GED exit option no longer an option for Florida seniors

Florida has endured its share of criticism for counting as graduates the high school seniors who have not completed all their graduation requirements yet successfully passed the GED before the end of the year.

No more.

Chancellor Frances Haithcock told superintendents in a memo today that the state has "no statutory authority" to offer the GED exit option. So it's officially dead, effective tomorrow.

Of course, students always have the option of leaving high school and pursuing their GED otherwise. But if they're in high school, they need to graduate the old fashioned way.

Will this help Florida in its pursuit of Race to the Top funds? The grant does call on states to get rid of programs that dumb down standards and assessments, after all. That's something for the policy makers to worry about.

Meantime, anyone in the GED exit option program needs to make new plans to finish up high school, ASAP.

FAMU Law secures full accreditation

Florida A&M University’s law school just overcame its tumultuous track record of leadership turnover, faculty rancor and academic concerns.

The American Bar Association has granted full accreditation — a national stamp of approval that is vital to the school’s reputation and long-term survival. The decision by the ABA’s Council on Legal Education Opportunity is a major victory for the historically black College of Law, which reopened in 2002, more than three decades after legislators shut it down amid court-ordered desegregation.

President Clinton to speak to Florida students

He’ll be the keynote speaker Aug. 9 at a conference organized by the Lawton Chiles Foundation in Orlando. The 300 college and high school students are the inaugural class of the Lawton Chiles Leadership Corps, which aims to improve how Florida educates and treats its children. More here.

Is UCF's new med school on the cutting edge of health care reform?

Or is its offer of an expense-free education to 40 students just a ploy to get some attention for a school with no track record?

CNN Money considers the issue today with a look at Florida's newest medical school:

"UCF's initiative could be a model for reforming health care, allowing more would-be doctors to go into less lucrative but essential fields of medicine. Or it could just be a way for a new medical school to make a splash in the competition for student dollars."

See the full story for more.

How to dissuade kids from dropping out of high school?

Don't hire them.

That's Texas education commissioner Robert Scott's suggestion. According to the Dallas Morning News, Scott — who's already facing criticism for the way his agency counts dropouts — has asked his state's business community to stop hiring people without high school diplomas.

"It would send a powerful message to these kids to stay in school," he told the Morning News. "It would be better for them, better for businesses and better for the state in the long run."

Bill Hammond, leader of the Texas Association of Business, immediately trashed the idea as unworkable.

"There are cases where kids who drop out get back on track first by becoming employed and then later continuing their education," he told the paper. "To condemn those kids to no employment seems pretty hard-hearted to me."

Almost sounds like a Florida argument, doesn't it?

27 Pinellas schools have new principals

We've mentioned many of these line-up changes in past posts, but here's a complete list the district just compiled for its annual media packet. Everybody happy with their new leadership?

Wayne Whitney, Principal, Bardmoor Elementary
Katherine Wickett, Principal, Cross Bayou Elementary
Robert McFadden, Principal, Curlew Creek Elementary
Margaret Drizd, Principal, Curtis Fundamental Elementary
Dr. Susan Graham-Taylor, Principal, High Point Elementary
Kathleen Young, Principal, Highland Lakes Elementary
Diane Cato, Principal, Lake St. George Elementary
Susan Garcia-Nikolova, Principal, Lakeview Fundamental Elementary
TBA, Principal, Lakewood Elementary

Judges often side with teachers

Pinellas teacher Porsha Call – who Superintendent Julie Janssen wants to fire for incompetence – has elected to roll the dice and take her case to an administrative law judge.

The legal odds suggest she made a smart move.

Since 2004, administrative judges have sided with teachers and other school employees in 27 of 65 cases, or 42 percent of the time, according to the teacher cases currently listed on the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings Web site.

Most cases – 84 of 149 by our count – were settled, dismissed or withdrawn before a judge made a decision. Another 55 are in the pipeline.

All of them could use a closer look.

Florida education news: Classroom supplies, Bright Futures, school names and more

GAG ORDER: The judge in the case of four Walker Middle teens accused of raping a classmate at school orders news media to remove some case-related documents from their Web sites. (Image from fromthepopulation.blogspot.com)

DON'T CALL IT FCCJ: The proper name is now Florida State College (not to be confused with Florida State University), the Jacksonville Observer reports.

SEEKING INPUT: Collier wants the public to review and comment on its three-year academic plan, the Collier Citizen reports.

HELP A TEACHER: Local businesses provide free classroom supplies to Manatee teachers, the Bradenton Herald reports.

GO TO MONEY SCHOOL: Another Palm Beach principal is disciplined for financial mismanagement of his school, the Palm Beach Post reports.

THE CHECK IS NOT IN THE MAIL: Some Polk State College students are dropped from their courses after their Bright Futures Scholarships don't cover the full cost, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: Leon saves more than $1 million in energy spending, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Sending a message about going to college

Tampa-based ENLACE Florida is cooking up an ad campaign to encourage kids to prepare for college.

The target audience: First generation college-going students in grades 8-10.

 "In order to meet the future workforce demands of a knowledge-based society and economy, we are simply going to need more low-income students and students of color entering into and succeeding in college,” said the group's assistant director, Braulio Colón.

Read more here.

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Pinellas County school zones need attention, consistency

From the St. Petersburg Times editorial board:

Pedestrians and motorists navigating the heavy traffic around Pinellas County schools in the mornings and afternoons encounter a hodge-podge of rules, signs and speed limits. It isn't a situation conducive to safety, and finally, someone is addressing the problem. The Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization, a transportation planning board made up of public officials from throughout the county, heard some concerns about safety in school zones. So the board asked for data about how various government jurisdictions handle traffic control in their school zones. What came back was even worse than expected.

Read full editorial here.

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Florida International medical professor receives Medal of Freedom

Florida International University medical professor Dr. Pedro José Greer Jr. is one of 16 people to today receive the nation's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.

Greer, who also has a private practice in addition to his university work, has often been recognized by presidents of both political parties for his work with Miami's poor. He created the Camillus Health Concern to provide medical services to low-income families. He also founded the St. John Bosco Clinic to provide primary care to families in Little Havana.

Other recipients include Stephen Hawking, Jack Kemp and Sen. Edward Kennedy.

President Obama said in a news release of the honorees: "These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way."

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Moving away from rigid zero tolerance

Civil rights groups like Florida’s new, more tolerant zero tolerance law, but they want to make sure school districts fully comply. To that end, the Advancement Project, a national civil rights group, and the Florida State Conference NAACP issued recommendations to districts today, including what should and shouldn’t be defined as a “petty acts.”

“The Florida Legislature has recognized that schools have become over-reliant on the police and rigid ‘zero tolerance’ policies for handling school discipline matters,” Jim Freeman, who directs the Ending the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Project for the Advancement Project, said in a written statement. “Expelling students or referring them to law enforcement for minor, school-based offenses is not an effective way to create safer, more productive learning environments.”

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Florida A&M officials await law school accreditation decision

Florida A&M officials will know soon whether their running efforts to improve FAMU's Orlando law school are enough to satisfy national accreditors. The American Bar Association committee charged with reviewing FAMU's request for full accreditation will meet in Chicago tomorrow and Saturday, spokeswoman Nancy Slonim said.

University spokewsoman Sharon Saunders said FAMU is expecting a ruling - and planning a press conference Friday at the 7-year-old law school.

FAMU has been on provisional accreditation since 2004, and the ABA gives schools five years to secure full acreditation. The law school has faced problems including administrative turnover and low bar passage rates ever since opening with $40 million in taxpayer dollars, but new Dean LeRoy Pernell has been making changes aimed at boosting morale, academic performace and bar passage.

One option, if the ABA feels FAMU law isn't quite ready for full accreditation, would be to simply extend the provisional accreditation.

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Teacher asks if Pasco complies with new state spending laws

As part of its education funding legislation, the Florida Legislature took several steps last spring to force school boards to consider how much certain nonstudent-related items cost them. Among other things, it mandated:

• Reduction of superintendent salaries
• Setting of board member salaries at the level of a first-year teacher
• Specific approval of administrator contracts beyond 10 months
• Specific approval of spending district funds on cell phone and related service

At a sparsely attended budget public hearing, Land O'Lakes High teacher (and regular Gradebook commenter) Pat Connolly pointedly asked the Pasco School Board whether it is following the law. "As the budget for 2009-10 is being readied," he said, "it is important to be sure that we are in compliance with these legislative changes, particularly as these changes force savings in certain areas and free up funds for use elsewhere."

How Pinellas ranks on classroom spending

Pinellas's per-pupil spending is among the highest of Florida's 38 biggest districts, the new U.S. Census Bureau report says. But when it comes to putting that money into the classroom, Pinellas is in the middle of the pack.

The district spent $8,656 per pupil in 2006-07, ranking it No. 8 among 38 Florida districts with more than 10,000 students. But it ranked No. 20 when it comes to the percentage of spending on "instruction," according to some basic Gradebook number crunching.

Among the big seven urban districts, Pinellas ranked sixth, with 59.3 percent spent on instruction. Palm Beach County led with 62.7 percent. Orange was last at 57.3 percent. (Go to page 112 to see all the pre-crunched figures for yourself.)

A percentage point might not sound like much, but 1 percent of Pinellas' $890 million operating budget is $8.9 million.

Florida education news: Algebra, teacher jobs, sex education and more

IS IT A GAME? Or is it learning? Some Hillsborough middle schools test a new program that teaches algebra through video gaming to see if it should gain widespread use. (Times photo, Atoyia Deans)

NOW HIRING: Need a teaching job? Pasco has some available.

LESS MONEY: The state readjusts its funding formula for schools, pushing districts a little deeper into the hole.

MAKING SACRIFICES: Hillsborough private schools make do with less as parents struggle to make tuition and support regular fund raisers.

HILLSBOROUGH BACK-TO-SCHOOL: New leaders in the southeast schools • Pride Elementary's new principal • New rules and programs • Testing calendar

ANOTHER LAWSUIT: Broward teachers sue their district for the second time in as many months, this time over rehiring policies, the Miami Herald reports.

SEX ED: A Collier board member wants it to be medically accurate and evidence based, the Naples Daily News reports. What a novel concept.

DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE? Just one resident shows up to hear about Indian River's proposed budget, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports in a story that, for better or worse, plays out across the state each budget season.

CHOICE IS GREAT: The Bradenton Herald editorially cheers charter schools and parent choice.

LESS TO SHARE: Brevard's education foundation sees school supply donations shrink by half, Florida Today reports.

PRIVATIZING: Okaloosa goes with an outside custodial firm despite concerns about laying off local workers, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Pasco's budget cuts add up

All last fiscal year, Pasco's school finance team kept writing and rewriting budgets as the state kept scaling back the amount of money it could provide. After a variety of plans, Pasco set a target of $24.76 million.

The district has calculated savings of $24.23 million, with several items remaining to be tallied up. Several cuts hit the mark exactly. Others were off, some to the positive, others to the negative.

Broward teachers union to sue school district

The Miami Herald reports that the Broward teachers union will sue the school district today, seeking to stop the hiring of new employees to replace about 400 educators who were released. The union alleges that the district might not be doing all it can to bring back laid-off teachers first. It wants access to records to determine whether its assessment of the situation is correct.

See the full story.

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Tampa's toe-popping AP makes blog fodder

You know your school news is bad, and weird, when it makes detentionslip.org. Here's what that blog has to say about the toe-popping assistant principal at Tampa's King High:

We will let our readers be the judge on this one. To sum it up, when a (high school) students' grades started to slip, he would bring the boy to his office, close the door, make them remove their shoes and socks, then proceed to squeeze their toes. His response:

"It was one of those playful things, just playing around with the kids so they felt more comfortable."

So ... is this an appropriate form of discipline? Or is this a case of 'This little piggy crying wee wee wee all the way to children's services to report a case of a creepy pedophile with a foot fetish'?

(Photo from www.sodahead.com)

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson still pushing performance pay ...

... in this letter about the Teacher Incentive Fund. (Hat tip Eduwonk.) Nelson, Florida's senior senator and a Democrat, weighed in on the issue last month, too.

Teachers union eyes Pinellas' $5.3 million 'cliff reserve'

To prepare for the day when federal stimulus money runs out, Pinellas district officials have squirreled away $5.3 million in next year’s proposed budget in a new pot of money they call the “cliff reserve.” The cliff is what many fear awaits the district two years from now, when $52 million in stimulus goes bye-bye.

But the union thinks the cliff reserve -- or at least some of it -- could be put to better use now, to get teachers a $4 million “step increase” in pay.

“$5.3 million would go a long way to solving our problems,” union executive director Marshall Ogletree told the Gradebook. “That is part of the answer to either the referendum gap (which is costing teachers $290 each) or step increases.”

The response from the district: “We owe it to the public and the school district to attempt to set up a reserve, of any amount,” said Doug Forth, the assistant superintendent for budget and resource allocation. “We’re going to work toward that.”

Teaching jobs to come open in Pasco

The Pasco school district's hiring freeze is about to end.

The district expects to advertise 40 to 50 teaching positions this week, and applicants from the outside will be considered for the first time in months. That's because all but 23 of the 470 Pasco teachers who were displaced now have jobs in the district, and those remaining 23 don't qualify for the openings that are about to be posted.

"We have many jobs that no one is qualified for at this point," superintendent Heather Fiorentino told the Gradebook.

The areas that are expected to be available include foreign languages and vocational programs. Look for the ads as early as Thursday.

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Florida education news: Principals, taxes, accountability and more

PRINCIPAL NEWS: Hillsborough superintendent MaryEllen Elia names one of Middleton High's assistant principals to run the struggling school, which faces sanctions from the state. • Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino transfers two veteran principals to new posts.

TAX TIME: Pinellas tentatively approves a tax rate increase.

FLORIDA IN THE LEAD: Florida is well positioned to take advantage of the Obama administration's Race to the Top grant because of its years of education reform, the Miami Herald editorializes.

JUST CAN'T DO IT: The man who pledged FAU's biggest donation ever can't come up with the cash, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

AT LAST, AGREEMENT: Miami-Dade's board unanimously supports a budget that avoids layoffs, just a year after it couldn't agree on a budget at all, the Miami Herald reports.

SHAPE UP: Marion schools are working to comply with the state's new differentiated accountability system, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

DUNCAN VISITS: The US Education secretary tours an Orlando-area elementary school and wonders why more communities can't replicate its success, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

SEEKING TALENT: Some Gadsden middle school students get a first-hand look at some college science courses as part of a million-dollar talent search program for low-income children, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Pinellas okays legal agreement for black students

As expected, the Pinellas County School Board voted 7-0 tonight to approve a legal agreement that requires the district to put more focus on improving the achievement of black students. The “memorandum of understanding” is a spinoff of Bradley vs. the Pinellas School Board, the 45-year-old case behind the integration of Pinellas schools. It now goes for approval to U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, who is overseeing the case.

Pinellas school board tentatively approves tax rate increase

The Pinellas County School Board tonight tentatively approved a $1.4 billion budget and a small rate increase in property taxes. But not before bashing the Legislature for forcing them to do it.

Last spring, for the ninth year in a row, lawmakers mandated that districts pay a bigger share of the cost of educating students. 

"I don't think any of us on the board wants to increase anything," said board member Janet Clark. "I just want the public to know that many of us are unhappy with the position the Legislature has left us in."

The new rate of $8.35 for every $1,000 of taxable property value - up from last year’s rate of $8.06 - will prevent deeper budget cuts but includes no pay raises for teachers.

Hernando votes against extra quarter mill

BROOKSVILLE — The Hernando School Board has decided against using its new power to raise the tax rate by 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
The board voted 2-2 Tuesday night not to use the option granted them by state lawmakers this year to levy an additional quarter mill. 
The tough economic times call for lighter tax loads, board members said.
“We have a number of people out there without jobs and I cannot at this time support an additional increase,” said board member Pat Fagan, who voted against the levy along with board member Sandra Nicholson. “The citizens need us now more than ever.”
The vote means the school district’s highest possible tax rate will be 7.47 mills, or $747 for a $125,000 home with a $25,000 exemption.
With the additional quarter mill, the tax bill would have been $772 for the same home. That still would have been lower than last year’s rate of 7.77 mills, or a $777 tax bill for that home.

More principal musical chairs for Pasco

As if moving a dozen principals since January weren't enough, Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino has decided to transfer two more.

The latest moves, scheduled for School Board review tonight, are:

Andy Frelick, from Wesley Chapel High to Ridgewood High. Frelick recently found himself in the middle of a grading controversy that led a star Wesley Chapel athlete to request being released from his USF scholarship.
Randy Koenigsfeld, from Ridgewood High to Schwettman Educational Center. Schwettman has been open since Mimi Foster moved to an assistant principal job at the new Anclote High.

We haven't heard any official explanations — those are due at the meeting. We'll update here as we learn more.

UPDATE: Wesley Chapel High also will be losing assistant principal Jennifer Crosby, who will take over as principal at Pine View Middle School. She replaces Kim Anderson, who moved to Pasco Middle earlier this year.

NOW FOR THE EXPLANATION: Fiorentino tells us that she moved Koenigsfeld back to Schwettman, which he has run before, because the district needs someone with experience to run the alternative school as it reconstitutes. As for Frelick, she said the grade investigation created some negative press and notoriety that suggested he might need a "fresh start."

"It will help him and it will help the district by him being at Ridgewood," Fiorentino said.

BOG negotiating Brogan's chancellor contract

Board of Governors chairwoman Sheila McDevitt said today that contract negotiations continue for Frank Brogan, selected earlier this month to serve as Florida's new universities chancellor.

The BOG meets next week in Tallahassee, where Brogan will relocate with wife Courtney and son Colby, who is almost 5. But McDevitt said she isn't certain the contract will be ready for a BOG vote by then. But the board has time because Brogan isn't likely to start his new post until September. He has been FAU's president since 2003.

Carolyn Roberts, the BOG vice chair who led the search for Brogan, said he has made clear he does not expect any sort of significant raise. Most likely, his contract as chancellor will mirror what's left on the FAU contract -- though the BOG might give Brogan a housing allowance, which former chancellor Mark Rosenberg has. Brogan currently lives in the FAU president's mansion.

Here is a comparison of Brogan's FAU contract and Rosenberg's chancellor package:

Brogan

Salary: $357,000 ($225,000 by the state, remainder from FAU Foundation)

Benefits (retirement, life insurance, health insurance, etc.): $53,210
 
Additional long-term disability insurance (Foundation): $6,000
 
Supplemental compensation (Foundation): $42,840
 
Car allowance (Foundation): $15,000

Total: $474,050

Rosenberg

Salary: $341,686 ($216,686 by the state, remainder by BOG foundation)

Retirement compensation: $41,667

Housing allowance: $24,000

Car allowance: $9,000

Total: $416,353

Superintendents want to try performance pay for teachers

By a nearly 2-to-1 margin, superintendents across the country say they’re interested in pursuing performance pay for teachers, according to the results of this new survey from the American Association of School Administrators. But 65 percent of them said they’re worried about the accuracy of performance measures and 75 percent identified “teacher union resistance” as a potential obstacle. Which reminds us: Where’s Florida going with performance pay next year? We know districts never lined up to embrace the current plan.

Hillsborough board to weigh budget, Middleton principal

TAMPA -- Members of the Hillsborough County School Board face a crowded agenda today at their regular 3 p.m. meeting.

On tap is the district's first public hearing on millage rates and tentative budget for the coming school year. Officials say they're facing a $10 million shortfall and may have to resort to unpaid furloughs next spring for teachers and staff.

The board is also expected to vote on new principals for Middleton High School and Franklin Middle, and consider a proposal to terminate the contract of a struggling charter school, Re-Birth Academy.

And there could be a few surprises at the meeting, after some readers told the Gradebook they plan to speak to the board about incidents in which a King High School assistant principal pulled the bare toes of students with low grades. District officials say they're satisfied no harm was done, but the authors of two letters to the editor in today's Times beg to differ.

For updates and details, visit the Gradebook at tampabay.com or read tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times.

-- Tom Marshall, Times Staff Writer

tmarshall@sptimes.com
http://twitter.com/tomsptimes

What's so bad about template writing, anyway?

Whether you're writing a presentation for work, an e-mail to a friend, or even an article for the newspaper, you probably use a common organizational structure and some stock phrases to make yourself understood.

So when the Florida Department of Education started alerting school districts about concerns over student "template writing" on this year's FCAT exam, you perhaps had the same thought that we and others had  — isn't that what works?

Monica Miller of Venice had a letter in the Herald-Tribune that cut to the core of the matter. "All writing is formulaic," Miller wrote:

"If in the tests they use some of the 'sparkle words' that were suggested to them in class to make their similes and metaphors strong, that too is a plus — at least they were listening and remembered. 'A potpourri of iridescent colors' and 'as nervous as a marshmallow in a bonfire' — that's good writing.

Perhaps the phrases were created by the teachers and memorized by the students, but we learn from the examples and suggestions of others and by putting that newfound knowledge to use.

I see great things ahead of these students in the writing world. They are learning the 'craft' of writing. So, my sparkling advice to the state Department of Education — 'cool it.'"

Surprise! No raises for Okaloosa teachers

No, really. This is a surprise.

While other Florida school districts haven't contemplated pay raises too seriously, Okaloosa's union and administration had reached a tentative deal for a 1.8 percent step increase for the new academic year.

The Okaloosa School Board had other ideas in mind, though. It narrowly nixed the $2 million agreement, stunning the room full of people who turned out to witness the expected approval, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Explained board chairman Chuck Kelley: "I think it is the wrong message and it goes completely contrary to what we've said the last six months."

The board then refused to approve an extra $0.25 tax per $1,000 of assessed property value, which would have generated $4 million.

Pinellas budget hearing is tonight ...

... at 7 p.m., in the conference hall of the administration building, 301 4th St. SW in Largo. The school board will consider a proposed $1.4 billion budget for 2009-10 and a proposed new tax rate of $8.35 for every $1,000 of taxable value. That's up from last year's rate of $8.06 but results in less revenue because of declining property values. A final vote on the budget is scheduled for Sept. 15.

The regular board meeting begins at 5 p.m. Here's the agenda.

Florida education news: Stimulus funds, homework rules, teacher uniforms and more

NOT THAT KIND OF 'SHOVEL READY': Pasco has an administration complex ready to build, but the federal stimulus fund rules for school construction won't allow that type of expense. (Photo from roirevolution.com)

TAX RATE TO RISE: Pinellas considers a budget that will cost taxpayers more money, yet provide no raises for teachers.

PAY UP: The Pasco district is on the hook for a $1.6 million jury award for a 2006 school bus accident that permanently injured a teen.

CRITICAL NEEDS: Lake approves a .25-mill property tax increase to cover general spending shortfalls just weeks after saying it wouldn't do so, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

THEY CAN WORK IT OUT: Manatee approves a new policy officially butting out of divorced parents' disputes over their children's education, the Bradenton Herald reports.

TEACHERS, TOO: A Lee charter school group mandates that its instructors wear the same uniforms that students wear, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

TOO MUCH WORK: Some Palm Beach parents are protesting the district's new elementary homework policy, which calls for 90 minutes of homework for fourth and fifth graders, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

EVERYONE'S PROBLEM: Flagler's superintendent calls upon the entire community to help eliminate the achievement gap among students of different races, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

KEEPING TABS: Orlando lawyer Wayne Golding speaks with the Orlando Sentinel about his role running the Orange district's biracial oversight committee.

INAPPROPRIATE EXTRA CREDIT: The state attorney's office is investigating a UWF assistant professor's extra credit assignment, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS: UF is no longer the nation's No. 1 party school, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Governor appoints three to serve on PHCC board

Gov. Charlie Crist has named three members to the Pasco-Hernando Community College board of trustees. They are: 

John DiRienzo, a retired Hernando school principal who teaches classes at Saint Leo University.

Rao Musunuru, a cardiologist at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, who has served on the board since 1999.

Deborah Kilgore, a retired Brooksville banker, who has served on the board since 2005.

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UF not so 'Animal House,' 'Princeton Review' says

The football team is still No. 1, but maybe Gators quarterback Tim Tebow should throw a few parties....Princeton Review, in its annual ranking of top party schools, bumped UF out of the No. 1 spot.

Penn State is now ranked No. 1, and UF is No. 2. FSU, frequently in the top 10, is ranked No. 9.

College administrators do not like this ranking, of course. They'd rather be ranked for their degree programs than their keggers.

Here's the top 10:

Former Pasco communication director lands at local charter school

Maureen Moore, ousted as Pasco schools communication director this summer after just one year on the job, has found a new position in the county's education community.

She took over today as the new principal of the Athenian Academy charter school in New Port Richey.

"They just determined they needed new leadership here, and they wanted to go in a new direction," Moore told the Gradebook. "We're hoping the combination of all my experiences will help me be very successful."

Moore was a teacher, principal and district-level administrator in North Carolina before moving to Pasco schools last year. She comes to the A-rated Athenian Academy as it breaks its ties with longtime management firm, the Leona Group, and seeks to improve its relations with the school district.

Its contract renewal with the district is a critical first step. Moore said she expected the contract, which is several weeks behind schedule, to come to the School Board in mid-August.

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Florida ranks No. 35 in per-pupil spending

Florida spent $8,514 per student in 2006-07, according to this U.S. Census Bureau report out today. That’s $1,152 less than the national average and $7,467 less than the national leader, New York. New Jersey, Vermont, Wyoming and Connecticut round out the Top 5. Utah, Idaho, Tennessee, Arizona and Oklahoma round out the bottom.

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Teacher affordable housing project still moving in Pinellas...

… according to the agenda for tomorrow’s School Board meeting (go to page 275). The plan would convert the vacant Euclid School near downtown St. Petersburg into 27 townhomes that would first be offered to teachers, then to police officers, firefighters, nurses and others. For background, see this St. Petersburg Times story here.

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Manatee schools ponder parent issue

Some time last fall, Florida lawmakers decided to give divorced parents equal say over the education of their children — regardless of the custodial arrangements they worked out in court.

Now the Manatee School Board is grappling with how to make sure it doesn't play favorites with one parent over another.

A new policy coming before the board aims to remove the district from any parent disputes over participation in activities, registration in classes and pretty much anything else that has the potential to make its way to court.

The Bradenton Herald reports that the proposed policy is causing consternation among district officials, who say they can't always afford to wait for feuding parents to get an answer from a judge. But the law is the law.

Question: Have any other districts dealt with this issue? And how big of a problem does it pose?

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By one comparison, nonblack Pinellas students not doing so hot

As the Gradebook noted recently, black students in Pinellas do worse – and in some cases, far worse – than black students in Florida’s other big urban districts. But to a lesser degree, white, Hispanic and Asian students in Pinellas don't fare well against same-race students in those other districts, either.

In FCAT reading, white students in Pinellas are last in five of eight grades when compared to white students in the other six big districts, and next to last in two grades. In math, they’re last in three grades and next to last in three others.

Asian students in Pinellas are last in every grade but one in reading, and last or next to last in every grade in math.

The numbers are from 2008 FCAT scores, the most recent the state has broken down by race. Here are the big-district-to-big-district comparisons for white students, black students, Hispanic students and Asian students.

The Pinellas School Board is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a new legal agreement that will require the district to put more attention, and perhaps more money, on black students.

Florida lawmaker doesn't give up push for school prayer

Panhandle state Rep. Brad Drake, a Republican from Eucheeanna, isn't giving up hope that Florida high school students might someday be allowed to offer prayer or other "inspirational messages" at "noncompulsory events."

Such as graduation. (As if seniors don't feel like they have to be there.)

For the second straight year, Drake has filed legislation that would give a majority of students in a high school the right to request an inspirational message and to select a representative to offer it.

Last year, the proposal died when its Senate sponsor, Ronda Storms, withdrew the controversial bill under a cloud of constitutional questions. The House never moved the idea forward.

And it's not likely to do so next session, either.

"It has the same probability as last year," said Rep. John Legg, chairman of the House Pre-K-12 Education Policy committee. "I'm not in favor of wasting a lot of committee time on issues that will probably not pass the Legislature."

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Florida education commissioner says he's staying put

Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith says he’s not looking for another job, contrary to rumors fanned by high-level departures at the Department of Education. He told the Gradebook: “There is absolutely no truth to that whatsoever. I’m too busy. Honestly. I’m so happy with the work going on in Florida and the people I get a chance to interact with in Florida. I couldn’t imagine a time that I’d be vaguely interested in something else. I think Florida is the most exciting place to be in education in America. We certainly have our share of challenges. But I firmly believe that we have the kind of leadership that has an interest in (moving forward.) You couldn’t pry me away from Florida.”

Ron Matus, State Education Reporter

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Florida education news: virtual education, stimulus money, back to school and more

STICKER SHOCK: Hernando's health insurance bill rises 21 percent.

GET TO WORK: Lee and Collier schools use stimulus money to put students to work over the summer, the Naples Daily News reports.

ORGANIZING: An effort to unionize seven Florida charter schools grows across the country, the New York Times reports.

ONLINE LEARNING: Northeast Florida school districts launch their state-mandated virtual education programs, the Florida Times-Union reports.

KEEP ON CUTTING: Florida schools can't stop slashing spending just because they got some short-term relief from the feds, the Orlando Sentinel editorializes.

NO MORE MUSIC THERAPY: Palm Beach no longer can afford the special education program that helped students through music, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

NO TAXES REQUIRED: A Lee charter school hires a lawyer to fight the taxes the county says it owes, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

TWO WEEKS LEFT: Brevard students return to school Aug. 10, after the district gains a waiver from the Save Our Summers legislation, Florida Today reports.

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Coming up: Budget hearings, board meetings and, yes, back to school

Tuesday: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m. • Pinellas School Board, 5 p.m. meeting, 7 p.m. budget hearing • Pasco School Board, 6 p.m. • Hernando School Board, 2 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting

Aug. 6: Board of Governors, 9:30 a.m., Tallahassee • Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

Aug. 7: Education Practices Commission, 9 a.m., Tallahassee

Aug. 11: Hernando School Board, 2 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting • Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m. • Pinellas School Board, 10 a.m.

Aug. 18: Pasco School Board, 6 p.m. • Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

Aug. 24: Back to school for Pasco, Hernando

Aug. 25: Back to school for Hillsborough, Pinellas

Sept. 1: Hernando School Board, 2 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. meeting

Sept. 3: Hillsborough School Board, 3 p.m.

Sept. 7: Labor Day -- no school

Florida education news: School supplies, achievement gap, PE requirements and more

MAKING PROGRESS: Construction moves ahead on Hernando's fifth high school. (Times photo, Will Vragovic)

SHORT ON SUPPLIES: Lee cuts its school supply budget by $1.5 million, the Naples Daily News reports.

BRIDGING THE GAP: A new report shows the achievement gap narrowing between Florida's black and white students, the Naples Daily News reports.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Many South Florida residents who find themselves unemployed are seeking training at college, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TIME TO SWEAT: Florida's new middle school P.E. requirements take effect, and not without their critics, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

TEN YEARS LATER: The Miami Herald takes a look at the good, bad and ugly of Florida's A-Plus Education Plan on its tenth anniversary. • The state still seeks ways to reduce "FCAT frenzy" that has accompanied the plan, the Herald reports.

DROPPING BACK IN: Several Lee educators "retire" for a month before seeking to return to their same jobs, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

KEEPING OUT OF MISCHIEF: Duval's new program pairing trouble-making students with law enforcement officers succeeds in reducing student arrest rates, the Florida Times-Union reports.

WHAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM? School officials across Florida question the state's allegations of template writing on the FCAT, the Herald-Tribune reports.

A weekend interview with incoming Florida university system chancellor Frank Brogan

Over the years, Frank Brogan has become a familiar face in Florida education policy and politics. A former Martin County teacher, principal and superintendent, he served as state education commissioner before being tapped to become lieutenant governor under Jeb Bush. He left the Bush administration to lead Florida Atlantic University, his alma mater, where he's remained for six-plus years. Now Brogan is slated to become chancellor of the State University System. He spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about Florida higher education leadership, planning, funding and reputation during his first full interview since winning the new position.

Why would you want to take on this role at this time?

I just six months ago began a new six-year contract at Florida Atlantic University. I love this university. It's been great to me and my family. We've done together some really extraordinary things during my first six years here. And the university is really coming into its own, to a great degree. ... It would be a logical question to ask, then, why would you early into your new six-year contract look at the role of chancellor and see yourself in it?

The answer, and please believe me I'm not trying to be overly noble here. I'm really pure of intent when I say this. I have a fairly interesting resume, which means I have a fairly interesting set of experiences. By most accounts I've been pretty good at all of them. And that's not a statement of arrogance. I've got nothing to be arrogant about. But I think the resume is as interesting as it is because it's an accumulation of successful opportunities that I've pursued.

And I looked at the role of chancellor right now. Not years gone by, but right now. And having worked in higher ed now for six and a half years, look at some of the challenges that we face. We need clearly to better establish quality reputation for our existing higher education system. We need to engage, to a greater degree, important partners around higher education. The governor's office, who has really strongly begun to support higher education. The Florida Legislature, obviously, the House and Senate leaders and the members in general, who all love and respect higher education. But I think it's a matter of getting people better organized on how we can move forward together as a state....

Can I ask you about the Legislature and the governor? They have a role that many people have questioned when it comes to higher ed. Do they really care? Because of the issues of financing and control. Where do you see the role of the universities and the role of the Legislature and governor coming together in a more productive way?

Florida education news: Teaching jobs, TV ads, federal funds and more

LEGO ROBOTS: Some Tampa middle school students spend their summer learning robotics. (Times photo, Edmund Fountain)

ON THE AIR: Pasco school leaders hope new television public service announcements might lure back some students.

GUNMAN ON CAMPUS (NOT): USF locks down when a call comes that there's a gunman on the Tampa campus. Good news. They didn't find anything.

CUTTING BUSING: Indian River tries to squeeze some money out of its transportation system, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

FINGERS CROSSED: USF-Sarasota-Manatee officials hope to land federal funds that would help expand the school's nursing program, the Bradenton Herald reports.

SUE YOU: FSU sues the NCAA over an ongoing academic cheating scandal, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

JOBS IN BROWARD: Having fired dozens of teachers for certification problems, Broward is now looking for qualified educators to fill the slots, the Miami Herald reports.

SHARING THE PAIN: Broward superintendent Jim Notter gives back $26,000 in benefits, the Miami Herald reports.

RACING TO THE TOP: Florida appears well positioned to collect some of the Obama administration's newest education grant, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

BUILDING BUSINESSES: UF gets millions to start up a business incubator, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with incoming Florida university system chancellor Frank Brogan. 

Jeb Bush likes Race to the Top too

Statement sent from his education foundation: “It is a really exciting time in American education. For the first time, at least during my political life, Democrats and Republicans agree on more than they disagree on regarding about what works in education. And when that happens, it is not only rare, but it is also a genuine opportunity for great things to happen." Complete statement here

Will Florida hold hands as it races to the top?

It’s still not clear what program or initiative Florida will pursue when it applies for the federal Race to the Top funds, Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith told The Gradebook a few minutes ago. But whatever Florida tries, it will involve input from a variety of stakeholders, including the Legislature, the governor’s office, the state Board of Education, school districts and unions, he said.

The U.S. Department of Education is “looking for states that have been able to move away from education being an argument about adult issues and to focus on the needs of kids,” said Smith, one of five people invited by Education Secretary Arne Duncan to speak at today’s kick-off. (Here's his speech.) “Our effort is going to be to reach out to various groups and truly make this a state application.”