Gradebook

As Florida seeks to fill all its classrooms — a recent survey showed 2,200 vacancies halfway through the year — the need for science and math teachers continues to vex schools. Teachers in those subjects continue to top the state's annual list of critical needs, recently approved by the Florida Board of Education for 2019-20. Are there steps either the state or local school districts can take to find and keep enough teachers in the STEM fields?  Talia Milgrom-Elcott, executive director of 100Kin10, speaks with reporter Jeff Solochek about the possibilities.

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Entering 2019, Florida policy makers have focused on two key areas of concern with regard to public schooling — paying for it, and keeping students and staff safe — within the conservative framework of the newly elected administration and Legislature. With the state's finances "volatile" and the demand for increased security costly, resolving these issues might not be easy. Reporters Lawrence Mower and Jeff Solochek discuss the latest developments in Tallahassee on these hot topics.

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Pam Stewart was counting down the days to her Jan. 8, 2019, retirement. Then suddenly she accepted an added year to her term as Florida education commissioner. Within weeks, she just as abruptly resigned, paving the way for incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis to get his hand-picked replacement, former House Speaker Richard Corcoran, into the seat. With the winter holidays and her final day in office approaching, Stewart figured she'd have some time to wind down and navigate toward life after government service. But she kept working straight through, offering a 15-minute window for a conversation with reporter Jeff Solochek about how she sees Florida education after her tenure, and where she thinks it's headed next.

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Florida has a new education commissioner and new governor to start 2019. They have begun exploring how they plan to tackle issues such as teacher pay, classroom spending and workforce development as they approach their first day on the job. Reporters Emily Mahoney and Jeff Solochek review the discussions that have been taking place leading up to the new administration, as well as the nervous reaction from some of the critics.

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The teaching profession has taken its hits lately, in Florida and across the nation, with morale sagging as lawmakers impose rules that many educators say make the job more of a chore than a craft. Many are heading for the exits, seeking employment where they feel more valued and respected. Yet many more can't see themselves doing anything other than helping prepare children for the world. Count Holly Mickler among them. Mickler, Pasco County's 2018-19 Teacher of the Year, says she often ignores the din of politics and policy so she can focus on her life's calling. It's not always easy, but to her, it's worth it. Hear Mickler talk with reporter Jeff Solochek about how and why she has become, and remains, a successful classroom teacher.

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Across Florida and the nation, teachers have been demanding better pay for the work they do. The concerns surpass just pay, though, as educators see their work loads rise as working conditions deteriorate. It's those non-financial objectives that have the Pinellas County Classroom Teachers Association refusing to accept contract terms with their district, as the academic year nears the end of the first semester. PCTA president Mike Gandolfo talks with reporter Jeff Solochek about what his group wants to see beyond a raise, and how the School Board and Florida Legislature can change their approach to support teachers.

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Florida lawmakers return to Tallahassee the week of Dec. 11 to begin committee meetings leading to their 2019 spring session. Education regularly tops the agenda. So we turned to school board members from across the state, representing districts large and small, to ask them what they'd like to see happen by the time the Legislature closes again in May. Hear their views, plus a little insight from Senate Education vice chairman Sen. Bill Montford.

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A week after Election Day 2018, Florida remains knee deep in reviewing the results of some key state races. Not to be lost in the shuffle, though, are some significant outcomes in the Florida education world. Just over a quarter of school board incumbents statewide retired or lost their reelection bids, raising the question of whether that's enough to stop talk of imposing term limits on board members. Every district that asked voters to raise taxes on themselves to support school needs won its referendum. What message does that send to state lawmakers as they approach the 2019 legislative session? Reporters Marlene Sokol and Jeff Solochek discuss these issues and more in the Gradebook's post-election wrap-up.

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It's been a disturbing truth across Florida and the nation: School districts have disproportionately disciplined black students. Hernando County school officials noted the data in their district, and decided to do something about it. They launched a pilot project on three campuses to improve educators' approach to student discipline, without simply ignoring situations, and so far have been satisfied enough with the results to expand the effort to three more schools. Hernando County education reporter Jack Evans joins Jeff Solochek to discuss the program's intentions and implications.

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Florida's tax credit scholarship program, referred to as vouchers by many, is the nation's largest and growing such model. But does it meet the needs of the families it serves? Jason Bedrick, policy director for the national advocacy group EdChoice, co-wrote a report based on a survey of thousands of program participants. He discusses the findings and their implications with reporter Jeff Solochek in this week's Gradebook podcast.

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