Monday, March 30, 2009

FSCA Legislative Update March 30, 2009

DECISION NEARS REGARDING FLORIDA ELIGIBILITY FOR STIMULUS FINDING

 

The Secretary said this week that Florida should know within the next couple of weeks if it will be eligible to receive funding under the federal stimulus plan. The state must submit a request for a waiver from a stimulus requirement that would otherwise bar the state from receiving these funds because its funding for education has declined so much in the past few years. Florida officials expect to submit the waiver request as soon as the application becomes available. The U.S. Department of Education now expects that applications will be made available on Monday.

 

* * * * *

 

ADDITIONAL IDEA AND TITLE I-A GRANT FUNDS SOON TO FLOW

 

Stimulus-funded IDEA applications are available to Florida school districts in draft form now, and districts are working on their proposals. Stimulus-funded Title I, Part A applications will soon be available. For each grant funding stream, there are numerous and complex decisions yet to be made regarding eligibility, maintenance of effort, equitable provision of services, supplanting rules and principles, and transparency and accountability requirements. The principal investigators for these federal-through-state grant programs are under extraordinary pressure to devise very complicated plans in a very brief period of time, so be patient with them as they work through a volatile situation.

 

* * * * *

 

FLORIDA SENATE AND FLORIDA HOUSE CONSIDER USE OF STIMULUS FUNDS IN FY10 BUDGET

 

The Florida Senate's Education Appropriations committee included anticipated revenues from a deal with Seminole casinos and $865 million in anticipated federal stimulus funds in its most current version of an FY10 budget for education. The proposal prohibits districts from awarding continuing contracts to new employees hired with non-recurring funds, and removes state requirements for districts to honor out-of-state teaching experience for salary purposes. The proposed budget leverages federal funding and increases in discretionary local millage to hold total education funding more or less flat from the third quarter FY09 calculation. The proposal places limits on administrative contracts and prohibits out-of-state travel unless specifically approved by a school board. The Senate committee proposal holds class size reduction calculations at the school level for an additional year, and clarifies that charter schools must comply with the constitutional limits on class size. The Senate committee proposal provides more flexibility in several capital and operating budget areas, a provision long-sought by school districts. The MAP and Excellent Teaching programs were merged with local flexibility. School recognition funds were cut by more than half and Teachers Lead funding was eliminated in the proposal.

 

See the current Senate committee budget proposal at http://www.flsenate.gov/data/committees/Senate/meeting_packets/EA.pdf

 

After much discussion, the House finally consented to include anticipated federal stimulus in its budget proposal. A House proposal will likely be released next week, and the level of per-student funding is expected to be considerably lower, perhaps 10%. However, many regard the House accession to the use of stimulus money to be helpful to schools.

 

See Sun-Sentinel article at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flfbudget0327pnmar27,0,606211.story

 

* * * * *

 

MINOR CHARTER SCHOOL BILL SUDDENLY CHANGES TO MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITY BILL

 

In an startling bit of legislative legerdemain, the entire text and purpose of HB 991 has been changed. Originally written to give the now-defunct Florida Schools of Excellence Commission a new purpose to exist, the bill now vastly revises the state school accountability plan by essentially writing the current differentiated accountability plan (currently an amalgam of grant agreements and state rules) into law. The current differentiated accountability plan only applies to Title I schools, but all public schools and public charter schools would be held to the same standards under the proposed law. The intervention and restructuring requirements placed on Title I schools under NCLB would now be imposed on all schools under this proposed state law. School grade calculations would also change to include subgroup determinations consistent with NCLB's AYP calculations.

 

The bill essentially imposes Title I accountability standards on all schools without providing any commensurate funding for those schools to meet the higher standards. It is not clear why or how the committee determined that these proposed first-in-the-nation changes would create no fiscal impact.

 

The replacement bill text was approved by the House PK-12 Education Policy Committee on March 25th.

 

* * * * *

 

VOTERS MAY DECIDE ON COMBINED CLASS SIZE AND PENNY SALES TAX MEASURE

 

Added to the current debate on a proposed three-year one-cent sales tax for education and a possible referendum to amend the state's constitutional class size requirements is a new idea that combines both approaches. There is now some discussion to allow voters to see a single amendment that both modifies the class size rules and imposes a permanent one-cent sales tax for education. The idea is being floated as a way for both parties to get at ideas they each champion. The concept is only possible because the legislature is free to propose constitutional amendments that deal with several topics, but citizen-initiated proposals can only address a single issue.

 

See St. Petersburg Times article at http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article987185.ece

 

* * * * *

 

RUNNING THE NUMBERS

1. Number of consecutive years in which the rate of students not promoted has decreased in Florida: 5

 

2. Percentage by which boys are more often not promoted than girls in Florida: 50

 

3. Average annual salary for a K-12 classroom teacher in Florida as of 2008: 46,930

 

4. Number of veterans soon to be eligible for GI Bill benefits at Florida colleges and universities: 41,000

 

5. Number of principals Pasco's Moon Lake Elementary School had this year: 5

 

 

SOURCES

 

 

1, 2. Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/word/nonpromotions.doc

 

3. Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/xls/dstsal0708.xls

 

4. Palm Beach Post http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2009/03/26/0326univvet.html

 

5. St. Petersburg Times http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article987145.ece

 

* * * * *

 

Senate Passes Serve America Act

Senate Passes Serve America Act: On March 26, the Senate passed the Serve America Act (S.277) by a vote of 78 to 20. The bipartisan legislation builds upon the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to boost service opportunities for Americans of all ages. "This bill renews a spirit of national service and will make volunteering easier and even more rewarding for all Americans," said Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The $5 billion bill provides funding for 250,000 new volunteers in areas of national need, including education, health care and energy conservation. On the Senate floor, amendments were made to encourage charitable giving and improve provisions related to criminal history checks, among others. The House must now approve the Senate's changes before the bill is sent to President Obama, who is expected to sign the legislation. More info.

Project Tomorrow Releases Speak Up Survey Results

Project Tomorrow Releases Speak Up Survey Results: Project Tomorrow hosted a briefing on March 24 to release the results of the annual "Speak Up" survey gauging the ideas and views of teachers, students, parents and administrators on education and technology. Since 2003, the Speak Up National Research Project has collected the views of 1.5 million survey respondents.

 

This year's results show that while there is overwhelming support for effective implementation of technology in schools and agreement that it is crucial to student success, students say they "step back in time" when they enter the school building. Further, there is a disconnect between the different groups of respondents. Fifty-six percent of school principals think their schools are doing a good job of preparing students for the jobs of the future, while only 32 percent of parents agree and only 39 percent of high school students agree.

 

Project Tomorrow asserts that districts are already using these findings to guide federal investments, including stimulus dollars, into education technology. The findings point to several recommendations, including: un-tether learning and leverage mobile devices to extend learning beyond the school day and meet all learners in their own world; create new, interactive, participatory learning spaces using tools such as online classes, gaming and simulations, online tutors and virtual reality environments; incorporate Web 2.0 tools into daily instruction, especially those that develop collaborative or social-based learning and provide unique opportunities for students to be content developers; expand digital resources in the classroom to add context and relevancy to learning experiences through new media tools; and get beyond the classroom walls and make learning truly experiential such as using high-tech science instrumentation and creating podcasts with content experts. More info.

FSCA Legislative Update

Budget and Appropriations

Last week, both the House and Senate got down to the business of responding to President Obama's proposed budget for FY 2010. It is a document that not only reflects his spending priorities for all federal agencies but also provides a roadmap for his legislative agenda for the year. It is an ambitious plan on both the spending (discretionary and mandatory) and revenue (tax) sides of the budget equation. It is also a plan that lacks specifics. The administration has told the House and Senate that detailed spending recommendations for all federal agencies will not be prepared or distributed to Congress until mid-May. Regardless, the House and Senate Budget Committees hosted mark-ups of the FY 2010 Budget Resolutions this week.

Budget consideration was contentious on both sides of the Capitol due to the massive new spending; an overall increase of 12 percent for domestic programs; the significant changes in the tax code affecting primarily businesses and high-income earners; proposals to create new entitlements (Pell Grants, Home Visiting Programs) and eliminate longstanding mandatory investments, such as the federal student loan program; and reform of both energy policy and the health care system. It also set off a major national lobbying effort from the president, who is anxious to win congressional endorsement of these initiatives.

The outcome in both of the budget committees, not surprisingly, was partisan. Both Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.), House Budget Committee chairman, and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Senate Budget Committee chairman, modified the president's plan in light of new information about deficits and national debt, reducing the overall increase in domestic spending in FY 2010 to 6 percent. The reduction was not nearly enough to satisfy Republicans such as Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), ranking Budget Committee members. Both voiced great concern about the building economic and financial crisis we are creating for future generations by overspending on programs that should be capped and overtaxing those individuals and entities that could otherwise generate recovery. The debate revealed divisions that are wide and deep about the appropriate role of government to address the current crisis. The budget resolutions drafted by the respective chairman were adopted on strictly party line votes.

One unresolved budget issue is whether or not a process called "reconciliation" will be used to develop and adopt some of the more controversial and thorny policy proposals Obama is anxious to address in the next six months. The House Budget Resolution includes reconciliation instructions. The Senate Budget Resolution does not. The underlying issue is all about vote counts. If reconciliation is allowed and a package or reconciliation policy proposal is put together, a mere 51 votes wins the day in the Senate. In the House, given its stronger majority, passage of such a measure is not as worrisome. Without the relative safety of being deemed a "reconciliation" measure, these proposals would surely be filibustered in the Senate, requiring 60 votes for anything to be agreed upon. Reconciliation also severely limits the time for debate and gives the parliamentarian great authority to make decisions related to germaneness because of something known as the "Byrd Rule." The real issue here is whether or not the House of Representatives will succeed in dictating Senate procedure. The end result is anybody's guess at this point. Both budget resolutions will be the focus of floor activity this week.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Legislative Update

Here's how things stand this week in the world of education policy and program development:

 

DECISION NEARS REGARDING FLORIDA ELIGIBILITY FOR STIMULUS FINDING

 

The Secretary said this week that Florida should know within the next couple of weeks if it will be eligible to receive funding under the federal stimulus plan. The state must submit a request for a waiver from a stimulus requirement that would otherwise bar the state from receiving these funds because its funding for education has declined so much in the past few years. Florida officials expect to submit the waiver request as soon as the application becomes available. The U.S. Department of Education now expects that applications will be made available on Monday.

 

* * * * *

 

ADDITIONAL IDEA AND TITLE I-A GRANT FUNDS SOON TO FLOW

 

Stimulus-funded IDEA applications are available to Florida school districts in draft form now, and districts are working on their proposals. Stimulus-funded Title I, Part A applications will soon be available. For each grant funding stream, there are numerous and complex decisions yet to be made regarding eligibility, maintenance of effort, equitable provision of services, supplanting rules and principles, and transparency and accountability requirements. The principal investigators for these federal-through-state grant programs are under extraordinary pressure to devise very complicated plans in a very brief period of time, so be patient with them as they work through a volatile situation.

 

* * * * *

 

FLORIDA SENATE AND FLORIDA HOUSE CONSIDER USE OF STIMULUS FUNDS IN FY10 BUDGET

 

The Florida Senate's Education Appropriations committee included anticipated revenues from a deal with Seminole casinos and $865 million in anticipated federal stimulus funds in its most current version of an FY10 budget for education. The proposal prohibits districts from awarding continuing contracts to new employees hired with non-recurring funds, and removes state requirements for districts to honor out-of-state teaching experience for salary purposes. The proposed budget leverages federal funding and increases in discretionary local millage to hold total education funding more or less flat from the third quarter FY09 calculation. The proposal places limits on administrative contracts and prohibits out-of-state travel unless specifically approved by a school board. The Senate committee proposal holds class size reduction calculations at the school level for an additional year, and clarifies that charter schools must comply with the constitutional limits on class size. The Senate committee proposal provides more flexibility in several capital and operating budget areas, a provision long-sought by school districts. The MAP and Excellent Teaching programs were merged with local flexibility. School recognition funds were cut by more than half and Teachers Lead funding was eliminated in the proposal.

 

See the current Senate committee budget proposal at http://www.flsenate.gov/data/committees/Senate/meeting_packets/EA.pdf

 

After much discussion, the House finally consented to include anticipated federal stimulus in its budget proposal. A House proposal will likely be released next week, and the level of per-student funding is expected to be considerably lower, perhaps 10%. However, many regard the House accession to the use of stimulus money to be helpful to schools.

 

See Sun-Sentinel article at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flfbudget0327pnmar27,0,606211.story

 

* * * * *

 

MINOR CHARTER SCHOOL BILL SUDDENLY CHANGES TO MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITY BILL

 

In an startling bit of legislative legerdemain, the entire text and purpose of HB 991 has been changed. Originally written to give the now-defunct Florida Schools of Excellence Commission a new purpose to exist, the bill now vastly revises the state school accountability plan by essentially writing the current differentiated accountability plan (currently an amalgam of grant agreements and state rules) into law. The current differentiated accountability plan only applies to Title I schools, but all public schools and public charter schools would be held to the same standards under the proposed law. The intervention and restructuring requirements placed on Title I schools under NCLB would now be imposed on all schools under this proposed state law. School grade calculations would also change to include subgroup determinations consistent with NCLB's AYP calculations.

 

The bill essentially imposes Title I accountability standards on all schools without providing any commensurate funding for those schools to meet the higher standards. It is not clear why or how the committee determined that these proposed first-in-the-nation changes would create no fiscal impact.

 

The replacement bill text was approved by the House PK-12 Education Policy Committee on March 25th.

 

* * * * *

 

VOTERS MAY DECIDE ON COMBINED CLASS SIZE AND PENNY SALES TAX MEASURE

 

Added to the current debate on a proposed three-year one-cent sales tax for education and a possible referendum to amend the state's constitutional class size requirements is a new idea that combines both approaches. There is now some discussion to allow voters to see a single amendment that both modifies the class size rules and imposes a permanent one-cent sales tax for education. The idea is being floated as a way for both parties to get at ideas they each champion. The concept is only possible because the legislature is free to propose constitutional amendments that deal with several topics, but citizen-initiated proposals can only address a single issue.

 

See St. Petersburg Times article at http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article987185.ece

 

* * * * *

 

RUNNING THE NUMBERS

1. Number of consecutive years in which the rate of students not promoted has decreased in Florida: 5

 

2. Percentage by which boys are more often not promoted than girls in Florida: 50

 

3. Average annual salary for a K-12 classroom teacher in Florida as of 2008: 46,930

 

4. Number of veterans soon to be eligible for GI Bill benefits at Florida colleges and universities: 41,000

 

5. Number of principals Pasco's Moon Lake Elementary School had this year: 5

 

 

SOURCES

 

 

1, 2. Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/word/nonpromotions.doc

 

3. Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/xls/dstsal0708.xls

 

4. Palm Beach Post http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2009/03/26/0326univvet.html

 

5. St. Petersburg Times http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article987145.ece

 

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

ED Announces New Appointments

ED Announces New Appointments: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced the appointment of Jo Anderson Jr. as senior advisor to the Department of Education. Anderson will conduct outreach to teachers and teacher organizations. Currently, Anderson serves as the executive director of the Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA). Before assuming that post, he held a variety of other positions with IEA-NEA, working on a range of issues from school restructuring to professional development. "Jo Anderson has spent many years as an effective advocate for teachers and a strong champion of school improvement," Duncan said. "His outstanding leadership abilities and partnering skills will be a real asset as we look to collaborate with teachers on our reform initiatives. I am honored to have Jo on my team." Also announced this week was the nomination of Gabriella Gomez, a senior education policy advisor for the House Education and Labor Committee, as assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs at the Department of Education. "I am thrilled that President Obama has nominated Gaby to be assistant education secretary. Over the past three years, she has helped Congress enact some of the most significant changes to higher education policy in history, including increasing $20 billion in college aid for students and families, cleaning up shady practices in the student loan industry and modernizing our higher education program," said George Miller (D-Calif.), committee chairman.

National Service Bills Move Through Congress

Two national service bills moved through the House and Senate last week, S. 277 the Serve America Act, and HR 1388, the Generations Invigoration Volunteerism and Education Act (GIVE Act). On Wednesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee passed the Serve America Act by a bipartisan majority. The bill will now move to the Senate floor for full consideration. Building upon the National and Community Service Act of 1990, the Serve America Act adds new service opportunities for Americans from elementary school children to retirees. The bill provides $5 billion over five years with the goal of funding 250,000 volunteers engaged in targeted service in areas of national need, such as: energy conservation, health care and education. Upon committee passage, Sen. Ted Kennedy, co-author of the legislation, said, "This legislation represents the best of America's ideals - offering a helping hand to our neighbors and to our country. Today's action brings us closer to our goal of giving Americans of all ages greater opportunities to serve their communities and their nation."

Following Senate action, the House of Representatives passed the Generations Invigoration Volunteerism and Education Act (GIVE Act) by a vote of 321-105. The bill would reauthorize and reform the national service laws to create Innovative Service-Learning Programs and Research to fund community service-learning opportunities for elementary, secondary, college and graduate students. The GIVE Act will now move to the Senate for consideration. The first lady gave her support for these national service goals earlier this week saying, "Congress is taking steps to strengthen and expand national service programs for Americans of all ages and all walks of life."

Learn more about the SERVE America Act. Learn more about the GIVE Act.

 

Legislative Update

Last week, Congress seemed almost exclusively focused on the management - or mismanagement - of federal bailout funds and the propriety of bonuses paid to AIG executives. There were hearings, protests, rants on the House and Senate floors and even the overwhelming passage of a bill meant to punish recipients of the bonuses, although experts are already questioning the constitutionality of that measure. Against that backdrop, education issues didn't win much attention, although a fair amount happened, including the House passage of the GIVE Act.

Democrats are busily putting together federal spending plans for FY 2010, and say they intend to pursue President Obama's budget priorities, despite new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections that show deeper budget deficits than expected, resulting primarily from a worsening economic situation. The House and Senate Budget Committees usually use CBO's numbers in drafting their congressional budget resolutions, which they are expected to release next week. These resolutions will provide the "big number" for domestic discretionary spending and serve as the basis for the funds allocated to the various Appropriations subcommittee chairs to craft their proposals.

Democrats acknowledge that bad news on the deficit front will warrant changes to the White House's budget proposal, but they remain committed to Obama's priorities. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said, "The priorities in the Obama budget we will pass. Those priorities are making sure we do something about energy, health care and education and making sure that the middle class of America is rejuvenated." Not surprisingly, Republicans continue to criticize Obama's budget. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) sent the White House a video in response to its request for bipartisan budget proposals, promising that Republicans will develop an alternate budget proposal and saying, in part, "Republicans are eager to offer better solutions on the budget. Mr. President, with all due respect: your budget spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much and that's going to do further harm to our economy at a time when it desperately needs our help."

Meanwhile House Budget Committee chair John Spratt (D-S.C.) was brokering negotiations between leadership and the fiscally conservative Blue Dogs, who were critical of what they considered excessive spending in the FY 2009 omnibus bill. He also was working with colleagues on the parameters and potential content of any budget reconciliation measure considered this year, as well as how to address Obama's desire, supported by the higher education community, to move the Pell Grant program to the mandatory side of the federal ledger.

While party leaders were trading rhetoric, the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee hosted dozens of witnesses for a day of public witness testimony on the FY 2010 spending plan on Wednesday. The list of witnesses shows a majority of them testified on health care and health research matters, and reports are that there wasn't much to report on the annual exercise. Perhaps a more exciting event this week was Michelle Obama's effort to dispatch a number of female celebrities to Washington, D.C.-area high schools.

The pressure of a looming recess will descend on lawmakers this week as the budget committees mark up their respective budget resolutions and other pieces of legislation look for action before the spring recess, which is scheduled to begin in two weeks.

 

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Legislative Update

Here's a quick look at what's up this week in education policy and program development:

 

FLORIDA REQUESTS TO BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR STIMULUS FUNDING

 

Although Florida is currently ineligible to receive stimulus funding from ARRA because its budget for education has fallen too far in recent years, the State of Florida has applied for a waiver from this requirement. More information about the waiver, and an update on status of that request is expected on Monday from the U.S. Secretary of Education. The state could receive more than $13 billion (counting all components over the next three years) from this federal program.

 

LOOPHOLE IN STIMULUS LAW?

 

There has been quite a bit of intriguing legal research into the possibility that if Florida does receive education stimulus finding, then these funds could be less restricted than anticipated. You may see articles and e-mail messages claiming that longstanding language in Title VIII (Impact Aid) of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act might provide a legal means for states and school districts to use stimulus funds with fewer strings attached. Please be cautious about putting much credence into such articles, since this is very much an unresolved issue. If something comes of it, then so much the better, but it is still too early to know.

 

BEWARE OF THE LATEST TWIST IN FRAUD: STIMULUS SCAMS

 

A number of scams have surfaced recently using all sorts of appeals related to the federal stimulus funding. Some of these claim that "secret government grants" are available, that "early no-file tax refunds" can be claimed, and that "emergency cash for laid-off workers" can be obtained from the scammer. The scam artists obtain up-front fees for these non-existent benefits, and then vanish. These appeals may be more effective right now because of the enormous complexity and rampant misinformation about the stimulus funding, and because in times of distress, people naturally wish to believe in good news. Please help raise awareness that anything that sounds too good to be true just isn't true.

 

LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATES

 

A number of bills would make changes to how local property taxes are assessed and collected, and many of these changes could result in lower revenues for school districts, counties, municipalities, and other local taxing agencies. The Governor has asked the Legislature to hold local property tax revenues level with the current year, but has received no commitments from the Senate President or the House Speaker that this will be done.

 

There has been quite a bit of recent activity by citizens and educators encouraging the Legislature to protect the education budget, including the delivery of 2.6 million pennies (one for each Florida school student) to Tallahassee. Here are some updates on the results:

 

TEACHER CONTRACT BILL PASSES COMMITTEE VOTE: House Bill 1411 was approved by a House committee today. It originally proposed restricting professional contracts to teachers who had successfully completed ten annual contracts, but the new version calls for five. The current requirement is three, so this could add significantly to the time it takes a teacher to advance from annual contract status.

 

INCREASED GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS APPROVED BY COMMITTEE: A revised version of House Bill 1293 was approved by a House committee yesterday. The committee version of the bill would reportedly require credits in geometry, algebra II, biology and chemistry for high school graduation. It would also require Level 3 performance or higher on 10th grade mathematics and reading assessments for graduation. (Current law requires a score in the middle of the Level 2 range.) Had this requirement been in effect last year, the failure rate in reading would have been 62% instead of 43%, requiring many thousands of students to enroll in remedial courses and retake the examination. (Note: the current text of this bill is not yet available online.)

 

EXPECTED REVENUES ADJUSTED DOWNWARD: As expected, the General Revenue Estimating Conference last Friday ended with disastrous news. Essentially, the state's economists predicted that current year revenues would actually be lower than the November estimate by an additional $1.1 billion or 4.9%. For next year, the revenue prediction was lowered by an additional $2.3 billion or 10.6% below the previous estimate. Much more information available at http://edr.state.fl.us/conferences/generalrevenue/grconference.htm

 

Links to bill text are available upon request.

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

STATE RECOVERY AND TRANSPARENCY WEB SITES LAUNCHED

 

The Governor launched a Web site to promote use of stimulus funding at http://flarecovery.com/

 

The state's Chief Financial Officer added vendor payment lookup ability at https://flair.dbf.state.fl.us/

 

 

* * * * *

 

QUICK NOTES

 

TATER TOTS AND TUNES: Noting the benefits of music and that policing personal electronic devices need not take up the time of school officials, the Broward School Board moved to permit student use of iPods and similar devices during lunchtime.

 

Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/955259.html

 

ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT LET GO: Facing catastrophic drops in enrollment and funding, the Pontiac, Michigan school district will lay off every single employee and only hire back essential staff.

 

NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102057651&ft=1&f=1013

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

RUNNING THE NUMBERS

 

1. Number of births to U.S. mothers aged 15-19 in 2007: 445,045

 

2. Percentage of all U.S. births this represents: 10.3

 

3. Percentage of Florida's FY07 four-year cohort who graduated from high school "on time": 72.4

 

4. Percentage of Florida's population over 25 with a high school diploma, as of 2007: 84.4

 

5. Percentage of U.S. population over 25 with a high school diploma, as of 2007: 84

 

6. Number of pennies sent to Tallahassee to promote penny sales tax for education: 2,600,000

 

7. Estimated weight of these pennies, in tons: 7.5

 

 

SOURCES

 

1, 2 Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf

 

3 Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/word/5yrgrad.doc

 

4, 5 U.S. Bureau of the Census 2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates

 

6, 7 St. Petersburg Times http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/article984475.ece

 

2009 Legislative Primer

The 2009 Florida Legislative Session is underway, and you may have questions. Perhaps you're wondering what exactly the difference is between a Conference Committee, a Joint Committee, a Select Committee, and a Standing Committee. Or maybe you're just wondering why exactly you need to know the difference between those committees.

http://www.feaweb.org/cms/Member+Advocacy/64.html

Monday, March 16, 2009

Three New States Announce Support of Tough Choices or Tough Times Report

Three New States Announce Support of Tough Choices or Tough Times Report: The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce held an event on March 10 to announce that New Mexico, Delaware and Arizona have joined Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Utah as states participating in and supporting the initiatives and reforms outlined in the Tough Choices or Tough Times report and will align their education systems with the report's recommendations. Through the report, the commission proposes a "practical approach to dramatically improving the performance of the nation's students by adopting the kinds of powerful instructional systems, based on the highest international standards." Additional recommendations include: recruiting teachers from the top third of college graduates and increasing their pay to make that possible, revamping the high school-college transition, reallocating education funding to high priority strategies for improving system performance, pre-K for all, putting more education funding behind students from low-income families and changing the way schools are managed to give teachers much more influence over the way schools are run, while holding them accountable for the results. The National Education Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers are among the groups that have been long-time advocates of the commission and the report, which was released in its first iteration years ago.

More info.

http://www.skillscommission.org/

Obama Speech Highlights The Need For Education Reform

Obama Speech Highlights The Need For Education Reform: In a recent speech to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, President Obama argued for education reform, saying, "Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay, even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom. Too many in the Republican Party have opposed new investments in early education, despite compelling evidence of its importance." Obama said that an overhaul of the nation's education system is an economic imperative, asserting, "We cannot afford to wait. By 2016, four out of every 10 new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training." Obama proposed five pillars of reform including: 1) investing in early childhood initiatives; 2) encouraging better standards and assessments; 3) recruiting, preparing and rewarding outstanding teachers; 4) promoting innovation and excellence in America's schools by supporting charter schools, reforming the school calendar and the structure of the school day; and 5) providing every American with a quality higher education.

Read the full transcript.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/10/Taking-on-Education/

Budget and Appropriations

After some contentious debate, the Senate adopted the FY 2009 Omnibus Spending bill that combines nine of the 12 appropriations bills At the signing ceremony Tuesday, March 10, President Obama addressed the issue that had made final passage of the budget bill so contentious - earmarks. On the campaign trail, Obama protested the practice of earmarking funds to federal agencies by members of Congress. This $410 billion Omnibus spending bill contains approximately 8,000 earmarks. Many Republicans, and some Democrats, suggested that by signing the bill he was stepping away from a campaign commitment.

Obama saw it differently. He viewed the Omnibus as the last piece of business from the previous administration. In his opinion, the bill was written many months ago and based on a budget prepared and presented by his predecessor. But to the question of earmarks, he made it clear that he wanted to see changes in the system. He wants the process to be more transparent, subject to greater scrutiny and also subject to White House rescission if the administration objects to the content. The signing of the Omnibus signaled the beginning of the FY 2010 budget and appropriations process. Time will tell whether or not the president's goals regarding earmarks will find congressional champions.

The ink of his signature on the FY 2009 spending bill was barely dry when conversation about the FY 2010 budget moved to center stage on Capitol Hill. Hearings were held throughout the week with cabinet secretaries appearing before the House and Senate Budget Committees. In spite of the fact that little budget detail has been made public, John Spratt (D-S.C.), House Budget Committee chairman, invited Arne Duncan, secretary of education, to make his first appearance as a witness before the committee. Needless to say, the conversation was long on goals and rhetoric and short on actual information about spending. It was clear the committee welcomed a secretary who has actually run a school district, who answered questions directly and whose passion and commitment to improving educational opportunities for children everywhere was so apparent.

In his testimony to the House Budget Committee and in answers to the questions that followed, Duncan echoed the remarks of Obama in his first major speech on education policy that had been delivered earlier in the week. Together they hope to start a "race to the top" rather than the bottom, regarding student expectations; inspire the best and the brightest to enter the teaching profession and compensate teachers well enough that they will want to stay; create Early Learning Challenge Grants that will help states expand birth-to-five preschool programs; press states to lift the cap on the number of charter schools in hopes of inspiring innovation; and dramatically increase financial support for college attendance and investment in programs to ensure student success. It is an extraordinarily ambitious plan that will test the new president and his secretary's talents of persuasion on Capitol Hill and across the nation. Coming on the heels of the enormous stimulus bill, it can only mean good news for education advocates.

Friday, March 13, 2009

RUNNING THE NUMBERS

Number of homeless children in Florida: 49,886

National rank of Florida in child homelessness, with 50 being the worst: 46

Percentage of U.S. teachers who reported being "very satisfied" with their careers, as of 2008: 62

Percentage who were "very satisfied" in 1984: 40

Percentage of U.S. teachers who believe that standardized tests help them track student performance: 48

Percentage of U.S. principals who believe this: 79

SOURCES

1, 2: National Center on Child Homelessness http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/pdf/rc_full_report.pdf

3, 4, 5, 6 MetLife http://www.metlife.com/assets/cao/contributions/citizenship/teacher-survey-25th-anniv-2008.pdf

 

RECENT APPOINTMENTS OF NOTE

The Governor has recently made several appointments of interest to educators:

 

James Perry, a Sanford circuit judge, was appointed to the Florida Supreme Court. Perry, 65, is the Governor's fourth Supreme Court appointment, giving him the historic distinction of having appointed the majority of the 7-member court.

 

Roberto Martinez, a Coral Gables attorney, was reappointed to a second term on the Florida State Board of Education.

 

BIG AGENDA AHEAD FOR FLORIDA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Next week's meeting of the Florida State Board of Education looks like it will be a busy one. There's lots to see in the upcoming agenda, including:

* Differentiated accountability plans, crosswalks, and timelines

* Lots of new amendments to State Board Rules regarding LEP programs

* Amendments to SES rules

* Criteria for designating school districts as "academically high performing"

* Lots of proposals regarding the "Next Generation" assessments, FCAT changes, and computer-based end-of-course exams in algebra, biology, and history

See agenda with links to presentations and documents at http://www.fldoe.org/board/meetings/2009_03_17/agenda.asp

 

UPDATES ON STATE FINANCES UNDERWAY

State economists are wrestling with projections in today's Revenue Estimating Conference. By the end of the day today, the Legislature should have its latest and best look at the revenue outlook for the current and coming year. At the moment, current year deficit estimates are running anywhere from $900 million to $1.1 billion, well above the . $700 million estimate included in the Governor's budget proposal. For next year, the Governor had estimate a deficit of $1.2 billion, but what seems to taking shape is a shortfall of about $2.2 billion to $2.6 billion.

Office of Economic & Demographic Research http://edr.state.fl.us/conferences.htm

With the massive devaluation of many stocks and investments, Florida's public employee pension fund is taking a beating, even though it's still regarded as being one of the best-managed in the country.

St. Pete Times: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article983603.ece

 

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Stabilizing the Housing Market

Stabilizing the Housing Market. During the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing last Tuesday, Senator Martinez called on the Obama Administration to take several steps to stabilize the housing market. Martinez discussed with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke his concerns about the rising foreclosure rate and tremendous inventory of unsold homes in Florida, and ideas for stabilizing our economy. Click here to listen to Senator Martinez's Comments.

Budget and Appropriations

On March 6, the 110th Congress adopted a continuing resolution because members were unable to come to agreement with former President Bush about how much money the government should spend in the current fiscal year. The House of Representatives had previously adopted an omnibus spending bill to finally resolve these differences and inform all federal agencies of how much money they will have for the remaining months of the budget year that began on Oct. 1, 2008. Unfortunately, the debate on the omnibus bill in the Senate hit several bumps in the road, and final action has been delayed once again.

The Senate debated the bill for several days. The points of disagreement focused on the overall cost of the legislation, $410 billion, and the number of earmarks found throughout the bill. Despite the best efforts of appropriators to make the earmarking process transparent this year, opponents to this type of spending continue to rail against the bill and the process. President Obama criticized earmarking on the campaign trail and insisted he would change the budgeting and appropriation process to reduce or eliminate this kind of spending. He will wait until FY 2010, however, to state his case, hoping that Congress will finish this last piece of business from the previous Congress without his intervention.

Because of the intense disagreements among members on both sides of the aisle, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was forced to file a cloture motion to end debate on the bill. When he realized he was still one vote shy of the necessary 60, he decided to postpone final action. Rumor has it that some modest changes will be made to secure the magical 60 "yea" votes when the bill comes up again in the Senate on Tuesday, March 10. Education advocates are hopeful the bill will pass, as the alternative would mean a continuing resolution for the entire 2009 fiscal year, which would result in a loss to education funding of approximately $500 million.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Education Secretary Duncan Highlights Budget Proposals to Increase College Access and Affordability

Education Secretary Duncan Highlights Budget Proposals to Increase College Access and Affordability

http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/02/02262009.html

 

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today highlighted provisions of the Department of Education's proposed FY 2010 budget overview that would dramatically expand student financial aid while making it simpler, more reliable and more efficient. "We need to invest in our economic future and enable our kids to compete in today's global environment. America's students and workers need a higher level of education and training," Duncan said.

"President Obama's proposed budget calls for a historic investment to make college more affordable and accessible and to help more students succeed once they get there."

"The new funding announced today represents a significant expansion of our federal student aid programs, providing more dollars to allow more students to attend more schools," he said.

The secretary noted that the proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Education builds on the historic increases in the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) by taking additional steps to advance education reform and restore the nation's economy. The ARRA would provide an additional $17 billion for Pell Grants in Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010; the current year funding is $16.2 billion, with 6.1 million students participating.

The stimulus package is also providing nearly $14 billion in tuition tax credits for middle class families, raising the credit to $2,500 from $1,800.

Details of the FY 2010 budget proposal will be released in late April. The budget overview issued today contains provisions that would:

  • Guarantee funding for the Federal Pell Grant program and ensure that grant amounts would keep pace with inflation. By making funding mandatory, the Pell Grant program would no longer be subject to the discretionary budget process, would eliminate uncertainty in funding from year to year, and would ensure that the grants reflect cost of living increases. Beginning with academic year 2010-2011, the Pell grant maximum would be indexed to the consumer price index plus one percent, thus ensuring that Pell grant awards would meet their original objective to cover a substantial percentage of college costs. The maximum for the 2010-11 academic year would be $5,550.
  • Make college loans reliable, stable and efficient, thus eliminating uncertainty families have experienced due to the turmoil of the financial markets. All new student and parent loans would be provided directly from the federal government through the same electronic system that colleges use for Pell Grants. Taxpayers would save more than $4 billion a year in reduced entitlement subsidies, and those funds could be reinvested in more aid to students seeking a higher education. Private sector companies would continue to perform loan collection and related services through performance-based contracts with the Department of Education.
  • Restructure and expand the Federal Perkins Loan Program to ensure that all colleges and universities can take part in the program. The revamped Perkins program would provide $6 billion in loans every year, a significant increase from the current $1 billion in funding. Funds would be distributed to reward schools that provide more need-based aid to students and that maintain reasonable student costs relative to other schools in their sector. As now structured, the formula for distributing Perkins loans is weighted by a decades-old formula that favors particular schools, as well as schools that increase college tuition, rather than to those that keep costs down. Colleges and universities participating would increase from 1,800 to 4,400.

Secretary Duncan also noted that the budget overview includes a $500 million grant program for a new federal-state-local partnership to improve retention and graduation rates, particularly for low-income college students. Funds would support research into what works to help increase college completion.

"Currently, our young people face too many financial and other hurdles to obtaining a college education," Duncan said. "With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the proposals announced today, we are taking several major steps to clear those hurdles."

"By ensuring that higher education is affordable and accessible for all our young people, we will make certain that our nation is prepared to compete in an information-age economy," he said.

Information on the U.S. Department of Education budget overview is available at: www.ed.gov.

 

FW: Your Efforts Needed NOW!

 

 

Your Efforts Needed NOW!

)

 

March 6, 2009

 

Hi all,

You're receiving this message because there is a good chance that one or both of your US Senators is threatening a "NO" vote to pass the FY09 Budget Omnibus bill. ASCA encourages you to call, write or e- mail your Senator, ASAP - even over this weekend, to let them know how the omnibus bill includes important increases for education; especially for programs not included in the economic recovery package. For example the Omnibus bill includes a $4 million increase for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program among many other programs that may have an impact on your school counseling program. ASCA is urging all members of the education community to phone in and urge their Senators to pass this FY09 budget and vote "YES" on the omnibus bill. Please do your part and also pass this message along to everyone else in the education community or for those who may have family/friends impacted by the public school system (parents, teachers, community members, etc).

These are the Senators that need to hear your voice on the issue. Along side to their name is the phone number to their Washington, DC office as well as their website which will provide information to send e-mails and local call-in information. A fax number is also provided if you'd like to send in your thoughts via fax. Please note this is a very timely matter as we expect a vote to be made on this issue at some point on Monday, 3/9, or early Tuesday, 3/10, please call and write -- even over the weekend!

Sen. Bennett (UT) - (office) 202-224-5444 www.bennett.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-1168
Sen. Wicker (MS) - (office) 202-224-6253 www.wicker.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-0378
Sen. Collins (ME) - (office) 202-224-2523 www.collins.senate.gov (fax) 202-224-2693
Sen. Snowe (ME) - (office) 202-224-5344 www.snowe.senate.gov (fax) 202-224-1946
Sen. Specter (PA) - (office) 202-224-4254 www.specter.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-1229
Sen. Murkowski (AK) - (office) 202-224-6665 www.murkowski.senate.gov (fax) 202-224-5301
Sen. Feingold (WI) - (office) 202-224-5323 www.feingold.senate.gov (fax) 202-224-2725
Sen. Bayh (IN) - (office) 202-224-5623 www.bayh.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-1377
Sen. Menendez (FL) - (office) 202-224-4744 www.menendez.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-2197
Sen. Ben Nelson (NE) - (office) 202-224-6551 www.bennelson.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-0012
Sen. Bill Nelson (FL) - (office) 202-224-5274 www.billnelson.senate.gov (fax) 202-228-2183

Phone: (703) 683-2722

 

 

 

Friday, March 06, 2009

FSCA: Legislative Update

GOVERNOR'S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

This annual address concludes the first day of each legislative session. Monday night's State of the State address was briefer and most focused than in the past, and the Governor described hard times for Florida and called on legislators to "come together as never before" to address the grave issues before them. The Governor lauded schools for their recent progress, and called for an increase in per-pupil spending and for approval of the gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe. He did not address the issue of sales tax exemptions, but called for an adoption of a law to further reduce school district budget flexibility by requiring that 70% of all school district revenues be restricted to direct classroom costs.

Full text of prepared remarks at http://www.flgov.com/2009_speech

 

* * * * *

 

KEY EDUCATION-RELATED BILLS

Under House and Senate rules, the filing deadline for most bills was yesterday. So far as I can tell, here are the most significant education-related bills currently under consideration:

 

* * * BUDGETING, FUNDING, & FLEXIBILITY * * *

HB 0457, HB 0803, SB 2236, and SB 2254, would provide different forms of flexibility in school district budgeting as measures to reduce the impact of severe budgetary cutbacks.

HB 0595 and SB 0396 would establish a sales tax exemption on school supplies for one week in August 2009.

HB 0765 and SB 0530 (not identical) would allow for school years calendars of 180 days of instruction or their hourly equivalent, and provides authority for adjusting these requirements in emergencies.

HB 0883 and SB 1978 would reduce local school district budget flexibility and mandate that 70% of all school district revenues would have to be expended for direct classroom costs.

 

* * * CHARTER SCHOOLS, SCHOOL CHOICE, AND SCHOOL VOUCHERS * * *

HB 0353 and SB 1010 would make available McKay scholarships to students who receive certain services under the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, and delete the requirement that a student must have spent the prior school year in attendance at a Florida public school to receive McKay scholarships.

HB 0453 and SB 1310 (not identical) would expand the current Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship by which businesses can receive tax credits for donating scholarships or vouchers used for private school tuition.

SB 0916 would modify the state's current program in which businesses receive tax credits for providing vouchers for private school tuition. If approved, the bill would require businesses to donate at least 25% of their contributions to scholarships to pay for tutoring of pubic school students, and would require school districts to account for these donations.

HB 0991 and SB 0610 would replace the defunct Schools of Excellence Commission with a new state Grade Improvement Commission, which could create "remedial charter schools" in school districts in which a district-run school received a school grade of "F."

HB 0999 and SB 2124 would require school districts to notify parents at any point in the school year in which any student's classroom exceeds the constitutional class size limit, to offer to reassign and transport the student to the parents' choice of another public school, and to offer a private school voucher.

See also HB 1005 and SB 0278 below.

 

* * * CLASS SIZE * * *

SB 0610 would establish a means for state approval of "remedial" charter schools. This new system would replace the now-defunct Florida Schools of Excellence.

HJR 0919, SB 1828, and SJR 2394 (not identical) would propose a constitutional amendment to require that class size limits remain at or similar to current levels but be based on average number of students at school level rather than at the classroom level. It would also limit the maximum number of students who may be assigned to each teacher in each PK-8 classroom.

HB 1005 and SB 0278 would clarify that charter schools are subject to constitutional class size requirements. The House version would permit charter schools to enroll students above the constitutional limits, but would not provide state funding for such students.

See also HB 0999 and SB 2124 above.

 

* * * CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND ASSESSMENT * * *

HB 0013 and SB 2174 (not identical) would add social studies to the FCAT.

HB 0019 and SB 0268 would remove the current statutory requirement that sex education programs teach that abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age students, and would eliminate the requirement for such programs to promote the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage.

HB 0265 and SB 0220 would establish requirements for comprehensive sex education to include abstinence and contraception.

HB 0232 and SB 0092 would require that a student withdrawing from school be assigned to a school counselor who would continue serve as a resource for educational information until the student is 18 years old.

HB 0323 and SB 0082 would raise the age of mandatory school attendance from 16 to 18.

HB 0355 and SB 1874 would require school districts to include teacher turnover rates on school report cards and revise new teacher induction programs.

HB 0404 and SB 0613 would allow for the waiver of final examination requirement for students with at least an average grade of "B" for the semester and who has not had more than 3 days of unexcused absences during the semester.

HB 0543 and SB 2386 would eliminate science from the FCAT.

HB 0501 would abolish early learning coalitions and transfer most functions to the Agency for Workforce Innovation, which would administer school readiness programs and VPK. The bill would also abolish the Florida Early Learning Advisory Council, repeal subsidized child care program case management, and repeal subsidized child care transportation. (Compare to SB 2570.)

HB 1203 and SB 2476 would delete the grade 10 FCAT as requirement for high school graduation, along with the use of concordant college placement test scores for the same purpose. It would abolish mandatory third grade retention. It would change the current school grading system using letter grades to a school performance system which would use ratings of "declining," "maintaining," or "improving." Schools with "improving" ratings would be provided with greater flexibility in allocating FEFP, state categoricals, lottery funds, grant funds, and local funds. It would eliminate the current Florida School Recognition Program and replace it with an Every Child Matters Program, which would redirect funds to schools in "declining" status.

HB 1231 and SB 2608 would create an appeals process for students marked for grade level retention. It would add history, civics, geography, arts, music, and physical education to the subjects required by statute to be considered in decisions about grade level promotion. Current law only requires consideration of reading, writing, science, and mathematics.

HB 1293 and SB 2654 would make numerous changes to high school graduation requirements, including defining requirements for three kinds of high school diplomas: a core diploma, a college preparatory diploma, and a career preparatory diplomas. It would also eliminate options for the require physical education and health credit, authorize a Graduation Exit Option Program, and provide for applicability of major and minor areas of interest or electives as credit requirements. It would require each high school to offer a minimum number of AP, IB, or dual enrollment courses. It would create additional requirements for receipt of Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program awards.

HB 1527 would create a GED exit option for obtaining a standard high school diploma.

SB 0078 would remove letter grades for schools from the state's assessment system.

SB 0080 would revise components of progression programs, eliminate remedial and supplemental instruction requirements, eliminate mandatory retention grade three, eliminate midyear promotion, and revise guidelines for remedial reading instruction and intervention strategies.

SB 0100 would require that the minimum number of instructional hours in a prekindergarten program would increase from 540 hours to 720 hours.

SB 0178 would create grants to school districts to implement AIDS education programs.

SB 0196 would require 225 minutes of physical education per week for grades 6 through 8, and a mandatory recess with physical activity for elementary schools of 15 to 30 minutes on any day that students do not have physical education class. (See additional notes for this bill below in Public Health & Safety Bills.)

SB 0346 would require a mandatory one-half credit in health education, independent of physical  education credit requirements, for high school students who enter high school in 2008-2009.

SB 0290 would remove the current requirement for meeting class size maximums which allow a student to graduate from high school if the student passes the grade 10 FCAT, and remove the current requirement that a student earn a passing score on the FCAT or alternative assessment to graduate from high school.

SB 0776 would require school districts to add conflict resolution to character education programs.

SB 2174 would add social studies to the FCAT testing program.

SB 1128 would modify provisions for the designation of a surrogate parent for educational decision-making for a child who has or is suspected of having a disability and for whom no willing and able parent can be located.

SB 1248 would delete the requirement that a school collect 50 to 75 percent of a textbook's purchase price from a student who has lost, destroyed, or damaged a textbook that has been in use for more than 1 year.

SB 2396 would require teachers to present a "critical analysis" of the scientific theory of evolution.

 

* * * GOVERNANCE, LAW, AND POLICY * * *

HB 0533 and SB 1360 would allow delivery of an inspirational message at a noncompulsory high school event.

HJR 0617 and SJR 0232 would propose a constitutional amendment that would require the minimum salary for new full-time public school teacher to be national average salary for new full-time public school teachers and require the average salary for experienced full-time public school teachers to be no less than national average salary for full-time public school teachers. The law would also require that the resulting salary increases be independent of employee benefits and not alter, jeopardize, or decrease existing employee benefits, and would require the Legislature to fund the required salary increases.

HB 0677 and SB 0112 would prohibit use of a cellular telephone while operating a motor vehicle in a school zone.

HB 1323 and SB 2466 would provide for recall of school board members and would require school boards to adopt a superintendent recommendation's for teacher compensation unless 66% of the members vote against it.

HB 1411 and SB 2458 would replace professional services contracts with new "professional performance contracts," which could be offered for period of up to five years to teachers who successfully completed at least ten annual contracts.

SB 0232 would propose a constitutional amendment that would require the minimum beginning salary of any Florida teacher to be at least as high as the national average salary of all beginning teachers.

SB 0782 would amend certain requirements regarding tie votes of local school boards, and methods of elections of school board chairpersons.

SB 1540 would provide definitions to clarify that mandatory zero tolerance policies should not be applied to petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors, including, but not limited to, minor fights or disturbances.

 

* * * PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES * * *

HB 0033 would create additional paperwork and consent requirements for parents seeking childhood vaccinations. SB 2024 would establish requirements for school-based management plans for students with diabetes, and would require schools to obtain services of diabetes care assistants.

HB 0597 would establish a homelessness prevention grant program; create a Housing First program; and provide school attendance exemption and school certification of school-entry health examination exemption for certain children in foster care.

SB 0918 would expand eligibility for Florida KidCare low-income health insurance program.

SB 0146 would require that children who enter public or private schools present evidence of having completed a class in swimming life skills conducted by a  certified instructor.

SB 0194 would require that children who enter public or private schools present evidence of a comprehensive vision examination.

SB 0330 would establish state matching grants for school nurses.

 

* * * FOOD SERVICE, TRANSPORTATION, AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS * * *

HB 0627 and SB 1320 would prohibit school bus stops from being established directly on a state-maintained road with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour or greater.

SB 0804 would require the Legislature to allocate funds sufficient to reimburse school districts for the difference between the average federal reimbursement for free and reduced-price breakfasts and the average statewide cost for breakfasts.

SB 0196 would establish extensive, specific requirements for each school district's health and wellness policy, to include a district-wide ban on the sale of diet sodas or any beverage containing caffeine, and a ban on frying equipment in school cafeterias.

 

* * * * *

 

KEY REGULAR CLASS RETIREMENT-RELATED BILLS

Note that many retirement bills not listed here affect special risk, senior executive, and elected officers retirement classes.

A full index of all retirement-related bills is maintained by the Florida Division of Retirement at http://dms.myflorida.com/human_resource_support/retirement/legislation_laws_and_rules/2009_legislation

Of the bills related to regular class FRS retirement, these seem to be the most significant:

HB 0479 would nullify FRS retirement if there is a rehire at an FRS agency within 12 months, and would suspend retirement benefits completely if the retiree has been rehired into a position earning $100,000 or more.

SB 0534 would end enrollment of new hires in the traditional defined contribution plan, who would instead be enrolled in a defined contribution "investment" plan.

SB 1182 would prohibit a retired person from receiving both a salary from an employer in the state-administered retirement system and retirement benefits, and from reenrolling in the State Retirement System. Exemptions would include employees currently enrolled in DROP and substitute teachers, and also part-time, non-contractual education paraprofessional, transportation assistants, bus drivers, or food service workers.

SB 1482 would change the conditions by which a member earns a full retirement. Under current law, regular class FRS members earn a full retirement (i.e., no penalties for early retirement) with at least six years of service and reaching age 62, or with thirty years of service at any age. The new law would provide full retirement with at least six years of service at age 62, or with 25 years at age 50.

SB 1484 would redefine average final compensation to be based on an average of the member's highest-compensated three years of service rather than the current five years.

SB 1486 would increase health insurance subsidies for FRS retirees.

 

* * * * *

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE

VOUCHER SUMMIT: Former Governor Jeb Bush visited U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Washington yesterday. They discussed school vouchers.

Chicago Tribune http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/03/jeb_bush_at_obamas_education_d.html

TWEET THE PARENTS: Broward County appears to be the first Florida school district to formally use Twitter to communicate with the public.

Florida Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-flbschooltwitter0304sbmar04,0,1337538.story

LESS FUN AND FEWER GAMES: The Florida High School Athletic Association has moved to reduce the maximum number of high school athletic events by 20% to 40% for many sports next year. The moratorium is subject to a Board of Directors vote in April.

FHSAA http://www.fhsaa.org/forms/XLS/number_of_contests.xls

 

* * * * *