The first week of the 2015 legislative session has come and gone, with several education bills already making their way to the top of the list of issues to watch over the next 56 days.
Lawmakers file lots of education bills every year, but this legislative session, some of the states most powerful politicians are weighing in to "straighten out" the Florida education system.
TESTING ... TESTING (EVENTUALLY)
The tumultuous first week of the Florida Standards Assessment writing test set the stage for a Legislature critical on standardized assessment tests. Monday marked the first day of the new assessment, and things didnt get off to a pretty start.
Technical malfunctions left thousands of students unable to complete the test, while others were unable to log in at all. The Florida Department of Education vowed it would work to fix the issues, but problems continued well into the week for several school districts across the state.
By Thursday, districts like Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach all had resumed testing, but not before harsh criticisms over the administration of the test.
This year's administration of FSA clearly shows that this is more about gathering data on kids than about kids themselves, said Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
... OR MAYBE NEVER?
While the FSA resumed its administration in Florida schools later in the week, some legislators still werent happy. Two in particular -- Sens. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, and Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth -- said the test shouldnt be administered at all until technical glitches were all worked out.
The first day of testing under the new and untested Florida Standards Assessment, was nothing less than a disaster for school districts and students across the state, wrote the two Democratic lawmakers to Gov. Rick Scott, calling on a full suspension of the test instead of using children as guinea pigs for a flawed system.
Testing was still under way on Friday.
MORE CHARTER SCHOOLS A POSSIBILITY
Charter schools hightailed their way to the top of this years legislative priorities, with two bills this week passing through the Florida House and Senate on the popular school options for Florida students.
The House bill, HB 7037, would create a new statewide institution to help with the opening of charter schools. In addition, the bill would terminate schools receiving consecutive unsatisfactory grades/F ratings.
Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz, proposed a further-reaching bill for charter schools. SB 1448 would allow parents to enroll their children in any public school or charter school that hasnt reached capacity.
COMMON CORE RALLY HEADS TO CAPITOL
The first week of the 2015 legislative session wrapped up with a large rally against Common Core, with opponents driving from all over the state to speak out on the dangers of the controversial education standards.
Bolstered by recently-filed legislation to eliminate high-stakes testing from Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, nearly 100 anti-Common Core activists gathered at the top floor of the state Capitol to discuss what they see as the psychological, financial and educational dangers of the nationwide education standards.
We need to make sure this bill passes so we can protect our children ... from this type of education," said anti-Common Core activist Debbie Gunnoe.
Chris Quackenbush of Stop Common Core FL criticized legislators for flip-flopping on Common Core, but maintained that opponents of the standards wouldnt go down without a fight.
When they feel the heat, they see the light, she told Sunshine State News. Were here to provide the heat.
WHO TO WATCH: Dwight Bullard. From his firsthand experience as a teacher at Coral Reef Senior High School in Miami, Bullard has easily risen to the top of this years legislative session for education issues.
Last year, Bullard was not quite so heavily involved in the push back against high-stakes testing, but this year the Miami Democrat is singing a different tune and hes quickly becoming a favorite among education activists across the state.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
