teachers Gary Todd Long and Sherrie Mueller, Young Middle teacher Julia Barnes and Robinson High former principal, the late Kevin McCarthy.

Today's news

TOO CLOSE? E-mail correspondence between outgoing Pinellas superintendent Clayton Wilcox and his new employer, Scholastic Inc., suggests Wilcox had ties that might appear to have transcended the normal purchaser-vendor relationship. Wilcox rejects the idea that he did anything improper. (Times photo, 2007)

SOME SENIORS STUMBLE ON FCAT: High schoolers get six tries to pass the 10th-grade FCAT, which is a state graduation requirement. The passing rate remains low statewide for seniors who keep trying. See a separate story about the Pasco results here.

THEY DIDN'T GIVE UP: Pasco schools recognize 29 students who stuck through hard times and found success during the district's annual Turnaround Award event. "This is what it's all about," said Gulf High teacher Travis DeWalt as he introduced his school's winner, Ladarious Jackson.

HERNANDO COACH ACCUSED: At least one student has accused Hernando High coach and classroom aide Eric Riggins of touching her sexually. Riggins resigned May 5 amid a criminal investigation into his conduct.

MORE MEMBERS: A Collier School Board member suggests asking voters to add two more representatives to the board, but finds no support from her colleagues, the Naples Daily News reports.

NEVER TOO LATE: A 79-year-old man and his 34-year-old son finally earn their high school diplomas from a private school in Fort Pierce, the Fort Pierce Tribune reports.

PROBATION NO MORE: Putnam superintendent David Buckles is removed from probation by the Florida Department of Education, the Palatka Daily News reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Lee schools freeze all employee salaries and benefits at their current level as the district grapples with an expected budget shortfall, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. The Collier School Board will ask voters to transfer .25 mills of the district's capital outlay tax rate to cover operational expenses in an August referendum, the Naples Daily News reports. Miami-Dade considers a plan to eliminate more than 500 jobs, the Miami Herald reports. Escambia's superintendent recommends closing schools and changing start times, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. Students protest Orange's move to change start times, the Orlando Sentinel reports. School districts across California are going through the same kind of budget-cutting exercises as those in Florida, as California faces similar revenue shortfalls, the LA Times reports.

Report: Hernando coach touched student sexually

BROOKSVILLE -- At least one Hernando High School student has claimed that former coach Eric Riggins touched her in a sexual manner on two occasions, according to investigative documents released Thursday by the school district.

Riggins, 31, resigned May 5 from his job as classroom aide and assistant coach for track and football, amid reports of a criminal investigation into possible inappropriate contact with students.

Just three days earlier, Hernando Schools officials had recommended his firing, according to documents obtained by the St. Petersburg Times under state open records laws.

Latest poll results

In case you haven't noticed by now, we change out our informal Gradebook poll at the upper left hand corner of this page each Thursday. There's a new one now, this time focusing on the current budget struggles that school districts are facing. Sorry, no room for comments. But thanks for picking one of the options.

Here's how you responded to our last question, "Should high schools continue to recognize valedictorians and salutatorians?"

• Yes, the students who get the best grade-point average deserve the recognition. 196 votes - 75%
• No, the GPA battle is too cut-throat. Just honor the top 5 percent. 48 votes - 18%
• Who cares? High school is over. 18 votes - 7%

If you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, please send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

Is UCF med school fueling a trend?

UCF's medical school hasn't even opened yet, but is its student financing already a model for other med schools?

It seems the Cleveland Clinic is about to go tuition-free, giving all incoming students starting this summer scholarships for the tuition of more than $40,000 a year. The change starts this summer, according to the Wall Street Journal. Students will still have to pay for living expenses, which will cost about $21,800 including fees, equipment and books.

UCF just finished raising $6.4-million in donations to cover its own medical school scholarships, $40,000 a year over four years for the inaugural class of 40 medical school students who start in fall 2009.

The WSJ notes that schools like UCF are leading a national trend of schools trying to ease the financial debt of students.

No patience for cell phones in Hillsborough

Hillsborough is poised to crack down on students abusing cell phones. School officials want the palm-sized distractions off and out of sight during the school day.

The proposed rules on Tuesday's School Board agenda outline strict consequences. If students disobey, they would receive one warning before having their cell phones confiscated. Three strikes would result in detention. On the fourth offense, the student would face in-school suspension.

Sounds like enough to make students long to be in Pinellas, where administrators at some campuses permit cell phone use after school and during lunch.

To see what Gradebook readers had to say about cell phones in schools, see our recent poll results here.

Open that wallet a little wider

As if it weren't bad enough that local property taxpayers will end up footing more of Florida's public education system than the state for the first time in decades, consider this. If the Legislature based its school funding formula on inaccurate property tax roll estimates, the local taxpayers' share could grow even more.

It's no secret that property values have been tanking. Just look around you at the number of foreclosures and houses that have sat on the market for months, or read about the nation's sub-prime mortgage crisis. That news has prompted more than one property appraiser to reevaluate assessed values, with an expectation among many that the tax roll will head downward and not the other way.

Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino described this scenario to some top state education officials when she got some face time with them this week, asking pointedly whether the state or the local taxpayers would make up the difference if Pasco's values were closer to $29-billion than the $30-billion that lawmakers predicated the district's budget (and tax rate) on.

The answer was short, not so sweet and probably predictable: "We would have to raise taxes," Fiorentino told the Gradebook. Hang on, folks. It could be a bumpy budget cycle. Counties will be releasing their property tax rolls on July 1.

Higher percentages of seniors pass the FCAT

It's sad but true: FCAT scores for high school seniors who have to retake the test because they failed it in the past are never that good, and this year is no exception.

Statewide, 16 percent of them passed the reading portion of the test (up from 15 percent) while 32 percent passed the math portion (up from 26 percent), according to scores released this morning by the Department of Education.

Twelfth graders must pass both the reading and math portions of the 10th grade FCAT to graduate. They must also earn enough course credits and a passing GPA. Many who fail the FCAT also fail to meet the other requirements.

This year, 24,069 seniors retook the reading test, while 9,971 retook the math.

Here's the breakdown for Tampa Bay:

• Pinellas: 19 percent passed reading and 33 percent passed math.
• Hillsborough: 15 percent passed reading and 33 percent passed math.
• Pasco: 19 percent passed reading and 43 percent passed math (up 9 percentage points from last year).
• Hernando: 21 percent passed reading and 35 percent passed math.

Students have six chances to pass the 10th grade FCAT before they graduate, and can continue to take it as many times as they want after their senior year. They can also substitute comparable scores on the ACT or SAT.

Students who fail the FCAT (or fail to get a comparable score on the ACT or SAT) but who meet the other graduation requirements get a certificate of completion instead of a standard diploma.

To see the full breakdown, download this report. The FCAT Parent Network will be updated with individual student reports on Tuesday.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Today's news

BRING AN EXTRA QUARTER: The Hillsborough School Board ponders raising cafeteria meal prices between 25 cents and 50 cents, as the cost of staples such as milk and bread rise. The district is looking at several ways to overcome an expected $64-million shortfall for 2008-09. (Photo from Cornell University)

GREGO MOVING ON: Hillsborough assistant superintendent Mike Grego is on his way to lead Osceola schools after that district's 3-2 vote for a new superintendent, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Grego was a finalist for the Hillsborough job and has been actively seeking to lead a school system, most recently sending an unsolicited application to the Pinellas School Board, which picked insider Julie Janssen as interim superintendent instead.

NO BULLYING IN BROWARD: The Broward School Board hashes out an anti-bullying policy that officials say goes beyond what lawmakers have asked schools to do, the Miami Herald reports.

FORGET GOOD FRIDAY: After fielding numerous complaints, the Polk School Board decides to make Good Friday a holiday for students, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

LET THEM SEE: The Martin School Board moves to broadcast its monthly meetings amid calls from residents to make the district's business more visible, the Stuart News reports.

SIMULATION TEACHING: Some would-be teachers learn classroom management skills in a high-tech virtual classroom at the University of Central Florida, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The computerized kids act up, but at least they can't hit anyone.

TRY TO CARE: Florida's public education system is under siege, and yet the public seems more interested in stories about teacher sex than in those about academics, accountability and finance, Palm Beach Post columnist Jac Wilder VerSteeg writes.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Florida State's world-class Magnetic Field Laboratory will get shut down for two months as the university aims to save money on electricity, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. University of Florida trustees approve $47-million in cuts, the Sun-Sentinel reports. The Miami-Dade School Board is debating whether the dismissal of its psychologists to save money might do more harm than good, the Miami Herald reports. As if a loss in state funding weren't enough, Brevard learns it will see its federal funds cut, too, Florida Today reports.

'Bad day for the SUS'

Chancellor Mark Rosenberg spoke to Gradebook this afternoon and lamented that yesterday was "a bad day for the state university system."

Why? Because the "brain drain" of talented professors and staff leaving cash-strapped state institutions is happening, at a fast pace. Higher ed officials here blame political and financial uncertainties of public higher education in Florida, where universities' budgets have been cut by tens of millions.

UWF President John Cavanaugh is leaving to be chancellor of state universities in Pennsylvania. Bob Donley, the BOG's chief of staff, is leaving to be Executive Director of the Iowa Board of Regents. Mark Hoyt, UF's chief technology guy, is leaving to be vice chancellor of IT at North Carolina State. Larry Conrad, FSU's chief information officer, is going to UNC.

"Unfortunately the prophecies about the brain drain are coming home to roost," Rosenberg said. "I mean, when you lose your top two chief information officers, that is not inconsequential!"

Jeb adds another big name to ed conference

Jeb Bush's education foundation just added another big name to the roster of speakers for its June education conference in Orlando.

U.S. education secretary Margaret Spellings will serve as keynote speaker at the Foundation for Excellence in Education's first annual national summit on education reform, Excellence in Action. She'll join Jeb's mom Barbara, former first lady; New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg; and Pennsylvania Sen. Anthony H. Williams.

Community colleges, coincidences

Did we miss the news, or have we all failed to connect the dots between two big plans to give community colleges more power?

First, there's the legislation to turn community colleges into "state colleges" with the ability to grant more 4-year degrees. Then there's the proposed constitutional amendment, put on this fall's ballot by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, that would give counties the power to raise local sales taxes for community colleges.

"It's not a coincidence," said Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, told The Gradebook today. "It's well past time that we have done something like this to increase not just funding of community colleges, but to increase the opportunity for citizens and residents to improve themselves through community college education."

Parents can get FCAT results (really)

The FCAT Parent Network was supposed to give parents access to their children's FCAT writing scores beginning yesterday. It didn't work.

"A software upgrade resulted in a slower upload time of the files. A patch from the software company solved the problem," Florida Department of Education spokesman Tom Butler told the Gradebook.

So now it works. If you have a log-in, have at it. And stay tuned for more scores to come in the next few weeks.