A weekend interview with ...

... Jon Scieszka, an award winning children's author (The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!) who has been appointed first National Ambassador of Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. Scieszka spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about keeping kids reading.

How do we get kids to keep reading when there is no assignment?

That's actually the best opportunity, because I think a bit of the problem now is that kids aren't getting to read for entertainment. They have to read just for school and they think of it just as an assignment. So summer is actually kind of the best time where they can pick a much wider range of reading. And that's like a fun thing to do. Because then kids get to pick from things like graphic novels, comic books, wordless books, picture books, humor books, comic strips, science fiction. Non-fiction is a great one, too.

About all those different kinds. I've been noticing that some of them have been filtering in to schools more and more, like graphic novels and comic books. How do we call that reading? I remember that being a distraction when I was growing up.

That's actually a very interesting thing that's been happening in the business in say the last five years or so, starting with more sophisticated picture books, even, which led the way for kids reading visually. So they're actually reading the artwork, which is quite a skill these days, considering how much design is out there in the world. And now the stuff that is out there available in comic book form, or what is called graphic novel form now, which is a great mixture or words and pictures, is just really spectacular.

I wonder about comprehension on those types of books. Because I've seen kids go to tests, for instance, if the story includes a picture and the picture doesn't show what the story is telling, they get the questions wrong because they're looking at the picture and they see one thing that the story doesn't necessarily say.

Yeah. Well, actually, that's probably a problem with the test, which I think we should address more and like fix the test. Because the kids are smart and they're actually answering the questions for what's being shown. So I would be a fan of just saying fix the test, not the kids.

I know a lot of people are very familiar with your work, and a lot of it is funny. It's okay to be funny and to enjoy the reading?

Today's news

GAY STUDENTS GAIN ACCEPTANCE: Six years ago, just four Pinellas high schools had student-run clubs that preach tolerance for gay kids. Today, 16 have the clubs, as more and more teens say sexual orientation doesn't matter. (Times staff photo)

A SHOW OF UNITY: Pasco teachers plan to wear black and then leave school together at the end of the day Wednesday to protest a proposal to freeze their wages and cancel their annual step increases.

CELEBRATING THREE PRINCIPALS: The leaders of Forest Lakes, Brooker Creek and Tarpon Springs elementary schools call it a career.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Seminole High senior ready for Juilliard School

A FEW WORDS ON THE FALL REFERENDUMS: Times columnist Howard Troxler suggests that Amendment 7 (religious freedom) and Amendment 9 (state's duty for children's education) have misleading titles. Manatee superintendent Roger Dearing, meanwhile, warns that Amendment 5, a tax swap proposal, could put school funding in a "pretty perilous position," the Bradenton Herald reports.

KIDS DID IT: Two East Lee County High freshmen have been suspended for spraying a chemical irritant, likely pepper spray or Mace, into air vents, causing the school to be evacuated twice in a week, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

SOMETHING MUST GO: Florida State University wants to build a wellness center on campus. To make it fit, though, it has to knock down some other building, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

EDUCATION, FREE. GRADUATION, COSTLY: The cost of graduating from high school, from cap and gown to yearbook, can be pretty expensive for Florida's senior class, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

ANOTHER TEACHER ARREST: A military instructor at Sarasota High has been arrested, accused of inappropriate sexual conduct with a student, the Herald-Tribune reports.

AROUND THE NATION: An Indiana teen wins the national spelling bee with the word 'guerdon,' the AP reports (via LA Times). A court overturns a Colorado law intended to funnel more tax money to education, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with children's author Jon Scieszka, who talks about getting kids reading over the summer.

So long

Pinellas Superintendent Clayton Wilcox, left, e-mailed this short goodbye to all district employees this morning:

"Thank you for the honor of serving the children and young people of Pinellas County with you. I am proud of our efforts and grateful to each of you for your support of "our" kids and their families.
"I wish each and every one of you only the best of what life has to offer."

Wilcox's last official work day is Tuesday, but he is taking vacation time until then. He begins a job soon with New York-based Scholastic Corp. Interim superintendent Julie Janssen has the keys to the district for the time being.

And because you were planning your summer vacation around the superintendent search, The Gradebook brings you the schedule for finding Wilcox's successor.

July 11: Deadline for applications.
July 14-25: Background checks of the top 10 applicants are conducted by Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association and the district's search consultant.
July 28: School Board and Blanton meet to select five finalists.
Aug. 27-29: Candidates visit Pinellas to interview with board members.

The board may schedule visits to the workplace and home city of one or more finalists. A final selection may come in late September or early October

Beyond the freeze: Pinellas teachers set sights on a raise

The grim budget picture for Pinellas schools continues to evolve. That initial across-the-board wage cut that fueled so much outrage has morphed into a wage freeze, thanks to a plan that will require employees to pay higher medical premiums. Now union officials tell The Gradebook they are pushing for more.

They contend there's enough money in the budget to give teachers their "step increases" (the routine raises based on years of service) plus a regular raise of 1.5 percent for teachers and all other employees. That’s a long way from where things started in the effort to cut $40-million from the budget.

Jade Moore (left), executive director of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, points to $9-million the district has set aside to comply with the class size amendment. He contends Pinellas can meet the mandate without that money, and that it should go to employees.

District budget officials say otherwise. It's all part of the annual dance known as "collaborative bargaining," but the stakes in this year's crisis atmosphere seem higher. The School Board expects to settle on a budget by June 10.

Pasco teachers to protest pay freeze

It may amount to nothing more than a fruitless gesture. But Pasco school employees want their superintendent, School Board and the public to know exactly how upset they are with the recommendation to take away their annual raises based on years of experience.

So the United School Employees of Pasco has asked all district employees to wear black on next Wednesday, the last day of classes, and then for everyone to leave their campuses in unison when their contracted day officially ends - not an hour or two later, as many often do.

"They felt it was very important that they have the opportunity to send one last message before the end of the school year," USEP president Lynne Webb said of the group's school-based leadership team, which has taken the idea back to each school for buy-in. "There is a lot of concern out there ... that the district is not seriously trying to see what it can do to honor the contract and honor the step increases."

Donaldson wins teachers union nod

In perhaps one of the most unsurprising actions early in this year's Pasco superintendent race, challenger Steve Donaldson - a teacher - has claimed the endorsement of the United School Employees of Pasco.

Donaldson had been seen campaigning on the union's Chasco Fiesta float (see photo on the left), several USEP members helped him gather petition signatures to win a spot on the ballot, and his materials have had a prominent spot at the USEP headquarters. On his blog, Donaldson had spoken about his meetings with union leaders to discuss how to improve the district in the future.

USEP president Lynne Webb said in early April, when the issue came up that it looked like the USEP had already chosen its man, that the group had not endorsed Donaldson.

But since then Donaldson, a Democrat, has taken aim at some of incumbent Republican Heather Fiorentino's pet projects, especially the USEP-reviled Learning Focused Solutions teaching strategies. He's also started talking about the need to give teachers their annual raises based on years of service, something Fiorentino has recommended freezing in tight budget times.

Today's news

STILL THE SAME: Pinellas abandons the idea of changing school start times to save money after finding the savings wouldn't be that great.

AS IF LOW REVENUES WEREN'T BAD ENOUGH: The Pasco property appraiser announces that the Pasco School Board's taxable value is about $600-million below initial projections.

GRADUATION NEWS: 6,800 to graduate from Pinellas high schools next week; The strength to succeed: Three graduates' stories (Hillsborough) [Times photo, 2007]

TOO MANY TRIPS: Hernando schools spend too much time and money at the end of the year on useless field trips, columnist Dan DeWitt writes.

SIT STILL: Lee high schools move to no-frills graduation ceremonies in hopes of keeping the audience in its seat. "They want to see their kid get a diploma. They don't want to see a lot of entertainment," secondary schools director Herb Wiseman tells the Fort Myers News-Press.

THE TEACHER'S SIDE: Much maligned Port St. Lucie teacher Wendy Portillo of vote the kindergartener out infamy told police that 5-year-old Alex Barton needed to hear from his classmates how his behavior was affecting them, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

NO CONFLICT - YET: Orange County leaders reject a request from the City of Ocoee to enter conflict resolution over the proposed move of the nearest high school, saying the move hasn't been approved yet so there's no conflict to resolve, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Taylor County plans to lay off 38 teachers as part of its expected $2.8-million shortfall, WCTV-Tallahassee reports. Florida's National Board certified teachers are fretting the expected loss of half their annual bonus, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Despite tough budget times, a Boca Raton school is slated to get a new $840,000 driveway, the Palm Beach Post reports. Volusia sets new attendance zones for kids who had attended now-closed elementary schools, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

AROUND THE NATION: Forty-five kids, including at least one from Florida, advance to the national spelling bee finals, the AP reports (via Washington Post). Some Denver teachers are conducting a "sick-out" campaign amid stalled contract talks, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

UCF's fledgling med school gets video game grant

UCF's med school hasn't even taken in its first class of students yet, but already it has a grant -- and a cool one at that. UCF is one of 12 universities to split $2-million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the effectiveness of video games in health and exercise.

UCF, which already has a notable master's program in video gaming through its film school, will  investigate the benefits of role-playing video games that are designed to help alcoholics avoid real-world relapses.

UF also is getting a grant of roughly $200,000 to study the affects of Playstation 2’s “Crazy Taxi" game on the visual attentiveness (i.e., "Pay attention to the road, Grandma!") on a group of people 65 and older.

Is Bright Futures at odds with state's economic plans?

Bright Futures is one of the hottest political potatoes around the Capitol, with lawmakers saying the scholarship program is vital to ensuring more educated students graduate into Florida's increasingly high-tech workforce needs.

But an FSU researcher presenting his studies at an annual conference this week says the GPA requirements for keeping the scholarship all four years might encourage students to pick "easier" degree programs - think English or philosophy vs. chemistry or engineering. And that won't necessarily help Florida become the biotech research hub lawmakers talked about all session.

Pinellas school start times will not change next year

Start times for Pinellas County elementary, middle and high schools will not change next school year. At a school board workshop today, officials decided against a new busing plan that would have moved high school start times from 7:05 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and middle school start times from 9:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. Under the proposal, most elementary schools would have started at 7:30 a.m. or 9 a.m.

More details to come.

Retain away

Gradebook readers apparently like the idea of holding back kids who don't meet grade-level expectations on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Admittedly, our survey is far from scientific. We don't even stop you from clicking in more than once. Still, here's how you responded to our question, "Should the state continue to use the FCAT to retain third graders?"

• Why limit this to third graders? Retain all kids who don't pass the test. 165 votes - 37%
• Yes. If they don't pass the FCAT, how can they do well in fourth grade? 147 votes - 33%
• No. The test isn't the best indicator of what kids know. 140 votes - 31%

Our new poll is now up in the left-hand corner of the page. Let us know your views on vouchers (and don't forget to vote for real in November, too). And please, we can't stress this enough, if you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

Leave the ROTC be

There are some places in this country where the ROTC military training program is not allowed in schools. San Francisco, for instance, banned the organization in 2006 as a protest over the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gay service members.

You can count Florida out of that group.

Gov. Charlie Crist has signed legislation, which was unanimously approved in both the House and Senate, that prohibits public school districts, colleges and universities from barring the ROTC program. The new law also requires the schools to grant military recruiters "certain access" to their grounds, students and student records.

The law takes effect July 1. If you want to learn more about it, you can start here. (Photo, Coral Gables High School)

5-year-old, voted out of class, goes global

By now, you've probably heard the story of young Alex Barton, the Port St. Lucie autistic kindergartner whose teacher, Wendy Portillo, allowed her students to vote Alex out of the class because of his constant disruptions.

If not, you're probably not the media junkie we thought you might be.

His story, naturally, has gone viral on the Internet because of its shocking and salacious nature. And not surprisingly, his family has received letters of support from around the globe (not to mention invites to appear on talk shows), the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

The paper's business columnist, meanwhile, wants more details before he'll take a side, and he finds they aren't as easily accessible as one might like. So far, Alex's mom seems to be doing all of the talking.

"Of the hundreds of online comments, both on our tcpalm.com Web site and others (including one at the Chicago Tribune), many people are demanding Portillo's head. They want her fired — or worse. Many think she should never stand in front of a class of students again," Anthony Westbury writes in his piece, What's really going on in that classroom? "They might be right, but I'm not willing to bury the lady until I've heard the other side."

It's a classic "she said-no comment" case. Like the rest of the world, we'll be waiting for an answer, too.

Show off your grad pics

[A reader shares a photo of her grandson Brendan]

Proud parents and grads: Share your your graduation photos with tampabay.com. We'll highlight them on the Web site, in our community photo gallery.

Here's how it works: E-mail your photos to submit@tampabay.com; make sure to include your name and a photo description in the body of the e-mail.

Let us help you

Have a burning question about education that you just can't get answered? Can't get through to the school district official who holds the key? Want some advice on how to navigate the world of schools so you can get what you need for your children?

The Gradebook wants to help. We know the experts, and we're not afraid to use them.

Send your questions to us at solochek@sptimes.com, and we'll forward them to the folks in the know for their responses. Look for the answers a few days later. Maybe we'll call the feature Crib Notes, unless you have a better idea. (Cheat Sheet is already taken by the Houston Chronicle, which does the same thing we want to do very well. Check it out for an example.)

Hope to hear from you.

Today's news

BUSING CHANGES DRAW BOOS: Hillsborough announces plans to curtail school bus service, prompting angry reaction from the nearly 200 parents attending the presentation. There's even another chance to vent tonight.

NEVER TOO LATE: Joe D'Andrea of Brooksville was supposed to graduate from high school in 1967. He has now completed his courses and will get his diploma tonight.

GET REAL: Public reaction to Pasco teachers' insistence on getting raises during these economic hard times is not as sympathetic as the teachers might like.

KINGSWOOD'S NEW PRINCIPAL: Amber Craft, who started as an intern teacher at the school more than 25 years ago, returns to lead it.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Amateur artists get pro show at Brooksville Elementary; Essay on former governor nets scholarship (Fox Chapel Middle)

SMART MOVE: The Pinellas school district is wise to build its new schools to "green" standards, the Times editorializes.

NO CHARGES, BUT NO JOB, EITHER: A Manatee teacher's actions that harmed a student did not rise to the level of a crime, but that didn't stop the district from moving to fire him, the Herald-Tribune reports.

ARE THEY? OR AREN'T THEY? Manatee teachers and the administration can't even agree whether they're at impasse over contract terms, the Bradenton Herald reports.

GETTING CLOSER: The University of West Florida nears selection of an interim president, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

KEEP THE MONEY: Polk employees who were overpaid because of payroll errors won't have to repay the district, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

OP-ED ROUNDUP: Education cuts will test graduates (Tallahassee Democrat); Test scores up. Hold the champagne (Palm Beach Post)

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Florida Atlantic University announces job reductions and program eliminations as it seeks to cut $9.6-million, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Collier considers eliminating courtesy busing for kids who live closer than two miles to school, the Naples Daily News reports. Broward Community College approves a tuition increase, the Miami Herald reports. Martin plans to cut sports and travel as part of its budget reductions, the Palm Beach Post reports. Santa Rosa considers adding latchkey programs for teachers who will have different hours because of changing start times, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. Putnam cuts 30 teaching positions through attrition, the Palatka Daily News reports. Brevard scales back its cuts, Florida Today reports.

Crist signs State College System bill

Florida has a new State College System.

Gov. Charlie Crist today signed into law a bill allowing Florida community colleges to become "state colleges" – hybrid institutions that will have the ability to grant more 4-year degrees and will likely use St. Petersburg College as a model.

The plan was pushed by legislative leaders stressing the need for greater access to higher education. It won strong support from both parties in both chambers. And it was not opposed by officials with the State University System. The new law also creates a Florida College System Task Force and a State College Pilot Project (which includes St. Pete College) to recommend how community colleges can best make the transition.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

FIU med school scores $10-mil gift

FIU leaders building up their fledgling med school are still lamenting the less-than-desired state funding included in the $66.2-billion state budget ($4-million less than they requested).

But today they announced some good money news: a $10-million donation from Benjamín León Jr., founder of Leon Medical Centers, to establish within the med school a center that focuses on elderly health care issues.

The money will establish the Benjamín León, Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education, plus the Leon Medical Centers Eminent Scholars Chair in Geriatrics.

FIU officials say the gift, eligible for a state match, is among the largest gifts ever made by a Cuban-American family to a U.S. university -- and the largest made to FIU.

A small way to help teachers

Florida teachers, while you're keeping your fingers crossed on that job application in Fort Worth, Texas, maybe you can at least get some help with those classroom supplies. On DonorsChoose.org, teachers write detailed requests for what they need, and donors single out who they’d like to help. (And it's tax deductible.)

There are a number of requests from Florida teachers on the site now. An ESOL teacher needs a letter sorter filing system ($157). A math teacher needs a Judy clock with moveable hands ($133). A chorus teacher wants a karaoke machine ($152). The Miami Herald wrote a nice piece on DonorsChoose this week, tying it to the bleak budget picture in Florida. The New York Times has written about it , too.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Pasco grievance hearing delayed

All you Pasco folks who have been waiting to hear the juicy details behind Gulf High teacher Vicky Mudry's complaints against ousted principal Tom Imerson will have to wait a bit longer.

The Pasco School Board has temporarily postponed its scheduled June 3 hearing on Mudry's grievance, with the agreement of the United School Employees of Pasco. Superintendent Heather Fiorentino and the board want to spend the time hashing out more details of how to cut spending for the 2008-09 budget.

"That's the top priority," board chairwoman Kathryn Starkey said of the budget discussions.

The budget workshop is now scheduled to take place immediately following the board's 9:30 a.m. meeting. Topping the agenda is likely to be discussion over how - or more likely if - it's possible to preserve teacher raises based on annual years of service (known as step increases).

Senior prank season runs amok

Senior pranks have been around since any of us can remember, and more often than not they're funny and usually harmless. We can still remember the VW Beetle carefully reassembled in the school commons, toilet paper in the trees and the car tires stacked all the way up the school's tallest flagpole.

But then there's the overboard attempts by teens who probably aren't thinking much about the potential jail time that might go with their so-called jokes. Lee County is looking at two of those "pranks" right now.

Apparently fueled by the hope of getting on an MTV special that highlights end-of-year pranks, a group of six Estero High students jumped the school fence over the long holiday weekend and trashed the place. A janitor discovered the mess early Tuesday, and the school discovered the culprits with the help of surveillance camera footage. Now the kids are facing felony charges, the Naples Daily News reports.

A week earlier, East Lee County High was forced to evacuate twice after toxic chemical scares that caused some students and staff members to experience dizziness, vomiting and worse. After detailed investigations, district leaders - and several students - are saying they think this, too, was a kid's prank aimed at getting everyone out of class, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

Graduation season has already begun. Florida's grad rate is already low enough. Perhaps the rest of the state's seniors can find a way to make it to commencement without doing something dumb.

Today's news

ABOVE AVERAGE: Florida students continue to outperform their peers across the nation on norm-referenced tests. Even critics of high-stakes testing say this is a good indicator.

DON'T SMOKE: Some Hernando students drive the point home to their schoolmates by showing them body parts diseased by the effects of smoking. (Times photo, Lance Aram Rothstein - it's a pig lung)

FIRST 'GREEN' SCHOOLS IN PINELLAS: The Pinellas district is rebuilding Tarpon Springs and Tyrone elementary schools according to environmentally friendly standards.

SINGING FOR A CAUSE: Pine View Middle students conduct their own version of American Idol, collecting contributions for the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders.

GET TO THE POINT: The Collier School Board wants to ask voters to approve a local property tax increase to support school operations, but its proposed ballot language is 19 words too long, the Naples Daily News reports.

TWO TRACKS ARE BETTER THAN ONE: Florida schools should get more teens to graduate by giving them the choice of college-prep or job-prep in high school, the Sun-Sentinel editorializes.

REASSIGNED: The St. Lucie teacher who allowed her kindergarten class to vote a classmate out of the room is removed herself pending a district-level investigation, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

BOOK BARGAINS: With college textbook costs rising, students seek ways to curb their costs, Florida Today reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Okaloosa considers replacing school nurses with less expensive health technicians, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports. Volusia could dismiss up to 600 employees, including 400 teachers, as early as next week, Local6.com in Orlando reports. Volusia teachers say not all the layoffs are needed, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. Broward walks away from a land deal for a new high school after the appraisals come in too high, the Miami Herald reports. Orange continues to debate over the value of changing student start times to save money, the Orlando Sentinel reports. UF faculty are questioning why the university is cutting staff even as it has $131-million in hand, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Nerves fray as Pinellas debates budget mess

The budget crisis facing Pinellas schools was not on the agenda at Tuesday night's School Board meeting, but the issue took center stage anyway, making for some tense moments.

About 60 Pinellas teachers appeared in black clothing to protest the Legislature's decision to cut education funding, leaving Pinellas with a $40-million deficit. Kim Black (left), president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, said the protest was "to symbolize the grief we feel" over the cuts, which in Pinellas may translate to a pay freeze for the coming school year.

Black praised district officials for working to avoid an earlier proposal to cut salaries by 2 percent, a move made possible by increasing health insurance premiums. But she added: "Now we need to find just a little bit more (in the budget) so that the impact of the increase in health premiums can be offset by a modest salary increase."

Black also proposed several budget cutting ideas, including a one-year moratorium on teacher training; postponing the district's compliance with the class size amendment; a one-year stoppage in textbook purchases and a return to the four-day work week during the summer months.

That led to a discussion later in the meeting that had some board members sniping at each other and reacting to teachers, who alternately applauded and voiced displeasure.

Univ cuts beg question: Who will teach P.E.?

Presumably, the state will need more P.E. teachers than ever, given lawmakers' decision this spring to extend the elementary school P.E. requirement to middle school students.

But if universities' budget cut decisions are any indication, a well-trained P.E. teacher might get harder to find. Facing tens of millions less in state funding for the year ahead, universities have started deciding where to cut back. And one common target is the phys ed degree.

UF, FIU and FAU all have cut back or plan to cut eliminate exercise science degree programs. FIU is planning to cut the bachelor's and master's programs in exercise science in the college of education. UF is cutting the bachelor's degree program in physical education, offered through its college of health and human performance. And FAU plans to cut back the scope of its college of education's exercise science program.

The list could grow as colleges like FSU make more budget-cutting decisions in the weeks ahead.

One candidate's budget solution: No a/c on morning school bus routes

Scores of residents and school district staffers have offered budget cutting ideas to the Pinellas school district in recent weeks. Why not one of the candidates for School Board? Steven Isbitts, who is running for the District 4 seat, today announced a proposal to save $400,000 a year by not running the air conditioning on school buses in the mornings. The only caveats: air conditioners would be on when morning temperatures topped 80 degrees, and buses carrying special needs students would be exempted.

Isbitts, a former journalist, bases his math on an interview with Len Krysko, an official in the district’s transportation department. His news release contains several calculations. He estimates district buses could reduce the number of air conditioned miles by 5-million a year and that non-air conditioned miles would be 15 percent more fuel efficient. He bases the calculation on the district’s last fuel purchase, which came to about $4.17 a gallon.

He also suggests an incentive plan to get more bus drivers thinking about fuel efficiency. The other District 4 candidates are Chris Hardman, Ken Peluso and Robin Wikle.

Same company, different school?

Because of budget cuts, the Pinellas County School Board wants to end its contract with Community Education Partners, the Nashville-based company that runs the Oak Park alternative school in Pinellas Park. But CEP has quickly offered up Plan B: A new charter school.

In a May 9 letter, CEP chief executive Randle Richardson says the company would like to open a charter school dropout prevention program in Pinellas that he says would save the district money and "demonstrate innovative leadership." "The Board can demonstrate that even in hard times it is not turning its back on students with the greatest needs," Richardson writes. "It can save money and save kids."

To save money, district officials are looking to redesign their alternative programs, including moving some of them to the fairly new building that houses Oak Park. The board briefly discussed the CEP charter idea at its workshop last Thursday, but took no action. It would need to expedite approval of a CEP application in order for the company to set up a charter by next school year.

CEP runs a handful of alternative schools around the country, including some in Orange County. An affiliate of CEP, Advanced Learning Systems of Tampa, is also developing dropout-prevention charters in Lee and Broward counties, according to this recent Fort Myers News-Press story.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Evolution debate hits Louisiana

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again, right?

Well, it looks like the Discovery Institute and its supporters, who tried to convince Florida lawmakers to allow for some "academic freedom" when teachers present lessons on the evolution of species, have taken their efforts to Louisiana with greater success.

The Louisiana State Senate has unanimously approved a bill that looks strangely like the one that failed in Florida. It's now on the way through the Louisiana House, where one committee already has given the measure the thumbs-up. Here's a piece:

C. A teacher shall teach the material presented in the standard textbook supplied by the school system and thereafter may use supplemental textbooks and other instructional materials to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner, as permitted by the city, parish, or other local public school board.

D. This Section shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion.

The Americans United for Separation of Church and State already is on the case, calling the legislation a sneak attack to put religion into the classroom: "If this passes, Louisiana legislators will be harming children's education, undercutting the Constitution and holding the state up to national ridicule," the Rev. Barry Lynn, the group's executive director, said in a recent news release.

And to think, that special place in the national spotlight once was ours.

- Jeff Solochek

Looking beyond the SAT and ACT

In just a couple of weeks, thousands of high school juniors around Florida and the rest of the nation will rouse themselves out of bed before 7 a.m. one last time before the school year officially ends. They have to arrive at the only summer administration of the SAT no later than 7:45 a.m. on that Saturday, or risk missing the chance to improve (or log in) the score they hope will help them gain admission to the college of their choice.

Some colleges and universities are saying there must be a better way to determine who qualifies for admission than this. So they're slowly making the standardized entrance exam optional, not required. Smith College in Massachusetts and Wake Forest University in North Carolina are the latest two to follow the trend, the NY Times reports.

The goal, officials say, is to broaden the diversity of the applicant pool and to consider more important things than the Saturday morning test scores of a bleary-eyed teen. More important things to look at when evaluating a student's potential would be chosen curriculum, classroom performance and outside activities - you know, things that actually matter more than just the day when admission decisions are made.

So juniors (and your parents), if you're considering Smith or Wake Forest, think about sleeping late on June 7. You won't need the SAT scores to win entrance there. But just remember this: Once you wake up, what you do the rest of the day will matter even more.

(Photo of students taking SAT from Tutors of Oxford website)

Florida students above national average

Depending on the grade and subject, the average Florida student is doing as well as 60 to 74 percent of his or her peers nationwide, according to test results released this morning by the state Department of Education.

The results are from the norm-referenced test that is given to students every year as part of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. The test allows Florida to gauge how well its students stack up nationally in math and reading.

The results vary grade by grade and year by year. Fourth-graders, for example, scored at the 71st percentile this year in math, down from the 77th percentile last year. Meanwhile, tenth graders moved from the 60th to the 71st percentile in reading.

Overall, in math, Florida's percentile ranking fell in five grades (third, fourth, seventh, ninth and tenth), rose in two (fifth and sixth) and stayed the same in one (eighth). In reading, Florida's ranking went up in four grades (fourth, seventh, eighth and tenth) and down in four (third, fifth, sixth and ninth.)

To view results, see the Department of Education web site here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Today's news

TEXAS WANTS YOU: Florida's budget woes are pinching the teaching profession, with bonuses cut, salaries frozen, jobs eliminated. At least one Texas school system, the Fort Worth Independent School District, hopes to take advantage of the situation by recruiting here. (Florida Times-Union photo)

START AT THE TOP: Pasco School Board members say the district administration, with one of the lowest costs per student in Florida, might need to get a little leaner as they look for ways to cut the budget. To view the list of Pasco administrator pay, click here. To see a list of district per-student administration funding, click here.

LAST GRADUATION: This year's preschoolers in East Bay High's early childhood learning class celebrated the program's final commencement, as the course gets cut in Hillsborough's budget reductions.

SOMETHING IS MISSING: It's about 30 percent of Florida's graduating senior class. The state has one of the lowest graduation rates in the nation, and is still trying to figure out what to do about it, the Orlando Sentinel reports. See sidebar here.

TAPPING INTO FACEBOOK: At least two Florida universities are looking into officially using the social networking site for marketing and communication purposes, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

THE RISING COST OF LUNCH: Brevard schools consider increasing meal prices for the first time in nearly two decades, Florida Today reports.

Another week, another round of results

All you school accountability junkies - and you know who you are - rejoice. The Florida Department of Education plans to release yet another set of FCAT results for you (and us) to pore over on Tuesday.

To recap, we've already seen writing scores, 12th-grade retakes and third-grade reading and math. Next up is the norm-referenced test results for fourth- through 10th-graders, so we can see how kids compare to their peers in other states (as far as NRT's go).

Still in the offing are what we refer to as the "data dump" of fourth- through 10th-grade FCAT Sunshine State Standards test scores, and then the big prize, school grades and adequate yearly progress results. Don't hold your breath for the grades and AYP rankings, though. They're not due until mid-July, as the FCAT truly is becoming the test that keeps on giving all summer long.

Graduation season is upon us

The tears. The laughter. The beginning of the rest of your life.

We at the Gradebook will spare you the melodrama. We're nerdy education wonks who don't look back on high school as the best time of our lives. But it is a milestone, a huge one at that, more significant than ever in a day of exit exam requirements.

So we salute the graduates, from the eight-point-plus GPA over-achievers to the last name in the alphabet. Hillsborough's State Fairgrounds and and the USF Sundome will see a whirlwind of graduations in the coming week. Congrats to all!

Today's news

PARTY TIME: The words "teen party" didn't tend to inspire the Plant High students until they saw that the good times were happening at some of Tampa's trendiest clubs. Now they've got a graduation season calendar full of the events. (Times photo, Brian Cassella)

PROGRAM CHANGES WORRY PARENTS: The Hernando school district plans to change the way it delivers special education services, raising concerns among parents.

PAY UP: Teachers at a Palm Beach middle school get about $2,750 each in back pay for work their principal required them to do beyond their contract, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

FOUL PLAY? East Lee County High will reopen Tuesday after investigators found no cause for air-quality problems that led to two evacuations last week, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. Superintendent James Browder worries that a person might have created the problems on purpose.

GOING ONLINE FOR HELP: Some South Florida educators turn to DonorsChoose.org to get funding for supplies they otherwise can't afford, the Miami Herald reports.

CHINESE LESSONS: Students at Watson Middle in Palm Beach Gardens do more than practice vocabulary words in Mandarin. Their teachers infuse the language into lessons throughout the day, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Coming up

Tuesday:  Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Pinellas School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.

June 3: Last day of school for Pinellas; Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, budget workshop, 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

June 4: Last day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco

June 6: Last day of school for Hernando

June 10: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

June 12: Education Practices Commission, administrator hearing 9 a.m., teacher hearing 10 a.m., Tallahassee

June 13: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

June 17: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; State Board of Education, time/place TBA

June 18-19: State University System Board of Governors, Orlando

July 8: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.

July 15: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

July 22: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

July 29: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Tuesday:  Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Pinellas School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.

June 3: Last day of school for Pinellas; Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, budget workshop, 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

June 4: Last day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco

June 6: Last day of school for Hernando

June 10: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

June 12: Education Practices Commission, administrator hearing 9 a.m., teacher hearing 10 a.m., Tallahassee

June 13: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

June 17: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; State Board of Education, time/place TBA

June 18-19: State University System Board of Governors, Orlando

July 8: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.

July 15: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

July 22: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

July 29: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Tuesday:  Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Pinellas School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.

June 3: Last day of school for Pinellas; Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, budget workshop, 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

June 4: Last day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco

June 6: Last day of school for Hernando

June 10: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

June 12: Education Practices Commission, administrator hearing 9 a.m., teacher hearing 10 a.m., Tallahassee

June 13: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

June 17: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; State Board of Education, time/place TBA

June 18-19: State University System Board of Governors, Orlando

July 8: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.

July 15: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

July 22: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

July 29: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Tuesday:  Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Pinellas School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.

June 3: Last day of school for Pinellas; Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, budget workshop, 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

June 4: Last day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco

June 6: Last day of school for Hernando

June 10: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

June 12: Education Practices Commission, administrator hearing 9 a.m., teacher hearing 10 a.m., Tallahassee

June 13: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

June 17: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; State Board of Education, time/place TBA

June 18-19: State University System Board of Governors, Orlando

July 8: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.

July 15: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

July 22: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

July 29: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Tuesday:  Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Pinellas School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.

June 3: Last day of school for Pinellas; Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, budget workshop, 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

June 4: Last day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco

June 6: Last day of school for Hernando

June 10: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

June 12: Education Practices Commission, administrator hearing 9 a.m., teacher hearing 10 a.m., Tallahassee

June 13: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

June 17: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; State Board of Education, time/place TBA

June 18-19: State University System Board of Governors, Orlando

July 8: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.

July 15: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

July 22: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

July 29: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Tuesday:  Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Thursday: Pinellas School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.

June 3: Last day of school for Pinellas; Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, budget workshop, 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

June 4: Last day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco

June 6: Last day of school for Hernando

June 10: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

June 12: Education Practices Commission, administrator hearing 9 a.m., teacher hearing 10 a.m., Tallahassee

June 13: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

June 17: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 2 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; State Board of Education, time/place TBA

June 18-19: State University System Board of Governors, Orlando

July 8: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.

July 15: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

July 22: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.

July 29: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Today's news

LOST NO MORE: Two years ago, Jerrick Blue was 18, homeless and lacking direction. He's now earned his diploma and looking forward. (Times photo, Chris Zuppa)

ON BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL: One in seven Hillsborough seniors takes a "survival" class to prepare for life in the real world. Lessons include everything from how to apply for college to how to buy a car.

PASCO COACHES SEE CUTS AS PERSONAL: A proposed 5 percent cut to Pasco's school athletics budget has some coaches scrambling for alternatives and suggesting that their sports are being targeted.

LEARNING TO SPELL: A Lee County elementary teacher tries to reinforce spelling rules in the world of spell-check, the  Fort Myers News-Press reports.

WHAT'S UP WITH GLOBAL WARMING: FIU professor Steven Oberbauer is headed to the Alaskan tundra to check it out, the Palm Beach Post reports.

LEON WON'T ASK BACK 193 TEACHERS: Budget cuts force the Leon school district to cancel the annual contracts of about two in seven non-tenured teachers, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

SENIORS, TOO: Osceola adopts uniforms for all students, including those in high schools, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW: Four major Florida universities have responded quite differently to public information requests about the deaths of athletes in their programs, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

A weekend interview with ...

... Riverview High School graduating senior Antonio Dowels. Dowels, 18, was a top-rated athlete who dreamed of attending the University of Florida to play football and study to become a pediatrician. A car crash dashed his football dreams, but not his spirit or dedication. Though paralyzed physically, Dowels retains his ambition to become a children's doctor. He will attend UF in the fall. Dowels spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek. (Times photo, 2007, click to enlarge)

I know you had this accident that really changed your life. I was just interested in you talking about how it affected the way you looked at what you were going to do when it came to your schooling and your future.

Well, it affected me. But I still knew that I was going to come back to school. Because I love school. I love education and I love to learn. The only thing that affected me was me running. I love sports. And I miss it every day, running. But I knew that when I was going to go to college to become a pediatrician, I know it's going to be really hard to do hands-on things, because my fingers don't really function. But I was thinking that I can be like an administrator, and you know, it hasn't affected me that much.

What is it that you love about learning so much that it kept you going and thinking about it rather than saying, I'm just going to give up?

I just love obtaining knowledge. And I know that I need to learn to be a pediatrician. And to do something that you love, it takes almost 12 years, you have to learn. You have to love to learn. You know, a lot of people want to be astronauts and physicists, but they don't know how hard it is. They're going to have to work to be good at what they do.

Did you ever think that you wouldn't be able to do what your passion is because you can't move your fingers, do the things you might normally associate with being a pediatrician?

No, sir. I never say 'can't.' I know you can always find a different way to do stuff. So when I got hurt, I told everyone: Three months, I'm going to be back in school, learning, playing with the kids, harassing Mr. (Robert) Heilman (the school principal). A lot of people didn't believe me. But I worked real hard. It was just hard work and determination. I came back.

What did you have to do to get to that point?

Today's news

MANNERS ON MONDAYS: Their neighborhood is rough, their family life tough. But regardless of their circumstances, a select group of Just Elementary students become ladies and gentlemen when Mondays roll around. (Times photo, Carrie Pratt)

MAKING HISTORY: The Florida Legislature created a budget in which local property taxes provide a larger portion of public education funding than state taxes, creating a possible constitutional showdown over the state's responsibility to pay for schools.

GRADUATION TIME: Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High celebrates its 44 graduating seniors. Genesis Preparatory needs just 2 minutes for its processional of 13 graduates.

EVACUATION TIME: East Lee County High evacuates for the second time in two days, with some folks inside complaining about dizziness, vomiting and more. Officials are trying to get to the bottom of the problem, the Naples Daily News reports. More from the Fort Myers News-Press.

OPEN TOES AND PANTYHOSE: The principal of Palm Beach Gardens High requires girls to wear hose during graduation, much to their discomfort on a 90-degree day, the Palm Beach Post reports.

5-YEAR-OLD VOTED OUT OF CLASS: A St. Lucie mom is considering a lawsuit after her son's teacher allowed his kindergarten class to vote him out of the room, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports. The boy is being diagnosed with a form of autism and had been having discipline problems.

WORK DONE, SCHOOL WAITS: The principal of F-rated Nims Elementary in Leon can sense the progress her school has made, but still must wait until July to see if it rates her target grade of A, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

COLLEGE PREZ RETIRES: Robert McClendon will step down as president of St. Johns River Community College after 36 years, the Palatka Daily News reports. Other reports have indicated that term-limited state Rep. Joe Pickens is his likely successor, but the school says its search will take months.

SETTING STANDARDS, TEXAS STYLE: Experts worked on Texas' new reading and English standards for three years. But the State Board of Education tossed out that proposal in favor of one written just hours before the vote by social conservatives on the board, the AP reports (via Dallas Morning News).

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with graduating Riverview High senior Antonio Dowels, who talks about his perseverance toward graduation despite a paralyzing car crash.