Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Shannon NickinsonMay 11, 2015

Cassandra Smith measures progress one after-school function at a time. One family literacy night, one book club meeting, one school program after the next. Smith is in her second year as principal at Lincoln Park Primary School in Pensacola, which serves just under 200 students from preschool through third grade. The school was on the […]

Guest AuthorMay 10, 2015

It is May, a season of hope and fulfillment of dreams. Graduations bloom new flowers all across our state. A limitless future of choices and chances stand before those who are crossing our stages. I recently had the privilege of offering my thoughts through a commencement address to the students receiving graduate degrees from St. […]

Guest AuthorApril 29, 2015

Kevin Ashton’s book How to Fly a Horse, the Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery is a readable collection of anecdotes illustrating to his thesis that creation does not come in a moment of inspiration but is the result of hard work. Ashton’s claim to fame is that he coined the term “the internet […]

Guest AuthorApril 20, 2015

Six years ago, when Katie Swingle’s son was only 18 months old, a doctor reported that her boy’s autism would probably prevent him from ever being able to speak. Today, Katie’s son is not only communicating orally, but he’s also writing – in cursive! And Katie says the Florida Legislature is partly to thank. That’s […]

Guest AuthorApril 16, 2015

Florida has successfully operated tax credit education scholarships for 13 years. More than 70,000 underprivileged students throughout Florida currently benefit from these scholarships, which provide important school choice options. These students, whose household incomes are only 5 percent above the poverty level, two-thirds of whom are black or Hispanic, and the majority of whom live […]

Diane RobertsApril 13, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE — The poor? The hell with them. Education? Don’t make me laugh. The environment? Screw it. The 2015 Session is more than halfway through, and your elected representatives have made it clear they really, truly, do not care what you think. They care what NRA gorgon Marion Hammer thinks. And what Tom Feeney […]

Diane RobertsApril 12, 2015

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE – The poor? The hell with them. Education? Don’t make me laugh. The environment? Screw it. The 2015 Session is more than half way through, and your elected representatives have made it clear they really, truly, do not care what you think. They care what NRA gorgon Marion Hammer thinks. And what Tom […]

Shannon NickinsonMarch 25, 2015

It’s almost time to let the tilt-a-whirl of state standardized testing spin anew. Next week, Escambia County students will begin Florida Standards Assessment testing in reading and mathematics. Santa Rosa students will start their testing in April. Third- and fourth-graders will take the tests on paper. For fifth-graders on up, the tests will be online. […]

Jac VerSteegMarch 10, 2015

When I was in the seventh grade I cheated on an English pop quiz. The multiple-choice test was on a short story I had not read. My buddy, Will, put his hand by his cheek if the answer was A, on the desk if the answer was B, on his knee if the answer was […]

Julie DelegalMarch 4, 2015

Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, has been listening to parent complaints about high-stakes testing. Mayfield, like most parents and educators, is so frustrated with the entire standards-based accountability system that she wants to give entire school districts the ability to “opt out” of standards-based tests altogether. Judging from an action alert obtained from a Tea […]

Tag: education
LaVon Bracy Davis. Willie Montague. Images via campaigns.

Shannon Nickinson: How opening the door to parents revived one primary school

Ed Moore: It's commencement season, but 'commencing' what?

Catherine Martinez: To be creative, learn 'How to Fly a Horse'

William Mattox: Expand innovative program for special-needs students

John Legg: Don't let vulnerable kids get mired in politics of education

Diane Roberts: The Legislature doesn’t care what you think

Diane Roberts: The Florida Legislature doesn't care what you think

Shannon Nickinson: High-stakes testing thrill ride ready to resume

Jac VerSteeg: High-tech tests open doors to cheating

Julie Delegal: Tweaking the tests – Common Core pushback