In vouchers, No. 1 and climbing

Gov. Charlie Crist has cemented Florida's status as the leading voucher state by expanding the corporate tax credit scholarship program. Crist quietly signed the expansion bill yesterday, according to a press release sent out at 5:50 p.m.

The new law expands the amount corporations can annually contribute to the program from $88 million to $118 million. Supporters say that's enough to give private-school scholarships to another 5,000 low-income kids. The program currently serves about 20,000. (To read more, click here.)

Even before the expansion, Florida was tops among states, with 38,855 voucher recipients, according to the Alliance for School Choice. Pennsylvania is No. 2, with 38,046, followed by Arizona with 27,734.

Also yesterday, Crist signed SB 1908, which among things changes the way high schools will be graded. To read more, see this St. Petersburg Times story here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

It's Charlie's turn to weigh in on FCAT

Gov. Charlie Crist has said in the past that he wants to "tweak" the FCAT and the way it gets used.

Now he has his chance.

Senate Bill 1908, which among other things decreases the importance of FCAT results on the state's grading of high schools, officially hit the governor's desk this morning. The bill also seeks to temper the state's FCAT culture by prohibiting schools from suspending the regular curriculum in favor of test prep.

Educators and lawmakers (even Democrats) have praised the bill as one of the better pieces of education legislation to come out of Tallahassee in a while. Crist has until July 4 to approve or or veto it.

Also on the governor's plate is SB 526, establishing a three-county pilot project that would allow student athletes at private schools to participate in public school sports. Earlier this week, Crist signed:

• HB 623, which requires school districts to consider universal free breakfast programs.
• SB 1906, which creates a pilot program offering high school credit to students in industry certification programs.
• SB 1414, which requires the Department of Education to annually evaluate supplemental education services providers.

The new laws take effect July 1.

Crist signs law creating state college system

Gov. Charlie Crist traveled west to Niceville this afternoon and signed into law the bill (SB 1716) that turns several community colleges including St. Petersburg College into "state colleges," part of a pilot aimed at increasing access to four-year degrees.

Crist signed the legislation while visiting Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, the district of incoming House Speaker Ray Sansom and one of the CC's-turned-state colleges. The legislation establishes the Florida College System and allows, under certain conditions, all 28 community colleges to offer four-year bachelor's degrees in more academic areas than previously allowed. Tuition costs for the degrees are required to be lower than those earned at Florida’s state universities. 

"By creating the Florida College System, we are providing Floridians more opportunities to earn a wide variety of four-year degrees," Crist said.

Leave the ROTC be

There are some places in this country where the ROTC military training program is not allowed in schools. San Francisco, for instance, banned the organization in 2006 as a protest over the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gay service members.

You can count Florida out of that group.

Gov. Charlie Crist has signed legislation, which was unanimously approved in both the House and Senate, that prohibits public school districts, colleges and universities from barring the ROTC program. The new law also requires the schools to grant military recruiters "certain access" to their grounds, students and student records.

The law takes effect July 1. If you want to learn more about it, you can start here. (Photo, Coral Gables High School)

Community colleges, coincidences

Did we miss the news, or have we all failed to connect the dots between two big plans to give community colleges more power?

First, there's the legislation to turn community colleges into "state colleges" with the ability to grant more 4-year degrees. Then there's the proposed constitutional amendment, put on this fall's ballot by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, that would give counties the power to raise local sales taxes for community colleges.

"It's not a coincidence," said Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, told The Gradebook today. "It's well past time that we have done something like this to increase not just funding of community colleges, but to increase the opportunity for citizens and residents to improve themselves through community college education."

Legislative scorecard: The losers

Earlier we told you about the bills that made it to the governor's desk. Here's a list of several of those that didn't get through. We tried to be comprehensive without being overwhelming. Here goes. (Didn't provide the bill links. Why bother? They didn't pass.)

Class size – Though the Legislature did postpone classroom counts by a year in HB 5083, it didn't adopt Rep. David Simmons' proposal to make full implementation more flexible. The bill had the support of several education associations and school districts. It might return next year. (HB 7043)

Evolution – After the State Board of Education approved a new science standard requiring the teaching of evolution as a key concept in biology, the critics went to work in the Legislature. But the Senate and House couldn't get in sync, and the bills died. See our past coverage here. (SB 2692, HB 1483)

65 Percent – The idea of requiring schools to spend at least 65 percent of their operating budgets in the classroom has yet to gain traction among lawmakers. (HB 1463) That did not, however, stop the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission from putting the idea on the November ballot, paired with vouchers, of all things.

Dress code – Lawmakers might not like it when kids wear their pants so low that everyone can see their underwear. But they didn't muster enough votes to stop it. (SB 302, HB 335)

Governance – Senate president Ken Pruitt wanted to rein in the Board of Governors. He threw in the idea of having voters again elect the education commissioner, a House initiative over the past few years. (See story here.) But the House didn't bite. (SJR 2308)

Legislative scorecard: The winners

The Florida Legislature has finished up, leaving a long trail of education bills in its wake. School districts and the Department of Education will spend the next several months trying to make heads and tails of the measures that the governor approves. Here's our best review of the acts that look headed to becoming law. Later, we'll look at the proposals that didn't make it.

The biggie is SB 1908, which tackles accountability testing and standards. The bill includes the "world class" standards that House Speaker Marco Rubio sought but didn't get last year. It also deemphasizes the role of the FCAT in grading high schools, adding other factors such as graduation rates into the mix. It sets a later date to administer the FCAT, begins the process of creating end-of-course exams to supplement the FCAT in high schools, and bans the suspension of the regular curriculum to prepare for the FCAT. It's perhaps the one education bill that even Democrats liked.

Another key bill strengthens the penalties for teacher misconduct, a major issue statewide that's grown in importance here in the Tampa Bay area with the advent of so many teachers getting arrested for inappropriate relations with students lately. (SB 1712)

Lawmakers decided to expand on their physical education mandate, requiring middle schools to provide at least one daily class period of PE for one semester each year. (Families can opt out if they wish.) And in a slap to elementary schools that seemed not to understand that 30 minutes of daily activity at the elementary level means "consecutive" minutes, the legislation makes that abundantly clear, to the annoyance of many educators who already feel under the gun to meet all the other state education mandates. (SB 610)

Despite complaints that the state should not expand vouchers while cutting public school funding, the Legislature expanded by $30-million a year the corporate income tax credit scholarships that give students tuition for private schools. (HB 653)

In a budget enabling bill, lawmakers gutted the merit pay program that teachers like best. They eliminated state payments for application for National Board certification, and cut funding for the National Board certified teachers' mentoring bonus. The bill also delays implementation of classroom counts for class-size amendment by one year, reduces the local capital outlay millage by 0.25 mills and requires districts to reuse building designs. (HB 5083)

And proving the third time is indeed a charm, the Senate finally allowed through an anti-bullying bill that requires schools to ban harassment of students. (HB 669)

But wait. There's more.

Ethics, school grades bills head to governor

The Senate's education train never made it to the station, but the cars are arriving one by one.

A bill (SB 1712) aimed at making it harder for teachers found guilty of misconduct with students to remain teachers in Florida has finally won approval as a stand-alone piece of legislation, rather than as part of a train bill. The Senate unanimously accepted the House amended version this afternoon. It next heads to Gov. Crist for his signature.

A bill (SB 1908) that would reduce the amount that FCAT results count in grading high schools also won unanimous Senate approval and will go to the governor for his signature into law. This bill also includes a mandate for enhanced "next generation" education standards - a priority of House Speaker Marco Rubio - and a prohibition of what's been deemed "FCAT frenzy."

Expansion of the corporate income tax credit scholarship program continues to bounce in the Legislature as it heads ever closer to sine die.

UPDATE: The "P.E. bill" (SB 610) that expands a physical education course requirement into middle schools, and clarifies that the 30 minutes of daily physical education in elementary schools be "consecutive," also has passed both houses. School districts have expressed their displeasure with this bill.

UPDATE 2: The Senate adopted the House version of SB 653, which expands corporate income tax credit scholarships, which many consider vouchers.

Class size, Excellent Teaching changes approved

The Senate has approved a conference report that will push off implementation of the class-size amendment at the classroom level for one year, giving districts limited flexibility they had sought in putting the 2002 voter mandate into effect. The bill, approved by the House late Thursday, does not make any substantive, long-range changes to the class-size requirements that the House had pursued throughout the session.

The measure also solidifies the Legislature's decision to eliminate mentoring bonuses for National Board certified teachers, and to get rid of application support for teachers seeking that certification. It further codifies the move of .25 mills of capital outlay local tax rate into districts' operational budget tax rate. To see HB 5083, click here.

Train wreck?

The Florida House showed just what it thought of Sen. Don Gaetz's effort to tie together a string of education reforms late Thursday, when it stripped out all of the Senate language and inserted its own set of legislation instead.

Gone were sweeping changes to school grading, corporate income tax credit scholarships, education standards and ethics. In their place appeared proposals on gifted education, the mandatory school age, workforce readiness and teacher certification. (See the latest version here.)

Also still in limbo is a promise to give school districts flexibility on implementing the class-size amendment.  SB 1756, which aimed to delay classroom counts by at least a year, passed both houses unanimously. But the versions differed, and a consensus has yet to emerge from conference.

It's the class-size measure that has districts most concerned, as budgets are tight and many leaders say they don't see how they can continue to meet the amendment's demands while also shrinking their spending.

The House is meeting now. The Senate goes into session at 10 a.m. Today's the last day. Will these measures live or die? Wait and see.

A busy morning

The Florida House spent much of this morning approving several education bills. They included:

• SB 1908, amends the school grading system
• SB 1652, setting charter school accountability standards
• SB 186, creating the University of South Florida at Lakeland
• HB 893, setting the annual school supplies sales tax holiday
• SB 1276, relating to the cost of day labor for school construction
• SB 1906, creating a pilot project in which students could earn high school credit in industry certification programs
• SB 1414, requiring the grading of supplemental academic tutoring providers
• SB 526, establishing a pilot project in three counties allowing private school students to participate in public school athletics, if their private school does not offer the sport

Looking for controversy in these measures? It wasn't the school grading item or the charter school accountability measure. It came on the athletics item, which passed 75-41 after many members (mostly Democrats) blasted the idea for a variety of reasons, ranging from a lack of budget impact information to the potential for fraud. The bill passed after sponsor Aaron Bean's closing comments, including, "Is there anything more sad than a kid who wants to play ball but can't?"

"Please pray"

The Florida Prayer Network has sent out an urgent alert, asking Floridians to "please pray" for its top two remaining priorities in the Legislature -  SB 2400, which would require an ultrasound before all abortions, and SB 2692/HB 1483, which would allow public school teachers to "teach a balanced view" of evolution.

"At this point in the session, most of the grassroots lobbying efforts have been completed and we continue to work with individual legislators as necessary," the alert says. "Both these important measures hang in the balance over the next three days. We call upon you to join us in praying for passage of these two critical bills before the end of session this Friday, May 2, 2008. You have done great work contacting legislators when we ask you to do that.  Now the remainder is out of our hands."

Not sure exactly what to pray for? The group has some recommendations. For the ultrasound bill, the group asks that people "pray that the Florida Senate will bring the bill to a vote and that it will pass the Senate; pray for wisdom for the bill sponsors, Senator Daniel Webster and Representative Trey Traviesa; (and) pray that both the House and Senate will reach agreement and pass the bill."

For the "academic freedom" bills, the group asks that people "pray that a difference in bill language between the House and the Senate will resolved quickly (and) pray for wisdom for the bill sponsors, Senator Ronda Storms and Representative Alan Hays."

Voucher bill wins House nod

Legislation that would vastly expand the state's corporate income tax credit scholarship program, adding $30-million to the budget, passed out of the House on an 86-30 vote. A House analysis projects the measure would save the state $5.7-million in fiscal 2009 by decreasing the number of students in the public school system.

A similar bill is moving through the Senate. Critics have blasted the underlying concept of growing the program at a time when lawmakers are reducing public education funding by about $1-billion. But those arguments have yet to carry much sway in the halls of Tallahassee.

Notably, eight of the 18 members of the Black Caucus - Oscar Braynon II, Ronald Brise, Jennifer Carroll, Charles Chestnut IV, Terry Fields, Matt Meadows, Daryl Rouson and Betty Reed - supported the bill. Five other Democrats - Bill Heller, Janet Long, Ron Saunders, Michael Scionti and Darren Soto - also backed the legislation. Not a single Dem backed the program when it was first created in 2001.

Evolution bill passes House, back to Senate

The bill requiring that teachers present a "scientific critical analysis" of the theory of evolution just passed the Florida House on a 71-43 vote, despite concerns from opponents who say it isn't necessary and will allow the teaching of religious theories like creationism and intelligent design in public schools.

"A true scientist is searching for the truth, and that's what this is encouraging," said bill sponsor Alan Hays, R-Umatilla.

"This bill is basically playing meatball surgery with our science curriculum," said Minority leader Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach. "We should get on to more pressing issues in our state."

But the version that passed the House is markedly different from the Evolution Academic Freedom Act (SB2692) that narrowly passed the Senate last week, leaving its fate in doubt.

The House legislation now goes back to the Senate for consideration, but the Senate already rejected Sen. Ronda Storms' attempts to make her bill look like the House's.

Moreover, it's the final days of session so time is running out. "Tick, tick, tick, tick," Storms acknowledged last week.

Legg drops school board recall proposal

State Rep. John Legg thought it would be easy to change Florida law to allow voters to recall school board members who aren't up to snuff. Turns out to be a more complicated effort than the Pasco lawmaker expected.

"It would require a constitutional amendment due to the fact that they are constitutional officers," Legg explained in an e-mail to the Gradebook. "Thus, a recall provision must require a change in the state constitution."

He hasn't abandoned the idea entirely, though. "I would support us allowing all elected officers to be under a recall provision," Legg wrote. "It may be a bill for another year, but too heavy for an amendment (to pending legislation)."

They might be portable, but ...

The "relocatable" classrooms might not be going anywhere for a while, if lawmakers follow through with growth management legislation (SB 474/HB 7129) that's moving through the Florida House and Senate.

The bills primarily deal with things involving comprehensive plans. But buried within them is a provision that could make the portables permanent for a long time.

Down on line 1605 of the Senate version (and line 1364 of the House bill) appear these words:

A school district that includes relocatables in its inventory of student stations shall include relocatables in its calculation of capacity for purposes of determining whether levels of service have been achieved.

Translation: Schools would have to count portables while figuring out if they meet class-size requirements. Which essentially means that districts that are trying to build new schools to cope with the amendment, plus also to get rid of portables - remember when they were a bad thing, back in the Chiles administration? - might find it tougher to win approval for the construction.

Well, the Orlando Sentinel reports that these bills might get snagged on some other contentious points. But for now, at least, they warrant some additional attention.

House advances different version of evolution bill

The House moved forward its own version of the "evolution academic freedom" act today, taking the Senate's bill number and striking all the Senate language in favor of its own. Sponsor Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, accepted an amendment from Rep. Marty Kiar, D-Davie, changing the language from requiring a "critical analysis" of evolution to require a "thorough presentation and scientific critical analysis" of the theory of evolution.

Kiar had argued that the bill as originally presented would have been unconstitutional, because it would mandate the introduction of all points critical of evolution, including religious points. He and others argued over and again that religion belongs in the place of worship, not in a classroom.

The debate was spirited, much along the same lines as that in the Senate. Hays ended by asking critics, "Why are you so afraid of scientific scrutiny if you're so confident in your theory?" He rejected the talk of pushing religion into schools as "hot air."

"This does not allow for religious teaching in the classroom. Again, ladies and gentlemen, it's about academic freedom," Hays said. The bill moved ahead to third reading, which cannot be amended. Key senators have indicated they did not expect to take up the measure again if it drastically differs from their already approved bill.

See the bill's progress here. To see the reaction from the Florida Citizens for Science, click here.

Just to be clear

Lawmakers pushing for teachers to have the "academic freedom" to explore all aspects of the theory of evolution continually say that they're not trying to open the door to teaching creationism or Intelligent Design in public schools.

State Rep. Marty Kiar (left), D-Davie, wants to hold them to their word. Kiar has proposed an amendment to the House version of the bill, which could come up for debate in the House on Friday. It add this to the legislation:

The provisions of this section shall not permit any member of the instructional staff of a public school to teach or promote any religious doctrine, teach or promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or teach or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion.

Regardless of whether this proposal passes, the whole issue looks to be in jeopardy as the House version differs greatly from the Senate bill, which already has won approval. The Senate refused an amendment to make its bill in line with the one in the House, and as Sen. Stephen Wise told the Herald-Tribune, House sponsor Rep. Alan Hays "must be hitting the sauce if he thinks he's going to send the bill back here."

UPDATE: Kiar withdrew his amendment about an hour after this post went up. He still has two other amendments filed for the bill.

"Evolution Academic Freedom" bill passes Senate

The Florida Senate has approved legislation that would allow public school teachers "to objectively present scientific information relevant to the full range of scientific views regarding chemical and biological evolution." The 21-17 vote showed most Democrats opposed and most Republicans in favor.

GOP senators Paula Dockery of Lakeland, Dennis Jones of Seminole, Jim King of Jacksonville, Evelyn Lynn of Ormond Beach and Mike Bennett of Bradenton voted no. Democrat Gary Siplin of Orlando voted yes.

During debate, Democrats saw the bill as a way to get religion into schools, with little to do with science or the standards that the State Board of Education approved earlier this year.

"This bill is not really about evolution. It's not really about academic freedom, either," said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa. "It's about a desire to open up the controversy of teaching creationism in the public schools."

Republicans who spoke rejected that notion. Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said the bill does not either require the teaching of creationism or ban the teaching of evolution. Rather, he said, it opens the door for debate.

Support a teacher? Maybe not

The Florida Legislature's plan to cut funding for National Board certified teachers hasn't gone down well with Pasco school leaders. The district relies on the mentors to help new teachers, superintendent Heather Fiorentino said. Without the state money backing teachers' applications or paying the bonuses, School Board member Marge Whaley suggested, teacher participation is likely to fall off.

The prospect of losing "one of the most effective programs we have" disturbed School Board chairwoman Kathryn Starkey so much that she proposed an adopt-a-teacher plan: "What do you think about putting a call-out to the community to sponsor a teacher? Put me down as the first one."

To be sure Starkey understood how much that might cost, assistant superintendent Sandy Ramos gave a partial description of the amount at stake. The state covers the $2,250 application fee as well as a mentoring bonus of about $4,000, both of which the Legislature would do away with.

Starkey smiled and blushed a bit. "Okay, well, forget about that," she said, quickly abandoning her idea. "Hopefully it's just zeroed out for one year."

Class size changes on the way

Before the House went into meltdown mode over an FCAT bill this morning, members unanimously approved a bill that would modify the way the state implements the 2002 class-size amendment.

Crafted by Rep. David Simmons, who has tried for years to scale back the voter mandate's financial effect, the measure also has won support from several education organizations including the Florida Education Association, the Florida School Boards Association and the state PTA.

If ultimately adopted by the Senate and signed by the governor, the bill would retain the class-size counts as required by the amendment. But it would offer flexibility to schools, so they would not have to realign classes every time a newly enrolled student pushes a classroom over the cap (18 in kindergarten through grade 3, 22 in grades 4-8, and 25 in high schools).

Throwing fuel on the fire

As if the issue of evolution hasn't been controversial enough in Florida, two state senators have moved to fan the flames by proposing a sex ed amendment to the "academic freedom" bill that's scheduled for second reading on the Senate floor today.

Riffing off the question of why some lawmakers have singled out evolution for special treatment in law, senators Ted Deutch (left) and Nan Rich have pitched the concept that teachers who instruct the equally contentious subject of sex education might deserve similar protection as those who raise questions about the origin of species.

Their amendment states, in part:

A public school teacher in the state's K-12 school system may not be disciplined, denied tenure, terminated, or otherwise discriminated against for objectively presenting scientific information relevant to the full range of scientific views regarding biological or chemical evolution and comprehensive sexual education that is age-appropriate and factual in connection with teaching any prescribed curriculum regarding chemical or biological evolution and any prescribed abstinence-only curriculum regarding human sexuality, respectively.

Deutch's own bill requiring schools to teach medically accurate, factual and age-appropriate sex education curriculum has shown no sign of life in committees. So why not try to attach the concept, which Republicans seem to dislike, onto the evolution bill that so many Democrats disdain, right? (Deutch was the lone nay vote on the evolution bill when it passed the Senate Education committee.)

The poison pill is not likely to win adoption. But it's entertaining to note. UPDATE: The amendment failed on voice vote.

UPDATE 2: After some spirited debate, the highlight of which was sponsor Sen. Ronda Storms answering in several ways except "yes" or "no" to the question whether Intelligent Design could be taught under her bill, the legislation was moved ahead for its third and final reading.

A Wise proposal

State Sen. Stephen Wise is working on a far-reaching plan to offer full college scholarships to every sixth grader in Florida who graduates from high school. It would be funded in part from Florida Lottery and gambling proceeds, and through voluntary donations from utility customers, according to details he offered yesterday in a brief presentation to the state Board of Education.

"We'd give kids hope," said Wise, a Jacksonville Republican who chairs the Senate Education Appropriations Committee.

Under the proposal, sixth graders would benefit from a Florida pre-paid college tuition plan if they stay on the straight and narrow and graduate. Wise said he's already shared his plan with the governor's office. He asked board members to study it and get back to him with recommendations.

Judging by the board's glowing response, and Wise's influence in the Legislature, we'll be hearing a lot more about this one in the future.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Bills on standards, school choice march on

A bill to expand Florida's corporate income tax credit scholarship program to thousands more low-income students sailed through its final Senate committee stop on its way to the floor. Only Sen. Larcenia Bullard,  a Miami Democrat, opposed the measure, saying she could not condone taking money away from the public school system at a time when budgets already are forcing major reductions in education funding.

But sponsor Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, insisted that the proposal would not take money from schools. In fact, he said, it would save the state millions as it funds the scholarships at 60 percent of the cost of per-student funding for public schools. Moreover, he added, an amendment by Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, would limit the program budget to its 2009-10 level until further analysis can be completed.

"This is not an effort to provide help to the elite," Gaetz said. "This is not some way to benefit private schools. ... Many of these families reach into their own pockets and do second jobs and third jobs to be sure they can take advantage of the program."

He urged the Education Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee to give more poor families the opportunity to have real education choices. All but Bullard voted for the bill.

The committee also unanimously approved a bill that would set the "Sunshine State Standards 2.0" similar to a measure promoted in the House. The bill promotes end-of-course exams for high school students and also would ban schools from suspending the regular curriculum to teach FCAT skills.

To see the full meeting packet, click here.

Darwin, Hitler and the Anti-Defamation League

It didn't do any good last week, but it should not be overlooked that the Anti-Defamation League opposes the "academic freedom" bills now moving with ease through the Florida Legislature.

The legislation "should be rejected because it would impede our children's understanding of science and the scientific method in an increasingly science and technology-oriented word," said Andrew Rosenkranz, ADL's Florida regional director, in a statement issued before the House Schools & Learning Council passed the bill Friday in a 7-4 party-line vote.

The ADL's position is especially significant given its core mission of fighting anti-Semitism, and attempts by some evolution opponents to link Darwin and Hitler.

St. Petersburg City Councilman Bill Foster made that pitch three months ago, and actor Ben Stein does so in his movie, "Expelled," which is set for national release on Friday.

In a related development, the Florida Citizens for Science blog issued a "public challenge" yesterday to Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, chief sponsor of the House bill. Hays and other supporters have repeatedly said the bills have nothing to do with religion, but with a desire to present critical, scientific analyses of evolution.

So, FCS asks: "Give examples of critical analysis of evolution that have no religious connotations and are also legitimate, up-to-date scientific ideas. If Hays refuses to give a straight answer, or even worse cites discredited, unscientific ideas, then the intent of these bills is questionable at best and the bills needs to be dropped."

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Legg: Let voters recall board members

He didn't call it the Cathi Martin amendment.

But state Rep. John Legg (left), R-New Port Richey, certainly had the Pasco County School Board member (right) in mind Friday when he introduced legislation that would allow voters to recall elected school board members.

"It has come to my attention through recent events and through researching statutes that school board members can't be recalled anywhere in Florida. I don't think that's right," said Legg, who proposed his idea as an amendment to a bill called the "Ethics in Education" act. "It came to my attention because of Cathi Martin. ... I heard about it when folks were trying to recall her."

Members of the Pasco Republican Executive Committee looked into how they might get Martin removed from office back in May 2007, after the Times reported that Martin had missed more than half of the board's meetings since her 2006 reelection to a third term. (See related story here.) They gave up after learning that only the governor has the authority to remove constitutional officers, but pledged to pursue the issue with local lawmakers.

The conversations stuck with Legg, who suggested that if educators are to be held to a higher ethical standard, so, too, should School Board members.

Pasco GOP chairman Bill Bunting praised the effort.

"I hope it gets legs up there,” Bunting said of the legislation, which Legg withdrew for further review leading to another meeting next week. "It isn't just a bill. It's we the people. They forget when they ask, 'Can I vote by proxy from my house?' ... (Martin) raised the awareness."

See tomorrow's St. Petersburg Times or tampabay.com for the full story.

"Academic freedom" bill clears first House hurdle

The bill that has drawn criticism and praise for its effort to permit Florida teachers to challenge the theory of evolution in the classroom this morning won approval in the first of two House council stops before heading to the House floor.

The proposal - a stripped down version of the similar measure that remains pending in the Senate - passed the Schools and Learning Council along strictly partisan lines. So far, no Republican lawmakers have voted against it.

During the hearing, sponsor Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, offered more generic language than initially proposed, hoping to blunt some of the criticism that the legislation aimed to create a wedge that paves the way for creationism to be taught in science classes. His new bill calls for teachers to have room to critically analyze the theory of evolution without fear of reprisal.

Rep. Marty Kiar, D-Davie, still questioned whether the amended version wouldn't open the door to religion being taught, suggesting an opposing view to evolution clearly is creationism. "I am a staunch, diehard Catholic. But I believe I should get my religion at church," Kiar said. This bill "practically mandates" the teaching of creationism.

"Don't try to read something in there that isn't already there," Hays said. "It's direct and to the point. Any good science theory that is a valid theory should be able to withstand a critical analysis."

Will it prohibit teaching creationism, Kiar countered.

"The Supreme Court has said you can't teach religion in the public schools," Hays responded.

National Board certification facing cutbacks

The House just voted 71-37 for a bill (5083) that education officials say will eventually do away with the state's popular bonus program for National Board-certified teachers by diluting incentives to teachers. The Senate passed a similar bill yesterday, with a 35-1 vote.

The legislation does away with a bonus for certified teachers who mentor other educators, as well as a $2,250 application fee subsidy for teachers who pursue the certification. The Senate version is even more controversial and opposed by the FEA because it limits the annual 10 percent bonus for board-certified teachers to one 10-year period.

About 10,000 teachers benefited from the program this year, at a cost of $88-million to the state. The changes would cut the state's tab by $41-million next year.

For previous posts on this subject, click here and here.

Let's talk about evolution

Hoping to stave off "legislative threats" to Florida's new science curriculum - particularly the sections dealing with evolution of species - the Florida Citizens for Science will have a public roundtable discussion about the issue at 7 p.m. Monday in Tallahassee. The forum will include some high-profile panelists who will "address why the so-called 'Evolution Academic Freedom Act' introduced in the state House and Senate is bad for science education in Florida and the growth of Florida's economy," the group's press release states.

The speakers include FSU chemistry professor Dr. Harold Kroto, winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize in chemistry, and ACLU of Pennsylvania legal director Vic Walczak, who won the landmark Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case that challenged the teaching of intelligent design in public schools.

The event, to be held at Challenger Learning Center, Digital Dome/Planetarium, 200 South Duval Street, is free and open to the public. And as for Ben Stein's showing of his documentary "Expelled," lawmakers are invited "and encouraged" to attend.

Florida Citizens for Science announced the roundtable after the "academic freedom" bill passed its final Senate committee on its way to the floor. A companion bill in the House has not received any hearings.

Still waiting

Sen. Stephen Wise (left) told lobbyists for the Florida Education Association and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards that he'd quickly get with them to see if they couldn't work out some agreement over funding bonuses for National Board-certified teachers.

Wise had just won unanimous approval for a bill (SB 1746) that would cut - some would say gut - the budget for the 10-year-old program that rewards teachers who successfully complete a rigorous national certification process.

A week later, the teachers' representatives were still waiting.

So much to do, so little time

There's been much criticism lately of the state mandate that elementary school students get 30 minutes of daily physical activity. It's not the requirement that has gotten the attention, but rather the way schools have "creatively" gotten around it.

To solve the problem, lawmakers have introduced legislation that would have schools offer "30 consecutive minutes" of P.E., or what House sponsor Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, termed "a legitimate 30 minutes." The bill also would have middle schools provide that daily period of physical activity, beginning in 2009. Middle school parents could waive the requirement for their children.

Lawmakers - as well as many education and health groups - see the benefits of getting today's Nintendo and McDonald's generation up and moving. But even as they moved the bill forward this morning, some key members on the House Schools and Learning Council signaled they might not support it on the floor over some concerns that they're asking schools to cram too much into the six-period day.

"We can't keep putting requirements on our teachers and principals and expect them to achieve high academic standards unless we add another period to the school day," said Rep. John Legg, R-New Port Richey, who runs a charter school.

What's not there

As you check out the calendars for this week's action in Tallahassee, you might be struck by two glaring absences.

First, the Senate Education Pre-K-12 committee isn't scheduled to convene. All the other education-related Senate panels are getting together, but check under Don Gaetz's committee notices and it says "04/08/2008, 03:15 P.M., Not Meeting."

There's plenty of unsettled business here. What's going on?

Consider this: Much of that unfinished business is coming from the House, where members have not taken up all of the Senate's education pet projects or, if they have, they've got different specifics in play. This could be the first round of political gamesmanship, where they start trading this idea for that one. Wait and see.

Second, the House Schools and Learning Council has not placed Rep. Alan Hays' "academic freedom" bill (HB 1483) on its agenda, which is expected to be its last of the session. If the bill doesn't get a vote coming out of the council, it can't go to the House floor. (Though that doesn't stop the House from taking up the Senate version, if it ever gets sent over.)

One key education lawmaker in the House tells the Gradebook that many council members think the State Board of Education's action of adding evolution to the science standards as a "scientific theory" is quite sufficient and no further action is needed. (For more on that whole matter, see our many past posts here.) But recall Speaker Marco Rubio said back in February that he expected the battle to go on in the House.

Has Rubio relented? Is the fight over evolution in the school curriculum over (for now)? Again, wait and see.

Surprise for National Board-certified teachers

Word already was on the streets that Florida lawmakers planned to eliminate the mentoring bonus that National Board-certified teachers could get, as one of many budget cutting measures. A bill that some contended would gut the entire bonus program caught many off guard.

SB 1746, which passed the Senate Pre-K-12 Education Appropriations Committee this morning, would end the state's payment of 90 percent of teachers' applications to the program and the $150 payment for portfolio preparation. The state would stop paying into the Florida retirement system for the incentive. And it would allow National Board-certified teachers to receive the bonuses for only 10 years.

About that idea to pay kids for good scores ...

... Forget it.

The idea of giving students $50 awards for strong marks on a variety of high-level exams - touted by folks like Jeb Bush and put into a bill by Education Committee chair Anitere Flores - is not going to move through the Legislature, House Schools and Learning Council chairman Joe Pickens tells the Gradebook.

"We're not doing that," Pickens said. "I don't think we should be paying students to do that, especially in this type of budget year."

Key parts of the legislation dealing with remediation and dual enrollment will find their way into more acceptable bills, the powerful chairman said. But schools and parents need to find other ways to motivate their kids to learn and do well in school.

"I just think we ought to do better than that" bill, Pickens said.

Not today

When the House Schools and Learning Council meets this morning, it won't be taking up Rep. Alan Hays' "academic freedom" bill relating to the origin of species. The legislation, which already has been heavily amended as it moves through the Senate, has yet to receive one hearing on the House side, and the Legislature wraps at the end of the month.

Don't read much into this lack of action.

The council has one more meeting planned, and chairman Joe Pickens tells the Gradebook that the bill isn't dead yet.

"We still may hear something," Pickens says, adding that he plans to consult Speaker Marco Rubio on the issue. "It's not determined. It's definitely not a 'no' yet."

He noted that the House doesn't have an Ethics in Education bill similar to the one that won Senate approval last week. Yet the chamber expects to take up the measure, which would impose harsher sanctions on teachers convicted of misconduct against students. It's just waiting for the Senate to send it over.

In other words, don't think of the remaining three weeks as a short time, but rather as a period where anything can happen.

(Image from BBC.com)

Of sex ed, start dates and twins

The Senate's K-12 panel today shot down Sen. Bill Posey's bill to allow school districts to start high school earlier each year. A 2006 law mandated the school year to start two weeks before Labor Day. The Rockledge Republican had revived his failed bill from 2007, with a few tweaks. It still failed 4-1 this afternoon.

School officials asked for more flexibility, because later start dates push final exams past the winter holiday  and mash schedules. But lobbyists for the tourism and restaurant industry opposed the bill because they want a longer summer to boost revenues into August. They had won the mandated date two years ago.

Bills on vouchers, anti-bullying clear hurdles

A piece of legislation that would greatly expand Florida's school choice programs took another step forward today. On a largely partisan vote, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed, the House Policy and Budget Council approved HB 653, which would allow more low-income students to participate in the Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship program.

Democrats argued that the bill ignores the larger problems in public education, and it takes money away from the system at a time when money is short. "If we want to fix this (education system), let's do it right," said Rep. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall of Miami.

Republicans saw it as a matter of parental choice and improved education options, one that might save money, too. "This program provides the means to those parents that are underprivileged ... to go to a school of their choosing at a fraction of the cost of FTE," said Rep. Kevin Ambler of Lutz. "This is the exact right time to be extending a program like this."

The bill next heads to the House floor.

The House Schools and Learning Council also moved forward an anti-bullying bill (HB 669)that the House has approved twice before. To read an interview with the mom who's pushing for the legislation, click here.

Private school kids might get to play public school ball

You send your child to a private school. You like the school's academic program, or its religious focus, or some other aspect. What you don't like is that the school doesn't offer the sports program that your child adores. What's a parent to do?

If a bill moving through both the Florida House and Senate keeps gaining support, the answer would be, choose both. HB  1481 and SB 526 would  allow you to keep your football loving son, or weightlifting prodigy daughter, in private school while having him or her play for the local public high school.

Of course, the legislation raises concerns about recruiting violations. Consider, for instance, the fullback who can't pass the FCAT and then moves to a private school that has neither the FCAT nor football. He could return to the field for the team he just left. There's also the question of whether the private school student could use public school choice to transfer to any school in the district for athletics. And another issue is whether public school students could take part in programs that private schools offer but the publics don't.

Members of the House Schools and Learning Council, which approved the measure 14-1 this morning, said such matters could be smoothed out in amendments before the bill gets to the floor. Sponsor Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, said he would work to fine-tune the bill with the Florida High School Athletic Association "so we can limit the abuses but truly let the kids play ball."

Said council chairman Joe Pickens, "It's a wonderful concept, as long as adults don't abuse it."

(Times photo, 2007)

Saggy pants drag on

First, a crusade against saggy pants in school. Now a crusade against the crusade.

State Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, has been making eyes roll with his bill to criminalize pants so saggy they show skivvies, dubbing his legislation "pro-family, pro-education and pro-employment." Now the NAACP and the ACLU are stepping into the fray.

The two groups are holding a press conference in Tallahassee today to denounce Siplin's bill as "nonsensical" and then some. A press release they issued said advocacy groups nationwide are "outraged" because the bill would "provide a new and unnecessary avenue of interaction between young people and the criminal justice system."

"School suspension is a violation of probation, either Department of Juvenile Justice probation or court supervised probation," the statement continues. "Therefore, this legislation would possibly flood the already overworked juvenile probation officers and the courts with additional violation hearings."

Believe it or not, Gov. Crist actually weighed in on this. For that, see our sister blog The Buzz here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter (Image from ABC News)

Hey kid, pull up your pants

Our sister blog the Buzz reports that the Florida Senate has indeed approved a bill that would ban students from wearing low-hung pants that show their underwear. It passed 28-11.

Those who voted against talked about several reasons, from not wanting to micro-manage school districts to not wanting to over-legislate dress codes. Voting against were Democrats Nan Rich, Charlie Justice, Ted Deutch, Arthenia Joyner and Republicans Don Gaetz, Dennis Jones, Victor Crist, Charlie Dean, Paula Dockery, Steve Oelrich and Alex Villalobos.

The bill still must make its way through the House, where it is scheduled to be heard by the Schools and Learning Council.

Those who voted against talked about several reasons, from not wanting to micro-manage school districts to not wanting to over-legislate dress codes. Voting against were Democrats Nan Rich, Charlie Justice, Ted Deutch, Arthenia Joyner and Republicans Don Gaetz, Dennis Jones, Victor Crist, Charlie Dean, Paula Dockery, Steve Oelrich and Alex Villalobos.

Keep your pants on