Drink for education?

Should the state re-implement a 10-cent tax on every alcoholic beverage to support education?
Yes, that's a simple way to support public education.
No, no new taxes.

Class size changes?

Should the state scale back the class-size amendment, given current financial concerns?
Yes, it's too expensive to count kids in each class.
No, kids deserve smaller classes as voters mandated.

Thanks for participating in our weekly polls. Hope you enjoy them. Please send along ideas for new ones, along with any thoughts on the Gradebook, to solochek@sptimes.com. Here's how last week's question turned out.

We asked, "Should Florida reduce the size of its school districts?" You said:

• Perhaps, but politics and finances will never let it happen. 72 votes -- 40%
• Yes, they're too big and bloated. 69 votes -- 38%
• No, we don't need more superintendents and school boards. 39 votes -- 22%

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Too big to succeed?

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

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

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

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

Higher pay for teachers in tougher schools?

Should teachers get more money to teach in high-needs schools?
Yes, districts should do more to lure good teachers to schools that need them.
No, teachers who want to teach there will go there anyway.
Maybe, but save the talk until there's money in the budget.

Just FYI, we asked you last week whether districts should dip into reserves to give teachers raises, and the response was 181 yes, 180 no. Guess that's a controversial one. We'll see how this question turns out. And, again, if you have any questions or suggestions for the Gradebook, please contact us at solochek@sptimes.com.

Too much for a raise?

Should Florida's school districts and universities dip into reserves to give employee raises?
Yes, the cost of living is rising too quickly to not give raises.
No, don't pay reoccurring costs with one-time funds.

Homework helper

Do you help your children with their school work?
Yes, it's a good way to keep up with their education.
No, it's their assignment, not mine.
No way, it's more complicated than when I was in school .

Thanks for responding to our last poll, where we asked you whether Florida should ban corporal punishment in schools. You split evenly on that one, with 133 saying "yes" and 133 saying "no." If you have ideas for future poll questions, or any comments or thoughts about the Gradebook, please don't hesitate to send them to solochek@sptimes.com.

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To spank or not to spank

Should Florida ban corporal punishment in schools?
Yes, adults shouldn't hit kids.
No, spare the rod, spoil the child.

Back to school blues

What concerns you most about kids going back to class?
Too much FCAT focus
Bullying
Supplies cost too much
Bad teachers
Something else
Absolutely nothing

Thanks for responding to our weekly polls. They're informal and, we hope, informative. Last week we asked the question, Do you support Amendment 5, which would alter the way Florida's public education is funded?

For most of the week, the response was a lopsided "NO." The pro-Amendment 5 side must have caught wind, because by the end of our survey the results looked like this:

• Yes  254 votes - 65% (Note how that's just above the supermajority needed for a win.)
• No  115 votes - 29%
• I need more information  21 votes - 5%

Now we just have to wait and see whether the measure actually goes to voters.

Tax Swap

Do you support Amendment 5, which would alter the way Florida's public education is funded?
Yes
No
I need more information

Who should lead?

Should the new Pinellas superintendent be an insider or an outsider?
An insider - we need someone who knows and cares about the district.
An outsider - it's time to clean house.
Doesn't matter - just find someone capable.

Should families pay for busing?

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

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

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

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

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

Poll: Too much school shopping?

The lists are out
Are schools asking for too many supplies?
Yes, there's no way my kid needs 12 glue sticks.
No, when times are tight, we all need to chip in.
I still can't figure out why Rose Art crayons aren't good enough.

Thanks for answering our last poll, too. We asked, Should Florida continue to grade schools? You said:

• No, a letter can't capture a school's value.  106 votes - 55% 
• Yes, but put less emphasis on FCAT results.  70 votes - 36% 
• Doesn't matter. I just look at my kids' scores anyway.  18 votes - 9%

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

Your take on school grades

How they rate
Should Florida continue to grade schools?
Yes, but put less emphasis on FCAT results.
No, a letter can't capture a school's value.
Doesn't matter. I just look at my kids' scores anyway.

Our past question asked, "Should Florida superintendents all be appointed?" You said:

• Yes, electing a school district CEO is antiquated.  70 votes - 43%
• No, voters should be able to pick their superintendent if they want.  66 votes - 41% 
• You mean some school districts elect their superintendents?  25 votes - 16%

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

No Jeb fans here

In the wake of Jeb Bush's conference on education reforms, we asked you whether you thought the former governor had a positive or negative influence on Florida's public schools. Here's how you responded to the question "Was Jeb Bush a positive force for Florida education?"

• No, he destroyed the public school system. 497 votes - 87%
• Yes, he created a reform model for the nation to follow. 46 votes - 8%
• Wait a second. Charlie Crist is governor now, right? 31 votes - 5%

Our new poll asks your views on the role of elected superintendent. Florida is just one of three states to still let voters pick a politician school system CEO, and our own Pasco County is the largest school district in the country to still elect rather than appoint. Click in your opinion.

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

Four days would be fine

The idea of four-day school weeks doesn't seem to bother Gradebook readers much, so long as the education that kids receive doesn't change. We asked, "Should school boards consider a four-day class schedule to save money?" You said:

• Yes, so long as the kids get the same education. 107 votes - 65%
• No, the cost to parents doesn't outweigh the benefits to taxpayers. 47 votes - 29%
• Why not just mandate home schooling and be done with it? 10 votes - 6%

Now we want to know your thoughts about the education legacy of Jeb Bush, who spent much of last week touting his reform package as a national model. Please click on our poll to let us know whether you think Jeb was a positive or negative force. And, again, If you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, please send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

School's out. Who cares?

It seems Gradebook readers are just too busy working to worry about summer break for kids. We asked, "School's out. Is summer vacation in Florida too long?" You said:

• Doesn't matter. We're all working anyway to make ends meet. 186 votes - 53%
• No, everyone needs time to recuperate and visit family. 114 votes - 33%
• Yes, school should start earlier in August. 49 votes - 14%

Now we want to know what you think about the idea of districts saving money by going to four-day weeks. Click on the poll in the upper left corner of this page to weigh in. And please, if you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, please send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

Get a degree

After a Chronicle of Higher Education columnist called a bachelor's degree "America's most overrated product," we decided to ask your opinion. Gradebook readers completely disagreed.

Here's how you responded to our question, Is getting a bachelor's degree overrated?

• No, college helps you learn to think, a necessary skill in the real world. 141 votes - 67%
• Yes, you can succeed in the work place without one. 70 votes - 33%
• Kids need to stay in school as long as possible and wait their turn for my job. 1 vote - 0%

Now we want to know what you think about summer vacation. It has just begun, and there already seems to be precious little for kids to do. Is the break from school too long? Click in your view. And as usual, if you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, please send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

Split decision on vouchers

The official polls say Floridians don't like school vouchers, though they'd stomach them to see 65 percent of education funding dedicated to the classroom. Our informal survey shows that Gradebook readers are fairly evenly split on the issue of using state money to cover private school expenses.

We asked, "Should Florida use taxpayer money to subsidize private school vouchers?" You said:

• Yes, it's my money and I should be able to send my kids where I choose. 272 votes - 49%
• No, the state should fully support the free public education system and not dabble in private education. 260 votes - 47%
• Forget about schools. I need health care relief and fast. 19 votes - 3%

Our new question focuses on graduation. A recent column in the Chronicle of Higher Education posited that a bachelor's degree is "America's most overrated product." We'd like to know what you think. And, as always, if you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, please send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

Retain away

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

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

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

The survey says ...

For the past week, we've asked Gradebook readers for their thoughts on where school districts should cut their budgets during lean times. Respondents overwhelmingly suggested that bus rides to students who live closer than 2 miles to school should get the axe before salaries or extracurriculars.

Here's the breakdown of answers to our question, "In tough budget times, what should School Boards cut first?"

• Courtesy bus rides, 122 votes - 68%
• Athletics and extracurriculars, 50 votes - 28%
• Employee salaries and benefits, 7 votes - 4%

Our new question focuses on the FCAT, and your views on whether the state should retain third-graders who don't pass the reading section of the annual exam. Please take a second to click on an answer. If you have any ideas for future questions, or any other thoughts about the Gradebook in general, please send an e-mail to solochek@sptimes.com.

Latest poll results

In case you haven't noticed by now, we change out our informal Gradebook poll at the upper left hand corner of this page each Thursday. There's a new one now, this time focusing on the current budget struggles that school districts are facing. Sorry, no room for comments. But thanks for picking one of the options.

Here's how you responded to our last question, "Should high schools continue to recognize valedictorians and salutatorians?"

• Yes, the students who get the best grade-point average deserve the recognition. 196 votes - 75%
• No, the GPA battle is too cut-throat. Just honor the top 5 percent. 48 votes - 18%
• Who cares? High school is over. 18 votes - 7%

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

New poll results

We've changed our Gradebook poll again today. This time, we're asking your thoughts about the importance of high school honors at graduation time. We appreciate you taking the time to respond.

As for our last poll question - Should students be allowed to have cell phones in school? - here's what you had to say:

• Yes, but they should be off and out of sight during class periods.   136 votes - 58%
• Cell phones? Give 'em a pen, paper and some books and get to educating. 51 votes - 22%
• No, they're disruptive and offer opportunities to cheat. 46 votes - 20%

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

Poll results

By now, perhaps you've noticed our newest addition to the Gradebook, an informal education-related poll in the upper left hand corner. We expect to have polls weekly from now on. Thanks to those of you who participated in the first one. We hope you'll keep on clicking in to share your views.

Here's how the results to our first question - "Should the schools be allowed to have a sanctioned moment of silence in support of gay students?" - turned out:

• No, it's supporting a political agenda and disruptive 188 votes - 52%
• Yes, schools should support freedom of expression 127 votes - 35%
• I'd like to see if schoolkids can stay silent for a while 48 votes - 13%

Now, please let us know what you think on the new subject of cell phones in schools. And if you've got an idea for another question, or any other recommendations for the Gradebook, please send your comments to solochek@sptimes.com.