Gradebook Tampa Bay Times

If you ever had any question whether education is important in Florida, look no further than Tallahassee. Year after year, lawmakers and the governor have spent hours crafting policy ideas — good and bad — and even longer arguing about them. Even in the sessions when they announce they'll be giving the issue a rest. And 2020 is no different. So many controversies in the Capitol center on schooling subjects. Our Tallahassee bureau reporter Emily Mahoney joins education reporter Jeff Solochek to talk about the latest battles over vouchers, teacher pay, the Common Core and more.
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Who says the annual science fair has to be boring? Three Pasco County high school seniors took a challenge to devise a research project worthy of study in anti-gravity, and they now will send their effort to the International Space Station. Their teacher also is quick to point out that Krinn Technical students Amanda Marrero, Shelly Nonnenberg and Emily Null are women in a field dominated by men. What's on their minds? Marrero, Nonnenberg and Null talk about their studies, and the importance of science education, with reporter Jeff Solochek.
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Superintendent searches serve to remind us of the important role that a chief executive plays in leading a school district to success. Everyone wants a "unicorn" — that unique someone who can do it all. But it's not always easy to find that person, as politics, loyalties and other agendas can interfere. All that came into play as Hillsborough County, the nation's seventh largest school system, looked for its next leader. And it's at issue in Pasco County, which elects its superintendent, as well. Reporters Marlene Sokol and Jeff Solochek discuss superintendent appointments and elections, and why they matter.
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Florida's Baker Act wasn't intended to apply to school children when created in the 1970s. Lawmakers wanted to make it easier to help adults with mental health concerns get treatment closer to home. Over the years, though, schools have turned to the measure as justification to take into custody for evaluation children deemed a threat to themselves or others. And the numbers have grown, although oversight has not. Reporters Megan Reeves and Jack Evans have been investigating the situation. They talk about the issues with reporter Jeff Solochek, including what corrections might be forthcoming in the 2020 Florida legislative session.
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Florida's Legislature formally kicks off its 2020 session on Jan. 14. Several key education issues will hit the fan a day earlier. The Florida Education Association expects thousands of teachers to rally in Tallahassee for improved public school funding, while the Senate Education Committee is set to consider bills on several hot-button issues include teacher pay, voucher eligibility and charter school authorization. Will Monday foreshadow the tenor of Florida's education debate for the next few months? Reporters Emily Mahoney and Jeff Solochek discuss.
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The Hillsborough County school district, the seventh largest in the nation, is looking to hire a new chief executive before the current one retires in the spring. The School Board hasn't hired someone from outside the system to lead the district since the 1960s. But this time, the board appears intent on doing just that, to shake things up. Fifty-one hopefuls applied, from both near and far, and now comes the task of whittling down the list to the ones who will get an interview. How are things shaping up? Tampa Bay Times reporters Marlene Sokol and Jeff Solochek discuss the lay of the land as the search enters its next phase.
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