Are Florida’s school grades ‘fake’? Some lawmakers seek a change.
Members of the Florida House say the state’s grading system doesn’t tell the truth. They’re not criticizing the criteria, such as student gains and academic acceleration. They just don’t like the way the grades are assigned. The bill sponsor, Rep. Susan Valdés, said that the current system confuses parents. They do not understand, she contended, that a school’s A grade does not represent earning 90% or more of all available points, similar to how children are graded in classes. Valdés proposed shifting the model over a decade so that the two models would align. The result could be dramatic.[Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Professional MBA revival
With downtown Miami and surrounding areas booming with new finance, tech and health science workers, the University of Miami is relaunching its professional MBA program this fall. Officials hope to attract around 35 students for the initial class, primarily those who are around six to eight years into their careers, says Hari Natarajan, vice dean of business programs at the Miami Herbert Business School. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida’s proposed cuts to AP, other classes leave schools ‘deeply concerned’
State lawmakers want to slash in half funding for Advanced Placement, dual enrollment and other college-level high school classes, a move that would cost Florida’s public schools millions of dollars. Orange County Public Schools alone estimates it would lose nearly $17 million, while the Broward County school district said it could lose about $33.5 million. Those “detrimental” losses would threaten the districts’ ability to offer classes many students use to earn college credits while still in high school, officials say. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
These are the top-ranked high schools in Florida
Florida is considered among the top states for education, and several of its public high schools rank among the best in the country, according to U.S. News. The ranking looks at factors like graduation rate, college readiness, and scores on state assessments. Pine View School in Osprey ranked No. 1 in the state this year, coming up a spot after ranking No. 2 during the previous ranking. Nationally, the school ranks No. 18. [Source: Click Orlando]
Florida Virtual School to offer AI in math certificate
Florida middle and high schoolers enrolled in online courses will have the opportunity to earn an Artificial Intelligence in Math certification starting next month. Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the state's online school system, will collaborate with the University of Florida (UF) and a Massachusetts-based online STEM resource repository, the Concord Consortium, on a yearlong certification program that will introduce students to foundational AI principles and their overlap with key math concepts. [Source: Government Technology]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› House budget makes play to increase veteran teacher pay
After years of offering incentives and salary hikes to new teachers, a House budget proposal prioritizes pay for experienced educators. A proposed House budget released on Friday called for $100 million to support a pay increase for “veteran teachers.” The proposed language offers more details on why those teachers could benefit from it. The budget provides funding to boost pay for any teacher with at least two years of full-time teaching experience in a Florida public school.
› New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida law
A New College of Florida professor was abruptly fired this month under a controversial state law that limits public universities from employing people from so-called “countries of concern,” including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Kevin Wang, a Chinese academic who is seeking asylum and authorized to work in the United States, had been teaching Chinese language and culture classes at the small liberal arts college in Sarasota for nearly two years when, on March 12, the school terminated his contract.
› Florida 'Dreamers' head to Tallahassee to seek in-state college tuition protection
On Monday, a group of "Dreamers" and immigrant advocates embarked on a journey called the Freedom Ride for Tuition Fairness. The term "Dreamers" refers to people who were brought to the U.S. as children without documentation, some of whom are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Starting in Miami, the group bused to Tallahassee. Along the way, they picked up additional students and college graduates who plan to speak out on a law that eliminates in-state tuition for such students.
› Law students at UF advocate for Florida children in foster care
In the state of Florida, there are thousands of children in the foster care system, but who is representing them in court? Law students in the University of Florida Levin College of Law Gator TeamChild Juvenile Law Clinic have been advocating on their behalf since the late 1990s. The clinic, directed by Stacey Steinberg, J.D., allows students to work as attorneys ad litem for children, ensuring their voices are heard in court.