Trouble in paradise

The Pinellas School Board and the Pinellas Education Foundation have worked together for years, a picture of harmony and mutual admiration. But the relationship has hit a low spot over the foundation’s recent “white paper” proposing to give schools more power over how they are run.

E-mails this week between foundation leaders and some board members reveal hard feelings – not over the substance of the “white paper” but over the foundation’s aggressive push to get board members to formally endorse it.

It started with a decision by board member Janet Clark to bring an attorney with her for a meeting today with foundation leaders. She said she was following the direction of the school board attorney, who says the act of getting the board to formally agree on something outside a public meeting could be perceived as a violation of the Sunshine Law. Foundation leaders balked and said the district was carrying the law too far. See the e-mail thread here.

Then, board member Carol Cook sends the foundation an e-mail saying she won’t be endorsing the white paper because it could be used against the district. She notes the existence of a class action lawsuit alleging the district is responsible for the poor performance of black students. The white paper takes the district to task for not acting sooner to correct the achievement gap and the graduation rate, which stands at 67 percent. Cook said she’d be putting the district “at risk” by signing it.

Finally, foundation leader Bob McIntyre sends a biting personal e-mail to board chairperson Nancy Bostock, saying she has failed to lead on the graduation rate issue. Bostock, who is running for a county commission seat, was among the first to endorse the white paper. McIntyre says he thought Bostock would have “begun something meaningful” before leaving the board. But he added: “We were wrong.” Bostock, of course, has a different view. See the thread here.

The foundation plans a media blitz soon to promote the themes in the white paper.

Pasco's (mis)communication

For the second time in a month, the Pasco school district's communication office is getting some heat for miscommunication of employee policies.

Three weeks ago, communication director Maureen Moore sent principals a memo telling them to get written permission to speak to reporters. That contradicted School Board policy and was quickly rescinded.

This week, Moore distributed a memo to members of her staff stating, in part, "In the event of an emergency, you are to notify your supervisor immediately of the need to receive or make a personal call."

And like the memo on talking to reporters, this one also got yanked back by the superintendent's office for revisions because "we don't have the policies" to back it up, assistant superintendent Ruth Reilly told the Gradebook.

Pinellas teacher arrested for child porn

Investigators with the Attorney General's CyberCrime Task Force, the Clearwater Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement today arrested a Pinellas County middle school teacher on charges of child pornography possession.

Aaron J. Stewart, a teacher at Clearwater Intermediate School, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail after investigators seized his computer at his Clearwater home. Stewart, 28, admitted to knowingly possessing the images identified during an undercover Internet investigation, many of which appeared to be of children as young as 7 or 8, according to a news release issued by the Attorney General's office.

Stewart will be charged with one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child, a second-degree felony, and eight counts of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony. If convicted of all charges, he faces up to 55 years in prison.

- Donna Winchester, Pinellas education reporter

Times are so tight ...

How tight are they?

Florida school district leaders are down to counting the pennies as they strive to shave millions from their budgets.

In Lee County, for instance, School Board members had a lively discussion over whether to spend $16,000 more on document shredding. "We have so much public space, why don’t we put them in boxes and store them there and save the taxpayers some money," member Bob Chilmonik said, according to a  Naples Daily News report.

And over in Okaloosa, some high schools are starting to charge students $5 for lockers and doubling the price of parking tags just to save a buck. "Everything's just going up - electricity, water, gas," Fort Walton Beach High principal Charlene Couvillon told the Northwest Florida Daily News. "We're having to draw in tight."

Today's news

GETTING READY FOR THE FIRST DAY: About 40 four- and five-year-olds get the hang of kindergarten by attending a week-long camp at Seven Oaks Elementary in Wesley Chapel. (Times photo, Mike Pease)

MAKING IT IN THE MIDDLE: The transition to middle school can be tough for kids and parents alike. Some Hillsborough educators say parent involvement is key to success.

TAXPAYERS WIN, STUDENTS LOSE: The Hernando School Board approves a lower tax rate that members say will ultimately hurt education. They have little choice, though, as lawmakers - not the board - establish the rate.

MEAL PRICES UP: Pasco schools create a two-tiered cafeteria pricing structure to offset the rising cost of food.

HOMELESS (FOR NOW): The Renaissance Academy, a private school in New Port Richey, doesn't have a building with three weeks before classes start. The principal says school will begin on time.

THE RIGHT MESSAGE: Hillsborough district officials did the right thing in pledging to keep open Middleton High in the face of NCLB sanctions. Parents also have to do their part, though, the Times editorializes.

CASE CLOSED: A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing the Palm Beach school district of failing to provide students with a high-quality education, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

UNDERMINED: Florida International University's integrity is damaged with its hiring of former House speaker Marco Rubio as a visiting professor, the Orlando Sentinel editorializes.

FRACAS IN MIAMI: The Miami-Dade School Board meeting turns into a political battle over the fate of superintendent Rudy Crew, the Miami Herald reports.

DISCIPLINE QUESTIONED: Parents are questioning the fairness of Manatee's discipline policies after learning one teen who was arrested on felony charges was allowed to remain at school, the Bradenton Herald reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Miami-Dade narrowly approves a budget that doesn't include money for raises, the Miami Herald reports. After lengthy public hearings, the Orange School Board sticks to its plan to change starting times to save money, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Gay-Straight Alliance wins right to meet at school

A federal judge has ruled that the Gay-Straight Alliance may meet at Okeechobee High despite the objections of the school administration.

"Ensuring that this minority of students are afforded meaningful expression secures the precept of freedom from external dominion over thought and expression exalted by the founders and safeguarded by the First Amendment," Judge K. Michael Moore wrote in his opinion.

The ACLU of Florida, which fought the case on behalf of students, cheered the decision.

"This is a clear victory for the students, for the Okeechobee GSA and indeed for all high school students in Florida," Robert Rosenwald, director of the group's LGBT Advocacy Project, said in a news release. "So many children cannot stand up, but hopefully this ruling will serve as warning to other Florida schools that equal access truly means equal access, and schools that choose not to follow the law will be inviting similar litigation."

Manatee delays drug testing program

We told you a week ago about Manatee's plans to implement a strict new random drug testing program for student athletes.

Now the Manatee School Board has had some second thoughts.

The Bradenton Herald reports that board members have voted to delay the hiring of a drug-testing technician so they can have more time to investigate exactly what they're about to do. It seems the board rather blindly approved applying for a grant to support the testing, and now that the money is available, they want to actually talk about it.

"The grant had come to us without some of the due diligence we wanted to see in advance," longtime board member Harry Kinnan said. "The concept, we all agree, is wonderful. There needed to be a plan or a timetable presented to us."

That's the right thing to do, Herald-Tribune columnist Tom Lyons suggests.

Even before Tuesday's vote, Lyons opined that the launching of a student drug testing program deserved public debate, and not after the fact: "Whatever the thinking, I'm glad school officials now at least have to do some, and explain it. Oh, and maybe even listen to parents who might have an opinion," he wrote.

What about it, parents? Any comments on the need for random drug testing? Let's hear it.

(Photo from State of Florida)

Brain-drain Band-Aid: $56.8-million

Turns out stemming the exodus of professors from Florida universities isn't cheap.

In what will no doubt be a lean budget year, the Board of Governors is nonetheless poised to seek $56.8-million in 2009-10 state dollars to fill vacant positions and boost instructors' pay.

State employees didn't get a raise this year, prompting UF to recently announce it will use tuition revenues to boost pay anyway. And the ratio of students to tenure and tenure-track ratio, the worst in the country at 27.3 to 1, has declined 45 percent since 1989-90.

The Board says universities need to hire 1,600 new faculty members just to get to the national average. Maybe outgoing House Speaker Marco Rubio  or Sen. Mike Haridopolos can take on an extra class or two?

Florida could 'go down in history'

A lot of people got a jolt when the "65 percent solution" rose from the dead last spring. And Patrick Byrne, the Utah businessman who once championed the idea, says he was one of them. "I didn't know anyone was still looking at this," Byrne told The Gradebook in a telephone interview yesterday.

Byrne said he read about it in the newspapers just like everyone else, after the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission rolled it into Amendment 9, the same proposed constitutional amendment that would insulate vouchers from future legal challenges. "I know it must be natural for everyone to assume I must have been out there (in Florida)," Byrne said. But "nobody contacted me, nobody talked to me about it."

Byrne, founder and CEO of Overstock.com, became the national face for the 65 percent solution - a plan to force schools to spend more money in the classrooms - when it was the flavor of the month in 2005 and 2006. He even came to Florida to try to convince the Legislature to join the crusade. But after getting stuck with arrows from left, right and center, 65 percent was all but buried under a tombstone that said, "Gimmick."

But then, out of the blue, there it was, on Gov. Crist's 2008 legislative wish list and on the table before the TBRC. Byrne said he never had contact with the governor or his people, or any members of the TBRC. He said he hasn’t had anything to do with Florida politics since his effort in early 2006.

But don't be surprised to see his name surface in coming months.

New leaders for 3 Hillsborough schools

Three Hillsborough schools got new principals Tuesday. They are:

Wharton High: Bradley Woods, an assistant principal at Middleton High, will take over for Scott Fritz, who quit to join outgoing assistant superintendent Mike Grego in Osceola County.

Benito Middle: John Sanders, assistant principal at Young Middle Magnet, will replace Bobby Smith, who resigned to move to a new job in Pasco County.

Tomlin Middle: Susan Sullivan, an assistant principal at Tomlin, takes the place of outgoing Beverly Carbaugh, who also is headed to Osceola with Grego.

The appointments take effect Aug. 11.

- Letitia Stein, Hillsborough education reporter

Today's news

CHARTER SCHOOL BAILOUT: The Hillsborough school district decides to take over a struggling charter schools for at-risk students.

PROGRAM PROTECTED: Hillsborough plans to expand rather than cut its after-school programs for kids. The only change is that it will charge families for the service.

LOCAL BUDGETS: Pinellas tentatively approves its $1.47-billion budget, which includes a 4 percent tax hike. Pasco moves ahead with its $1.2-billion budget, which calls for its tax rate to remain the same.

NO NEW DRESS CODE: Hernando drops plans for a stricter K-12 dress code amid complaints from parents.

HISTORY COMES ALIVE: Students from Stetson Law and USF-St. Petersburg tour civil rights hot spots during a week-long trek through the deep South.

TUTORING SUCCESS: Broward finally sees its federally funded tutoring programs working after years of mismanagement, the Miami Herald reports.

CREW FIGHTS BACK: Miami-Dade superintendent Rudy Crew, under fire from some board members, blasts his critics as politically motivated, the Miami Herald reports.

NCLB PILOT BEGINS: The Florida Department of Education announces the launch of its new "differentiated accountability" program that will change the way it deals with schools that haven't made adequate yearly progress, the AP reports. Two Palm Beach schools face potential closure under the plan, the Palm Beach Post reports. So does one in Broward, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Leon residents don't show up for the district's budget hearing, despite all the plans to cut, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Florida Atlantic University mulls increasing its tuition by 6 percent for non-resident graduate students, the Palm Beach Post reports. Broward approves a budget with deep cuts, the Miami Herald reports. UF faculty members begin filing grievances over cuts and changes made at the university, the Gainesville Sun reports. Sarasota leaders say they've been able to avoid big cuts, but not for long, the Herald-Tribune reports.

Surprise! A new principal for Moon Lake Elementary

Students and staff returning to Moon Lake Elementary School next month will be greeted by their third principal in a year.

Susan Barcellino, who took over the school in April from Donna Busby, has unexpectedly resigned to return to Collier County, where she'll join the district administration. Cara Allen (left), principal of Mary Giella Elementary in Shady Hills since 2001, will lead Moon Lake.

Assistant superintendent Ruth Reilly told the Gradebook that it would be easier for Moon Lake to begin the year with an established district leader and to find a new principal for Giella than to advertise the Moon Lake job. Allen will officially transfer on Aug. 10, one day before teachers are to report for work.

Hernando Schools ditch new dress code

Hernando County parents who are preparing to buy school uniforms to comply with a new dress code can put away their credit cards.

With less than three weeks until the start of classes, the school board abruptly withdrew its proposed changes to the code Tuesday, citing parent complaints and at least one threatened lawsuit.

Many of Hernando's elementary schools have for years required a khakis-and-polo-shirt sort of uniform. But the new policy would have extended it to middle schools and even Springstead High.

That drew a predictable chorus of adolescent protests when it was first announced last spring. And parents complained about the inconsistencies between schools.

The hammer is coming

It's do or die for three Hillsborough County schools.

Middleton High, Franklin Middle Magnet and Sulphur Springs Elementary could all be shut down or converted into charter schools if they don't show substantial improvements in FCAT scores, and soon, according to the details of a state plan announced this afternoon.

The heavy sanctions stem from a new "differentiated accountability" system that meshes Florida's grading system with federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act.

A closer look at a longer school day

Maybe one day we'll get to write about a public school around here trying it. In the meantime, we'll just keep writing about how other schools do it. By "it" we mean lengthening the school day and school year in the hopes of boosting performance for poor and minority kids.

The Center for American Progress, a D.C. think tank, found more than 300 examples of "expanded learning time" in 30 states, including schools in Miami-Dade and Volusia counties in Florida, according to this recent report. Charter schools are leading the way, it said.

The St. Petersburg Times took a closer look at this issue in April, by focusing on Academy Prep, a private school.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Speak up

Today is July 29, and that means it's public hearing day for all four Tampa Bay area school districts' budgets.

You know you have a gripe, or at least a concern. You've aired them here daily in comments about our various posts. So how about giving school board members an earful and spicing up the usually dull sessions?

Sure, you might say the deal is done. By this time the budget is set. But school district leaders across Florida always say the budget is just a plan, and plans often change. Usually for the worse these days, but still, they can change.

Besides, the budgets really aren't final until September anyway. So give it a shot. Come speak.

Here's the schedule (click on the links for the agendas): Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 1 p.m., budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.

Today's news

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT: Summertime usually offers ample opportunities for would-be employees to seek school district work. Not this year for Tampa Bay area districts.

A NEW IMAGE, ONE STROKE AT A TIME: About three dozen students and teachers take two days to help spiff up Gulf High in Pasco, a step toward reestablishing some pride and ownership in the school. (Times photo, Mike Pease)

AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE: The Pinellas School Board culls its list of superintendent candidates to five Florida-based finalists, including the current interim superintendent.

MIT COMES CALLING: A non-profit R&D firm created by MIT will set up biotech labs in Tampa and St. Petersburg, employing more than 150 researchers.

CAFETERIA COSTS: Hillsborough's finance chief gets it mostly right when she talks about the efficiency and costs of the district's food service program.

BAD PRINCIPAL: A federal judge used his ruling to chastise a Holmes County school principal for using his position to harass gay students, the AP reports. The man is no longer a principal.

CHECKING THEM TWICE: Collier officials are reviewing every employees' background to comply with the state's new educator ethics law, the Naples Daily News reports.

A BOARD DIVIDED: Miami-Dade superintendent Rudy Crew's days could be numbered, with three board members wanting to fire him, three hoping to keep him and three undecided, the Miami Herald reports.

GETTING TOUGH WITH BULLIES: Broward becomes the first Florida school district to adopt an anti-bullying policy in compliance with new state law, the Miami Herald reports.

SUSPEND? OR FIRE? Palm Beach officials are pondering the proper punishment for a principal accused of faking student grades and inflating enrollment, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

PARTY TOWN: UF is named the country's top party school. One Gainesville official reacts by calling for a crackdown on underage drinking, the Gainesville Sun reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: St. Lucie schools are feeling the strain of budget cuts, the Palm Beach Post reports. Martin approves its tax rate without corrections from the state that it had requested, the Stuart News reports. Volusia works on its budget but warns that everything could change depending on how many kids show up, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

Party time at UF

If at first you don't succeed, party, party again.

The University of Florida has rated second, third and fourth over the years when it comes to the Princeton Review's list of top party schools. But no more.

This year, UF tops the chart.

The annual college ranking book, which comes out tomorrow, finally has deemed UF "Top Party School." Other top ratings included Most Conservative Students - Texas A&M, Best Classroom Experience - Stanford, and Great College Town - DePaul (Chicago).

The Princeton Review takes a look at 368 schools and rather than giving them a rank order, it tries to describe them based on what students attending them have to say.

"We believe college applicants need to know far more about schools than an academic ranking to identify which colleges may be best for them," author Robert Franek said in a news release. "It's all about the fit."

Pinellas superintendent finalists all from Florida

The Pinellas School Board has selected five finalists to be its next superintendent. All five are from Florida Districts. The board came to a consensus quickly this morning, taking about an hour to cull the five names from 36 applications.

The finalists are:

• Alberto M. Carvalho, associate superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools;
• Nicholas M. Gledich, Chief Operations Officer of Orange County Public Schools;
• Julie Janssen, interim superintendent for Pinellas County;
• Barbara M. Jenkins, Chief of Staff at Orange County Public Schools;
• Sherrie Nickell, associate superintendent for Polk County Public Schools.

See the candidates' resumes and cover letters at this previous post on The Gradebook.

The School Board will meet with the finalists Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 to conduct public interviews and meet with them individually in private discussions. The board expects to narrow the field to two or three candidates on Sept. 2 and bring the back Sept. 8 for a second round of interviews and meetings with the public.

The cash campaign for Pasco superintendent

In the race for Pasco schools superintendent, Heather Fiorentino has all the benefits of incumbency.

Her name appears often in the paper as a news maker. Folks know her from years of public service. She makes decisions that give her more face time with the county's leadership structure.

Yet there's a flip side to that coin. Fiorentino is a Republican in an anti-GOP year. She's an office holder in a year when people seem fed up with the status quo. She makes decisions that just as easily can anger as please.

Observers say her Democratic opponent, Stephen Donaldson, has a chance to up-end Fiorentino in November. But to overcome her name recognition (usually the key to a down-ticket race like this), the Gulf High social studies teacher probably needs to raise $100,000, political insiders tell the Gradebook.

On that front, Donaldson's not there yet.

Florida, Pinellas among worst for black male dropouts

Florida is the fifth worst state in the nation when it comes to graduating black males, according to a new national report. And in that regard, the report lists Pinellas County as one of the 10 worst urban districts in the country.

Only 38 percent of black males graduate on time in Florida, putting the Sunshine State ahead of only Louisiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan, says the Schott Foundation for Public Education.

The national rate for black males is 47 percent, compared to 57 percent for Hispanic males and 75 percent for white males, according to 2005-06 data cited in the report. In Florida, the corresponding numbers are 49 percent for Latino males and 60 percent for white males.

The black male rate is 30 percent in Pinellas, putting it ahead of only Rochester, N.Y. (29 percent), Norfolk, Va. (27 percent), Detroit (20 percent) and Indianapolis (17 percent). Hillsborough's rate was 40 percent.

To read more about the academic plight of black males, see this 2005 St. Petersburg Times story.

Don't forget to register

The Tampa Bay area has some big education-related elections to decide this fall.

Pinellas and Hillsborough have some heated school board races. Pasco's picking a superintendent (the biggest district in the nation to have an elected leader). Three constitutional amendments could change the rules on funding and vouchers.

So be sure to have a voice.

Today is the last day to register to vote for the August 26 primary. If you haven't already done so, do it.

Today's news

GET ORIENTED: Meet your teachers. Visit your classrooms. Learn about bus stops, lunch lines and more. Be sure to mark your calendars for back-to-school orientation.

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS FREE LUNCH: The Hernando district has issued its policy on how student can qualify for subsidized meals at school.

CLASS SIZES GROWING: Florida Gulf Coast University sees its average class size increase as it gains popularity, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. (It's still much smaller than UF, though.)

THE NAME GAME: It's Indian River State College now, but that's hard to tell when you visit the campus. Officials don't want to spend too much money on signs, letterhead and the like, so the school will take some time to phase in the new name, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

FEWER RETENTIONS: The Marion district reduces the numbers of children it holds back in kindergarten through second grade as it rethinks the educational and social value of retention, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Volusia's superintendent gets an "outstanding" evaluation from her board, but asks for a 2 percent pay cut anyway because of the bad economy, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. The Broward School Board faces tough choices, such as delaying new construction and limiting bus rides, in setting its budget this year, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

AROUND THE NATION: School districts all over the country are cutting back athletic programs to save money, saying their primary responsibility is academics, the NY Times reports. Many California districts are forcing more kids to walk to school to save money on busing, the LA Times reports. Chronically failing schools in Texas have just one option - to close down, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Coming up

Tuesday:  Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 1 p.m., budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; Board of Governors oversight committee, conference call, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, conference call, 9 a.m.

Aug. 5: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

Aug. 6-7: State University System Board of Governors, University of North Florida

Aug. 8: Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, Committee on Improving Educational Outcomes, 9 a.m., Miami Gardens

Aug. 12: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.; Hernando School Board, 7 p.m.

Aug. 18: First day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando

Aug. 19: First day of school for Pinellas; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; State Board of Education, Tallahassee, time TBA

Sept. 2: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, 6 p.m. budget hearing, 7 p.m. meeting

Sept. 3: Labor Day - schools closed

Sept. 9: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Tuesday:  Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.; Pasco School Board, budget hearing, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, workshop 1 p.m., budget hearing, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m.; Board of Governors oversight committee, conference call, 3 p.m.

Thursday: Florida Schools of Excellence Commission, conference call, 9 a.m.

Aug. 5: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

Aug. 6-7: State University System Board of Governors, University of North Florida

Aug. 8: Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, Committee on Improving Educational Outcomes, 9 a.m., Miami Gardens

Aug. 12: Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.; Hernando School Board, 7 p.m.

Aug. 18: First day of school for Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando

Aug. 19: First day of school for Pinellas; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; State Board of Education, Tallahassee, time TBA

Sept. 2: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hernando School Board, 6 p.m. budget hearing, 7 p.m. meeting

Sept. 3: Labor Day - schools closed

Sept. 9: Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Today's news

NOT A FLORIDIAN? Never mind that Amber Moller has lived in Hernando County all her life. The University of Florida says she doesn't qualify for in-state tuition because her dad, who lives in Virginia, listed her as a dependent on his tax forms. (Times photo, Ron Thompson)

HIGH HOPES: Steve Knobl, the new principal of Gulf High in Pasco, has big plans to improve the school. He also has big ambitions for himself.

THE FUTURE OF BRIGHT FUTURES: The scholarship program frequently comes under fire as a financial drain and an entitlement program for the middle class. But it's too popular to disappear, the Naples Daily News reports.

OPTIONS ABOUND: The Florida School Choice Resource Center aims to help parents understand they have more education choices than their neighborhood school, the Miami Herald reports.

MEETING THE DEMAND: Enrollment in online courses is challenging Florida's universities, which see interest picking up but also must ensure the quality, the Palm Beach Post reports.

LEARN WHAT YOU WANT: Some South Florida parents are working to create a Sudbury Valley school, where students don't have to follow a pre-set curriculum, the Miami Herald reports.

BRIDGING THE GAP: Okaloosa schools see the achievement gap between the races shrinking in the latest round of FCAT results, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

LOANS, CREDITS DON'T TRANSFER WITH STUDENTS: Many students attending private, for-profit colleges learn the hard way that when they want to move to a public institution for additional courses, their student loans and earned credits won't come with them, Florida Today reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: To keep resource officers in schools, the Lee district must pick up a greater portion of their salaries as the state's budget crunch squeezes law enforcement, too, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. Brevard teachers are looking for deals as the state cuts their supply funding, Florida Today reports.

A weekend interview with ...

... Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association. Blanton is helping the Pinellas and Manatee school boards conduct their superintendent searches. He spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about the searches, the quality of the candidates and the difficulty of the superintendent's job in Florida.

Tell me a little bit about how you see the Pinellas search going now that all of the candidates have applied.

Well as you know we have 36 applicants. ... And I would say the top five or the top seven are going to be very, very strong candidates. If you look at those resumes and you start doing some background checks, you've got a very high quality group of candidates.

Can you tell me which ones you like the best?

Not yet. ... I prefer to work with the board to get to our top five. There are some excellent candidates, and I don't want to put the board in a position of not having a full discussion on all of them before we get to our top five.

If you can't talk about the actual candidates, what about just generally speaking the quality of the candidates that are coming in, knowing that so many superintendents are leaving.

Well, the quality coming in is excellent. You've got a number of deputies from throughout Florida who are ready to become superintendents. You've got some out-of-state candidates who are superintendents or are ready to be superintendents. So I've been extremely pleased with the quality. It's a very high quality pool of candidates.

Is there something special you think Pinellas needs to be looking for?

Today's news

HANGING DRYWALL INSTEAD OF HANGING OUT: A group of teens who once seemed on their way toward dropping out find success - and a GED - in a home building apprenticeship program. (Times photo, Carrie Pratt)

RAISES FOR UF FACULTY: Hoping to stem the school's "brain drain" of talented educators, UF president Bernie Machen announces that he plans to offer $11-million in pay raises despite tough economic times.

ONE MORE SEMESTER: St. Petersburg College agrees to keep its Midtown campus open for another semester, but will limit the course offerings there.

KNOCK IT DOWN: The owner of the historic Gary school in Ybor City now wants to raze it rather than preserve it, after the roof has collapsed.

NO CHARGES: A Gibbs High teacher won't face criminal charges over accusations that he had inappropriate relationships with some students. He has resigned from the district.

DON'T FORCE IT: Schools need to worry more about educating kids and less about whether they stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, the Times editorializes.

SUPERINTENDENT SHOWDOWN: Miami-Dade board members appear headed toward a vote on whether to fire superintendent Rudy Crew, the Miami Herald reports.

SUE YOU: Volusia's superintendent sues the local teacher union chief over comments she says were defamatory, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

NO REST: Nursing and medical technology students in Lee's High Tech Center keep taking classes all summer long. Their skills would dull otherwise, teachers say. Plus, they won't have months off each year in the real world, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

NO ROOM: Florida Atlantic University could fill an entire dorm with the students on its waiting list for campus housing, the Palm Beach Post reports.

BUDGET ROUNDUP: Monroe plans a budget that would spend less and cut taxes. One board member says it's not enough, the Florida Keys Keynoter reports. St. Lucie schools won't charge kids more for lunch despite rising food prices, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with FSBA executive director Wayne Blanton, who talks about the Pinellas superintendent search.

Should families pay for busing?

With so many Florida districts - including Pasco and Hillsborough - considering whether to cancel or charge for "courtesy" bus rides, we've decided to ask your opinion in our weekly Gradebook poll (see the upper left hand corner).

Please click in to register your support or opposition to the idea of making families pay for bus rides to school.

As for our last question, we asked, "Are schools asking for too many supplies?" You said:

• No, when times are tight, we all need to chip in.  90 votes - 63% 
• Yes, there's no way my kid needs 12 glue sticks.  33 votes - 23% 
• I still can't figure out why Rose Art crayons aren't good enough.  19 votes - 13%

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

Hurley leads cash battle in race for Pasco board seat

In a Pasco School Board race that has lacked much political heat (unlike those in a county to the south), one candidate has begun to pull ahead of the pack in the often critical areas of organizational and financial support.

Joanne Hurley - who has been racking up the endorsements from teachers, police and even the outgoing board member - also is raking in the big bucks at a faster pace than her opponents, Kurt Conover and Peter Hanzel.

The latest campaign financial reports, submitted this week, show Hurley having collected $22,502 in the most recent quarter, boosting her total to nearly $30,000. She lists several $500 donations (the maximum) from teacher unions across Florida, as well as from many developers, contractors and PACs. (See how those endorsements and contributions intersect?)

Hanzel received $14,780, including a $2,000 loan from himself and a mix of contributions from businesses and individuals. And Conover pulled in $11,677, mostly in smaller increments from individuals.

Most notably, Conover has reported already spending nearly $17,000 of his $23,000 campaign account. Hanzel and Hurley, by contrast, each have spent less than half that amount. With the election one month off and absentee ballots already in the mail, it should be interesting to see how (if?) the candidates' cash-on-hand affects this low-key campaign.

Seeking a more productive relationship with lawmakers

Sheila McDevitt, incoming chairwoman of the State University System Board of Governors, wants to see the board improve relations with the Legislature after a year spent feuding over control issues - primarily tuition.

To that end, she's created a new committee to oversee the agency's governmental affairs.

"The new Legislative, Governmental and Community Initiatives Committee will develop long-range strategies on legislative issues and will help the Board of Governors forge a strong and productive relationship with the Florida Legislature," McDevitt said in a news release.

The committee members will be Ann W. Duncan of Tampa, Dr. J. Stanley Marshall of Tallahassee, Frank T. Martin of Tallahassee, student member Arthur "AJ" Meyer of Florida International University, Lynn Pappas of Jacksonville, Ava L. Parker of Jacksonville, Tico Perez of Orlando, faculty member Judith Solano of the University of North Florida. Carolyn King Roberts of Ocala will serve as vice-chair, and McDevitt will head the group.

McDevitt, who also announced board committee chairs, visited the University of Central Florida on Thursday. The Orlando Sentinel reports that she intends to "turn the volume down" on tuition issues and instead focus on making the SUS more efficient.

Today's news

HILLSBOROUGH'S BICKERING BOARD: A meeting about School Board travel expenses turns emotional as members target one another with accusations and snide remarks. "We're an overage bunch of high school kids," Susan Valdes said.

FEWER KIDS, MORE WORKERS: The Pasco-Hernando Early Learning Coalition approves a budget that includes three new jobs but cuts child care funding for 85 low-income children.

SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOLS: The budget is lean, so the Pasco school district is looking for more volunteers than usual.

THREE WEEKS AND COUNTING: The Imagine School at Land O'Lakes, a new charter school, still can't win approval for its proposed location.

BLAME THE SUPERINTENDENT: Several candidates for Collier School Board blast superintendent Dennis Thompson, saying his communication with the community is poor. Even one incumbent joins the criticism, the Naples Daily News reports.

WILL COLLEGE PICK PICKENS? Joe Pickens, most recently the chairman of the House Schools and Learning Council, is among 32 candidates to lead St. Johns River Community College, the Palatka Daily News reports.

HELPING TEEN DRUG OFFENDERS: The Bradford school district implements a new Family Education Program for first-time drug and violence offenders to attend, the Bradford County Telegraph reports.

REACTIONS TO PLEDGE SUIT: The Miami Herald gets comments from a variety of folks on the federal court decision regarding a Broward student's right to remain sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance.

UNION ON THE ATTACK: Volusia's teacher union leader accuses the administration of manipulating budget numbers and misleading the public about the severity of the district's financial situation, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

PAY PROBLEMS: Lake spent about $600,000  more than necessary because administrators didn't follow district employment and salary rules, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

DRUG TESTING'S FIRST TEST: Manatee officials say they weren't aware of the district's plan to implement a strict new student drug testing program, the Herald-Tribune reports.

AROUND THE NATION: It's not easy being the teacher of an online course, the Washington Post reports. The gender gap in math achievement has disappeared, the NY Times reports. Colorado university leaders say they'd see changes in admission and scholarship decisions if voters there approve an anti-affirmative action referendum, the Rocky Mountain News reports.

Get your shots and physicals

School starts in three weeks. If you haven't gotten your kids all the health exams and vaccinations they need, they might be turned away at the door.

Don't delay. Make those appointments today.

Our sister blog, Whoa Momma, offers a listing of the clinics where you can get the services for free. Of course, you can always go to your personal pediatrician.

And if you don't believe in shots, well, take it up with the officials. But before you do, make sure you check the state laws, which you can find here.

Drug testing fails. Or does it?

Florida lawmakers unanimously adopted a pilot project in 2007 to randomly test student athletes for drugs. Like many other similar programs, it won't be back for the new school year.

USA Today reports that the low level of positive test results, plus shrinking state budgets, has quickly cooled interest in high school drug testing.

"It was a joke," Armwood High football coach Sean Callahan told the paper, saying he never has seen his players use steroids. "I don't understand what they thought they'd get accomplished. That money could have gone to a lot of other things."

But wait a minute. The Manatee school district is about to launch a strict new random testing program, the Herald-Tribune reports. Officials told the paper that the program will give students a reason to just say "no" when offered illegal substances.

Even some students back the idea. "Other kids probably won't like it; they'll think it's ridiculous, but if it stops the athletes from doing the wrong thing, then it's the right thing," Michael Ohlman, a catcher for Lakewood Ranch High's baseball team, told the Herald-Tribune.

As many as half of the district's 1,000 or so athletes and cheerleaders face random testing as a part of the program. Only time will tell if it's a waste of money or a life saver.
 

Just call him 'Prof Rubio'

It's official. Marco Rubio can add "prof" to his resume.

FIU just sent out a press release announcing that outgoing House Speaker Marco Rubio will join the university's Metropolitan Center as a Visiting Distinguished Service Professor. He's just the latest politico to enter academia. (Sen. Haridopolos is teaching at UF).

“We are excited about the contribution that Speaker Rubio will make in teaching and research,” said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique. “Many of the nation’s premier schools of public policy regularly appoint political leaders who can bring their experience into the classroom.”

Rubio will teach a course called Florida Politics and the 2008 Election with FIU political science professor Dario Moreno.  Rubio will help develop the course and lectures and evaluate student.

In the spring, Rubio will team up again with Moreno for a course titled Miami Politics. FIU officials say Rubio also will contribute to the Metropolitan Center’s Regional Affordable Housing project by conducting research and developing a proposal for better affordable housing.

Looking to save money? Eliminate high school

A local columnist for the Winter Haven News Chief suggests that Florida's education system can solve its budget woes with one simple move - dumping high schools.

"You only need an eighth-grade education to read, write and do basic math," writes columnist Dan Insdorf, who calls himself a former teacher. "This country was built by people with less than eight years of schooling."

Teens should be tracked into academics only if they are so inclined, he says. The rest should go to vocational or technical schools, most of which can be completed in a year or so.

We can't all be doctors, engineers and lawyers. There is an old a joke related to academic versus vocational career choice: A homeowner calls a plumber to fix a leak under his sink. The plumber arrives, spends five minutes under the sink and charges the man $100 for the job. The homeowner protests the bill and states that doctors don't make that much, to which the plumber replies: "Why do you think I stopped being a doctor."

We haven't heard of any school districts that are heading in this direction. They've been adding technical and vocational education to the academic program, to offer kids broader options. But since the idea is now out there, we just had to share.

Today's news

'I AM LEARNING': Hillsborough board member Susan Valdes defends her $50,000 in travel expenses as part of doing her job. She's come under fire for spending one-third of the full board's travel money during her reelection campaign.

SAFETY VS. SAVINGS: Pasco school transportation specialists hit the road to evaluate which "courtesy" bus routes are needed and which can be cut. They hope to have a recommendation by next week. Volusia schools also are eliminating several bus routes, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS THREATENED: Reduced revenue is prompting Hillsborough County to scale back the programs that thousands of children attend after school.

'DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT': Ybor City activists are furious after the Tampa City Council fails to act on the protection of an historic school building, where the roof now has caved in.

AMENDMENT 5 NEWS: A Florida Tax Watch study says the "tax swap" proposal could end up costing taxpayers more money than it saves, the Palm Beach Post reports. Collier school officials have come out in opposition to the referendum, the Naples Daily News reports.

TO BE A STATE COLLEGE, OR NOT TO BE: Florida Community College at Jacksonville is the latest to explore becoming a four-year institution, the Florida Times Union reports.

AN EDUCATION REVOLUTION? In bucking state law to allow an F-rated charter school to remain open, the Broward School Board started a revolution against the state's FCAT domination, Miami Herald columnist Fred Grimm writes.

NO PLEDGE: A federal court rules that a former Palm Beach student had the right to refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school, but didn't answer the question of whether all students have that right, the Palm Beach Post reports. More here from the Associated Press.

NO MORE SPANKING: The Polk School Board removes corporal punishment as a method of student discipline, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

School Board to tackle travel

Concerned about the jet-setting ways of the Hillsborough School Board? Mark your calendar.

The Board is going to discuss travel guidelines -- and maybe, gasp, a budget -- at a workshop on Thursday, July 31. Over the past four years, elected officials have spent $150,000 of public money on education-related trips in Hillsborough and beyond.

The Board has imposed a temporary halt on travel, until it can self-impose some standards. They will discuss matters further at the upcoming workshop, scheduled for second floor conference room at the downtown district offices.

-- Letitia Stein, Times staff writer

Make employees your 'pet project'

If employees are so important to the school system, the Pasco School Board should prove it, representatives from the United School Employees of Pasco told Board members Tuesday evening.

With contract negotiations set to resume this week, the union reps aimed to pressure the board publicly by talking about how employees face a decline in spending power if wages remain the same.

They noted that the board has yet to commit to paying annual step increases much less offering raises. Yet there seems to be plenty of money for "pet projects" such as the Learning Focused Solutions staff development program that many teachers dislike, they said during comments to the board.

"The question is, among you who is really willing to make the employees be the pet project of this district?" said Robert Benjamin, chief negotiator for the non-instructional staff, suggesting the money is available if the board commits it.

Both sides have agreed to postpone pay and benefits discussions until after July 31, when the district should have firm numbers for the costs associated with health and prescription insurance for the coming year. Board members did not respond to the comments, though they did encourage superintendent Heather Fiorentino to get budget information to the USEP as it becomes available.

The board also scheduled a closed-door session for 4 p.m. Tuesday to discuss negotiations.

We're No. 1 (again)