Andrew Powell
A bill seeking to give greater flexibility to school districts by reducing some of the requirements around testing and funding use is heading to the Senate floor.
The Senate Fiscal Policy Committee unanimously advanced the measure (SB 166), moving it through its final committee stop. Tallahassee Republican Sen. Corey Simon presented the bill and explained that it would provide a wide range of changes across the board for public schools in Florida, including modifying requirements for high school graduation.
“Senate Bill 166 continues the work of the Legislature over the last two Sessions,” Simon said. “This bill modifies requirements for student assessments that lower the stakes for students on Algebra One in grade 10 ELA assessments, making them 30% of the final course grade rather than a graduation requirement.”
Simon explained that the measure expands assessment options used for fourth grade promotion and would provide school districts with flexibility in their assessment calendars. He said the bill would further provide greater flexibility for districts and instructional personnel by authorizing districts to design personal evaluations, while requiring student performance to make up half of the evaluation.
The bill would establish a three-year teacher’s contract, and a 10-year professional certificate, while expanding eligibility for teacher apprenticeship programs. It would also limit the general knowledge test to classroom teachers and authorize districts to provide salary supplements for areas of critical need, free of bargaining restrictions.
Restrictions on School Board operations would also be reduced, while District Board meetings would be aligned with requirements from other local governments regarding open meetings and public input. The bill would further extend districts’ instructional material purchase timeline from three to five years and remove the mandate from large school districts to employ an internal auditor.
“The bill provides districts with greater control over their facilities which removes prescribed five-year, 10-year and 20-year facility plan mandates, allowing School Boards to develop local tailored plans,” Simon said. “(It) permanently removes the cost for student station limits. The bill enhances financial control for districts that authorize school districts to determine makeup days for those lost due to emergencies.”
Simon noted that “providing flexibility and using federal funds for support programs and teacher recruitment in low-income areas” allows districts to locally fund a wider range of vehicles and facilities, including transportation hubs and maintenance buildings. Finally, it would give authority to school districts to oversee their own public VPK programs.
Tamarac Democratic Sen. Rosalind Osgood supported an amendment that was adopted that allows school districts to use Title I funds for STEM services and instruction.
“Making this declaration in the law about STEM funds, Title I funds being used in STEM education, is critically important to low performing schools and impoverished neighborhoods,” Osgood said.
“I think this added amendment further strengthens this bill, so thank you for listening and thank you for your willingness to continue to work to improve this policy,” she said to Simon.
In closing, Simon reiterated that this bill was a result of the work that has been put in over the last few years, particularly by Former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, a Naples Republican.
“I’m so thankful to staff, they’ve done an amazing job of sitting down and really going through these issues over the last couple of years, starting with President Passidomo,” Simon said.
“We really wanted to make sure that as we open up the choice options for all of our kids, to make sure that our public schools are also able to compete and understand that our public school is a choice. So that’s what this bill aims to do, making sure that our kids get all that they need to be successful and open up doors to something they thought they couldn’t have.”
