Colleges have different plans for higher spring tuition

All 11 state universities will charge in-state undergraduates 5 percent more come January, but they have very different plans for spending the additional revenue -- $9.5-million in all.

UF will use its $1.5 million entirely on hiring new faculty and academic advisors, while FSU will use most of its $1.4-million to restore money that was cut this fall from "critical" areas like library operations.

USF will use $1-million of its $1.4-million in additional revenue to restore course offerings cut this fall. More than $300,000 will go into need-based aid, and merit-based aid will increase by $106,000. UCF has similar plans, putting $1-million into course offerings and $550,000 into need-based aid.

Click here for the full report, to be discussed next week when the Board of Governors meets on UCF's Orlando campus.

Tuition hike pays for FSU's 24-hour library

For FSU students, there will be no more "But the library was closed" excuses to avoid end-of-semester studying. And they can thank their higher tuition bills for that.

The Strozier Library is about to become the first university library in Florida to stay open 24 hours, five days a week, according to Julia Zimmerman, director of University Libraries. The expanded hours -- from 10 a.m. on Sundays until 8 p.m. on Fridays -- take effect this weekend, just in time for final exams. The library also will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Saturday.

“Students operate on a different clock than other people, and there aren’t too many safe and comfortable places that they can go at night to study,”  Zimmerman said.

President T.K. Wetherell has decided to use part of the revenues from a 5 percent spring-semester tuition hike to pay for staff and other expenses associated with the extended library hours. The increase will generate an additional $1.4-million for FSU.

That's a big change from this semester, when FSU libraries saw their hours reduced. The library cutbacks were part of FSU's response to statewide budget cuts and to  FSU alum Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of an earlier proposed 5 percent tuition hike. Crist had a change of heart soon after and OK'd the hike for the semester that begins in January.

Blomberg to retire

Florida interim education commissioner Jeanine Blomberg has announced her retirement from the Department of Education after more than 30 years on the staff.

Blomberg took over the top job in March, replacing her more high-profile and controversial boss John Winn, considered by many the architect of Florida's A-Plus plan. She had been his chief of staff to that point.

During her brief tenure as commissioner, Blomberg did not shy from controversy. Most notably, she dealt with a scoring snafu on the 2006 third-grade FCAT reading test. She won much praise for adding transparency to the testing system, bringing together a panel of experts that now is reviewing much more than just the way the annual exam is written and scored.

"Her steadfast commitment to student achievement, clear devotion to public transparency and unwavering personal integrity make her legacy one that is sure to live on," State Board of Education chairman T. Willard Fair said in a prepared statement.

Eric J. Smith will take over as the state's education commissioner on Monday.

To read the press release on Blomberg's announcement, click here. Check back at noon Saturday for an interview with Jeanine Blomberg.

Challenge brewing

One by one, school districts are stepping up to fight the State Board of Education's decision to deny them the exclusive authority to grant or deny charter school contracts. Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Hillsborough, as well as several others including Miami-Dade, Duval and Palm Beach have voted to ask the board to overturn the State Board's ruling.

More than that, a group of them is working with lawyers to determine whether - more likely when - to sue the state over the constitutionality of the law that creates the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission as an alternative to local control of charters.

They have until Dec. 3 to file their notice to appeal the State Board decision. But "there never is a deadline for challenging constitutional language," says Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, which is spearheading the lawsuit drive.

Blanton tells the Gradebook that several superintendents and school board lawyers will meet in Tampa next week to plot out strategy.

"Then we're going to file," he says. "My guess is, it will be some time in December or early January."

Related story: Lawsuits may decide future of Florida charter schools, Sun-Sentinel, 11/30/2007

Florida graduation rate up

Florida's graduation rate rose slightly last year, to 72.4 percent, according to figures released by the state Department of Education this morning. The number for the 2006-2007 school year is up 1.4 percent from 2005-2006 and up 12.2 percent since 1998-99, according to the DOE. To see the DOE press release and a breakdown by district, click here.

Florida's graduation rates remain among the lowest in the nation, and have been a source of embarrassment for years. The way the state calculates its rates has been an issue, too, with Florida earning high marks for its student-tracking system but criticism for including students who earn GED diplomas.

The latest figures brought praise from Gov. Charlie Crist: "Florida has made exceptional progress in helping students realize the value and necessity of a high school education," he said in a written statement. "This achievement would not be possible without the tireless efforts of Florida's teachers and school administrators who selflessly devote themselves to ensuring a brighter future for their students."

Today's news

PTA RUNS AFOUL OF EBAY: The Deer Park Elementary PTA mom thought she would make fund raising easy for the school by running an auction on eBay. But the online company shut the effort down after the mom bid on one of the items - an eBay no-no, it turns out.

SCIENCE STANDARDS GET ENDORSEMENT: Experts who panned Florida's current science curriculum say the state has done much better with its proposed revisions.

CHECKMATE: The chess team from Wimauma Elementary - a poor school filled with many English learners - bests the rich kids with personal coaches.

MERIT PAY REJECTED: The state Education Department says Hernando's teacher performance pay plan doesn't meet the mark. Teachers and district officials cheer.

WITHDRAWALS SUSPENDED: The governor, CFO and attorney general stop local governments and school boards from taking their money out of a state-run investment pool, at least until Tuesday. The governments had been pulling out their cash because of fears that the account had defaulted debt in it.

WHEN THEY SAY COMPULSORY, THEY MEAN IT: Putnam County gets serious about truancy, filing misdemeanor charges against six parents of kids who chronically miss school, the Palatka Daily News reports.

COPS WANT RAISES, TOO: The Palm Beach school district police have begun contract negotiations. The district is suggesting they get performance pay, which is about as popular as teacher performance pay, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

FINALLY, AN A: Hollywood Hills Elementary in Broward proves to the state that it deserved an A grade, and not an incomplete, the Miami Herald reports.

JUST WAIT: For years, Martin County schools boomed with growth and its school boundary committee found  itself embroiled in battle after battle. Now the committee suggests just sitting back and letting shrinking enrollment ease the crowding instead, the Palm Beach Post reports.

THAT'S SOME BONUS: UF trustees approve $285,000 in performance bonuses for president Bernie Machen, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

EVOLUTION POLITICS: Texas' science curriculum director says she was forced out of her job for criticizing the teaching of intelligent design, the AP reports.

Not so hot in science

U.S. high school students were outperformed by their peers in a majority of the world's industrialized nations on a test that measures their science skills, Education Week reports.

The results weren't supposed to be out yet. But they got reported in Spain, so now they've been released here, too. The Americans ranked lower than students in 16 other countries, including Finland, Canada, Japan, the Czech Republic and Ireland.

The numbers likely will fuel the fire among leaders in Florida and elsewhere who have clamored for upgrades in math and science curriculum. Perhaps rightly so. But we'd like to point out just one thing: At least the Americans didn't muck up the science test so badly that they couldn't use the results at all.

That would be the reading section of the international test, for which the US results had to be thrown out because of a printing error.

Eckerd keeps getting greener

Eckerd, home to that really cool yellow campus bicycle program, just launched a Web site as part of its ongoing committment to sustainability and conservation.

The website, www.eckerd.edu/green, highlights the private liberal arts college's environmental initiatives -- from the student-run recycling program and environmental film festival to the campus food program that seeks out locally grown ingredients and healthy eating.  Campus eateries have switched from Styrofoam to biodegradable containers.

"Many in the Eckerd community believe that the most pressing social, economic, political, and moral issues of the 21st century have to do with the environment, and our particular location here on the Gulf of Mexico especially enriches that dimension of the College," said Dr. Donald R. Eastman III, Eckerd President.

He is one of more than 400 public and private college presidents, including UCF's John Hitt and UF's Bernie Machen, who have signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Colleges like Eckerd and UF are placing increasing emphasis on conservation and environmental responsbility, and it shows in campus life and academic programs.

USF trustees this afternoon are expected to approve two new master's programs in real estate and community planning, both with an emphasis on sustainability.

Eckerd already offers an Environmental Studies degree that explores relationships between humans and the natural world.

Next up for Eckerd: Getting its Iota residence hall certified as a "green" building by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction program.

Merit pay dies in Hernando

BROOKSVILLE -- Hernando County caught a lucky break this week: the state didn't like its application for a merit-pay plan for teachers.

And with a few quick votes Wednesday, a relieved district and teachers' union dropped the Merit Award Program like a hot potato.

"Both groups voted unanimously not to submit the corrections to the Department of Education to revise the plan, so we’re not going to have that as part of our contract this year," said Barbara Kidder, director of labor relations and professional standards. "MAP is dead."

Under the state plan, up to 25 percent of district teachers would have received a state-funded salary bonus based on student testing and an administrative evaluation.

But Hernando officials reckoned the plan would have cost the district $400,000 or more in local funds to implement, and the Hernando Classroom Teachers' Association union worried that would come out of teacher salaries.

In other words, everyone -- including all five School Board members and the union leadership -- hated it. If not for the complication of an earlier union vote to accept the plan, and a much-regretted board vote to move forward, it never would have gotten this far.

They're not alone. Around two-thirds of Florida's 67 counties, including Pasco and Pinellas, have rejected the plan, according to the Florida School Labor Relations Service.

So when the district received word Monday that its plan had fallen short and needed revisions, there were lots of smiles.

Even Laurie Pellito, the district staffer who labored to pull the district's submission together, was pleased.

"I want to believe that it's finished," she added. "But I haven't started shredding yet."

Pellito plans to keep that big MAP file in a safe place, near her paperwork for Special Teachers Are Rewarded, the state's last attempt at merit pay. When the next plan comes, she'll be ready.

-- Tom Marshall, Times staff writer

Hillsborough principal award contest

Here's an idea for a cheap holiday present: Nominate your favorite middle or high school principal in Hillsborough for the Ambassadors In Education Award.

The winner receives a $5,000 grant for her school. Hillsborough is the only Florida participant in the program, sponsored by the MetLife Foundation, recognizing principals in 25 urban districts. The award honors principals who are building partnerships and promoting safety and service in the community.

Nominations are due by March 7, 2008. They are available here: Download nomination_form_2008.doc

The winner will be announced in late March. Each year, the recognition alternates between principals and teachers. Past Hillsborough winners include the following:

Gary Todd Long, teacher, Plant City High

Kevin McCarthy, former principal, Robinson High

Julia Barnes, teacher, Young Middle

Bobby Smith, principal, Benito Middle

Sherrie Mueller, teacher, Plant City High

Science storm brewing?

Focus on the Family, which advocates family values based on "Biblical principles," is weighing in on Florida's proposed new science standards, telling supporters in a recent missive to urge the Department of Education to "include intelligent design in science classes." Since the proposed standards were released last month, there hasn't been much of a public tussle over how the standards treat Darwin's theory of evolution. Maybe opposition is beginning to mobilize?

Focus on the Family's position was first reported Monday on the Florida Citizens for Science blog. As far as we can tell, nobody is doing a better job than the FCS blog in keeping up with all the latest developments on the standards issue. Click here to stay tuned.

Not just next year?

We've already heard the dire forecast - Florida will see another year of revenue decline, probably in the billions. Some lawmakers are warning that the situation is bad enough that they might not be able to hold schools harmless as promised if voters back property tax structure changes in a January referendum, as the Miami Herald reports.

But school districts are bracing for the worst even sooner. Lee County has begun preparing for cuts in the next few months, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino has told all her staffers who run budgets to hold as much as 10 percent in abeyance, just in case, and she's keeping a hiring freeze in place.

They might not be too far off the mark in their thoughts.

Joe Pickens, chairman of the Florida House Schools and Learning Council, tells the Gradebook that his time has been largely consumed with trying to figure out what to do about the funding crunch and how it will affect schools. And early cuts are not off the table, he says.

"Right now, we're hoping we don't have to make any further reductions in education this year," Pickens says. "We'll see."

Today's news

RULES REVISED: The Hillsborough school district has changed its controversial policy of suspending students pending a conference with their parents. The policy, which had no written procedures, gained attention after it was used on a student who had tried to alert administrators that a teacher was having sex with her friend.

A WIN FOR MOM: Winning the Hillsborough math bowl had personal implications for Middleton High student Michael Rodeman.

REAL ESTATE DEGREES: The real estate market is tanking. Agents have little work these days. Expecting them to seek additional education, USF sets up two master's level real estate programs to help them out.

IN MOURNING: Land O'Lakes High remembers two classmates who died in a car crash the day before.

APPROACHING IMPASSE: Hernando teachers and the district administration seemed close to contract terms, until they started talking about how to parcel out the money.

MONEY FIGHT: The Palm Beach school district is challenging an arbitrator's decision to award some teachers back pay the district says they don't deserve, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

REJECTED: The Department of Education rejects St. Lucie County's performance pay plan, the Palm Beach Post reports.

HELPING HAND: The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce asks lawmakers to help the Collier School Board give bigger raises to its teachers, the Naples Daily News reports. The teachers union, which has been protesting the 1 percent raise offer, says thanks.

IN DEMAND: The Polk school district keeps losing information technology specialists to the private sector, which pays better, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

SEEKING SAFER STOPS: The St. Lucie school district and other area governments reach some agreements on how to protect kids at bus stops, the Stuart News reports.

INVESTIGATION RARE: The U.S. Attorney's Office won't say much about its review of grade tampering at FAMU, except that it doesn't do this kind of thing too often, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

CUTS ARE COMING: Broward lawmakers warn school officials that the Legislature is likely to cut education funding even if voters approve property tax reductions in January, the Miami Herald reports. "Anybody that has told you the legislature will make up this shortfall is lying,'' Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller said.

THINK FLORIDA HAS FINANCIAL WOES? The Maryland Assembly takes action that makes new school construction all but impossible, the Washington Post reports.

That sinking feeling

Seeking to protect their assets, school districts all across Florida have begun pulling their investments out of a state-run investment pool that contained more than $700-million in defaulted debt, Bloomberg News is reporting.

The Orange County School Board pulled $388-million from the fund this week, and others are following suit, as are local governments. All told, the governments have removed $8-billion - or about 30 percent of the total - from the pool.

If the withdrawals continue, the fund might have to consider filing for bankruptcy, experts tell Bloomberg. To read the whole story, click here.

History lesson on science standards

There’s a reason why Florida’s current science standards, adopted in 1996, don’t mention the word evolution. And it’s pretty much what’s commonly assumed: According to a former DOE insider, the department, then under Commissioner Frank Brogan, feared the word would spark a cultural firestorm.

“The code word got to be ‘biological change over time,’ “ Tom Baird, a former DOE policy analyst, told The Gradebook. “Anybody looking at that went, ‘Right, we’re teaching evolution’ … but without triggering the outcry from church groups and so forth.”

The right decision? Baird didn’t think so. And because of the omission (well, and a ton of other problems), the standards took a lickin’ (see St. Petersburg Times story here). But Baird also said he understands why DOE might have been especially sensitive at the time. Science standards, period, were a new and big deal, along with the notion that kids would soon be tested on those standards. The feeling was, “We don’t have to fight that (cultural) battle right now,” Baird said. Not on top of everything else.

Which brings us to the proposed new standards. They dub Darwin’s theory of evolution one of the “big ideas” that kids need to understand to be well grounded in science. And so far – dare we say it? – there has been no firestorm. True, public comment has drawn a fair amount of calls for inclusion of creationism or intelligent design, and in Polk County, there’s a bit of a ruckus (see Lakeland Ledger story here). But, if that’s as heated as it’s going to get, maybe Florida is a long way from Kansas, after all? (Knock on wood.)

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

UT gets a role in tonight's Republican prez debate

The University of Tampa gets a role in tonight's CNN-sponsored Republican presidential candidate debate  in St. Petersburg.

CNN picked the private college in downtown Tampa to host a 24-member focus group of undecided Republican voters to watch the debate from Plant Hall and electronically log their satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the candidates throughout the debate.

The debate will include live broadcasts from UT, and the group’s electronic tallies will scroll live as the debate progresses.

Getting parents riled up

If ever there was a hot-button issue in education, it would be school attendance zones.

Sure, you can make a case for high-stakes testing, teacher performance pay and a long list of others. But anyone who makes a career of covering school districts (as we do) will tell you, nothing gets parents more agitated and active than when some administrator tells them that sorry, your kid will have to move to a different school.

Look no farther than Pinellas schools, where the School Board has dealt lately with whether to close some schools to save money (parents protested) and whether to change its assignment policy to create more neighborhood schools (parents protested). Or consider Hillsborough County schools, where the superintendent's proposal about two years ago to shift kids among nearly 20 schools motivated giant neighborhoods to, yes, protest.

Most of the time, the parents end their complaining after the School Board gavels the matter closed. Better to move on and give their kids a sense that the move will be good for them than to keep the flames stoked with anger.

Then there's this group in Orange County. So peeved were they that their children were zoned out of Ocoee High that they've sued the school district, the Orlando Sentinel reports. They say the public wasn't involved in the decision.

Many districts aim to avoid this by including parents from the start. (See this Times story about how Pasco deals with the issue.) But ultimately, as the Miami Herald reports about a heated boundary fight in Broward, someone will end up unhappy. It just depends how unhappy as to what they'll do next, it appears.

HCC rapped in state audit

In an operational audit released this morning, the Florida Auditor General cited 15 problems at Hillsborough Community College, including the questionable spending of student fees. In particular, the audit cited student government trips to New York City (cost: $14,026) and Walt Disney World (cost: $2,362), saying it was not clear from records how the student body benefitted. In response, HCC said it will strengthen its documentation requirements for such functions, "with specific attention to learning outcomes anticipated from a funded activity, and an explanation of how an activity benefits the general student body." To see the full report, click here.

Today's news

MORE ROLE MODELS THAN EVER: Once called 500 Role Models of Excellence, the Pinellas school program to help mostly minority boys succeed in school now is called 5000 Role Models to reflect its expansion and growing influence. (Times photo, Willie J. Allen Jr.)

ABOVE AND BEYOND: Ag teacher Juan Guevara wins Hillsborough's Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year award. He teaches at Caminiti Exceptional Center.

MAKING PLANS: Parents and educators take advantage of the opportunity to tell Pasco school leaders where they think the district should go over the next five years.

A BREAK WITH TRADITION: Hernando superintendent Wayne Alexander picks a new school principal who doesn't already work for the district, instead of promoting from within like usual.

NEW MOVE-IN RULE: Anyone wanting to live in a USF dorm or Greek house must get vaccinated for bacterial meningitis.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Band has pan-do spirit (Seven Springs Middle), Putting a new spin on middle school (John Long Middle)

STRIDES DESPITE CUTS: Here's the final installment of the Herald-Tribune's series on exceptional student education.

SEX-ED BATTLE: Opponents of a proposed new sex-ed program in St. Lucie schoolsl protest outside School Board members homes, the Palm Beach Post reports. The School Board should ignore parent complaints and vote on the controversial program as planned, the Post editorializes.

KIDS ARE FEELING IT: Collier teachers are working to their contract to protest the district's contract offer. Now students can't participate in all the activities they are accustomed to, because there are no teachers to supervise them, the Naples Daily News reports.

JUST CAN'T STOP: Since learning to read in English, 10-year-old Damian Reyes always has a book in his hands. That's just what the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County wants to hear, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

CUT CLASS SIZES: To effect real improvement at its lowest-performing schools, the New York school district is looking at reducing class sizes - immediately, the NY Times reports. The money will come from a lawsuit payout.

UF's Mr. Gatorade dies

Dr. J. Robert Cade, the University of Florida scientist who led the research team that developed Gatorade, died today at Shands at UF medical center in Gainesville. He was 80.

A Texas native, he arrived at UF as a College of Medicine professor in 1961. Four years later, he and other researchers started trying to make a drink that would help keep UF football players hydrated on the field. Cade's wife suggested the team add lemons to the mixture of glucose and sodium to make it palatable.

In 1966, sportswriters discovered the UF Gators’ superior second-half performances was linked to the brew that became known as Gatorade.

The drink has brought in more than $150 million in revenue to UF, and it spawned a sports drink industry that has fueled millions of athletes and wannabe athletes for four decades.

Dr. Cade is survived by his wife, Mary Strasburger of Gainesville, Fla.; two sons, Michael of Texas and Stephen of Gainesville, Fla.; four daughters, Martha of Gainesville, Fla., Celia Cade Johnson of Oregon, Emily Morrison of Boston, and Phoebe Miles of Washington, D.C.; 20 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Dubious distinction

School bus-related fatalities reached a six-year high in Florida last year, and this year looks no better. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the state is on its way to a third straight year leading the nation in bus-related fatals.

Experts speculate that Florida's rate is so high because of its large school districts, which can keep buses on the road longer than in more compact districts in other states.

If there's a silver lining, the pros also say that the accidents usually are not the bus drivers' fault. And generally speaking, buses remain the safest mode of travel for schoolchildren, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Key scientist digs new standards

The scientist who gave Florida's science standards a big, fat F two years ago says the proposed new standards are "very much better." Said biologist Paul Gross: "Clearly, the writing committee, whoever they are, have taken to heart all the arguments that have been made about lousy standards."

Gross (left) isn't just any biologist. He's a former MIT professor; a former provost at the University of Virginia; and a former director of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass. Two years ago, he was the chief author of a scathing Fordham Institute report that found Florida's standards were "thin," "naïve" and "disappointing" (see St. Petersburg Times story here.) At the request of The Gradebook, Gross reviewed the proposed new standards – which were released in draft form last month - but on condition that it be made clear that he was doing so as an individual and not as a Fordham representative.

Gross wouldn't go so far as to give the proposed new standards a grade, but he left no doubt he liked what he saw. "The organization of the plan is entirely respectable and it pays attention to all the national models," he said. "There's not a lot of fluff in it."

In particular, he called the standards' treatment of evolution "entirely reasonable." (The current standards never mention the word "evolution.") "I wish it were spread out so that there was more of it mentioned in the primary grades, but that's a quibble compared to what we saw last time," Gross said. "This is an excellent change."

The public has until Dec. 14 to comment on the proposed standards. To see them, click here. And to see the list of teachers, scientists and business people who re-wrote them, click here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

USF makes meningitis vaccine a must

It’s official: Starting in January, any University of South Florida student who moves into campus housing must be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis, the disease that killed a USF sophomore earlier this year.

USF President Judy Genshaft sent a letter over the Thanksgiving break to about 36,000 students, notifying them of the new policy. Genshaft, a mother of two, demanded the vaccine be made mandatory after Rachel Futterman’s September death, which also prompted the board that oversees Florida's 11 universities to examine vaccine policies statewide.

So far, USF is the first to make the vaccine mandatory for campus residents.

“Together we can make decisions to avoid another such tragedy,” Genshaft wrote. “Your wellness is our primary concern.”

Students who already have housing contracts through the spring are exempt for now, but will have to get the vaccine before signing any new contract. Genshaft’s letter urges all students to “take action now.”

Wednesday, USF will be offering the vaccine free to any students 18 and under, or for $90 to older students. The vaccine clinic goes from noon to 4 p.m. in the Marshall Center ballroom.

What matters most?

Hoping to improve students' academic performance, Congress implemented No Child Left Behind with strict outcomes-focused requirements places on schools.

But maybe that's not what parents really care about.

A new report out of Brigham Young University suggests that parents want their schools treat their children right more than they worry about whether their children's test scores rise, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

"While achievement is important, what we're trying to produce in schools and what parents want schools to produce is much broader than test score gains," study co-author and BYU associate professor Lars Lefgren told the paper.

Perhaps this is borne out as close to home as Pinellas County, where parents repeatedly have said that having a neighborhood school trumps so many other concerns, including diversity of the student body. That suggests that comfort, rather than the myriad other social issues, comes first.

But should it? Educators and community leaders continually tell us that American kids are lagging behind their peers internationally. Is that a signal that maybe parents don't know best? Or did schools actually do better when they had true local control, with parents playing a key role? Thoughts, anyone?

Today's news

ANTI-BULLYING EFFORT: Several Pinellas schools are adopting the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which claims to reduce bullying complaints by as much as 70 percent at some campuses.

A TIME TO GIVE: Students at Gulf Coast Academy in Spring Hill take up their teacher's challenge to "pay it forward," helping others who are less fortunate tham they are.

IN THE ROOM OR NOT AT ALL: Pasco School Board members attending a workshop reject the request of the one who was absent to allow remote attendance of board meetings.

PASCO SCHOOL ZONES: About 600 students would be affected by a proposed boundary for the Pasco district's newest middle school in Shady Hills.

PARENT PROTEST: Nothing like school zone changes to get parents upset. Dozens of them came out in Boynton Beach to oppose a proposed move of their children to a high school that's farther from home, the Palm Beach Post reports.

NCLB CONCERNS: Some educators and lawmakers worry that when better students use the federal law's transfer option, the failing schools they leave behind fare even worse, the Sun-Sentinel reports .

FIGHTING FOR CONTROL: An ESE teacher must calm her class before getting around to teaching them, the Herald-Tribune reports in the third installment of a special report.

SEEKING A TOP SPOT: Two Florida university administrators - one from UCF and one from UF - are finalists for the University of North Dakota presidency, the Grand Forks Herald reports.

MORE SUPPORT, PLEASE: Brevard Community College trustees don't mind having their school serve as an entry point for the University of Central Florida. But they'd like more resources for their branch campuses, Florida Today reports.

THE UPSIDE OF BENCHMARKING: Some school districts are trying to deemphasize the "FCAT frenzy," doing away with the myriad pre-tests leading up to the main event. The St. Lucie school district isn't one of those, and it's finding students are improving in math through the benchmark testing, the Stuart News reports.

Warford won't be going home

For the second time in three months, Jim Warford made the short list for state education commissioner, but did not get the final nod. This time it was in Kentucky, where Warford, a Kentucky native, was one of four finalists.

"It was an honor to be considered," Warford told the Gradebook in an e-mail this morning, less than 24 hours after the Kentucky Board of Education named a Kentucky state representative to that state's top ed post. "I am not applying for any other positions. I will continue to focus my energy and attention on the Florida Association of School Administrators."

Warford, 58, is a former Marion County superintendent and Florida K-12 chancellor who has headed FASA for the past two years. In September, he was one of seven finalists for the Florida ed commish job that ultimately went to Eric J. Smith. "Kentucky and Florida were unique opportunities and I have no regrets about either process," Warford wrote. To read more about the decision in Kentucky, click here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

$275K for Eric J.

Florida's new education commissioner has a start date, and a starting salary, the Gradebook has learned. According to the Department of Education, Eric J. Smith's first day on the job will be next Monday, Dec. 3, and his annual salary will be $275,000. John Winn, Florida's last permanent ed commish, made $255,000 a year.

Since the commissioner serves at the pleasure of the Board of Education, there is no contract. Smith's benefits are the same as those for a senior management service position, which you can read about here. To read about the BOE's selection of Smith in October, click here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Martin out for 6 weeks

Pasco School Board member Cathi Martin hasn't had an easy year. She missed more than half the board meetings between her 2006 reelection and early spring, prompting some residents to call for her resignation or removal.

Martin started making it to meetings regularly again late in the spring. But lately, she's been a no-show, and now she has a doctor's excuse that will keep her out of the board room until early 2008.

It seems Martin came down with pre-pneumonia while attending her son's wedding in Las Vegas. She also reinjured her knee, which she had replaced about a year earlier. And while walking through her house about a week ago, she fell and broke her ankle in two places.

So she's on six weeks doctor-ordered of bed rest.

Despite her condition, Martin tells the Gradebook she wants to remain a vital part of the board. She has asked her colleagues and the district administration to work out a way for her to attend meetings remotely.

"I think that would be kind of cool," she says. "I can't miss any more meetings."

Elect? Or appoint?

Florida soon could find itself in an even smaller minority in the world of selecting superintendents.

The state of Mississippi now is looking into doing away with the election of school district chiefs as part of its Quality Education Act of 2008, the Hattiesburg American reports. The goal, it seems, would be to remove politics from education as much as possible.

That would leave Florida and Alabama as the lone holdouts that allow politician superintendents instead of appointed CEOs heading their school districts.

Of course, Florida lets county voters determine whether they want to give up their right to choose the superintendent. Most of the biggest ones have done so. But the majority of districts, with the biggest being Pasco County, have rejected the idea.

Lake County voters recently made the switch: Their board is conducting a search now. Marion County voters are the next in line to decide what to do about the elected superintendent's job. But if history serves as a guide, they're likely to reject the School Board's request to appoint the district leader again.

Some say it takes a major scandal or catastrophe to get voters to let loose of their right to choose their leaders. But others suggest that the general public should understand that a superintendent should require more qualifications than popularity, residency and a voter registration. It will be interesting to see where Mississippi goes on this, and whether Florida will follow.

Today's news

GOING HIGH-TECH: State education officials plan to computerize the FCAT test, beginning with the norm-referenced section given to three grade levels in 2009. That has some school-level technology specialists raising lots of questions.

FIRST STEP: Springstead High in Spring Hill admits its first pre-International Baccalaureate students as it puts the finishing touches on its application to offer the rigorous, four-year diploma program.

EVALUATING SKILLS: Nature Coast High in Brooksville launches a new state program designed to help job seekers determine if they have the skills that employers are looking for.

WARFORD STAYS PUT: Looks like former K-12 chancellor Jim Warford will remain with the Florida Association of School Administrators. The Kentucky Board of Education chose someone else to be its new commissioner, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

IS ANYONE NOT CHALLENGING? The Duval school district joins the growing list of counties preparing to fight the state for the exclusive authority to grant charter schools, the Florida Times-Union reports.

SEEKING CROSSING GUARDS: The Palm Beach school district needs at least 30 more to protect walkers and bikers, but it's having a tough time finding people to take the part-time jobs that pay only about $31 a day, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TURN OUT THAT LIGHT: Manatee school officials hope to save millions in energy costs by getting employees to be more thoughtful about things like flipping the switch as they walk out the door, the Herald-Tribune reports.

SPECIAL STUDENTS, SPECIAL NEEDS: The Herald-Tribune continues its four-part series on one teacher's experiences with her exceptional student education class.

IT'S ABOUT THEM, ISN'T IT? Some Collier high school students are speaking out about the district's plan to change their class schedule for the third time in three years, the Naples Daily News reports. The district wants to save money but, surprise, students actually care about the value of their credits.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND - EXCEPT THE GIFTED: Experts are joining advocates in suggesting that the federal school accountability law lets educators ignore gifted students in order to focus on low achievers, the Washington Post reports.

Coming up

Monday: Pasco School Board workshop, 1 p.m.

Dec. 3: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

Dec. 5-6: Board of Governors, Orlando

Dec. 11: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 1 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Hernando School Board, 1 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting; State Board of Education, Tampa

Dec. 14: Education Practices Commission, administrator panel 9 a.m., teacher panel 9:30 a.m., Tallahassee

Dec. 18: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m., Hillsborough School Board, workshop 10 a.m.

Dec. 24 - Jan. 4: Winter break, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando schools

Jan. 8: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

Jan. 22: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

Jan. 23-24: Board of Governors, Tallahassee

Monday: Pasco School Board workshop, 1 p.m.

Dec. 3: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

Dec. 5-6: Board of Governors, Orlando

Dec. 11: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 1 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Hernando School Board, 1 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting; State Board of Education, Tampa

Dec. 14: Education Practices Commission, administrator panel 9 a.m., teacher panel 9:30 a.m., Tallahassee

Dec. 18: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m., Hillsborough School Board, workshop 10 a.m.

Dec. 24 - Jan. 4: Winter break, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando schools

Jan. 8: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

Jan. 22: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

Jan. 23-24: Board of Governors, Tallahassee

Today's news

HILLSBOROUGH'S FULL-TIME DOG: Hope is a service dog. She works in a classroom for students with autism at Carrollwood Elementary School. And she brings, well, hope to the students who otherwise struggle with their social skills. (Times photo, Carrie Pratt)

A COMMUNITY'S VALUES: The Hillsborough School Board needs a system for naming schools that's less arbitrary and that reflects what the county holds dear, the Times editorializes.

DON'T STAND IN THE WAY: Pasco commissioners should let the School Board increase school impact fees to reflect true costs, the Times editorializes.

PARENTS ASK FOR TIME: Some St. Lucie moms and dads are upset about the School Board's pending vote on a controversial sex-ed program, and urge delay so the community can get more information, the Palm Beach Post reports. The superintendent proposed the program in August. The vote is set for early December.

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION: The Herald-Tribune today begins a four-part series on students with mental disabilities. Check out the first installment here.

FACING RESTRUCTURING: Everything soon could change at Rawlings Elementary, Alachua County's last remaining neighborhood school, because it has failed to meet No Child Left Behind standards, the Gainesville Sun reports.

SPREAD TOO THIN: Brevard County school leaders propose to redistribute Title I federal funds for low-income students, so the poorest ones get more and the less poor get less, Florida Today reports.

WHAT IF THEY LIED? Texas is about to implement stricter background checks for all school employees. That has districts wondering what to do if (when?) they discover that current workers have criminal pasts that they covered up, the Dallas Morning News reports.

DOES DARWIN SLEEP AT NIGHT? A suburban NYC school lets a local dad teach intelligent design classes as part of its evening adult-ed program. Some neighbors object, and the ACLU is looking to step in - not for the dad's rights, but for the complainers, the NY Times reports.

A weekend interview with ...

... state Rep. Anitere Flores. A Miami Republican, Flores chairs the House K-12 Education Committee. She talked via e-mail with reporter Jeff Solochek about education reform, the FCAT and the 2008 education agenda.

In committee (the first week of November), you spoke about the need for school districts to stop teaching to the test, and instead to teach the curriculum. You pointed to news out of Broward County that the district there would be ending its "FCAT frenzy." Elaborate for me your views on the need to refocus.

Students, teachers, parents, and lawmakers alike are frustrated by the constant focus on the FCAT. The focus in our schools must be on student learning.  I have complete confidence in our teachers' ability to teach.  They have the curriculum - let them teach it and our students will perform.

Broward superintendent Jim Notter told me that he believes the state, and not local educators, are responsible for the stress on the FCAT and teaching to the test. Is he right about that? If not, why not?

The state administers only one FCAT.  Districts have taken it upon themselves to create practice FCATs, FCAT rallies, and even reward students with bikes, iPods, even trips to Disney World for their performance on the FCAT.

The reward for student achievement is increased knowledge and better preparation for the future.  I don't have an inherent problem with rewarding students with a tangible symbol of their success.  However, it is when these become the only focus that there is a problem.

I strongly believe that the stress of the FCAT will be greatly reduced the day we go back to just teaching students, not teaching test takers.

I know a group of lawmakers (went) to New York to assess how Regents-styled exams might work in Florida's accountability model. What do you expect to see as a result of that visit? Does the FCAT need an overhaul?

Today's news

NO MORE 'NO CHECK' LIST: The Pasco school district plans to change its system for collecting bounced checks from parents.

WARFORD A FAVORITE: Former Florida K-12 chancellor Jim Warford, who was a semifinalist for the state's education commissioner job, now is one of the top two hopefuls for the same job in Kentucky, the AP reports. An announcement is expected Sunday.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TEXTING: Kids love to do it. So why not use that to a school's advantage? Two Orange County  middle schools will do just that, participating in an international pilot program where students will get math problems sent to their phones. Correct answers will win incentives, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

MORE MENTORING, CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING NEEDED: The state's Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys makes recommendations how to improve education outcomes for black boys, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

CHARACTER BUILDING: Several Miami-Dade schools are adopting a program based on the popular self-help book Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, the Miami Herald reports.

FIGHTING OVER PEACE: A war of words has broken out at Cocoa Beach High, where a group of students wearing t-shirts with peace slogans have sparked a debate in the school and online, Florida Today reports.

SEEKING ELITE STATUS: Florida State University wants to gain access to the nation's association of leading research universities, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. USF also is trying to get an invitation.

SARASOTA TEACHER DEAL: The Sarasota district and teachers tentatively agree to 3 percent raises, the Herald-Tribune reports.

IMPACT FEES IN LEE: Already among the highest in the state, Lee County's impact fees could rise higher if the School Board asks for more, the Naples Daily News reports.

BRING IDEAS HOME: Professors from elite universities increasingly are putting lectures on free podcasts, sharing the ivory tower with the rest of the world, the LA Times reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with Anitere Flores, chairwoman of the Florida House K-12 Education Committee.

Don't read this for pleasure

Maybe, like, it's only because we're in the newspaper business, but, like, we find ourselves especially prone to visions of the Apocalypse when we read studies that document, like, the decline in the number of kids engaged in, like, real reading. The latest: A National Endowment for the Arts report released this week. There are so many signs of a doomed planet in this thing, we don't know where to begin.

But how about this: In 1984, 31 percent of 17-year-olds read almost every day for fun; in 2004, only 22 percent did. Or this: A 2005 survey found 65 percent of college freshmen read little or nothing for pleasure. Game over, man! Game over! Okay, to be fair (and maybe to be charitable, since it's Thanksgiving weekend), there are all kinds of complicating factors to consider, like how we all read differently than we used to (for instance, like how all of you are reading this blog instead of curling up with Harry Crews's "Scar Lover" or Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God.") For nuance, check out this Washington Post story here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter; Times photo, Bill Serne

Two-minute rule

Anyone who's suffered through the five-plus hour meetings of the Hillsborough School Board will appreciate a rule change:

Board member Candy Olson (left) proposed at Tuesday's meeting a new procedure: She and the other board members should observe a two-minute time limit on routine agenda items.

Not surprising, it generated talk. (Eight minutes, 50 seconds, to be exact.)

Other board members were concerned about not being able to respond to comments. So April Griffin proposed an amendment that would allow one-minute response time. It proved rather divisive, passing on a 4-3 vote, with the support of Griffin, Carol Kurdell, Doretha Edgecomb and Susan Valdes.

Now the question is who's keeping time? Anyone want to loan the Gradebook a stopwatch for the next meeting?

Today's news

SEEKING SUSPENSION OPTIONS: The Pasco school district wants to find better ways to deal with kids who face out-of-school suspensions.

THE 'BOY CRISIS': Boys in Hillsborough lag behind girls in reading ability, and are more likely than girls to be sent to the principal's office. A new program at Stewart Middle in Tampa aims to bridge that gap. (Times photo, Ken Helle)

RAZING THE PAST: The Tampa Housing Authority will knock down the old Meacham school, which is designated as a National Historic Landmark, to make room for new homes.

KICKING IT UP A NOTCH: The Palm Beach school district adopts a new literacy program for its youngest students, hoping to boost their reading performance before they ever see an FCAT test, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

NINE-YEAR LOW: FAMU's enrollment slides amid all its woes, the Palm Beach Post reports.

'QUITE ANNOYING': Not all Seminole County students are thrilled with the loud music and noisy ads on Bus Radio since the district began the program earlier this year, the Orlando Sentinel reports. District leaders are considering whether to expand it to all 400 buses next year.

KEEPING HACKERS OUT: Ever since a student hacked the Palm Beach school district's computer system to change a grade, the district has spent more than $1.5-million shoring up its firewalls and other security measures. It's working, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Today's news

SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR: Students with handicaps at Cotee River Elementary celebrate Thanksgiving early.

YET ANOTHER CHALLENGER: The Hernando School Board will fight for the exclusive right to authorize charter schools in the county. It also names Sandra Nicholson as its new chairwoman.

CAN'T FIND A JOB? Spend your time in grad school getting another degree or additional training. That's what an increasing number of Floridians are doing, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

WHAT TO DO WHEN FIRED? Shoot higher. At least, that appears to be the philosophy of Joseph Wise, who got dismissed recently as Duval superintendent. Now he looks to be in the running to lead the much bigger Philadelphia school system, the Florida Times-Union reports.

APPOINTMENT DOESN'T ROCK THE BOAT: Gov. Crist could have rankled Miami's political leaders with his choice to complete a School Board term there. Instead, his pick wins almost universal praise, the Miami Herald reports.

FEDS TO PROBE FAMU: President James Ammons has asked the U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate unauthorized grade changing, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

STOP THE VIOLENCE: St. Lucie school officials hope the arrest of a high school student who brought a loaded gun to campus will help kids realize they can report problems to the police without fear of retaliation. The student was turned in to the school's crime stoppers program, the Stuart News reports.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Crist gives props to 'green' UF-FSU game

Former college footballer Gov. Charlie Crist, never one to pass up a good football rivalry, is even more pumped than usual about Saturday's UF-FSU game in Gainesville.

That's because UF is taking steps to offset the greenhouse gases produced by the game, and Crist is on a big conservation push in recent months.

This afternoon he released a statement commending UF for its efforts.

"Florida is one of the greatest rivalries in college football," said the FSU graduate. "To experience this setting in a carbon-neutral way sets a great example for the rest of the nation."

UF will be the first college in the nation to try to offset the greenhouse gases produced by the game — from lighting and stadium operations to the vehicles fans and players use to get to the Swamp. UF, working with the Florida Forestry Association and Environmental Defense, will manage 18 acres of pine (that’