Florida education news: Pearls, career academies, turnaround schools and more

EMERGING IN PEARLS:A program at Campbell Park Elementary in St. Petersburg aims to guide fifth grade girls – growing up faster than you can imagine - into young women, the St. Petersburg Timesreports. (Times photo by Cherie Diez)

CAREER ACADEMIES READY:Pasco is ready to have at least one career academy at each of its high schools when classes start this fall, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

VPK PROGRESS REPORT:The first 100,000 kids who entered VPK in 2005 are now headed into third grade, the Naples Daily News reports.

HIGH SCHOOL GRADING CHANGES: South Florida districts prepare for the new high school grading formula, which is based on a lot more than the FCAT, the Miami Herald reports.

MODEL FOR SUCCESS: A once struggling St. Lucie County school shows others, including one in Marion County, how to pull off a turnaround, the Ocala Star Banner reports.

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS: Elementary classrooms in Brevard County choose “energy monitors,” students tasked with turning off lights, shutting blinds and unplugging appliances, Florida Today reports.

STILL MORE TO DO: Lee County superintendent James Browder reflects on his six-year tenure, the Fort Myers News Press reports.

SUMMER HOMEWORK: More Treasure Coast students have adopted summer reading requirements, TCPalm.com reports.

PERSUADE, LEAD: The next chancellor of Florida’s university system needs to be persuasive, articulate, accomplished, passionate and politically savvy, the Orlando Sentinel reports. He’ll also have to find his place among high education’s “hierarchy of power players,” the Tallahassee Democrat editorializes.

Florida education news: Top teachers, sexting, wild-spending principals and more

TAMPA TEACHER IS TOPS: Megan Allen, a fourth grade teacher at Cleveland Elementary, is named Florida Teacher of the Year, the St. Petersburg Times reports. (Photo by Phelan Ebenhack/Special to the Times.)

STOPPING SEXTING: The Miami-Dade school district aims to be a national leader in curbing sexting, the Miami-Herald reports.

JOBS DOWN, APPLICATIONS UP: Vacant elementary school teaching positions in Alachua County are getting 100 to 250 applications each, the Gainesville Sun reports.

ANOTHER WILD-SPENDING PRINCIPAL: A second principal in Palm Beach County spent thousands of district dollars on meals and gifts, but this one isn’t in trouble, the Palm Beach Post reports.

TRANSFERRING PRINCIPALS: Alachua County removes the principals at its two F-rated schools, the Gainesville Sun reports.

SPARE A DIME: When students panhandle to pay for extracurriculars, the public should pony up, writes Tallahassee Democrat associate editor Meredith Clark.

“IT’S NOT JUST YOU PAYING A PRICE”: A judge scolds a former Brevard County teacher who had sex with a student and sends her to prison for five years, Florida Today reports.

Florida education news: Zeroes, bullies and shuffling principals

ZEROES MEAN SO MUCH:

Three of five Hernando County School Board members say they won’t support a controversial proposal to eliminate zeroes from the district’s elementary school grade books, the St. Petersburg Times reports. (Image from bigfatzero.com)

RAPE SUSPECT NEEDS MONEY FOR DEFENSE: The attorney for one of four Walker Middle School students suspected of sexually assaulting a classmate in a locker room needs money to hire experts, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

FOUNDER DEFENDS F CHARTER SCHOOL: A co-founder of Tallahassee’s Imagine School of Evening Rose, which the state deemed an F, says in this Tallahassee Democrat op-ed that a fairer grade would be “incomplete.”

PRINCIPALS ON THE MOVE: A Palm Beach County principal is suspended and demoted after admitting to spending thousands of dollars of district money on luxuries, the Palm Beach Post reports. The principal of Santa Rosa County’s only D school is now the assistant principal at an elementary school, the Gulf Breeze News reports. The NAACP plans to file a discrimination complaint after principal shuffling in Escambia County, reports the Pensacola News Journal.

STUDENT ACTIVISM: Students at Gulliver Prep in Pinecrest provide clean drinking water to people in Haiti, the Miami Herald reports.

MED SCHOOL BUZZ: UCF’s new medical school is only weeks from opening, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

BIG DONATION: The Polk County Commission votes 3-1 to give $1 million to Florida Southern College for a Frank Lloyd Wright visitors center, the Ledger reports. The dissenter says it’s not a good time to donate to private projects.

BULLYING GETS A HEARING: Bullying is a national crisis, says a mom who testified before a Congressional committee Wednesday. Her 11-year-old son killed himself after being called “faggot” and receiving death threats, McClatchy Newspapers reports.

Florida education news: Robots, days off, teacher misconduct and more

RIVETED BY ROBOTS: Pinellas middle school students learn math as they build robots in summer camp. (St. Petersburg Times photo by Cherie Diez.)

OOPS! ABOUT THAT TIME OFF: An arbitrator says USF did not have the authority last year to force unionized faculty members to take annual leave, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

BAD APPLES: More than 300 Brevard Public Schools employees were warned, reprimanded, suspended or fired last year, according to Florida Today. Meanwhile, a former Brevard teacher who pleaded guilty to having sex with a student will be sentenced tomorrow.

NO COMMENT: Broward School Board members say it’s too soon to comment about an auditor’s findings that contractors ripped off the district, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

MILLAGE UP, TAXES DOWN: The St. Johns County School Board considers hiking the property tax rate to keep pace with growth, the St. Augustine Record reports.

TACKLING ALCOHOL: UF President Bernie Machen is pushing Jacksonville to curb the boozing at the Jacksonville Landing during the Florida-Georgia game, the Gainesville Sun reports.

FAMU STUDENT KILLED: The 21-year-old died yesterday after being shot at a party in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, the FAMUAN reports.

SWINE FLU: The number of cases at UCF climbs to 10, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

UNDER SCRUTINY: New Palm Beach Atlantic University President Lu Hardin is being investigated for allegedly improper management decisions – at his former school in Arkansas, the Palm Beach Post reports.

INTERRACIAL ROOMATES: Studies show that having a college roommate of a different race can reduce prejudice and even improve black students’ academic performance, but such relationships can also be more stressful, the New York Times reports.

Florida education news: Education fads, bored kids, motivated parents and more

EDUCATION FAD GOES OUT LIKE DISCO: Seminole County puts an end to the open-classroom concept, the Orlando Sentinel reports. (Photo from myfavoriteblue.blogspot.com.)

IT'S ON ME: A high school principal uses his school district credit card to buy Outback dinners for guidance counselors, chocolate roses for secretaries and a tuxedo rental, the Palm Beach Post reports. More from the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

CONTRACTORS ACCUSED: Auditors say contractors doing hurricane repairs ripped off the Broward school district, the Sun Sentinel reports.

VIRTUAL SCHOOLING: Manatee County gears up for virtual education in K-8, the Bradenton Herald reports. Lee County virtually expands, too.

PROPERTY TAX HIKES: Osceola County is next up to consider a quarter-mil increase.

MOTIVATING PARENTS: A Polk County elementary school is recognized for involving parents with limited English, the Winter Haven News Chief reports.

LESSONS UNDERWATER: FAMU gives teachers lessons in marine science, reports WCTV in Tallahassee.

DOCTORS IN THE PIPELINE: UCF prepares to welcome its first medical school class, reports the News Service of Florida.

LESSONS UNDERWATER, PART II: FAU students take first in an international submarine race, the Miami Herald reports.

WHY DO SCHOOLS BORE KIDS? And how do good teachers motivate them? USA Today interviews the cognitive scientist who authored "Why Don't Students Like School?"

Florida education news: Good teachers, smart kids, high school reform and more

GETTING THEIR MONEY’S WORTH? The recession has been good for proprietary schools like Everest University, but some students say they’re getting shortchanged, the St. Petersburg Times reports. (Times photo, Martha Rial)
 
THE DIFFERENCE A TEACHER MAKES: The former students of Palm Harbor Middle School teacher Marga Kiss give her a lot of credit for their success in life.

SMART KIDS LEFT BEHIND: Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas says Florida’s new differentiated accountability system + budget cuts = potential downsides for Florida’s smartest kids.

HIGH SCHOOLS NEED HELP: Florida needs to pay more attentionto its struggling high schools and to what Jeb Bush’s foundation has to say about them, the Orlando Sentinelsays. TCPalm.com says a “concentrated campaign” to improve Florida high schools is overdue.

A CIVICS LESSON IN BAD PIZZA: Former Florida Gov. Bob Graham explains how cold, greasy pizza made him realize the importance of civics education.

BULLYING GETS EXPOSED: More bullying victims are fighting back by reporting their attackers, the AP reports, using the recent Tampa middle school case to anchor its story.

CONSIDERING TAXES:The Duval County School Board will look at raising property taxes this week, the Florida Times Union reports.

CHARTER SCHOOL DOUBLE SHOT: A new Coral Springs charter school emphasizes physical education, the Naples Daily News reports. Meanwhile, the Panama City News Herald writes about a charter school that has consistently earned A grades from the state.

GROUPS PUSH TO END RESTRAINT: Calls to end or limit the practice of restraining special education students are growing louder in Washington D.C., the Wall Street Journal reports.

Florida education news: Summer camp, Catholic schools, community colleges and more

RAINED OUT: Tampa area summer camps head indoors as the skies open up. Kids are still learning and having a good time, though. (Times photo, Chris Zuppa)

FIRED AGAIN: A PHCC police academy instructor let got for inappropriate behavior loses his job at the Polk Correctional Institution, too.

NEW IDEAS: The poor economy is forcing Florida's Catholic schools to explore different methods to remain relevant and affordable to families, the Florida Catholic reports.

LESS FCAT, MORE LUNCH: Brevard schools survey more than 2,000 parents and find they want the district to spend less time focused on FCAT and more time improving lunch options, Florida Today reports.

NO ROOM: Florida's two biggest community colleges are inundated with applicants but don't have enough money to add classes for everyone, the Miami Herald reports.

COME TO SCHOOL, OR ELSE: Collier considers banning students from walking at graduation or taking away their class credits if they don't attend regularly, the Naples Daily News reports. (The students could, of course, go virtual, where results are what matters.)

WILL THE SRO'S GO? Duval examines its budget for school resource officers as the price rises but revenue shrinks, the Florida Times-Union reports.

ONE-WEEK SHUTDOWN: St. Johns will completely close the district for a week to save some money, the St. Augustine Record reports.

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Florida education news: Textbooks, grades, magnet schools and more

SEND IN THE NUNS: Academy of Holy Names in Tampa replaces its trustees with nuns. No explanation is offered

DO YOUR BEST: Hernando schools would send the wrong message by inflating students' failing grades, the Times editorializes.

LABOR NEWS: Polk tells its teachers it has no money for raises, the Lakeland Ledger reports. • Broward continues to find more vacancies for laid-off teachers to fill, the Miami Herald reports. • Forty-one FAMU employees see their jobs saved by federal stimulus money, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

SAVING STUDENTS SOME MONEY: Florida's new college textbook pricing laws are actually having their intended effect, the Bradenton Herald reports.

WHAT TO DO WITH MAGNETS: It's not all about desegregation in Duval anymore, and district officials are looking for public input on the future direction of their magnet school program, the Florida Times-Union reports.

LET'S GET PHYSICAL: A Duval teacher who was caught on video appearing to choke a student might not be fired, the Florida Times-Union reports.

PAY CUT: Palm Beach board members slice their salaries by about $4,000 to that of a first-year teacher, the Palm Beach Post reports.

MORE FOR ENGINEERING: FSU and FAMU add money to their engineering school budget to boost its status as its accreditation comes due, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

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Florida education news: African education, vouchers, hands-on math and more

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOOK: Woodlawn Elementary turns to more hands-on lessons to improve students' math performance, boosting its school grade from D to B in the process. (Times photo, Dirk Shadd)

ADMINISTRATIVE MOVES: Ray Gadd spends his last day as assistant superintendent of Pasco schools. • Sonya Jackson wins Hernando's new assistant superintendent post. • Hernando officials discuss creating a district-level athletic director job. • Betty Castor leaves her post at USF's Patel Center for Global Solutions.

'WATCH YOUR BACK': A Pasco-Hernando Community College instructor is under investigation for allegedly threatening a colleague who turned him in for sending explicit e-mails.

VOUCHERS FAIL: Florida should end its voucher experiment after seeing that students who get them perform no better in school than those who don't, the Times editorializes.

CHANGING MISSION: Manatee Community College officially becomes State College of Florida, the Bradenton Herald reports. (Even so, note all the MCC ads on the story's Web page.) More on the transition comes in a column from college president Lars Hafner in the Herald-Tribune.

LABOR NEWS: Fifty to 60 of Broward's laid off teachers should get their jobs back this week, the Miami Herald reports.

WALKING TO WASHINGTON: The head of a Palm Beach school that focuses on African-centered education plans to trek to D.C. to make a case for the school's mission, the Palm Beach Post reports.

STILL NO CONFIDENCE: The popular ballet teacher at Palm Beach magnet school wins her job back, but the students, faculty and parents who fought to have her reinstated still want the principal who fired the teacher to go, the Palm Beach Post reports. 

RAISING TAXES: Seminole becomes the latest district to impose a .25 mill property tax increase to cover critical operating needs, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Florida education news: School bus safety, vouchers, physical education and more

KEEPING KIDS SAFE: Pasco rolls out a new bus ID program aimed at getting elementary kids to the right bus stops after school.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL: Pinellas teachers say they'll take a one-day furlough, but only if the district will pay salary steps for years of service.

NO DIFFERENCE: A long-awaited study shows that students using Florida's voucher programs perform no better or worse than their counterparts in public school, though their schooling costs much less.

LESS LIKELY TO GRADUATE: Black males in Florida are completing high school at a lower rate than the national average, which is a low 47 percent, WCTV-Tallahassee reports.

ONE OF THE BIG BOYS: Manatee Community College's transition to State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, is a positive step toward bringing improved higher education to the counties it serves, the Bradenton Herald editorializes.

LABOR NEWS: FAU professors file a formal complaint against the school, saying their layoffs violate their union contract, the Palm Beach Post reports. • Collier teachers and administration put more ideas on the table but remain far from a settled contract, the Naples Daily News reports. • Pensacola Junior College lays off its custodians, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

MORE P.E., PLEASE: New state law requires middle school kids to take more physical education classes. Families can request a waiver, but some South Florida teachers don't figure to see many because kids like P.E., the Sun-Sentinel reports.

A NEW ROLE FOR BROGAN? Former education commissioner and lieutenant governor Frank Brogan, who's now president of FAU, might put his name in contention to become chancellor of the Florida university system, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

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Florida education news: Failing grades, school taxes, board pay and more

PREPARING FOR THE SEEING WORLD: A group of legally blind Pasco and Hernando teensreceive special training to operate in mainstream society. (Times photo, Kainaz Amaria)

NO MORE ZEROS: Hernando considers giving students 40 points as their bottom failing grade, so it's easier to catch up later.

NEW STUFF: A Manatee teacher wins a $10,000 classroom makeover, the Bradenton Herald reports.

PAY UP: The city of Cape Coral orders a church to pay off the Lee school district's overdue taxes for a parcel the district bought from the church, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

PAY CUT:Duval board members lower their salary to that of a first-year teacher, to follow new state law, the Florida Times-Union reports. The savings? A whopping $23,000.

LOOPHOLE: A Palm Beach school avoided possible closure not through improvement, but rather by changing its status to fall outside Florida's accountability system, the Palm Beach Post reports.

GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL: A private Fort Walton Beach school prepares children with autism to function in the public school system, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

HEAD START: About a third of UF's freshman class begins classes during the summer session to get more acclimated to campus when there are fewer people around, the Gainesville Sun reports.

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Florida education news: School sports, driver education, writing lessons and more

GENDER EQUITY: A plan to scale back Florida's high school sports because of budget concerns leads to concerns over whether schools treat boys and girls differently when it comes to athletics, the Lakeland Ledger reports. (Times file photo)

SO LONG: Brevard superintendent Richard DiPatri retires after nine years, the longest serving appointed superintendent in Florida history, Florida Today reports.

LEARN TO DRIVE (PLEASE): Lake schools offer scholarships to teens so they'll take the district's safe driving course, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

STAYING OUT OF IT: Manatee crafts new policy relating to how it deals with family custody disputes, the goal being to not get in the middle of things, the Bradenton Herald reports.

WRITING ABOUT LIFE: A Collier fifth-grade class creates its own cook book as its teacher looks for fun ways to teach writing, the Naples Daily News reports.

THE MONEY GUY GETS MORE MONEY: FAU's chief finance officer takes the same post at FIU for a raise of nearly $60,000, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Florida education news: Charter schools, home schooling, school discipline and more

THEY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN: A Tampa charter school faces closure for poor performance and mismanagement. Its operator had a history of mismanagement in other jobs, but Hillsborough officials seem to have been unaware. (Times photo, Willie Allen Jr.)

THE BIBLE AS A TEXTBOOK: Religion's place in education is one of the best things about home schooling for a group of Pasco families.

DISSATISFIED: Santa Rosa officials replace the principal of Milton High after the school fails to improve on its FCAT results, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

BAD IMAGE: St. Lucie's only charter school gets an F from the state, and lots of accusations of poor overall performance from the district, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

OUT THERE ON ITS OWN: USF Sarasota-Manatee seeks separate accreditation from the main Tampa campus, the Bradenton Herald reports.

LAW? WHAT LAW? Lee officials say the state's easing of its zero-tolerance discipline policy won't change the district's stance toward what it considers bad behavior, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

JUST WATCHING: Brevard's new superintendent takes a seat in the crowd as retiring Richard DiPatri runs his last board meeting, Florida Today reports.

NO LAYOFFS: Seminole uses its stimulus funds to avoid letting people go, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

ANOTHER TUITION INCREASE: Northwest Florida State College will hike its cost on July 1, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview about school accountability with Florida deputy education chancellor Nikolai Vitti.

Florida education news: School accountability, Twitter, cheerleading and more

NEW ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES: Florida's effort to merge its school grading system with the federal No Child Left Behind standards now applies to all schools with varying results in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando.

FREE AT LAST: USF-St. Petersburg shakes its probationary accreditation status. 

NOT A BUS BARN: Pinellas plans to use its closed Coachman Fundamental school as an office building, not a place to park buses.

TWITTER JITTERS: Lee school officials plan to stop their social networking over concerns that the content might be open to the Sunshine Law, yet the district has no way to archive the information, the Naples Daily News reports.

TOUGH TIMES: South Florida teachers prepare to negotiate pay and benefits at a time where money is scarce, the Miami Herald reports.

MORE TRANSPARENCY: The Manatee Community College administration looks to make its actions more clear to the public after a round of complaints over the way it changed the school name, the Bradenton Herald reports. • Speaking of name changes, some FIU students are rallying against plans to name their campus after retiring president Mitch Maidique, the Miami Herald reports.

WE HAD SPIRIT, YES WE DID: FIU kills its cheerleading team not long after axing the marching band, all as part of its budget trimming, the Miami Herald reports.

PLANNING TIME: Indian River rejects a return to early release Wednesdays for teacher preparations, but insists some time for planning needs to be found, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

SUPREME COURT RULINGS: The US Supremes say that schools have no right to strip search students without a clear sense of danger, the NY Times reports. The court also says the federal government should not be interfering with state rules on the teaching of English-language learners, the NY Times reports.

Florida education news: Teaching subs, renting schools, riding bikes and more

SEEKING RESPECT: Hillsborough's Leto High aims to shed its image as one of the district's worst high schools. (Times photo of principal Victor Fernandez)

NEGOTIATION NEWS: Hillsborough avoids furloughs, for now. •  Pasco kicks off contract talks for teachers and school-related personnel.

ANOTHER TUITION HIKE: Manatee Community College increases its cost by 12 percent as enrollment keeps growing, the Bradenton Herald reports.

NO OPPORTUNITIES: Manatee's technical high school drops its travel agent courses and replaces them with a more relevant marketing program, the Bradenton Herald reports.

HELPING SUBS: A group of substitute teachers from across the country gathers in Lee to talk best practices, the Naples Daily News reports. (Organizers had hoped for a bigger turnout, but heck, subs don't make that much now, do they?)

OUTSOURCING: Edison College will provide space for Boston Reed College to offer medical assistant classes, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. It's cheaper than starting their own program, after all.

PAY UP: Clay raises the rent on churches and other organizations that use schools when classes aren't in session, the Florida Times-Union reports.

HERE'S WHAT YOU OWE: Some Florida universities send letters home to students telling them the new Bright Futures scholarship rules, the Stuart News reports.

SHOW THEM THE MONEY: Citrus sues Regions Bank over nearly $700,000 in missing funds, the Citrus County Chronicle reports.

CONSIDERING THAT TAX: Bay officials look to increasing the local property tax, but worry it would take too long to collect the revenue, the Panama City News Herald reports. • Broward backs away from the tax, saying it wouldn't generate enough money, the Miami Herald reports. • St. Johns leaders investigate the possibilities of tacking on the tax, the St. Augustine Record reports.

WALK INSTEAD: Florida Atlantic University had a program to let students share bicycles to get around campus — until all the bikes disappeared, the Palm Beach Post reports.

LAYOFFS IMMINENT: FAMU makes major budget cuts and prepares to let some employees go, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

'NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND': A Manatee elementary school offers parents classes in English and computers so they can help their kids in school, the Herald-Tribune reports.

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Florida education news: Teacher layoffs, stimulus money, special ed and more

DANCING AND DUCT TAPE: Two St. Petersburg Collegiate High seniors are finalists for cash and prizes for the duct tape outfits that they wore to the prom. (Photo special to the Times)

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Pinellas officials discuss ways to bring up the academic performance of several schools that missed the FCAT mark.

TOO LATE: Pasco changes the start time of one elementary school by an hour to save money, upsetting parents.

SEVEN CANDIDATES: Hernando narrows the field in its search for a new assistant superintendent.

CANCER RESEARCH: USF will use a $6 million grant to study why cancer affects people of different races differently.

SPECIAL NEEDS: Some Palm Beach parents hope the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in support of free appropriate education for students in special education will end the bickering over what's best for the kids, the Palm Beach Post reports.

NO, THANKS: Broward refuses to apply for a pile of stimulus cash because of all the strings attached, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

WHISTLEBLOWER: A Florida Department of Education employee is suing the department, saying she was laid off because she reported exposure to tuberculosis in her office, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

LABOR NEWS: Broward votes to lay off nearly 400 teachers, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

BUDGET NEWS: Student protests help reverse cuts at FSU's library, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • Volusia decides to increase its local property tax to cover expenses, the Orlando Sentinel reports. • Budget cuts take a toll on Sarasota's programs for students with autism, the Herald-Tribune reports. • Indian River considers an 11.5 percent tax hike to keep its revenue stable, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

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Florida education news: Science camp, school grades, gambling revenue and more

EXPERIENCING SCIENCE: Pasco offers a free week of science camp to some of its poorest elementary students, hoping the hands-on lessons will give them a leg up on the FCAT. (Times photo, Keri Wiginton)

RAIN DATES: Hernando sets backup dates for 2010 graduation, just in case.

GUILTY: A St. Petersburg educator admits she stole $150,000 in state scholarship funds.

NO CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION: Florida's school grading system remains a "misleading, misguided diversion," the Palm Beach Post editorializes.

POVERTY ON THE RISE: Manatee sees the number of its Title I schools double, the Bradenton Herald reports.

NOT ENOUGH: Even if Florida seals a deal to share gambling revenue with the Seminole Tribe, the income wouldn't cover even half the annual budget of a medium-sized district, the Herald-Tribune editorializes.

HE CAN'T HAVE IT: A judge blocks Polk activist Joel Chandler's request for the dependent information of Manatee school employees, the Bradenton Herald reports.

LABOR NEWS: Collier teachers again fail to reach a contract agreement with the district, the Naples Daily News reports. • Hundreds rally to save Broward teachers' jobs from the budget ax, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

ANOTHER TUITION HIKE: Tallahassee Community College increases its cost for the second time in three months, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

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Florida education news: Ivy League education, animal dissection, green schools and more

HEADED TO THE IVIES: Hillsborough's King High sets the pace locally this year for sending graduates to Ivy League institutions — thanks to its IB program. (Photo special to the Times)

CUTTING OUT DISSECTIONS? South Florida schools increasingly seek other ways to teach kids about anatomy than cutting up animals, the Miami Herald reports.

LABOR NEWS: Broward prepares to let go 400 teachers, the Miami Herald reports. Some parents are fighting the move, the Herald reports. • Collier's outsourcing of custodial work is going smoothly, the Naples Daily News reports.

TO TAX OR NOT TO TAX? Volusia and Flagler plan to vote Tuesday on whether to increase their local property tax rates, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

TAKE A CUT: A Seminole board member calls for a pay cut for the district's superintendent and top staff, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

CAN IT BE GREEN? Escambia officials worry that a site selected to build an environmentally-friendly school has ground contamination, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Florida education news: AP, pre-K, F schools and more

TEACHING THE TEACHERS: Some Tampa area Advanced Placement teachers get some tips on how to reach the new wave of high school students streaming into their classes. (Times photo, Lara Cerri)

IT'S THE STUDENTS: Florida high schools won't see their state grades improve unless they work with families and communities to find ways to better prepare students, the Times editorializes.

HEADED TO COLLEGE AT 4: Edison State College is working to set up a pre-K through B.A. system for children, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

GIRLS CAN DO IT: A summit at USF aims to encourage more girls into math and science, the Bradenton Herald reports.

DADS MATTER: A growing number of South Florida dads get involved in their kids' schools and PTA's, the Miami Herald reports.

PRINCIPALS NEED TIME: Duval tries to keep some of its F-rated school leaders in place despite state pressure, in order to give them time to succeed, the Florida Times-Union reports.

PLANNING BATTLE: Indian River teachers fight to win back early-release Wednesdays, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

CONFUSION: Seminole schools struggle with their inquiry-based math curriculum, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

PRICEY PRAYER: Santa Rosa's legal fees over prayer in school approach $450,000, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Florida education news: Sex education, free lunch, summer school and more

A NEW BEGINNING: Gibbs High looks at its F grade from the state as a place to start rebuilding with a new principal and perhaps a new attitude.

SHRINKING SUMMER: Treasure Coast schools limit their summer classes to save some money, the Stuart News reports.

ONE SMALL PERK: St. Johns schools do so well on the FCAT that they no longer have to follow the state's rules for when to begin classes, Firstcoastnews.com reports.

HE'S TALKING ABOUT SEX: A Collier board member thinks students should get more information about the consequences of having sex, the Naples Daily News reports.

SHREDDING BUDGETS: A Lee board member blasts the superintendent's spending plan and presents several ideas of his own, only to get the cold shoulder from his colleagues, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

PAY UP: For the first time, Florida Bright Futures scholars will have to open their wallets to cover some of their college tuition, the Florida Times-Union reports.

WHO SAID THERE'S NO SUCH THING? A record 50 percent of the nation's public school students now qualify for free lunch, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview about free summer lunch programs with Pinellas food services director Gray Miller.

Florida education news: School grades, college prep, student busing and more

A MIXED BAG FOR SCHOOL GRADES: Florida elementary and middle schools show marked improvement, but the high schools plunge in performance. See also more detailed results for Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco (including sidebar), and Hernando. Want to know how your school did? See the Times' new searchable database.

USF GETS BIG GRANT: The university will use $6 million to study why black men are more likely than white men to get prostate cancer.

NO TAX FOR NOW: The Lake School Board won't boost its local property tax to increase its revenue, unless its bottom line starts to look bad later, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

COLLEGE PREP: A group of Fort Pierce high school students get their hands dirty as they study medical careers in a three-year prep program, the Fort Pierce Tribune reports.

TUITION RATES APPROVED: The Board of Governors gave Florida's public universities the official go-ahead to hike tuition by up to 15 percent, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

COME ON BACK: Clay rehires 30 teachers it had laid off when it thought its budget would be worse than it actually turned out to be, the Clay Sun reports.

NEVER MIND THOSE BUDGET PROBLEMS: Collier's board approves $56,000 to send 12 principals to a week-long training at Harvard, the Naples Daily News reports.

GIVE THEM A RIDE: Lake officials decide to keep courtesy bus rides for the district's youngest students despite the cost, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Florida education news: university tuition, FSU leadership, school grades and more

WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT MONEY? Each of Florida's public universities plans to raise tuition. Not all of them plan to do the same thing with the revenue. Either way, even with the higher costs Florida higher ed remains a bargain, the Lakeland Ledger editorializes.

NEXT UP FOR FSU IS ... Florida State University leaders waste no time in starting to talk about what type of person they'd like to have as their next president. More on T.K. Wetherell from the Tallahassee Democrat.

TALK ALREADY: Pasco board members — along with many residents — say superintendent Heather Fiorentino's refusal to explain her administrative reappointments is hurting the district.

QUIT PLAYING GAMES: UF president Bernie Machen was intellectually dishonest in ranking all Florida universities other than his own well below average in an attempt to boost UF's ratings, the Times editorializes.

YOUR KEYS, PLEASE: Florida Atlantic University looks into offering student valet parking as one way to ease its parking lot crunch, the Palm Beach Post reports.

BAD BLOOD: Tensions are so high between Martin's superintendent and board that the superintendent asks for funding to have her own lawyer represent her at board meetings, the Stuart News reports.

FINGERS CROSSED: Duval anticipates seeing its greatest gains ever as Florida releases its school grades, the Florida Times-Union reports.

THE KITE RUNNER, TOO: Move over, Gatsby. South Florida high schools are making room for modern titles in their literature classes, the Miami Herald reports. 

YOU TAKE IT: A Panama City teacher quits her job so a colleague with less experience but more financial responsibilities can keep her position at the school, the Panama City News-Herald reports.

STICK YOUR FINGER THERE: Seminole schools will leave the lunchroom number behind as they expand their use of finger scanning, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

FIRED NO MORE: A judge orders Brevard to reinstate two wrestling coaches who lost their jobs after allowing a student to falsely enter a wrestling contest, Florida Today reports.

TOUGHER RULES: Alachua ponders cracking down on its student dress code and cell phone use in schools, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Don't forget. School grades come out this morning. Look for the news here first.

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Florida education news: Gender equity lawsuit, tuition increase, FCAT pressure and more

NO MAJOR CUTS: Unlike other Florida institutions, USF expects to make it through the next budget cycle without touching programs or laying off large numbers of employees.

TAXING DECISION: They don't like it, but Pinellas board members unanimously agree to raise local taxes if the budget picture doesn't improve. • Hernando board members talk down the tax idea, but don't totally rule it out. • Lee officials approve a plan that avoids a tax increase, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN: Pasco School Board members criticize superintendent Heather Fiorentino for failing to consult with them on administrative changes, but they don't take steps to undermine the changes.

SEEKING ACCOUNTABILITY: Hernando board members call for an investigation into how some Pasco residents were permitted to enter a local magnet program.

SHE MISSED AGAIN: Pasco board member Cathi Martin misses the summer FSBA conference in Tampa, saying she was sick. The district bills her for the registration fee it paid.

SPORTS SUIT: A gender-equity group has sued the FHSAA over its game-cutting plans, saying it discriminates against girls.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Hernando team prepares to compete in International Human-Powered Submarine races • One family produces three valedictorians

NAMING RIGHTS: Miami-Dade and Broward follow different tracks when deciding how to name schools, the Miami Herald reports.

TOO MUCH PRESSURE: Some Okaloosa parents don't like the way the state puts so much emphasis on the FCAT, the Destin Log reports.

PRIORITY PLACEMENT: Broward looks into giving laid-off teachers first right of refusal for substitute jobs, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TUITION HIKE: Florida Gulf Coast University makes its 15 percent increase official, the Naples Daily News reports.

NO CAMERAS: Duval bans student use of cameras at school unless they get permission, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Florida education news: Charter schools, incentive pay, school taxes and more

THE TRIBE MUST DECIDE: With Gov. Crist behind a new gaming deal, it's now up to the Seminole Tribe to say whether it backs a plan that would pump more money into Florida's public schools. (AP photo, from 2007 deal that fell through)

WETHERELL'S PLANS: Insiders say FSU president T.K. Wetherell intends to retire before his contract ends in 2011.

CHARTER CHOICES: A Stanford study suggests Florida's charter schools may not be as good as parents and politicians think.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING? Pasco board members say they want more information about superintendent Heather Fiorentino's "new direction" before they'll approve it.

SURPRISE! Hernando superintendent Wayne Alexander reappoints the facilities director he had recently said he would not keep.

GO FOR IT: Florida is smart to participate in the move to national education standards as the world economy becomes more competitive, the Times editorializes.

NO NEW TAXES: The Orange School Board rejects the idea of a .25 mill increase to cover expected deficits, the Orlando Sentinel reports. • The Lake board also forgoes the idea, the Sentinel reports. • Lee's superintendent recommends dipping into reserves to avoid increasing the local tax, the Naples Daily News reports.

LABOR NEWS: Collier teachers turn down another contract offer, saying their step increases are not negotiable, the Naples Daily News reports. • Broward lays off 396 teachers, but hopes to have created jobs for about 200 to come back before the start of classes, the Miami Herald reports. • Lee's new budget threatens nearly 1,000 jobs, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

POOR MODEL: The latest Florida university trend of charging students more for less will not help the state succeed, the Tallahassee Democrat editorializes. That professors seem to be watering down a diploma's value with grade inflation only makes matters worse, the Fort Myers News-Press editorializes.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? Manatee officials want to set more clear rules before deciding to rename any more facilities after people, the Bradenton Herald reports.

COMBAT PAY: Escambia offers teachers willing to work in the district's first "turnaround school" up to $14,500 in incentives over two years, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

FRESHMEN FOR FSU-PANAMA CITY? Adding underclassmen is one proposal to help make the campus self-sufficient, the Panama City News-Herald reports.

Florida education news: School boundaries, grade inflation, summer school and more

TIME TO REZONE: Hoping to better balance its enrollments, Pasco begins planning to redraw attendance boundaries for middle and high schools on the west side of the county. (Photo of River Ridge High, from fivay.org)

BOOKS FOR TOTS: Hernando's United Way partners with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to provide free books monthly to children under age 3.

MORE VETERANS: Palm Beach Community College expects to double the number of military veterans enrolled in classes because of the new GI Bill, the Palm Beach Post reports.

BETTER GRADES? OR GRADE INFLATION? The Fort Myers News-Press examines grade-point averages at several Florida public universities and finds it likely that professors are rewarding mediocre work with good grades.

CITY CONSIDERS CHARTER: The City of Hollywood is gauging public interest in opening a city-run charter school, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

SUMMER SCHOOLING: Manatee Community College sees its summer enrollment rise by 15 percent, the Charlotte Sun reports.

SUMMER JOBS: Santa Rosa and Escambia schools get grants to help put area teens to work over the summer, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Florida education news: Virtual college, summer school, social networking and more

THE ONLINE EXPERIENCE: As USF's virtual classes expand, some educators worry whether students' social experiences with classmates and professors will suffer. (Times photo, Martha Rial)

A VERY BAD YEAR: Hernando's Nature Coast Technical High reflects on a down year that culminated with the reassignment of its leaders.

OPEN THE DOOR: Pinellas should keep its options open by tentatively approving a .25 mill tax increase, the Times editorializes.

VISIT FROM HOME: A new Web site allows high school students to "tour" more than 400 universities online, the Naples Daily News reports.

SUMMER SCHOOL STAYS: But Lee schools scale back their program by one-third, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

LIFE IS TOUGH: Four Jacksonville-area recent college grads find life after school ends a bumpy ride, the Florida Times-Union reports.

MORE FOR LESS: Florida university students face a year of higher costs with larger classes and fewer degree options, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

FINDING FANS: The University of West Florida and Pensacola Junior College begin using social networks to recruit new students, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Florida education news: Teaching jobs, contract talks, academic gains and more

NO DEAL: Hillsborough teacher and district negotiators remain far apart in contract talks -- teachers are asking for a raise, while the administration is talking about furloughs.

NEW JOBS: Hernando uses its stimulus money to create 29 teaching slots in special education and Title I.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES: Pinellas prepares to approve a spate of new principals.

WHICH RANKING MATTERS MOST? College and university officials say they look at each individual student's performance when deciding to accept them -- not the rating of the high school they attended.

MAKE GAINS, OR ELSE: Gov. Crist signs into law sweeping changes to the way Florida holds schools accountable, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

THANKS FOR EVERYTHING: FIU honors outgoing president Mitch Maidique by naming the main campus after him, the Miami Herald reports.

SHOW THEM THE MONEY: FAU may not get its biggest contribution ever, as the donor is having trouble making payment -- an increasingly common problem for universities these days, the Palm Beach Post reports.

BUDGET NEWS: UF leaders are more optimistic after increasing tuition and learning of new research money, the Gainesville Sun reports. • FSU cuts $57 million in spending, which will affect the Ringling Museum it took over to prevent cuts, the Herald-Tribune reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview about high school graduation rates with Florida deputy education commissioner Jeff Sellers.

Florida education news: School supervision, tax hikes, high school football and more

LISTEN TO THE PARENTS: The Hillsborough County Commission requires the Hillsborough School Board to have public hearings before allowing cell phone towers to rise on school campuses.

IF YOU CAN'T WATCH IT, DON'T OPEN IT: Hillsborough officials try to reinforce the district's policies on student supervision in the wake of the recent student rape in a middle school locker room.

NEW REVENUE: Pinellas superintendent Julie Janssen recommends a tax hike to cover expected deficits.

SENATE SEEKER: Nina Hayden, on the Pinellas School Board less than a year, plans to run for Florida Senate.

THINK IT OVER: Secretary of State Kurt Browning urges Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino to reconsider her dismissal of longtime administrator Ray Gadd.

MONEY (ALMOST) IN THE BANK: Florida International University is a step away from receiving a $20 million gift for its new medical school, the Miami Herald reports.

THEY BLEW IT: The FHSAA erred in deciding to cut high school sporting events without including football, but it has a chance to make amends, the Orlando Sentinel editorializes.

TOUGH CHALLENGE: Undocumented migrant families find it difficult to get past policies and costs and put their children into college, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

MONROE SUPERINTENDENT REMOVED: Gov. Crist has suspended Monroe superintendent Randy Acevedo after Acevedo's arrest on a charge of official misconduct, the Miami Herald reports.

LANGUAGE LESSONS: Palm Beach teachers learn how to better instruct students in Spanish, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TROUBLE: The Orange school construction program is the subject of ongoing problems, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

HIRING CONCERNS: A Leon charter school hires 28 teachers, including a half-dozen from the principal's former school, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

AROUND THE NATION: The Dallas, Texas, school district borrows $100 million to cover the remainder of its bills for the year, the Dallas Morning News reports. • An Ohio teacher accused of preaching in school files a federal lawsuit against his district, the Mount Vernon (Ohio) News reports.

Florida education news: graduation rates, teacher discipline, bonus pay and more

DIRECTION UNKNOWN: Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino invokes the need to go in a different direction as she removes some high-level administrators. School Board members want to know what that direction is. The Times, meanwhile, editorializes that Fiorentino's firing of Ray Gadd was a bad move for the public good.

DEFINING GRADUATION: Hernando high schools graduated 50 percent - or 74 percent - of seniors in 2006, depending on the definition you use.

NOT A FIRING OFFENSE: A state administrative law judge recommends putting Pasco teacher Patti Withers on probation, but not firing her, for her 2006 in-school suicide attempt.

FLORIDA NEEDS THE FCAT? Otherwise, Florida will fall back to the time when kids graduate high school with report cards littered with D's, Sun-Sentinel columnist Antonio Fins writes. • A Broward student disagrees, calling the test a waste of money. Her public comments spark Gov. Charlie Crist to speak out for the exam, WPLG-10 reports.

LABOR NEWS: Lee teachers and support staff approve a new contract, the Naples Daily News reports.

THANKS, BUT NO: Florida Gulf Coast University president Wilson Bradshaw turns down a raise and a bonus, citing his inability to give more money to other employees, the Naples Daily News reports. (Is FAMU's James Ammons watching?)

FOLLOW THE LAW: Florida Atlantic University takes steps to ensure that professors make the most affordable textbooks available to students, the Palm Beach Post reports.

EXTRA TAXES: Indian River looks into raising its local tax rate by 0.25 mills, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

CUTTING TEACHERS: Are schools using budget cuts as an excuse to get rid of teachers with performance issues? Port St. Lucie Tribune columnist Anthony Westbury examines such contentions in St. Lucie.

SHE CAN STAY: The St. Lucie teacher who allowed her kindergarten class to vote a child with autism "off the island," is allowed to keep her job, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION: The feds are looking into whether Orange promoted segregation with its decision to move a high school out of its predominantly black neighborhood, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

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Florida education news: Busing, boundaries, bullies and more

FACING DOWN BULLIES: Hillsborough seeks ways to focus its anti-bullying effort. Some schools have begun creating programs to tackle the problem.

SEE YA: Pasco superintendent Heather Fiorentino faces mounting criticism for dismissing popular assistant superintendent Ray Gadd.

NOT INTERESTED: Another Northeast school district turns down Hernando superintendent Wayne Alexander for its top spot.

TUITION PUSH: All 11 Florida public universities are seeking a tuition increase up to 15 percent, some for a second straight year, the Miami Herald reports. A key panel of the Board of Governors recommends approving all the increases, the Florida Times Union reports.

RAISING TAXES: Broward is assessing whether to take advantage of the new law allowing school boards to increase their local tax rates to cover critical operating needs, the Miami Herald reports. • Charlotte expresses its support for a similar move there, the Charlotte Sun reports. • Polk is considering how the tax would help ease costs for employee benefits before deciding what to do, the Winter Haven News Chief reports. • St. Lucie gives an initial nod to imposing the tax, the Fort Pierce Tribune reports.

HANDS ON: Selected Manatee high schoolers learn about medical careers by doing them, and they love it, the Bradenton Herald reports.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? Palm Beach Community College will drop its current name without having picked a new one, the Palm Beach Post reports.

BUSING CUTS: St. Lucie considers $900,000 in student transportation reductions, the Fort Pierce Tribune reports.

DEBATING FCAT: The Sun-Sentinel talks to a range of people about their views on whether the preparing for and taking the FCAT really gets high school students ready for life after high school.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE PARENTS: Orange looks into rezoning all its school attendance boundaries, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

GIRLS' CLUB: UF's incoming freshman class is 60 percent females, the Gainesville Sun reports.

DULY NOTED: The Alachua board acknowledges, and rejects, the Legislature's request to reduce the pay of its superintendent, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Florida education news: Black history, graduation rates, virtual schools and more

LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY: With state revenue shrinking, Hernando (like all districts) faces an increased local burden to fund its public education -- perhaps including a tax rate increase.

TALKS RESUME: Hillsborough teachers and board representatives head back to the bargaining table to talk numbers. They don't agree much.

GIVING UP: Facing closure by the Hillsborough district for poor performance, Metropolitan Ministries abandons its effort to renew its charter school contract.

GIVE THEM THE MONEY: All of Florida's public universities are seeking the maximum allowed tuition increase, the AP reports. Some students at Florida Atlantic University say the added cost is worth it to them, the Palm Beach Post reports.

FLORIDA RANKS LOW: A new report on graduation rates places Florida fifth from the bottom -- for 2006, the AP reports. More on the Diploma Counts 2009 project from Florida Today.

LABOR NEWS: Collier teachers reject their district's contract offer of a 3 percent bonus in exchange for longer hours and more expensive benefits, the Naples Daily News reports. • Negotiations in Lee are the most contentious in years, the Naples Daily News reports. The Lee teacher contract comes to a vote today, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

BUDGET NEWS: Manatee approves $14 million in cuts that will affect all schools, the Herald-Tribune reports. • Orange's 2002 sales tax for school construction might not generate enough money to cover all the planned projects, the Orlando Sentinel reports. • Threatened with gender equity lawsuits, the FHSAA agrees to reconsider its planned reduction in games after all, the Herald-Tribune reports.

BLACK HISTORY ALL THE TIME: St. Lucie prepares to incorporate black history lessons into its full curriculum -- all grade levels, all subject areas, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

PROVE IT: Parents at some Palm Beach schools demand data to prove that the district's planned move to departmentalized elementary schools will lead to better results, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

VIRTUAL CHOICES: Alachua leans toward the least expensive provider as it tries to meet the state's new requirement that it provide online education opportunities to all students, the Gainesville Sun reports.

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Florida education news: School supplies, scholarships, locker rooms and more

SUPPLIES OPTIONAL: As Pasco families receive their school supply lists for next year, district officials also send the message that if you can't afford them, don't buy them.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE? Some experts suggest the rape case at Walker Middle School fits into the locker room trends they know about hazing, social order and self-preservation.

DEALING WITH AUTISM: Florida schools find better ways to educate students with autism as their ranks increase, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR BREVARD? New Brevard superintendent Brian Binggeli talks with Florida Today about his plans for the high-achieving district.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL: A chronically failing Broward high school sees progress in its FCAT scores and hopes to shed its poor ratings, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: The Orange school district has yet to make its education system truly equal for students of all races, the Orlando Sentinel editorializes.

TOUGH BUDGET CHOICES: Bradenton Manatee High's college center faces cuts that could cripple it even as it helps students collect millions in scholarships, the Bradenton Herald reports.

GO LONG: The University of West Florida should conduct a national search for its next president, the Pensacola News-Journal editorializes.

AROUND THE NATION: A Connecticut school district dumps its math textbooks in favor of online materials, the N.Y. Times reports. • With his annual high school ranking system due out soon, Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews argues in favor of AP for all in the face of rising criticism.

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Florida education news: Jet noise, sports cuts, reading coaches and more

SHE WAS RIGHT: Springstead High valedictorian Jem Lugo may have had to rewrite her graduation speech, but she certainly outsmarted her principal, columnist Dan DeWitt writes. (Times photo, Will Vragovic)

TWO GOOD, ONE BAD: Hernando schools ended the year with two acts of compassion and one of stubbornness, the Times editorializes.

PROGRAM SAVED: FAU's Womens Studies program avoids the budget ax, but now must find enough private donations to remain afloat, the Palm Beach Post reports.

NICE TO MEET YOU: Broward Virtual School seniors meet for the first time at their graduation, the Miami Herald reports.

KEEPING THEIR READING COACHES: Lake plans to use its stimulus funds to reinstate the specialty jobs, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

SPORTS CUTS STAND: The FHSAA retains its reduction in athletic contests for next year, inviting lawsuits from gender equity advocates, the Herald-Tribune reports.

JUST IGNORE THOSE F-4's: Okaloosa schools study the impact of jet noise on classes as Eglin Air Force Base plans to expand, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

FIGHTING BACK: St. Johns files several motions against two mothers' lawsuits that challenge the use of religion-tinged songs at a local elementary school, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Florida education news: Closing schools, FCAT, school taxes and more

THEY'VE GOT MONEY, YES THEY DO: Hillsborough has $338 million stashed aside -- plenty to endure current tough times without forcing to sacrifice, right?

JOB HUNTING: Teachers from Pinellas' closed schools head to a job fair set up just for them.

KEEP ON LOOKING: Hernando extends its search for an assistant superintendent to seek more candidates -- a slap in the face to the locals who applied?

GRADUATION: Springstead High's valedictorian sees her original, banned speech go viral on the Web. • Largo High celebrates despite the rain.

HOW MUCH DO YOU LIKE YOUR SCHOOL? The tiny Manatee town of Duette faces questions about its lifestyle as the district considers closing its school, the last one-room school in Florida.

USING TESTS THE RIGHT WAY: Florida is taking positive steps to move away from using the FCAT as the be-all, end-all of student assessment, the Palm Beach Post editorializes.

NOT GOING TO PAY: A Lee charter school group says it's exempt from property taxes and won't pay the $51,000 it has been billed, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

SUING OVER SPORTS: A gender equity activist considers suing the FHSAA over its decision to reduce contests for the next two years, but is holding off to see if the move is changed, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

LABOR NEWS: About 500 Broward teachers face displacement as the district cuts spending, the Miami Herald reports. • Florida Atlantic professors claim a department reorganization is an attack on tenure, and they're fighting back, the Palm Beach Post reports.

CLOSED FOREVER: Volusia shuts two schools at the end of the year, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview about summer school with Pasco assistant superintendent Ruth Reilly.

Florida education news: Graduation speech, school supervision, student photography and more

SHE CAN'T SAY THAT: Springstead High leaders reject the school valedictorian's commencement speech as appalling and tell her to write a new one. Check out both speeches. (Times photo, Will Vragovic)

NOW IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE ... Eighty-two Pasco County teachers retire with the end of classes, including Gulf High's Les Snyder.

GRADUATION: Nature Coast Technical High • Pasco-Hernando Community College

WHO'S WATCHING THE KIDS? The fact that Walker Middle students had so many opportunities to attack a classmate without being supervised suggests the school failed its key responsibility of keeping children safe, the Times editorializes. See the latest story.

DUMPED: UF severs its ties to sportswear maker Russell Athletic.

OVERDUE: The Lee district hasn't paid taxes on five pieces of its property, the Naples Daily News reports.

THEY CAN'T AGREE: Collier's board and superintendent can't come to terms on how to evaluate the superintendent's performance, the Naples Daily News reports.

PUT THAT CAMERA AWAY: Duval considers banning students from taking photos of other students without their express permission, the Florida Times-Union reports.

HIGHER ED IN HENDRY: Edison College makes plans to build a campus in Hendry County, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

VIRTUAL GRADUATION: Several Miami-Dade high schools stream their commencement ceremonies live over the Internet for family members who can't make the trip, the Miami Herald reports.

BIG CUTS: Program reductions at UCF could impact 1,100 students and cost 45 employees their jobs, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

BOOKS? WHO NEEDS 'EM? Technology takes center stage in Polk school media centers, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

Florida education news: Last day of school, teacher mentors, tax rates and more

SCHOOL'S OUT. LOCK UP YOUR VALUABLES: Tampa area police prepare for a rise in petty crime as students begin summer break.

THANK GOODNESS IT'S OVER: Brandon's Alina Meador didn't make the semifinals in the national spelling bee, and she's happy about that.

GRADUATION: East Lake High • Springstead High • Hernando Star Center

TOP OF THE CLASS: Covered walkway will offer safer route between library, Booker T. Washington Elementary • Retiring teachers at Gorrie, Mabry leave rich legacy

UNQUALIFIED: FAMU's research high school doesn't renew the contract of three-quarters of its teachers, many of whom weren't considered highly qualified, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

LAST-DAY PRANKS: Some Manatee school bus drivers share tales of kids with eggs, toilet paper and other ammo that they like to toss to celebrate the final ride of the year, the Bradenton Herald reports.

A BIG STEP: South Florida kindergartners look ahead to life as first-graders, the Miami Herald reports.

DELINQUENT DISTRICT: The Lee school district owes $40,000 in back taxes, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

HELP IS ON THE WAY: Palm Beach doubles its number of full-time mentors for new teachers, the Palm Beach Post reports.

THEY HAVE TO PARTY SOMEWHERE: Lynn University buys a $900,000 home in Boca Raton for its presidential mansion, the Palm Beach Post reports.

TAX TRADEOFF: Alachua considers simultaneously increasing its operating tax rate and cutting its capital projects rate, the Gainesville Sun reports.

MORE SEEK FINANCIAL AID: UF sees a 13 percent increase in students requesting assistance, the Gainesville Sun reports.

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Florida education news: FCAT, teaching jobs, summer school and more

PACKING UP: King's Highway Elementary teacher Shannon Riek gets some help boxing her belongings as the school -- and seven others in Pinellas -- prepare to close for good. Times photo, Douglas Clifford

ON NOTICE: Hillsborough warns five charter schools that the district might shut them down for poor performance.

DO OVER: Pinellas board members want to renegotiate controversial early release days with teachers. This time, the board should consider parents in the conversation, the Times editorializes.

THE LETTER IS IN THE MAIL: Pasco finally reappoints its teachers, although some don't know exactly where they'll be working.

THREE CAN STAY: Hernando will let three out-of-county seniors remain at its magnet high school.

GRADUATION: Central High's co-salutatorians are twins. • Three home-school seniors walk for their diplomas. •  Pinellas private school valedictorians and salutatorians •

HELP FOR VETS: USF is the first university in the nation to offer on-campus VA counseling for military veterans.

RETIRED: Popular St. Pete High teacher Samuel Davis calls it a career after 40 years.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Pine Grove Elementary students write a cookbook • Displays help Explorer K8 students learn about other cultures • Hernando ESOL students celebrate after test

FCAT CLEARED: The state verifies a Palm Beach elementary school's FCAT results after investigating whether 99 percent of really passed the test, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

BACK TO SCHOOL: So classes just ended. Brevard sends its struggling students to a scaled back summer school, Florida Today reports.

NO NEW TAXES? The Florida Legislature passed the buck to school districts on that front, the Naples Daily News reports. • Martin officials have no interest in taking the bait, the Stuart News reports. •  It's still a possibility in Leon, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Two-thirds of freshmen at Florida Gulf Coast University don't finish there, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

WANTS VS. NEEDS: Charlotte's board takes a close look at what it really needs in its budget, the Charlotte Sun reports.

PAY MORE: The University of West Florida is the latest to hike its tuition by 15 percent, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Florida education news: Planning in Pinellas, raising tuition, perfect attendance rewards and more

STAY A LITTLE LONGER: Pinellas board chair Peggy O'Shea will propose that teachers stay after school to plan on Wednesdays, rather than having a one-hour early release every Wednesday for planning as their new contract provides.

TUITION HIKE: Gov. Charlie Crist signs the bill letting Florida universities raise tuition up to 15 percent.

ANOTHER NO-SHOW: Pasco board member Cathi Martin misses a high school graduation where she's to represent the board. She has been under scrutiny for chronic absences.

FCAT POWWOW: Hernando administrators and educators sit to discuss the good and bad in the county's FCAT results, and what to do about them.

BIG MONEY: Springstead High senior Christopher Echanique becomes Hernando's first Gates Millennium scholar.

SHOWING UP IS HALF THE BATTLE: Locke Elementary parent coordinator Cookie Lee sees to it that every kid who has perfect attendance gets a free bicycle at the end of each year.

FEDERAL CASE: The feds are looking into whether 64 Florida school districts are denying rights to special needs students, WINK-TV reports.

LABOR NEWS: Collier offers teachers a 3 percent bonus, but also would have them work longer hours and pay part of their benefits, the Naples Daily News reports. • A hearing officer sides with Chipola College faculty in a dispute over pay, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • Broward teachers plan to sue the district, saying they weren't given enough notice that they wouldn't have jobs, the Miami Herald reports. • Osceola won't renew 192 teachers, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

TV GOT IT WRONG: A South Florida newscast freaked parents when it reported that a Broward charter school would be closing, but the story was wrong, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

ALMS FOR THE ARTS: Lee considers raising its tax rate to keep its art and music programs intact, the Naples Daily News reports.

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Florida education news: Stimulus funds, national standards, end of school and more

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Four years ago, reporter Ron Matus chronicled the lives of four Northeast High freshmen as they made their way through ninth grade. Checking back at graduation time, only one of them made it through to get a diploma. (Times photo, Lara Cerri)

TRY, TRY AGAIN: Trollis Williams didn't qualify for graduation after his first attempt at senior year, but instead of seeking a GED he enrolled for a second stab at twelfth grade at Hernando High. Tonight he graduates. Hernando's four high schools are preparing for big crowds and hoping for clear skies for the events.

SETTING THE STANDARD: Wiregrass Ranch High graduates its first ever class of seniors.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME: Graduation brings excitement to many seniors, but just relief that high school is over to others. Things get better, columnist Michele Miller advises.

NATIONAL STANDARDS: Forty-six states including Florida plan to work together to create a joint set of standards for what kids need to learn in school, the Washington Post reports.

CAN'T TOUCH THIS: Florida school districts are seeing that much of the federal stimulus money they're getting comes with strings, and they can't use it on general operations, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

BRANDING FOR LESS: Universities including UF are finding creative ways to market themselves when they have fewer dollars to pay for it, Advertising Age reports.

KIDS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES LEAVING: The end of the year means major staff turnovers in Manatee, the Bradenton Herald reports.

Florida education news: High school graduation, school prayer, program cuts and more

GRADUATION TIME: High schools throughout the Tampa Bay area are sending off their seniors. See all the stories on our special graduation page and our main education page -- there's just too much to list here. (Times photo, Kainaz Amaria)

GOING HIGH-TECH: Pasco-Hernando Community College has started construction on a modern new Spring Hill campus.

DEAR LORD: Seniors at Santa Rosa Pace High defy a court order and pray at graduation, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH: Florida does better in educating students in minority groups than other states, but the achievement gap here is still abysmal and indefensible, Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas writes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION: A family of Haitian immigrant children focus on schooling to improve their lives, the Naples Daily News reports.

FOUR TO GO: UF plans to eliminate four degree programs -- educational psychology, documentary film, instructional scuba and rehabilitation counseling, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Florida education news: High school graduation, senior pranks, career education and more

EARLY RELEASE: Hillsborough closes two schools for summer a week early due to a confirmed case of swine flu. (Image from discoveryschool.com)

GO AHEAD AND WALK: Hernando High's senior pranksters will work community service hours as punishment for messing up the school, but they'll still get to participate in graduation. (Their Hudson High counterparts were not as lucky. See post below.)

PINELLAS VALS AND SALS: Check out short bios of each of the Pinellas valedictorians and salutatorians.

TALKING TAXES: The Bay School Board considers imposing an added local property tax to cover expected shortfalls in state funding, the Panama City News-Herald reports.

TOUGH CHOICES: Now that Orange has decided not to close six schools, its budget crisis looms even larger, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

LESS CASH FOR CAREER ED: Florida lawmakers put fewer resources into career and technical education even as they require school districts to expand these options, the Herald-Tribune reports.

LABOR NEWS: The Manatee district and its support employees strike a tentative contract deal, the Bradenton Herald reports. •  Florida Atlantic University will lay off 30 workers and eliminate 140 positions, the Palm Beach Post reports.

PAY MORE: Edison State College proposes higher fees for a dozen courses running a combined $2.4 million deficit, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. • Many colleges around the country are increasing fees to cover costs, and when it comes to sports fees, many students are saying, No way, the NY Times reports.

TAKE IT AGAIN: Tallahassee Community College sees a 31 percent increase in students taking remedial summer courses, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

HE GOT WHAT?! Florida A&M hears hot debate over president James Ammons' six-figure bonus, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with Brevard School Board member Karen Henderson, who talks about her district becoming Florida's first to impose a new, higher local tax for operational needs.

Florida education news: FCAT, budget cuts, senior pranks and more

SETTING THE STANDARD: Sunlake High seniors revel in being their school's first-ever graduating class. (Times photo, Keri Wiginton)

WILL THEY WALK? The Hernando High seniors who vandalized their school as a senior prank learn today whether they get to participate in Monday's graduation.

FCAT KEEPS COMING: Check out the latest on the results for Hillsborough and Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando.

MORE ROOM FOR COLLEGE: Pasco-Hernando Community College expands its Brooksville campus.

OUT THE DOOR: Manatee's Freedom Elementary loses its first and only principal to retirement, the Bradenton Herald reports.

DRASTIC CUTS: Miami-Dade College, the nation's largest institution of higher education, lays off staff, cancels programs and stops recruiting students as it reaches the end of its budget rope, the Miami Herald reports.

TWO OF A KIND: Twins share the spotlight as co-valedictorians of a Collier high school, the Naples Daily News reports.

THEY'LL COMPETE ANYWAY: Doing away with the valedictorian and salutatorian honors in Palm Beach high schools won't solve anything, Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino writes.

TB AT DOE? A judge orders a hearing over whether some Florida Department of Education workers were unknowingly exposed to tuberculosis, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

SIT UP STRAIGHT: A Panhandle charter school finds it gets better results and behavior from students by letting them sit on yoga balls instead of chairs, the Panama City News-Herald reports.

Florida education news: Senior pranks, GED's, positive thinking and more

'LET THEM WALK!': Hudson High seniors rally in support of three classmates who are banned from graduation after playing a senior prank. They say the punishment doesn't fit the crime. The Times editorial board agrees. (Times photo, Kainaz Amaria)

NEVER TOO LATE: A 26-year-old mom who missed out on a college scholarship by one P.E. credit seven years ago finally finishes her GED.

NOT READY FOR COLLEGE YET: Tampa Prep senior Wesley Wall plans to see the world before settling in. And Chamberlain High senior Adrian White will head to work.

SHORT-TERM FIX: The budget Gov. Charlie Crist signed Wednesday relies too heavily on tuition increases, federal funds and other bandages. Lawmakers need to find long-term funding solutions for the future, the Times editorializes.

LABOR NEWS: Offered a pay freeze, Collier teachers counter by asking for a raise, the Naples Daily News reports.

TEAMING UP: A joint city-school district effort to keep Duval's disadvantaged students off the streets after school while also getting them more excited about education is getting positive results, the Florida Times-Union reports.

BUDGET NEWS: Dozens of Palm Beach teachers blast their School Board over the layoff of hundreds, saying the administration promised not to get rid of anyone, the Palm Beach Post reports. • FAMU approves a 15 percent tuition increase, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. • Escambia will use its stimulus funds to avoid layoffs, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

AUDIT TIME: The state auditor general is looking into Martin's operations after receiving complaints about the district's charges for services, the Stuart News reports.

PASS THAT TAX: Florida Today commends the Brevard School Board for agreeing to raise local taxes to cover education needs, and calls upon others to make funding changes to help schools over the long haul.

TRANSFORMATION: A class of Brevard fifth-graders pilots a positive thinking program that works so well the entire school is looking into adopting it, Florida Today reports.

40 YEARS LATER: Sarasota teacher Linda Fields retires after four decades teaching at the same elementary school, the Herald-Tribune reports.

MOVE ALONG: UF aims to better manage enrollment so more students can earn a degree, the Gainesville Sun reports.

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Florida education news: Teacher contracts, school taxes, virtual education and more

APPROVED: The Pinellas School Board narrowly votes to implement new teacher planning periods. (Times photo, Lara Cerri)

A WINNING SPEECH: Fifth grader Melissa Milian was shy, quiet and didn't speak English just two years ago. This month, she bested Hillsborough's top talkers to make it to the finals of  the county Tropicana speech contest.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Explorer K-8 art teacher opens her classroom for students each morning before classes • ESE inclusion class from Spring Hill Elementary puts on a musical • Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School valedictorian and salutatorian

SHREWD MOVE: Florida lawmakers have handed local school boards more control over their tax rates, and that's a good start toward more local control, the Stuart News editorializes. • The Brevard School Board becomes one of the first in Florida to take advantage of the new power, raising its tax rate by .25 mills, Florida Today reports.

MAKING PROGRESS: Broward schools are getting a little more equal, but a report shows that predominantly black schools still don't have the same resources as newer, more heavily white ones, the Miami Herald reports.

BUDGET NEWS: Don't touch the arts and don't propose raising taxes, either, the Lee School Board tells its superintendent, the Naples Daily News reports. • UF trustees approve $42 million in budget cuts, the Gainesville Sun reports. • Martin proposes trimming some specialist and administrative jobs as part of its budget cutting program, the Stuart News reports. • Orange cancels its plans to close six schools, the Orlando Sentinel reports. •  Edison State College vows to find enough money to cover tuition costs for needy students (even as it increases tuition for others by 8 percent), the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

STILL FEUDING: Teachers and parents at a Palm Beach middle school continue to battle with their principal over the dismissal of four popular teachers, the Palm Beach Post reports.

GOING VIRTUAL: Charlotte schools continue to explore their options in meeting the state mandate to offer online courses to any student, the Charlotte Sun reports.

THAT'S SOME ATTABOY: FAMU gives president James Ammons a six-figure bonus, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

RICHBURG SEEKS REINSTATEMENT: The ousted Northwest Florida State College president claims he was dismissed without good cause, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Florida education news: School attendance, university tuition, food allergies and more

WHEN FOOD CAN KILL: A Palm Harbor family accuses the Pinellas school district of not doing enough to protect its son from exposure to the many foods he's severely allergic to. (Image from dropyourallergies.com)

AVOIDING LAYOFFS: Martin's superintendent says she can balance the budget without getting rid of employees, the Stuart News reports.

STIMULATING THE SENSES: A Broward elementary school introduces a sensory room to calm anxious special needs students and prompt nonresponsive ones, the Miami Herald reports.

COPING: South Florida schools try not to let the recession tap their morale or their success. But it's not easy, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

STILL CHEAP: Even with 15 percent increases, Florida's university tuition remains among the lowest in the country, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

COME, OR ELSE: Collier leaders prepare to tighten their attendance policies, the Naples Daily News reports.

FEW AND FAR BETWEEN: Florida Gulf Coast University fails to attract qualified applicants for open professorships, as potential hopefuls worry about how long they'd have a job, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

PRAYER AND PROTEST: Some Santa Rosa high school students and parents continue to push against the district's ban on prayer at graduation and other events, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

WHAT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY? Marion board members can't agree on how to spend their cell phone tower lease revenue, the Ocala Star-Banner reports. (They're not talking about ending towers, though.)

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Florida education news: Single-gender education, community college demand, a fight to keep a school open and more

HE JUST WANTS TO GO TO COLLEGE: But because Jose Amateco is an undocumented immigrant, finding the means to afford higher education is tough. (Times photo, Keri Wiginton)

BACKSLIDING ON SINGLE SEX: Hernando's Westside Elementary had hoped to expand its single-gender classroom program, but finances have the effort shrinking instead.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Unemployed workers in Charlotte County head to Southwest Florida College for new skills training courtesy of the federal stimulus program, the Charlotte Sun reports.

DOING MORE WITH LESS: Florida's community colleges see their enrollments rising but don't have enough money to keep pace with the demand, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

GET READY: Edison College and Ave Maria University offer a summer prep course for incoming freshmen who really aren't academically prepared to be there, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

LIVING WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE: Florida Atlantic University fills its dorms with freshmen living in learning communities, so at least their neighbors share some academic interests, the Palm Beach Post reports.

FIGHTING FOR THEIR SCHOOL: Students at Miami Central High take on the system to keep their failing school open. The Miami Herald chronicles some of their individual stories.

PRICEY PUBLIC RECORDS FIGHT: Polk's failed battle to keep some public records out of the sunshine costs the district almost $45,000, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

DOWNSIZING: Volusia prepares to sell a district office center to make way for new public housing, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

AROUND THE NATION: NY schools chancellor Joel Klein talks about education reform with the Washington Post. •  Three financial experts offer money tips for new college graduates in the NY Times. •  Want to get elementary students excited about science? Try robotics, the LA Times reports.

Florida education news: School closings, FCAT results, volunteers and more

NO CODA: The esteemed band of Southside Middle plays its final notes as the Pinellas school prepares to close. (Times photo, Cherie Diez)

THEY UNDERSTAND: Suncoast Elementary fifth-graders get some guidance and advice from Springstead High freshmen in a mentoring program.

RATING SCHOOLS: The Orlando Sentinel grades its area high schools using a different method than the state to make it easier for parents to compare them.

OVERWHELMING ODDS: An Escambia principal is forced out after her middle school fails to show academic improvement over her five years, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. Some school improvement experts wonder whether anyone could improve the school.

SEEKING SUCCESS: St. Lucie puts together a committee to look for proven methods in conquering the FCAT, the Fort Pierce Tribune reports.

WHERE IS EVERYONE? Duval leaders question the value of their costly alternative suspension centers as almost none of the students assigned there show up, the Florida Times-Union reports.

SAME SONG, DIFFERENT VERSE: Manatee again contemplates closing Duette Elementary, Florida's last remaining one-room school, the Bradenton Herald reports. More from the Herald-Tribune.

A HOPE AND A PRAYER: Florida International University students rally to save their religion department from closure, the Miami Herald reports.

DIMMER FUTURES: Florida college students worry about their ability to pay for school as the Bright Futures scholarship covers less of the cost, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

TIGHTENING THE PURSE STRINGS: Martin's school board seeks to lower the spending limit that administrators may approve without the board's okay, the Stuart News reports.

RENT A BOOK: UF students strapped for cash now can rent textbooks rather than buy them, the Gainesville Sun reports.

THEY DO IT FOR FREE: Volunteers save the Marion school district millions each year, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

Florida education news: School closings, teacher layoffs, high school graduations and more

NOW IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE: Students and faculty at eight closing Pinellas schools prepare for life at new schools next year. Check out some vignettes of how they're handling it at Coachman Fundamental, Kings Highway, Clearview Avenue, Palm Harbor Elementary, Southside Fundamental, Gulf Beaches, Rio Vista and North Ward. (Times photo)

MOVING ON: Wesley Chapel High seniors gain new respect for one another as they see who got awards on their way to graduation. • Mitchell High seniors get one last commencement practice in before the real deal.

LOOKING FOR A LEADER: Hernando needs a new assistant superintendent, and three top contenders are likely prospects to seek the superintendency -- should the job come open, as expected, that is.

RULES ARE RULES: Now that Hillsborough has approved its secular calendar, it needs to hold its employees responsible for following it, columnist Sue Carlton writes.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Walker's Rising Stars Scholarship gala showcases talented Pinellas student • Private school graduates achieve in school and community

PULL UP THOSE PANTS: Clay adopts a stricter student dress code, the Florida Times-Union reports.

BUDGET NEWS: The University of North Florida is the latest to increase its costs by 15 percent, the Florida Times-Union reports. • Lee superintendent James Browder says the district has become one of the poorest in the country in socioeconomic standards, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

LABOR NEWS: UNF faculty leaders threaten a mass exodus if the university doesn't give raises to the rank and file soon, the Florida Times-Union reports. • Hundreds of Orange teachers may lose their jobs, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Broward's prepares to cut 59 central office jobs, the Miami Herald reports. • UF will lay off 58 as part of its $30 million budget cutting plan, the Gainesville Sun reports.

LOOKING TO STAY LOCAL: Marion redefines the meaning of "local" in its contracting so it can keep its projects closer to home, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

SPEAKER SPAT: Santa Rosa changes its rules on graduation speakers to avoid prayer issues, and seniors aren't happy, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

GOOD JOB: Indian River's board gives its superintendent a strong evaluation, but says he could improve communication, the Vero Beach Press-Journal reports.

AROUND THE NATION: US Education Secretary Duncan says California schools have lost their way, the LA Times reports. • Colleges and universities explore the idea of a three-year degree to save students time and money, the Washington Post reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with new Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association executive director Marshall Ogletree.

Florida education news: FCAT, UF tuition, student scholarships and more

SPECIAL TREATMENT: Florida lawmakers slide a provision into law that would give UF and FSU a leg up over other universities in applying all their tuition revenue to academics instead of financial aid.

FCAT RESULTS: Check out the details of how third graders performed in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando.

TALKING ABOUT CELL TOWERS: The Hillsborough County Commission holds public hearings on the safety of cell towers near schools.

GRADUATION PREPARATION: River Ridge High seniors go out in style with a formal breakfast. • Hudson High seniors get soaked and silly at their field day celebration. (Times photo, Brendan Fitterer)

LOOKING TO LEAVE: Hernando superintendent Wayne Alexander might be the top choice to lead a Rhode Island school district. Or not. No one is saying.

SWINE FLU: One kid at a Pasco school had it. But the student is all better now, and school remains in session.

LESSONS IN DEAF EDUCATION: Blossom Montessori in Pinellas teaches deaf students what they need to get ahead in life.

TOO MUCH: The State Board of Education sends the wrong message in raising teacher certification test fees above the cost of the Bar Exam, the Times editorializes.

SOMEONE LISTENED: Collier delays action on its bid over child care services after parents voice concerns, the Naples Daily News reports.

DON'T DRINK, OK? Lee school and community officials launch a major anti-drinking campaign for the county's students, the Fort Myers News-Press reports.

SURPRISE! Fifteen Broward students get $20,000 scholarships from the district as officials decide that's how they want to spend their Broad Prize, the Miami Herald reports.

ALL OVER: Santa Rosa makes the closing of one small school official, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

Florida education news: FCAT, bullying, charter schools and more

ONE LAST CHANCE TO BE A KID: Land O'Lakes High seniors shed their inhibitions to celebrate their coming graduation with bounce houses, hula hoops, pizza and ice cream. (Times photo, Kainaz Amaria)

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Hillsborough warns a charter school for homeless children that it faces closure if academic performance doesn't improve.

EVERYBODY PLAY NICE: The Hillsborough County Commission will launch an anti-bullying campaign aimed at school children.

DONE DEAL: Pinellas teachers agree to terms on working conditions by a narrower than usual margin.

THEIR ENEMY: Hillsborough parents upset with cell phone towers rising at their schools focus their anger on lawyer Stacy Frank.

NOT IN THE FACE: Franklin Middle eighth-graders who scored well on FCAT Writing get to throw pies in teachers' faces. (VIDEO)

TOP OF THE CLASS: Powell Middle School choir wins first place at Tennessee Festival • J.D. Floyd students meet nature on common ground • Gulf High valedictorian and salutatorian

JUST A BAND-AID: The federal stimulus package carries some big numbers, but it's hardly a cure for what ails Florida schools, Stuart News columnist Anthony Westbury writes.

TURF WAR? State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota plans to offer six new bachelor's degree programs, to the dismay of USF-Sarasota leaders, the Bradenton Herald reports.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT: Some Collier parents protest the district's selection of a new child-care provider without their input, the Naples Daily News reports.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SABRINA? Someone is killing a Duval elementary school's 4-H animals, the Florida Times-Union reports.

NO GO: Orange's committee that monitors desegregation efforts nixes another plan that would close six schools, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

HOPING FOR A SPOT: More than 200 Leon teachers who lost their jobs head to a job fair that offers about 100 spots, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

GROW, OR ELSE: FSU president T.K. Wetherell says the Panama City campus needs 2,000 more students to be self-sufficient, the Panama City News-Herald reports.