Pandemic looms over education priorities for Florida Legislature
Some Republican leaders want to address academic gaps by enhancing literacy and early learning programs. Others are looking at continuing remote learning options without impacting district funding.
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Updated Feb. 22
TALLAHASSEE â Floridaâs schools remain in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly a year after state officials first called for campus closures and canceled spring testing.
Many struggles continue. Local school officials and education groups have raised hopes that state lawmakers will prioritize schooling issues â whether financial, social or academic â during the legislative session that starts March 2. Those priorities affect much of the Legislatureâs work on the next budget because education constitutes roughly one-third of the stateâs total spending annually.
Video: Senate Ed approves special ed alternative assessment task force
special education students to take an
alternative assessment that would better measure their academic growth than
AzMERIT.
Sen. Nancy Barto, also would establish an alternative assessment study task force committee to discuss and evaluate the following topics related to alternative assessments for special education students.
How this state can improve outreach and professional development to ensure support for parents and educators of special education students who are not eligible for the alternative assessment.
Accommodations provided to special education students while taking assessments.
Guidance on properly identifying students for the alternative assessment.
Plans to address teacher shortage and pay will be on the 2021 legislative agenda (Source: Marissa Voss) By Courtney Ann Jackson | December 18, 2020 at 9:50 PM CST - Updated December 19 at 6:07 AM
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Lawmakers will soon start the 2021 legislative session and teachers are putting in their requests early. A pay raise has been on Mississippi teachers’ wish list for the last several years now.
“We cannot keep kicking this can down the road,” said Mississippi Association of Educators President Erica Jones. “Our educators are depending on us to do the right thing.”
Lower pay than other states has translated to a teacher shortage. The Mississippi Association of Educators is also giving some perspective on what that’s ultimately costing schools.