School start times, student test tests lead the educational agenda of Florida Senate Education

The Florida senators took one step on Monday to reverse a mandate from 2023 that public high school in the state shouted their start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.

The Education PREK-12 Committee has also promoted a 107-page measure with which the Abitur and algebra tests are eliminated as final requirements, teachers have more several years of contracts and can give them more flexibility in setting up new schools.

Managers have advertised the proposals as the protection of public education as a practical option for pupils and parents.

“Our public school training system is a choice for our families,” said the chairman of the committee, Senator Corey Simon, R-Tallahasee when he applied for support for the latter that he sponsored. “It is not a standard setting.”

In a year in which only a few educational calculations are expected, whereby the legislator is largely focused on topics such as the protection of the state parks and the improvement of the insurance climate, the Senate determined two of its most important priorities for schools, since the session was less than 24 hours away.

The legislation for the start time (SB 296) sponsored by Senator Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, was created according to a basis for the feedback from district officials that the implementation has no sustainable question. Simon's “Administrative Efficiency” measurement (SB 166) is a continuation of his deregulation efforts a year ago, which made some progress, but made several ideas unfulfilled.

They seem to join a small handful of school -related bills that are most likely to see their way to the governor's desk. This includes revising the state's school financing formula in order to better take into account the costs of a growing voucher program – a problem that the subcommittee for the house training budget takes on Tuesday at a third meeting – and to give schools more flexibility when using door locks to maintain security.

While other educational measures have been submitted, the legislators do not expect too much more, especially after earlier attempts to check the bills were interrupted by a winter storm and special sessions.

The leadership of the Senate showed a strong support for Simon's legislative template and sent a press release in which he announced the first cross -party success less than an hour after the committee was adopted.

The measure was praised for most of its content, although some questions about the provisions regarding high school tests occurred. There were also concerns about a proposal to change the rules for third -party graders in order to increase in the fourth grade on the basis of their reading numbers.

Senator Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said that he believes that high expectations and strict standards have contributed to bringing Florida to the head of academic success in the country. He asked Simon to continue working on these parts of the bill, as did a representative of the Education Foundation, which was founded by the former governor Jeb Bush, who helped the introduction of Florida's test -based accountability system.

But like a former superintendent and school board of Okaloosa County, said Gaetz, he estimated the efforts to eliminate regulations that force schools to concentrate on filling in forms instead of helping students.

“This is not a good bill,” said Gaetz. “It's a great bill.”

Simon emphasized his intention to reduce the state's customs -thick educational code in order to help the students and their “real education and not just the ability to pass a test”.

The Bill, which Bradley changed for the mirror language proposed in the house (HB 261), found the support of party line in mind of the sponsor of original legislation, Senator Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills.

Burgess said that he had presented the concept of later start times of the middle and high school to reflect the growing body research into sleep and teenagers. He assumed that a three -year implementation window would give schools enough time to get it running.

“It was important to sketch the why. But also how really important is, ”he said, realizing that the state cannot afford to provide resources that many districts would have to do to do the initiative.

Bradley's legislation still encourages the districts to take into account the advantages of changing their schedules. But the decision would give back the local forces.

“The original invoice was good. I also voted for it, ”she said. But it became clear that a nationwide mandate was not correct. “No two counties are exactly the same. Let us discuss the districts and make the best decision at the local level. “

Several organizations, including the state superintendents association and school committees, as well as the Florida Education Association and representatives of a large number of school districts support the proposal. Next, the sub -committee for means, the Burgess Chairs.