Joining forces to recruit more teachers of color

The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence and the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce don't much like that just 16 percent of the nation's teachers are people of color, compared to 41 percent of the students they teach.

So they've set a goal of recruiting 300 more teachers of color to Florida schools within the next year.

Starting in October (that's tomorrow), the groups will have public information sessions about how to get involved with the Teach and Inspire scholarship program. Already operating in nine Florida counties including Hillsborough and Polk, the effort has drawn more than 150 career changers and recent college graduates into the classroom.

"We look forward to working with the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to find new ways to reach potential teachers in the Hispanic community," ABCTE president David W. Saba said in a news release.

For more details on the events, click here.

Group says quality is at risk in state's higher education system

A statewide group that promotes college readiness and access for underrepresented students including Latinos and African-Americans is urging elected officials and university leaders to sharpen their focus on improving faculty and student support at Florida’s public universities.

In a report released today, ENLACE (ENgaging Latino, African-American, and other Communities for Education) Florida, a network funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, observed that the state’s university system is at or near capacity, tenured professors are leaving the state, and the push to increase production of undergraduate degrees is falling short of the need for a talented work force.

Besides expanding access, the group notes, the state university system must improve quality by targeting investments in student support services designed to increase retention and dedicate resources to faculty recruitment, retention and research.

To read the full report, click here.

Donna Winchester, higher education reporter

   

The latest from North Carolina

We're taking heat for not posting this news earlier – and we should have. The Raleigh paper reported Sept. 23 that accreditors have determined that degrees earned by 25 North Carolina Central University students at an unauthorized satellite campus set up under then-NCCU chancellor and now FAMU President James Ammons are, in fact, valid.

Higher education officials in North Carolina continue to investigate why Ammons and other NCCU leaders did not follow established procedure in setting up the satellite. The state auditor's office in N.C. recently began investigating, too – another development in the NCCU satellite story that we did not post, until now.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

No surprise here

Count Florida Board of Education Chairman T. Willard Fair and Education Trust President Kati Haycock among those not surprised by yesterday's St. Petersburg Times story. A Times review found serious teacher misconduct cases appear to be more often linked to high poverty schools.

"In some ways, it fits with everything else we know about teacher quality and high poverty schools," Haycock told the Gradebook after yesterday's presentation. "Not that there aren't some fabulous teachers there, as you know. Dedicated, high performers, incredible. But these schools have often been a dumping ground for really awful people."

Fair said it's no surprise given a system that knowingly shuffles teachers to high poverty schools after they're deemed "not worthy" of more affluent schools. "We're not going to let them filter up," he said.

Fair also said the issue of teacher equity deserves more scrutiny, and that at some point will gain traction with parents. "Parents, be they white, black or polka-dotted, care about who's surrounding their children," he said. "As soon as they find out, they're going to be upset. They don't know yet."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

What? No more journalism?

The world of newspapers may look bleak today, but does the Florida Department of Education have to push it further to the precipice?

That's a concern raised today by Sun-Sentinel columnist Ralph De La Cruz, who spent his weekend at a regional high school journalism meeting where the buzz was that the state no longer would include the subject in its practical/performing arts requirement. Meaning, at least to many in attendance, that fewer kids would take the course.

De La Cruz blames the FCAT:

If expectations were legitimately high, legislators and the state Board of Education would spend as much class time and resources on programs that push the high-achievers and the creative to new heights as they do on programs helping low-achievers pass a standardized test.

Money would flow into the arts and music. Debate. Broadcasting and webcasting. Journalism.

Instead, he notes, the minute the state decides not to test something, the funding and the interest wanes. Don't believe it? Just recall how music teachers pressed for a music FCAT just to get their area back into the main.

Hillsborough parents, pay attention

If you've got school-age kids, mark Oct. 29 on your calendar.

That's the first scheduled early release day under a new plan by the school district to let students out early one day each month.

All public school students will be released two hours early on that day. The aim is to give teachers more time for planning, and the early release idea was part of recent contract negotiations between the district and the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

Both sides still have to finalize the plan as a formality.

District spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said Monday that parents should receive a letter from their child's school today or tomorrow, as well as a recorded phone call, about the schedule change. It's also being publicized on school signs and Web sites.

Originally, district officials said they might cancel a day off for students already scheduled for Oct. 17. But Cobbe said that day will go on as planned because it's a statewide teacher day.

Jan Wesner, Times staff writer

*

Today's news

NOT THE DISTRICT'S PROBLEM: A circuit court judge sides with the Hillsborough School Board in a long-standing dispute over whether the district or the county government must pay for road improvements leading to new schools. (Times file photo)

MORE MAGNETS: Pinellas students could have three more academic options as early as next year.

MOM FIGHT: A Westchase Elementary mom is arrested for repeatedly punching another mom in the face in the school's cafeteria as kids watched.

IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE CONSTITUTION: But is Florida's "paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders" worth the paper it's written on? Gainesville Sun columnist Ron Cunningham ponders the issue.

READY TO WORK: Students in Florida's job preparation program say it does give them an edge in the work place, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

EXTRA HELP: When studying at school isn't enough, Polk students have plenty of supplemental options, the Winter Haven News Chief reports.

CHICKENS AND RABBITS AND DOGS: Oh my. Felix Varela Senior High's four-year pre-vet program offers some Miami-Dade students an opportunity to learn about working with animals, the Miami Herald reports.

NO MORE YEAR-ROUND: To save money, Polk considers ending the year-round calendar at the district's one school that uses it, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

KEEP THEM IN STORAGE: Despite pressure from parents, Sarasota won't put its 62 new defibrillators into schools yet, saying they have not provided proper training yet, the Herald-Tribune reports.

UWF WANTS YOU: The University of West Florida launches an ad campaign to attract more students, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. Part of the pitch - it's not big and anonymous like FSU and UF.

NOT EVEN CLOSE: Bay teachers ask for a 4.5 percent raise. The district offers zero, the Panama City News Herald reports.

Coming soon in Pinellas: new magnet programs

Look for some news in the near future on magnet programs in Pinellas County. At a workshop today, the School Board expressed serious interest in several initiatives, including a proposed middle school program for gifted students and a new magnet program at Pinellas Park High geared to students seeking careers in emergency management.

The board also asked superintendent Julie Janssen for ideas on 1.) allowing more students to enter the district’s International Baccalaureate programs at Palm Harbor University High and St. Petersburg High, 2.) adding an IB or IB-like program at a third school or 3.) coming up with a new rigorous program for high school students. Board member Jane Gallucci pushed for something besides IB, saying the district needed a program that focused more narrowly on preparing students for global competition. Board members Janet Clark, Linda Lerner and Carol Cook said they were intrigued by Gallucci’s idea.

The middle school gifted program is a response to years of lobbying from parents at Ridgecrest Elementary, a gifted magnet in Largo and the only elementary magnet without a destination program in middle school. District officials said such a program could be in place for the 2009-10 school year. It would operate as a “school within a school” at a yet-to-be-determined middle school.

The National Guard has provided nearly $900,000 in start-up costs for the proposed magnet at Pinellas Park High. District officials said the idea for the magnet grew out of a realization after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that the nation needed more emergency management professionals. The program could be ready to accept students in time for the 2009-10 school year, with approval as soon as November.

Major areas of what?

“Major areas of interest” – which generated all that hubbub two years ago, and this really big list – may no longer be a major area of interest.

Board of Education member Kathleen Shanahan raised the issue this afternoon during a workshop on the BOE’s draft strategic plan (which doesn't mention "major areas of interest.") In hindsight, she said, asking high school students to declare majors “sounds like a mistake.”

“Maybe we gave them too many choices,” she said. “I have no problem saying we tried it and it didn’t work.”

Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith responded: “We could revisit that probably.”

Lucy Hadi, DOE’s chancellor of workforce education, said the state’s recent moves on career and technical education shifted the spotlight. This fall, there are 460 career academies in 66 counties, she told the board. “I think we really have moved past major areas of interest," she said.

'We give them less of everything'

TAMPA -- It’s a common story line: If kids do poorly in school, it must be because of them and their parents. Not so, said Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust.

Look no further than the disparities in funding, teacher quality and grade inflation that you’ll find tilted heavily against students in high-poverty schools, Haycock told about 100 people this morning, including members of the Florida Board of Education.

“We give them less of everything,” said Haycock, whose group urges more dramatic action to close the achievement gap.

“I don’t want to argue with anyone with any suggestion that poverty and things like that don’t matter,” she also said. “But while these things matter, what we do in our schools and our districts and our states matters even more.”

Haycock kicked off the state Department of Education’s “What’s Working” series with a call for higher standards, higher expectations and more high-quality teachers for students in high-poverty schools.

Teachers, sex and high-poverty schools

Today's St. Petersburg Times story raises the question of whether high-poverty schools see more cases of teacher misconduct than more affluent schools. But if readers are wondering whether kids are more likely to encounter sexual predators in such schools, the answer is: We don't know.

At least not from reviewing the limited data the Times was able to use. Putting the Pinellas and Hillsborough cases since 2000 together (all of it from the myfloridateacher.com Web site), and breaking them down into categories of misconduct, here's what we found:

Inappropriate relationships -- This is the category that includes Debra Lafave. The tally: 10 cases. Four in high-poverty schools.

Inappropriate behavior and/or language -- By that we mean, behavior or language that is sexually charged, like the Riviera Middle School teacher who referred to girls' breasts with names like "righty" and "lefty." The tally: 11 cases. Seven in high-poverty schools.

Sex crimes off campus -- This would be things like voyeurism. The tally: 10 cases. Eight in high-poverty schools.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

*

Expert advice

Sure, it's late notice. But just in case you have some spare time at 10 a.m., we thought you might like to check out Kati Haycock's presentation on Florida's education system.

Haycock, president of the Education Trust, is nationally recognized for her work on getting rid of the achievement gap and improving academic performance. She also has focused on the alignment of curriculum from kindergarten through college.

Today, she'll speak with the State Board of Education about "the importance of alignment between secondary and postsecondary institutions, the significance of access to accelerated learning opportunities in high school, and compare education in Florida to national trends."

You can see her without leaving your desk. The DOE says the event will be Web-cast live at www.fldoe.org. Or, you can always go to the Tampa Airport Marriott, Hillsborough Grand Ballroom East, where the board is meeting.

(Image from the Washington Post)

*

Today's news

CORRELATION? OR COINCIDENCE? A review of cases posted on myfloridateacher.com shows that higher-poverty schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas are more likely to have teachers who have been penalized for serious misconduct than those in other neighborhoods.

ABOUT THAT $120-MILLION: The Pasco school district doesn't have that kind of money just lying around and available for raises, despite what some teachers might think.

ASK THE KIDS: The Collier School Board considers creating a student advisory board to give input on district issues, the Naples Daily News reports.

LESS MONEY: Even as participation is on the rise, the Palm Beach school district prepares for a cut in funding for Advanced Placement programs, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Florida districts also are preparing for an additional cut in lottery funding, Florida Today reports.

ONLINE ALL THE TIME: Florida school districts are preparing new virtual education programs, beginning at the elementary level, to meet a new state mandate, the Palm Beach Post reports.

WHAT'S NEXT? Tallahassee Community College already has cut back its spending, and leaders there worry about what they might have to do without if another round of budget reductions comes, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

HARD TO HOLD ON TO: School districts across the nation are targeting academic accountability. But superintendents of large urban districts, including Miami-Dade, are having trouble keeping their leaders at the top to make meaningful reform stick, the AP reports.

*

Coming up

Monday: State Board of Education, strategic plan workshop, 1 p.m., Tampa Airport Marriott; Florida College System Task Force, conference call, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.; Distance Learning Task Force, conference call, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Department of Education public hearing on alternatives for student promotion, 3 p.m., Broward Community College North Campus

Oct. 1-3: Department of Education, public meeting on instructional materials, Orlando

Oct. 2: Florida College System Task Force, 1 p.m., Tampa Bay Grand Hyatt; Distance Learning Task Force, conference call, 1 p.m.

Oct. 3: Distance Learning Task Force, conference call, 9 a.m.

Oct. 7: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Hernando School Board, 1 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting; Florida Education Foundation, conference call, 9 a.m.

Oct. 8: Division of Community Colleges, workshop on textbook affordability, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

Oct. 9: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 14: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

Oct. 17: No school for students in Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas

Oct. 20: No school for students in Pasco

Oct. 21: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, 1 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting; State Board of Education, Tampa

Oct. 28: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Monday: State Board of Education, strategic plan workshop, 1 p.m., Tampa Airport Marriott; Florida College System Task Force, conference call, 3 p.m.

Tuesday: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9 a.m.; Distance Learning Task Force, conference call, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Department of Education public hearing on alternatives for student promotion, 3 p.m., Broward Community College North Campus

Oct. 1-3: Department of Education, public meeting on instructional materials, Orlando

Oct. 2: Florida College System Task Force, 1 p.m., Tampa Bay Grand Hyatt; Distance Learning Task Force, conference call, 1 p.m.

Oct. 3: Distance Learning Task Force, conference call, 9 a.m.

Oct. 7: Pasco School Board, 9:30 a.m.; Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Hernando School Board, 1 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting; Florida Education Foundation, conference call, 9 a.m.

Oct. 8: Division of Community Colleges, workshop on textbook affordability, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

Oct. 9: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 14: Hillsborough School Board, workshop, 9:30 a.m.; Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

Oct. 17: No school for students in Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas

Oct. 20: No school for students in Pasco

Oct. 21: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pasco School Board, 6 p.m.; Hernando School Board, 1 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting; State Board of Education, Tampa

Oct. 28: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.; Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m.

Today's news

SURPRISE: More than half of Florida community college students find out the hard way that passing the FCAT does not mean they're ready for college. (Times photo, Will Vragovic)

STICK WITH THE MESSAGE: Florida's next university system chancellor must keep up the fight for additional funding and academic freedom in the state's higher education system, the Times editorializes.

REEXAMINE ADMISSION EXAMS: A national panel's recommendations gives colleges and universities the opportunity to reconsider whether student SAT and ACT scores really matter in the admission process, columnist Bill Maxwell writes.

A PATH TO SUCCESS: Manatee Community College can help the area's economy with its push to four-year degree offering status, the Bradenton Herald editorializes.

COLLEGE GOES ONLINE: To keep up with its tech-savvy students, Edison College amps up its e-learning effort with Edison Online, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

DISTRICT STRUGGLES WITH TECHNOLOGY: Lake schools still have many classrooms without computers, and lots of the district's computers are outdated. Officials want to upgrade, but finances make it a hard sell, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: A housing developer gives a Brevard teacher's classroom a complete renovation, Florida Today reports.

AROUND THE NATION: New York educators and parents are finding that school grading can be awfully subjective, the NY Times reports. A financial crisis threatens the Dallas school district's recent academic reforms, the Dallas Morning News reports. A growing number of Massachusetts schools are using breath tests at school events to crack down on teen drinking, the Boston Globe reports.

A weekend interview with ...

... Dennis and Eileen Bakke, founders of Imagine Schools, a Virginia-based charter school firm that has been expanding its presence in Florida. Imagine opened new schools in Pinellas, Pasco and about a dozen other counties this year, and recently won approval to expand its St. Petersburg campus into the middle grades. The Bakkes spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about their plans and philosophy.

I notice that you're opening quite a number of schools here in Florida, and I was just interested in knowing why Florida is such a vibrant market for you.

Dennis Bakke: I think the opportunities, it's probably our largest state. We have set a goal just to do as many schools as we can do. We want to help as many parents to educate their children as we can. So we go wherever we think we can be welcomed into the community to put a school in. We're in 15 states or so, and Florida, Arizona, Ohio and some of these other places are just really attractive. It is possible to do schools, these are communities that more or less support competition and charter schools, schools of choice. That's an important reason to come to a place like Florida. ...

Do you find that the local school districts can be resistant or reluctant to allow you to open new schools?

DB: Yes. I think most of the time. And it's natural, right? I mean, it's like Burger King going to McDonald's and asking them whether they could put a store right next to the McDonald's store and, by the way, it will be good for you. It's essentially what is being asked by these people. It's not fair ... to have it done that way. There should be a system by which you can get the charters through the state or some other authorizers like they do in other states. It is a problem. If I was a school district, I probably would fight it too, although it is very good for them. That is, competition is what makes everybody better. ... Most monopoly school districts do not have any competition, and it makes it hard for them to be as good as they could be. When we come along, we actually do this friendly competition, in effect, for parents. And either the school district is going to get better in order to compete with us, or the kids will all end up with us.

I notice you have a number of applications in to the state agency, the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission. Is that to get around the reluctance from the school districts that you're facing?

Today's news

DON'T START SCRATCHING: Back to school means an uptick in head lice, and they're getting harder to kill. (Image from allaboutlice.com)

CLASS ATTACK: A 14-year-old student at J.D. Floyd K-8 in Spring Hill is arrested after assaulting some classmates during lunch break.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE? A panel reviewing the need for Collier's local tax referendum criticizes the school district for lacking any other ideas to deal with funding shortfalls, the Naples Daily News reports.

THINK FAST: More than 700 Florida schools compete in Math Mania, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

GETTING RURAL STUDENTS TO COLLEGE: A joint effort by FSU, Gulf Coast Community College, several schools and the St. Joe Community Foundation is helping get more Panhandle students into college, Rick Dalton of College for Every Student and John Mills of Paul Smiths College write in an op-ed for the Tallahassee Democrat.

SAT'S MATTER: Florida soon will include high school students' SAT scores in the mix when grading their schools, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

MORE FREE MEALS: The level of Broward students receiving free and reduced-price lunches is on the rise, the Miami Herald reports.

TOUGHER STANDARDS: Manatee Community College increases passing scores for its nursing students after seeing many of them fail their licensure exams, the Bradenton Herald reports.

EPIPEN RULES: Some Brevard parents get upset when told their young children - and not school personnel - will be responsible for carrying the allergy antidote around school, Florida Today reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon today for an interview with Imagine Schools founders Dennis and Eileen Bakke.

Let's hear it for the anti-rankings

Fed up with college ranking systems such as the one employed by U.S. News and World Report, the nonprofit Education Conservancy is creating a tool it says will provide a more education-focused approach to selecting a school.

The group, which is best known for urging colleges to refuse to fill out surveys such as the U.S. News survey, debuted an early version of its new document Thursday at the annual meeting of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

The first part of the "College Speaks" survey would ask students to answer three broad sets of questions, such as, “What do I know about myself as a student?” Followup questions would help students think about whether they're looking for a very rigorous education, whether they need support services, and why a large or small institution would offer a particular advantage.

The concept drew considerable praise from high school counselors and college admissions officers who liked the focus on the fit between student and college rather than the superiority of one college over another.

But some expressed concern about whether students actually would use it.

Wondered one counselor: “Will a kid coming across the site surf right by it (after) finding too many words?”

Donna Winchester, Higher Education Reporter

*

Pay those fines . . . or else!

Apparently, some universities aren’t kidding when they say they’ll go to any lengths to collect library fines.

The London Times reports that Bucks New University, about 30 miles from London, on at least one occasion has used an unusual approach to collecting fines on overdue books.

The school surprised a recent graduate who collected an envelope she thought would contain her diploma. Instead, it contained her bill for library books.

Donna Winchester, Higher Education Reporter

*
 

Another pitch for a longer school day

The state lawmaker who offered one of the most memorable quotes during last spring's legislative session wants Gov. Charlie Crist to make longer school days a priority, the Orlando Sentinel's School Zone blog is reporting.

Rep. David Simmons, R-Maitland, is pointing to a pilot project he backed to give four Central Florida schools an hour more each day. All four showed academic gains this year. And one of them moved from an F to an A. See his letter to education commissioner Eric J. Smith here.

Simmons said the state should consider expanding the program to all D and F schools. The projected cost: $32.7-million.

The School Zone reports that Smith is interested in expanding the pilot, too, if lawmakers dig it and funding is available. See the letter written on his behalf by DOE administrative services director Martha Asbury here.

For background about the longer-school-day issue, read this St. Petersburg Times story.

Ron Matus, State Education Reporter

*

Study: Florida charters have better grad rates

Florida high school students attending charter schools are more likely to earn diplomas and go to college, according to this recent study, published as a peer-reviewed working paper by RAND Education. Fifty-seven percent of students attending a charter in ninth grade went to college within five years, compared to 40 percent of students in traditional public schools, the study found.

The authors, including FSU economics professor Tim Sass (shown above), found the same thing in Chicago charter schools. They said the reasons are unclear, but offered this tentative conclusion:

"Our findings are consistent with recent work on the efficacy of Catholic schools, which finds large positive effects of Catholic high school attendance on educational attainment. While just a first step, the results presented here and in the Catholic school literature suggest that expanding school choice at the high school level may be a part of an effective policy to reduce high school dropout rates and to promote college attendance."

Ron Matus, State Education Reporter

*

In defense of her budget

Over the past 10 days, Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino has been blitzed with e-mails and letters asking - often angrily - why she didn't recommend a budget that tried harder to give employee raises.

Why hasn't the district tapped its reserves?, they wanted to know. Why doesn't it cut more programs and make employees the priority? How can neighboring districts give raises when Pasco can't seem to find the money?

This morning, Fiorentino responded.

In a seven-page e-mail to all employees, the superintendent quoted statute, accounting practices, policy and budget to detail why the district could, for instance, finalize a budget while still conducting contract negotiations in good faith.

She also attached a list of cuts that the administration has put in place to cope with a reduction in state funding, and a chart detailing the district's current fund balances.

"I hope this email clarifies any misinformation you may have received and provides you with a clear picture of the financial issues facing our district," she concluded, offering to answer any further questions that she receives.

If the response to her last e-mail to employees serves as any gauge, Fiorentino probably will get quite a few.

Too big to succeed?

Should Florida reduce the size of its school districts?
Yes, they're too big and bloated.
No, we don't need more superintendents and school boards.
Perhaps, but politics and finances will never let it happen.

In our previous poll, we asked, "Should teachers get more money to teach in high-needs schools?" Here's what you said:

• Maybe, but save the talk until there's money in the budget.  142 votes - 48%
• Yes, districts should do more to lure good teachers to schools that need them.  135 votes - 46% 
• No, teachers who want to teach there will go there anyway.  16 votes - 5%

Thanks for contributing to the Gradebook. If you have any questions or suggestions, please send them to solochek@sptimes.com.

Today's news

LET MORE FRESHMEN IN: The State University System Board of Governors discusses easing its enrollment cap to allow more people access to higher education.

FAR FROM HOME: A Pinellas kindergartner is dropped off by her school bus at the wrong school and wanders off. A friend of her mother's who happened to drive by picks up the crying girl and takes her to the right school. (Times photo, Jim Damaske)

MORE MONEY: The Board of Governors will ask the Legislature for $24-million to offset rising utility costs, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. More from the Gainesville Sun.

ONLINE TUTORING: The Immokalee public library provides free virtual tutoring to students each afternoon to help them improve their academics, the Naples Daily News reports.

ARE TEACHERS SAFE ENOUGH? A violent outburst by a 21-year-old autistic student sends a Sarasota teacher to the doctor's office. The teachers union says the episode illustrates what risks some educators face daily, the Herald-Tribune reports.

FLASHING RED MEANS STOP: Ocala police clamp down on car drivers who pass stopped school buses in the aftermath of a bus crash that killed one girl, the Ocala Star Banner reports.

GETTING THEIR GED: Duval sets up a new program to help nonviolent inmates complete their high school education and move on, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Reporter scrutinized for relationship with schools chief resigns

The former Miami Herald reporter whose credibility has come under fire for her past relationship with Alberto Carvalho, who turned down the Pinellas superintendent's job to instead run the Miami-Dade school district, has resigned her job at the Boston Globe, the Miami Herald reports.

Tania deLuzuriaga, left, covered the Miami-Dade district for the Herald for about a year. While both Pinellas and Miami-Dade were courting Carvalho, e-mails surfaced that seemed to show that deLuzuriaga and Carvalho had an intimate relationship.

Carvalho has denied an inappropriate relations with the reporter, who has not commented. He initially claimed the e-mails were fakes, but later acknowledged they might be real. Investigations into the situation are continuing.

The Miami-Dade School Board has yet to affirm Carvalho's contract there. The Pinellas job, meanwhile, has been filled.

Tampa Bay's top African-American high schoolers

Twelve Hillsborough public high school students, three Pinellas students and one Tampa Prep student have been named 2009 National Achievement semifinalists.

The recognition goes to about 1,600 of the nation's top African-American high school seniors, who now will compete for about 800 scholarships worth over $2.6-million. It was created in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students.

With 12 semifinalists, Hillsborough has the third-highest number in Florida.

Read on to see the students' names.

New strategies for Florida education

The State Board of Education will come to Tampa next week to talk about how to rewrite Florida's education strategic plan for the next generation.

Gone will be eight "strategic imperatives," to be replaced by six "areas of focus."

The overarching vision? "To change the culture of our schools from pre-k to post-secondary by raising the ceiling and raising the floor to better enable students for success in the 21st century."

Interested? You can read the proposals here and attend the workshop at 1 p.m. Monday at the Tampa Airport Marriott.

Drawing lines on the Pasco map

Mark your calendar for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.

That's when the Pasco school district will start the process of deciding which neighborhoods will be assigned to its two newest schools, which are scheduled to open next fall.

The effort will focus on the new Anclote High in Holiday, and a to-be-named elementary school in the Watergrass subdivision of Wesley Chapel. Look for moves to involve students attending Mitchell High and Wesley Chapel Elementary, at the very least.

A committee of parents, teachers and district officials will hash out the details before sending a recommendation to the affected communities and, ultimately, the School Board for approval.

Are Florida's school districts too big to succeed?

It's an interesting concept, one that has been aired in the state Legislature from time to time without much action.

With the appointment of Alberto Carvalho as superintendent in the state's biggest district, Miami-Dade, Miami Today publisher Michael Lewis revisits the question of whether a district that employs more people than 26 Florida counties have living in them can ever find success -- regardless of who runs the show.

"Success is impossible," Lewis writes. "Impossible, that is, if we measure success not in negotiating the pitfalls of a divided school board or bringing finances back from the abyss, but in raising our children's education level to where it should be."

If the state truly cares about a high-quality education for all students, he suggests, it will let the public decide whether to have smaller districts than the behemoth countywide ones we have right now.

And, it won't hurt if parents and politicians rise up in disgust not with our education level. Regardless of who is superintendent or on the school board, we're going to get more of the same until we change the rules of the game.

Thoughts, anyone?

*

Today's news

LEARNING LANGUAGES: Preschools across the Tampa Bay area teach children a second language to help them with their cognitive skills. (Times photo, Gen Yamaguchi)

NO PINK SLIPS: Pasco begins transferring teachers to cope with enrollments that didn't meet projections. The rumor that folks are getting laid off isn't correct.

NAME THAT SCHOOL: The Griffin family of east Hillsborough is petitioning to have the area's new high school named after its patriarch. The district is seeking nominations before making a decision.

PEACE DELAYED: A Hillsborough charter school with a peace education curriculum puts off its opening as only six students enroll.

TEACHER CRIME BLOTTER: Pinellas elementary school teacher Alyson Perry-Jarvis is arrested, accused of having a two-year sexual relationship with teenager (not her student).

MORE CHALLENGES: An Indian River magnet school adds more enrichment programs for high-achieving students who seek more demanding lessons, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

DIPATRI TO RETIRE: Brevard's respected superintendent of eight years plans to call it a career in 2009, Florida Today reports. Interesting factoid: No other sitting Florida appointed superintendent has been in his or her current position longer.

CRIME DOWN: Putnam schools report a 41 percent decrease in on-campus crimes, the Palatka Daily News reports.

NEW RULES: UF trustees approve an updated student code of conduct, which includes a ban on campus keg parties and an updated definition of sexual consent, the Gainesville Sun reports.

HEALTH PLAN APPROVED: The Manatee board unanimously approves a huge spike in health insurance premiums over teacher objections, the Bradenton Herald reports.

FINANCIAL CRUNCH HITS HOME: Palm Beach might have to postpone three new schools because of Wall Street's woes, the Palm Beach Post reports.

OOPS: About 11,000 Broward district employees are overpaid, the Miami Herald reports.

*

Florida universities get low marks on sustainability report card

What criteria should be considered in grading a university’s sustainability efforts?

If alumni endowments figure prominently in the equation, Florida universities are in trouble.

The College Sustainability Report Card, released Wednesday, provides interactive sustainability profiles and grades for 300 schools with the largest endowments ranging from approximately $150-million to $35-billion.

Ivy League schools were, naturally, at the top of the list. Four public universities –- Colorado, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington -– each earned an A minus.

Florida schools scored in the B plus to C minus range.

The University of Florida fared the best, with a B plus. The University of South Florida and Florida State each got a C minus.   

To view the interactive report, click here.

Donna Winchester, higher education reporter

*

New guide answers mental health questions

A group with a history of aiding in litigation against universities for discriminating against mentally ill students has introduced a new guide titled “Campus Mental Health: Know Your Rights.”

The 27-page document, compiled by the Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, answers questions like “Can I be forced to take medication?” and “Can my school require me to take leave?”

Citing concerns that college students are being asked to leave campuses for exhibiting mental illness, the advocacy group is promoting the guide through the distribution of 5,000 postcards sent to more than 150 college campuses across the country.

The effort comes at a time when Florida’s public universities are severely understaffed in the area of mental health counselors. A Board of Governors report commissioned in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting massacre found that some universities, including the University of South Florida, would need more than a dozen additional counselors to reach the student service levels recommended by the International Association of Counseling Services.

The association recommends one counselor for every 1,500 students. At USF, the ratio is one counselor for every 3,500 students.

Donna Winchester, higher education reporter

*

No layoffs in Pasco

For the second time in three weeks, we've fielded some phone calls from panicked Pasco teachers who wanted to let us know that the school district is passing out pink slips. Today, the number supposedly was 20 teachers losing their jobs.

We checked this out with superintendent Heather Fiorentino and her top staff, who explained that 26 teachers will need to transfer jobs because they're working at schools that are overstaffed. The district has plenty of vacancies to accommodate everyone, assistant superintendent Ruth Reilly told the Gradebook.

"It looks like we will have a position for everybody," Reilly said.

The bigger concern is instructional assistants, Fiorentino said. The district has to move 15 assistants because of lower-than-expected enrollment at certain schools. Officials have their eye on 11 additional spots.

"We are doing everything we can to transfer those people," Fiorentino said. "No one will be laid off at this point."

*

Report: Schools drowning in commercialism

It's a given that kids will be hit by a tsunami of advertising every time they turn on the TV. But do they have to get swamped by commercialism and corporate marketing at school, too?

We've all heard the stories from around Florida: the district that agreed to give McDonald's Happy Meals to kids with good grades. The districts considering Bus Radio. This report from researchers at Arizona State University (the latest in a series, actually) offers plenty of additional examples, like the Love Your Veggies campaign sponsored by the makers of Hidden Valley ranch dressing.

Given tough economic times, the rising tide of commercialism in schools isn't likely to recede, the report says. "As schools struggle to make ends meet, we are also likely to see businesses continue to expand the popular approach of 'working in partnership' with schools to help with fundraising –- building public goodwill and a positive brand image through marketing dressed as 'corporate responsibility.' "

Ron Matus, state education reporter

*

How do you say 'cool' in Chinese?

More and more Pinellas students are learning Mandarin Chinese, as this morning's St. Petersburg Times story points out. And even more will do so in the future if Pinellas can find the teachers to teach them.

The Chinese language buzz is taking off around the country, driven by recognition of China's growing economic power. In 2000, according to this survey, only about 5,000 student nationwide were learning Chinese. Now about 50,000 are.

Ron Matus, state education reporter

Times photo, Martha Rial

*

Imagine Schools founder wants to keep growing in Florida

With 18 charter schools in Florida, Virginia-based Imagine Schools stands as one of the state's largest charter operators. Founder Dennis Bakke, in Tallahassee last week for the ribbon cutting, tells the Gradebook he'd like to expand even more in the state.

"We have set a goal just to do as many schools as we can do," Bakke said. "We want to help as many parents to educate their children as we can. So we go wherever we think we can be welcomed into the community to put a school in."

Already, Imagine has submitted 18 new applications to the Florida Schools of Excellence Commission. Bakke said the group has turned to this state agency because it has encountered resistance among some local school boards.

"And it's natural, right?" he observed. "I mean, it's like Burger King going to McDonald's and asking them whether they could put a store right next to the McDonald's store and, by the way, it will be good for you. It's essentially what is being asked by these people. It's not fair ... to have it done that way."

For more of our interview with Dennis Bakke, visit the Gradebook on Saturday for our weekend interview.

Today's news

ABOUT THAT TRIP: St. Petersburg College president Carl Kuttler has been defending his hiring of the school's director of international studies, who some contend is not qualified, but details keep getting in the way.

A 'BLESSING' FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT: The Pasco School Board had a home it didn't need. Kathryn Reiter needed a home. Well, you know where this story is going. (Times photo, Brendan Fitterer)

TEACHER CRIME BLOTTER: Hillsborough fourth-grade teacher Wildalynn Harris is arrested for growing pot in her Tampa home. Pinellas high school art teacher Gerald DiPanfilo is fired for having sex with an underage student.

TOP OF THE CLASS: A school guidance counselor's calming ground (Fox Chapel Middle); Armed with mallets, they make music (Cypress Elementary); Kids, adults interact with Largo library pre-k reading program (Largo library)

THINK BIGGER: Earlier this year, Gov. Crist's office told school districts to plan for a 2 percent withholding in funding. "We were told this week that it might be smart for us to start looking for 3.5 percent," Lee superintendent James Browder told the Cape Coral Daily Breeze.

THEY NEED HELP: A new analysis of FCAT science results indicates that Florida students need more practice with the concepts, the AP reports. (As if the low passing rates didn't suggest that.)

NO MORE VALEDICTORIANS: The Lee school district moves to a system that recognizes graduating high school students with honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, etc.), the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

NO MORE TRAYS: Florida Atlantic University gets rid of cafeteria trays as a way to reduce uneaten food and dishwashing expenses, the Palm Beach Post reports.

UNILATERAL DECISION: The Manatee School Board prepares to vote on health benefits without employee input, as the workers' union has refused to negotiate, the Bradenton Herald reports.

SEEKING HIGH SCHOOL SOLUTIONS: The Duval school district wants to see more of its high schools succeed. But that could mean altering its magnet school program, something parents don't want to change, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Eckerd receives $1-million grant

Eckerd College has received a $1-million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation to provide scholarships to undergraduate students enrolled in the school’s Program for Experienced Learners.

The Osher Re-entry Scholarship Program will target students between the ages of 25 and 50 whose progress toward a degree was interrupted and who would now like to complete their education. Scholarships of $2,500 each will cover tuition costs for 20 re-entering students.

Recipients must be first-time baccalaureate degree students with a demonstrated financial need who have been out of school for at least five years.

Eckerd was first selected to be an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in 2005. Other Florida schools that are part of the network are the University of South Florida, University of Miami, Florida International University and the University of North Florida.

Donna Winchester, higher education reporter

Whole lotta restructurin' going on

We've kept you abreast of some of the No Child-mandated "restructuring" going on in Florida and around Tampa Bay (see here and here.) But today's report from the Center on Education Policy offers national context and one think tank's perspective.

Nationally, the number of high-poverty schools placed into restructuring jumped 56 percent last year, from 2,302 to 3,599. But while the numbers are up, federal guidance is lacking, the report finds. Looking closely at five states (Florida not among them), CEP found only 19 percent of schools in restructuring made enough progress to satisfy federal requirements.

"This report shows that current restructuring policies and practices are flawed," CEP President and CEO Jack Jennings said in a press release. "Many restructuring schools have done everything the law requires but still haven't raised achievement enough to exit restructuring. It's time to revamp the sanctions and supports for these struggling schools."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

State offers districts a refresher in student privacy

Their records are private, got that? And districts are responsible for protecting the integrity and accuracy of the data they collect and maintain.

Why is that suddenly so important? Maybe it's the fact that thousands of Sarasota students are suing Princeton Review over the public posting of their personal information on the Internet.

Education commissioner Eric J. Smith writes a memo to superintendents: "With the recent disclosure that confidential student records entrusted to an outside vendor were left vulnerable to public access, it is important that we, as public stewards of those records, be reminded of our responsibilities regarding this matter." He adds:

(D)ata managers, their staff, and other agency and school personnel must become familiar with the laws that ensure the confidentiality of the records, as well as the legal concepts underlying those laws. We strongly recommend that district personnel responsible for student records be familiar with all law and rules regarding the confidentiality of student records.

Enough said.

Teachers union has second thoughts on endorsement

Once upon a time, the political action committee for the Pinellas teachers union endorsed School Board member Janet Clark (right) for re-election. And why not? She's a former middle school teacher and a reliable supporter of teacher causes. Now the PAC has rescinded its support.

The union didn't like it when Clark joined a 4-3 vote recently to hire Miami educator Alberto Carvalho as superintendent, passing over interim superintendent Julie Janssen. Clark might have redeemed herself in the union's eyes when Carvalho declined the offer and she became the swing vote that made Janssen the superintendent. But the union didn't take kindly to her words in an interview with the Times in which Clark pushed back against the union's aggressive campaign on behalf of Janssen.

"I'm tired of the bullying," she said in the interview, adding that the union could "keep their filthy lucre. I'm not bought."

The PAC took back its endorsement in a three-sentence letter that Clark received in the mail over the weekend. "I don't know that I'm going to spend any time worrying about it," said Clark, who won election in 2004 without the PAC's support."It bothers me that for four years I have  been an advocate to teachers and support staff."

She added: "They were using the political endorsement to force me to take a vote. I don't want anybody living in this county to think I am beholden to anybody."

Jade Moore, executive director of the union, said the PAC will stay out of the District 1 race, where Clark faces a challenge from Jennifer Crockett.

Pinellas School Board, Janssen make it official

In a 7-0 vote this morning, the Pinellas School Board formally hired Julie Janssen as the district's new superintendent. The vote ratified a three-year contract that will pay Janssen $200,000 a year plus benefits. Janssen earned $185,000 as interim superintendent. Her predecessor, Clayton Wilcox, was making $204,000 when he left in June for a job with Scholastic Corp.

The board's pay range for a new superintendent was $200,000 to $240,000. Janssen said she took the low amount because of the state's fiscal crisis. Should she