Today's news

DROPPED: Popular Pinellas history teacher Bob O'Donnell signed up for the state's deferred retirement program knowing it gave him five years to retire, but also knowing that the state allowed teachers - in short supply - to extend their employment for three years more. What he didn't expect was superintendent Clayton Williams' decision to stop granting the extensions in order to save money. (Times photo, Jim Damaske)

EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES: Largo first-, second- and third-graders will participate in a national program aimed at fighting obesity. Just three cities were chosen to take part in the effort.

LET THE DEBATE BEGIN: The Taxation and Budget Reform Commission's proposal to change the way Florida schools are funded provides an opportunity to explore the benefits and shortcomings that shouldn't be dismissed quickly, the Times editorializes.

LOBBYING OVER CLASS SIZE: Taxation and Budget Reform commissioner Darryl Rouson missed the meeting last week where an amendment to the class-size amendment narrowly missed adoption. The issue comes up again this week, and Rouson, who's expected to attend, is getting lots of calls about it, the Buzz reports.

BAN THE BOOST: Scared after four teens had to go to the hospital for drinking too much energy drink, Broward school officials now are talking about banning the drinks, the Miami Herald reports.

LESSONS IN PRIDE: A predominantly black, D-rated Palm Beach elementary school teaches kids about Africa to help them understand what their ancestors dealt with and encourage them to push higher, the Palm Beach Post reports.

HACKED: The Broward school district is investigating how a student got into databases of student and employee information, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TELL YOUR LAWMAKERS: The Lee school district puts a page on its web site aimed at informing residents about what's going on in Tallahassee with regard to education, in hopes that people will turn around and ask their lawmakers to serve schools better, the Naples Daily News reports.

LET US IN: Leon County is opening two new schools and needs about 60 teachers to fill them. About 180 have applied. In deciding, principals look not only at whether the applicants fit, but also at why they want to leave their old schools, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

FSE'S FIRST: Odyssey Charter School in gives up its contract with Brevard schools to become the first charter under the auspices of the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, Florida Today reports.

Comments

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TAX REFORM ON THE BUBBLE?? For the sake of equality and fairness, any reform plan must resolve the inequality of taxes being levied on those of us who moved to Florida during the years 2004-2006. We are and will continue to be artificially over taxed. We’ll continue to subsidize the pre 2004 homesteaders; and with the housing market’s price crash; we’re going to also be subsidizing the post 06 homesteaders. For those of you who are caught on this bubble, check your county assessor’s web site to find out what your neighbor pays. You may be shocked. For 2007, I paid $ 3,302.17 in taxes on a house assessed at $ 204,000.00. My neighbor’s liability was $ 2,211.99 for a house assessed at $ 215,980.00. Now may be the only chance to remedy this inequality. Send an email to the members of the Tax Reform Committee. The URL is floridatbrc.org/members.php. Open the envelope at the end of each member’s biography. Do it soon or we’ll forever be paying for someone else’s nice dinners. Any plan of reform must include such remedy. We are all Floridians.