Scathing Purple Musings
Color me purple in Florida ALL Week
Florida’s Failure to Fund Lawsuit Amended to Include Vouchers, Charter Schools
From Orlando Sentinel reporter Leslie Postal: A sweeping lawsuit that argues Florida failed to adequately fund its public education system should be amended so that the state’s support of voucher programs and charter schools can also be challenged, attorneys for the plaintiffs said today. They have asked the court to allow them to amend the lawsuit, filed in 2009. The lawsuit – with the Orlando-ba
Bobby Jindal Rebukes Jeb Bush on Common Core
I guess he really means it. From CNN reporter Dana Davidsen: Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal said Thursday he’s against Common Core, the academic standards that have many conservatives decrying the program as an overreach of the federal government “I’m against the Common Core, and I don’t want Louisiana to be in the Common Core,” he said to booming applause at the Republican Leadership Conf
MAY 29
Segregation, Conflicts of Interest and Dropping Struggling Students Common in Florida Charter Schools
Diane Ravitch links to a Florida League of Women Voters study which detailed much of what readers of this blog already know about the slimy, corrupt world of Florida’s charter school industry. Approximately one-third of charters are run by for-profit management companies. Many screen students, then drop those who are not successful, which public schools are prohibited from doing. Charters also se
MAY 28
Surrogates Beginning to Flack for Jeb Bush on Common Core
Its begun. Badly needing to talk about something else than Common Core Standards, Jeb Bush’s surrogates have begun to do it for him. Consider a Lloyd Brown piece in Sunshine State News. Brown is a former speechwriter for Bush: After I retired, I worked for him (Bush) briefly and again was impressed. His approach to policy was, “What’s in it for Florida families?” That’s pretty refreshing when the
MAY 27
Feds Warn Charter Schools About Not Serving Special Needs Kids
Writes Chris Staiti for Bloomberg News: U.S. charter schools must provide special-education services and avoid discrimination in admissions, academic services and athletics whether or not they receive federal funding, the Education Department said today. In a “Dear Colleague” letter, the department’s Office for Civil Rights reminded charter school operators of their obligations under federal civi
MAY 26
One Florida Education Foundation Consortiums Advocates for Common Core, While the Other Doesn’t
Tampa Bay Times reporter Jeff Solochek was unable to hide his skepticism in this Gradebook post on today’s release addressing Common Core from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations: The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) has issued a white paper aimed at reminding Floridians why the state adopted the Common Core State Standards and debunking some of the “myths” associated
High-Stakes Tests, English Language Learners and Florida Voucher Expansion
Tampa Tribune reporter Anastasia Dawson is emerging as one of Florida’s top education reporters. Even though FCAT was administered for the last time in March, Dawson writes how one vulnerable group still stands to be imperiled by the state’s end-all mandate of one high-stakes test. ST. PETERSBURG — When Rami Abraham came to the U.S. from Syria in 2007, he was looking to turn his life around, grad
MAY 23
How Vouchers Killed Education Accountability for Florida Taxpayers
Writes Scott Maxwell in the Orlando Sentinel: “The Return of the Living Dead” was a hoot. “Shaun of the Dead” and “Zombieland” perfected the concept of Zom-Coms. And “Warm Bodies” — with its love story between a brain-eater and non-brain-eater — gave us the first truly effective Rom-Zom-Com. Still, despite all the blood, gore and even zombie dogs I’ve seen in my life, one of the most disturbing zo
