A weekend interview with plaintiffs and attorneys in the Florida high quality schools lawsuit

On Wednesday, a group of parents and parents advocacy groups filed suit against the state, charging that it had not lived up to a constitutional mandate to provide high quality schools. On Tuesday, several members of the group and several of their attorneys met with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board. The following are excerpts from the interview.

The plaintiffs group included Kathleen Oropeza and Linda Kobert from the Orlando-based group Fund Education Now; Mark McGriff, executive director of the Gainesville-based Citizens for Strong Schools; co-counsel Jon Mills, a former Florida House speaker; and co-counsel Jodi Siegel and Neil Chonin, both with Southern Legal Counsel, a Gainesville public interest law firm. (Orlando Sentinel photo shows, from left, FEN co-founders Christine Bramuchi, Kobert and Oropeza.)

Jon Mills: The capsule is 10 years ago, the people of Florida passed a constitutional amendment with 71 percent that says we are entitled to a free, public school system that’s high quality and that’s a paramount duty of the state and a fundamental value of the state. There were two of us involved in introducing that amendment. Bobby Brochin, some of you may remember … is fired up about this too. He’s in Miami. We worked for years trying to figure out the best way to do this. And sort of the best way to do this came to us.

The citizens groups – Mark’s group in Gainesville had done some work already on local financial support for the school system. We talked to them. … And we talked to Fund Education Now. And they were enthusiastic about becoming part of this. And there really is a statewide reach to both of those organizations. And it is a citizen driven lawsuit.

Florida education news: Career academies, practical jokes, student records and more

WHO SAYS CAREER ACADEMIES ARE NEW? The Veterinary Sciences Academy at Tarpon Springs High has been around since 1995, this year serving 220 students. (Times photo, Demorris Lee)

CONGRATS: Parrott Middle School ESE paraprofessional Yvette Hart is Hernando's school-related employee of the year. 

FREE DEGREE: UF offers some Pinellas math and science teachers a free master's degree in exchange for making a five-year commitment to their schools.

A GRUELING BATTLE: The latest lawsuit against Florida's schooling system will take a long time to get through, and shouldn't be the only effort to improve the system, the Times editorializes.

HECK NO, WE WON'T GO: A St. Lucie charter school files suit against the school district to stay open, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

DELAYED: The court case of ousted Broward board member Beverly Gallagher is postponed to give her time to cut a deal, the Miami Herald reports.

PRANKSTER IN CHIEF: The principal of Duval's Lee High loves a good practical joke as much as the next person, the Florida Times-Union reports.

ON THE MOVE: Some Merritt Island students are getting a real-life education as they walk to Tallahassee, 10 miles at a time, Florida Today reports.

EVEN TEACHERS MUST FOLLOW FERPA: Some Polk educators are in hot water for inappropriately accessing student records, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

LABOR NEWS: A Pinellas lawyer is telling Monroe teachers that their district doesn't respect their rights, the Keynoter reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with the plaintiffs and lawyers in the latest lawsuit over Florida's school adequacy.

Fourth candidate enters race to replace Starkey on Pasco School Board

When psychologist Steven Kanakis had trouble finding child care for his son with autism, he pushed for a seat on the Pasco-Hernando Early Learning Coalition to help improve the choices for families like his.

His son now attends third grade at Longleaf Elementary School, and Kanakis has seen things in the special education system he thinks need fixing. So he's cast his name into the increasingly crowded field for Pasco School Board District 4.

"I feel like disabled kids need a voice on the School Board," Kanakis, 46, said.

Kanakis would run against pastor John Tracy, retired court reporter Billie Kaleel and medical supplies firm owner Christopher Cooley for the seat, which Kathryn Starkey plans to resign in July in order to run for State House District 45. The nonpartisan race would take place in fall 2010 unless Starkey changes direction; the seat otherwise is not slated to come open until 2012.

Pasco principal files surprise retirement

John Shafchuk, who first joined the Pasco County school district in 1975, is about to serve his final day here.

Shafchuk, principal of Deer Park Elementary on Trouble Creek Road since 2003, caught folks off guard this past week by filing his retirement papers. He leaves at the end of the semester (officially, Jan. 6).

"I have enjoyed all the years I have been in education with the Pasco County school system," he said in his letter. "I will also miss all the excellent professionals I have worked with over the years."

Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said she expected to have a new leader for Deer Park for the new semester. She plans to advertise the position for interested applicants.

"He will be missed," Fiorentino said.

Florida "pretty much last in the nation for science"

If the new high-quality-schools lawsuit hinged on Florida science scores alone, it'd probably be a slam dunk.

"Florida students are pretty much last in the nation for science," says a power point presentation that Todd Clark, the Department of Education bureau chief for curriculum and instruction, gave to a statewide education group meeting in Lake Mary this week. (Hat tip to Orlando Sentinel School Zone blog.)

FSU physics professor Paul Cottle, who is a blogging beast when it comes to science instruction in Florida, has already highlighted the sad stats in that power point (go to page 30). But they bear repeating.

* In 2008, Florida students were 49th in average ACT science scores

* In 2008, they ranked 47th in the percentage passing AP science exams

* In 2005, Florida eighth graders ranked 36th on the National Assessment of Educational Progress science test

* In 2009, only 2 percent of fifth graders, 2 percent percent of eighth graders and 1 percent of eleventh graders scored at the highest level on the FCAT science exam

(Image from blogs.discovermagazine.org)

Poll: Funding lawsuit

Do you support the parent lawsuit alleging that Florida has not properly funded or supported public education?
Yes
No

Who's that kid?

A Panama City high schooler decided he didn't want to attend his regular school, Mosley High, on Tuesday. But apparently he didn't want to miss out on the experience, either. 

So he took a seat in nearby Bay High instead.

Transfers like this aren't allowed, it turns out. So the boy, whose name hasn't been released, got a very different type of education than the usual curriculum — he was arrested for trespassing, the Panama City News Herald reports.

At least he wasn't on the streets selling or using.

Pinellas names outstanding educator finalists

The list has been whittled from 22 to 14. Read the names here. Winners will be announced Jan. 20.

Hillsborough teachers react to the Gates grant

The $100 million, seven-year grant that Hillsborough schools received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday has the potential to significantly alter the teaching landscape, both in Hillsborough County and nationally.

Its focus on reforming pay structures, evaluation procedures and other matters related to teaching promises to bring change to a culture where change is not always welcomed. And if the teachers don't buy in, it's possible that the best of intentions here could run aground.

That in mind, we interviewed some educators to gauge their views of the new direction. We found a range of reactions to the plans, from wariness to full-fledged support. Read on for a sampling.

Florida education news: Teacher quality, FCAT prep, school boundaries and more

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY: Hillsborough celebrates winning a $100 million grant to reform teacher evaluations, pay, preparation and other aspects of the job from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (Times photo, Edmund Fountain)

SPEAKING OF TEACHER QUALITY: Someone has to prepare them, and the Florida Department of Education has decided to rate Florida's teacher preparation programs.

NINE CANDIDATES: Hernando has pared its list of superintendent hopefuls to nine, with interviews to come in January.

TEMPEST, WITH A TWIST: Dunedin High's production of the Shakespeare classic includes puppets, computer graphics and all sorts of different effect.

TOP SUPERINTENDENT: Broward's Jim Notter wins superintendent of the year honors from the state's coalition of education foundations, the Miami Herald reports.

FCAT REWARDS: Osceola schools will give prizes to students who log in to FCAT Explorer over the winter break, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

TEACHING CONTRACEPTION: Collier revamps its sex education curriculum to be clear about the consequences and how to prevent them, the Naples Daily News reports.

COLLEGE COMMITMENT: The first group of students completing Duval's AVID program see the value in pursuing higher education, the Florida Times-Union reports.

CITIES CONCERNED: Broward city leaders want to prevent major school boundary changes that could affect their residents, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

JUST FOR SCHOOLS: Seminole considers going solo in its request for a local sales tax after the County Commission signals its unwillingness to join the effort, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

PARTY ALL THE TIME: UF president Bernie Machen says the school has room to add rigor after a survey shows students feel like they party more than they study, the Gainesville Sun reports.

FSU speeds up search for new president

FSU's presidential search committee just released a timeline for choosing longtime President T.K. Wetherell's successor, with the aim of sending a list of finalists to the Board of Trustees by early December.

The search consultant, John Hicks of Academic Search Inc., said the schedule is "expedited" because several other universities nationwide are also looking for presidents, and because open records laws usually prompt top candidates to wait until the end of the search deadline to apply. Wetherell has said he wants to leave FSU for retirement by early 2010.
  
“The search must move forward in a timely manner while top candidates are available," Hicks said.

Info is posted on the university’s Presidential Search Web site. Here's the schedule:

Hillsborough wins $100 million Gates grant

It's official: the Hillsborough County School District has won a $100 million teacher effectiveness grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The news, announced in a midday press release Thursday, caps a 9-month application effort by the district, and puts it squarely on the cutting edge of national education reform. (See a summary of the plan on the foundation Web site).

For more details, see Tom Marshall's full report and check back later for more details.

*

USF near bottom in state analysis of teacher preparation programs

The Florida Department of Education is looking at FCAT scores to help gauge the effectiveness of the state’s teacher preparation programs. And according to its first analysis, the University of South Florida College of Education doesn’t look so good by comparison.

A draft report obtained by the Gradebook shows how rookie teachers from different programs – be they university colleges of education, community college programs or district alternative certification programs – fared in 2007-08, based on how well their students performed on the math and reading FCAT.

The DOE determined what percentage of rookies from each institution had 50 percent or more of their students making learning gains. And then, using “value tables” – which you can read more about here – it determined what percentage were “high performing.”

USF – a huge pipeline for teachers in the Tampa Bay area – had 76 percent of its graduates in the first category, which puts it ninth among the 10 state university programs. Florida International was tops at 85 percent. The University of West Florida was last at 70 percent.

Lawsuit: Pinellas school buses hit me, twice

A Largo man who says he was struck by Pinellas school buses in two separate incidents three months apart is suing the Pinellas County School Board.

Matthew Magness, 24, was a passenger in a car in Clearwater when it was struck by a bus in October 2008, says a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court last week. Then, in January, he was driving a Kia in Pinellas Park when it was struck by another bus, the lawsuit says. Court records show both bus drivers were cited for accidents at those times and places.

In the first accident, Magness suffered injuries to his shoulder, neck, back, right leg and right knee, the suit says. In the second, he suffered injuries to his ribs, lungs, chest, neck and back, according to the lawsuit.

*

Florida may ask for $1 billion in Race to the Top funds

Florida's application for a share of the $4.35 billion federal Race to the Top fund could become a $1 billion request, Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith told reporters in a conference call yesterday. Federal guidelines say big states like Florida should aim for changes in the $350 million to $700 range, but they also say states can shoot for more if they want.

In a related development, the state issued this summary of its still-developing application, which offers the most clues yet about where the state wants to go. There are a few dozen proposals here, in a wide range of areas, but it's not clear how far-ranging many of them might be. The application is due by Jan. 19.

*

Florida education news: Teach-In, texting ban, ethics training and more

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE? Gator hunters, soldiers, financial planners and a host of professionals talk to students all around the Tampa area for the Great American Teach-In. More story, plus a photo gallery. (Times photo, Atoyia Deans)

GETTING DAD INVOLVED: Brooker Elementary in Brandon makes sure fathers have a role at the school, too.

CHOICE WORDS: Pasco School Board member Kathryn Starkey speaks her mind, and draws some gasps with her phrasing.

IT'S A MYSTERY: No one is quite sure how Pasco Middle's 1,700-pound football sled disappeared.

AND THE CHAIRMAN IS ... Pat Fagan gets a surprise nomination to lead the Hernando School Board. The board then rejects a deal with a teacher who had been suspended for drug use.

TOP OF THE CLASS: Oldest school in Pasco County celebrates 125th in 1880s manner 

NO  TEXTING ALLOWED: Miami-Dade becomes one of the few districts in the country to ban texting by school bus drivers, School Transportation News reports.

FUNDING LAWSUIT: Parents from Duval County who joined the "adequate funding" lawsuit against Florida government leaders speak about their concerns with the Florida Times-Union. The Orlando parents involved in the suit talk with the Orlando Sentinel. [Note: The Pasco parents haven't called us back.]

WORKING THE CONTRACT: Palm Beach teachers threaten to do no more than required in their contract while they fight the district's curriculum, the Palm Beach Post reports. Some critics say many fear to speak against the superintendent because of possible retaliation, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

LEARN SOME ETHICS: Miami-Dade mandates ethics training for all district employees, the Miami Herald reports.

COPING WITH CRIME: FAMU and Florida State see spikes in violent crimes, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

LABOR NEWS: Citrus teachers reach a tentative contract deal, the Citrus County Chronicle reports. • Charlotte teachers see their health benefits costs rise, the Herald-Tribune reports.

Hernando superintendent field narrowed to nine

BROOKSVILLE -- A short list of superintendent candidates is now headed for the Hernando County School Board.

A search committee Wednesday night trimmed a list of 15 candidates down to nine. Among them are the two internal hopefuls, current interim superintendent Sonya Jackson and Ken Pritz, a former executive director of school services for the Hernando district who is currently principal at Hernando High.

The other seven candidates:

* Gregory K. Adkins, chief human resources officer for the Lee County School District in Fort Myers;

 * Bryan A. Blavatt, former superintendent of Boone County Schools in Kentucky;

* I.V. Foster, Jr., current superintendent for Prairie Hills School District 144 in Markham, Ill.;

* John R. Phillips, a former executive director of school reform for Atlanta Public Schools;

* Rose Terri McSweeney, current deputy superintendent of Shoreham Wading River Central School District in New York;

* S. Jayne Risen Morgenthal, current superintendent of the Elizabethtown Independent School District in Kentucky;

* Arnold Spadafora, former associate superintendent of Schenectady City Schools in New York.

The School Board had asked the committee comprised of school employees, union representatives and community members to submit a list of five to 10 candidates in no particular order.

The board is slated to meet in a workshop Dec. 8 to decide which of the candidates – if not all – to call in for an interview. The district hopes to hire someone by February and in place by July 1.

--Tony Marrero, Times Staff Writer

Florida education commissioner: lawsuit "diminishes" student progress

Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith, a defendant in the education lawsuit filed this morning, tonight issued this statement in response:

“It’s unfortunate that this lawsuit diminishes the significant progress that has been made by our children over the last decade and simply ignores the performance of a state that is clearly outpacing the nation. Our African-American and Hispanic students have experienced unprecedented academic improvements and have significantly narrowed the achievement gap in Florida, our graduation rate has steadily improved, and state and national assessments all show tremendous progress. I believe Florida’s education system has achieved incredible results that clearly speak for themselves and are not represented in this complaint.”

Patricia Levesque, executive director of Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future, also issued a statement a short while ago:

“This lawsuit is based on myths perpetuated by critics of reform who care more about protecting the status quo for adults than improving the quality of education for students. This is the same old cast of characters who have opposed bold, outcome-based reforms for a decade – and continue to stand in the way of progress.

“They can’t win at the ballot box, or in the court of public opinion, so they are taking their losing, misguided battle to the judicial system."

Taking one more run at the class size amendment

The way state Sen. Mike Bennett sees Florida's class-size reduction amendment, it's a good idea in theory but not in practice.

"All of the studies show it's not working out the way we thought it would," Bennett, a Bradenton Republican, told the Gradebook. "The costs are out of control. The schools are begging for relief. We didn't give them enough flexibility in it."

There's just not enough lipstick to put on this pig, Bennett suggested. The time has come, he concluded, to "repeal it and start over."

Democrats cheer education lawsuit

Florida Democrats can't get enough of the new lawsuit.

From House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands: "Not only are Florida schools inadequately funded, but the state's school accountability system is in need of serious repair. It's high time for Florida's education accountability system to be updated so that it no longer focuses so much on how students perform on a single day's standardized test. Hopefully, this lawsuit will help us achieve the necessary changes for Florida to truly have the world-class education system that our children deserve."