The Answer Sheet: Florida and education


Posted at 08:00 AM ET, 01/25/2011

Teaching without classroom teachers
By Valerie Strauss
Florida is the state that keeps on giving, at least to education writers. What it gives to its students is another question. One thing it isn’t giving to all of its students these days is classroom teachers.

By Valerie Strauss  |  08:00 AM ET, 01/25/2011 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  florida, florida education, florida schools, florida virtual school, gov. rick scott, online classes, rick scott, virtual classrooms

Posted at 01:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010

Are Rhee and Florida interested in each other?
By Valerie Strauss
The talk in education circles in Florida is that the governor elect, Rick Scott, may be looking for a new education commission and one name that seems dominant in the discussion is Michelle Rhee, who just resigned as Washington D.C. Schools chancellor.

By Valerie Strauss  |  01:00 AM ET, 11/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Educational leadership | Tags:  arne duncan, florida, florida education, florida education commissioners, florida governor, florida schools, george bush, george w. bush, jeb bush, michelle a. rhee, michelle rhee, rhee, rick scott

Posted at 11:02 AM ET, 07/15/2010

Florida's FCAT scandal -- the next chapter
By Valerie Strauss
Let’s go to Florida for the latest entry in the category of “you can’t make up this stuff.” Here's the latest twist in the scandal over the state's 2010 standardized test scores.

By Valerie Strauss  |  11:02 AM ET, 07/15/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Standardized Tests | Tags:  FCAT, eric smith, florida comprehensive assessment test, florida education department, ncs pearson, pearson and fcats, problems with fcats, standardized tests

Posted at 04:30 PM ET, 04/23/2010

Even more education trouble in Florida
By Valerie Strauss
The Florida Legislature doesn't give up trying to drastically change the public education system: Now it is considering legislation that, if ultimately approved by lawmakers and then the voters in a referendum, would allow direct public funding of religious schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  04:30 PM ET, 04/23/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  Florida and education, Florida and teachers, Florida vouchers, church and state and Florida, referendum on Blaine Amendment and Florida, teachers tenure bill and Florida

Posted at 03:19 PM ET, 04/14/2010

Teasing teachers in Florida
By Valerie Strauss
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has become a big tease, but it’s hard to know if he is teasing teachers or his fellow Republicans in the state Legislature. Crist has until Friday to decide what to do about legislation sent to him that would, among other thing, end teacher tenure in Florida, link teacher pay to student test scores, eliminate experience and advanced degrees as a factor in teacher evaluation, create a slew of new standardized tests for kids to take. If he listens to one person on what to do, it should be the superintendent of Manatee County schools.

By Valerie Strauss  |  03:19 PM ET, 04/14/2010 |  Permalink  |  Comments ( 0)
Categories:  Teachers | Tags:  Bush and teachers, Crist and teachers, Crist and teachers bill, Florida education, Florida school reform, Florida teachers, Florida teachers tenure bill, Jeb Bush, Senate Bill 6, bush and Florida educaiton, bush and teachers bill