Interim Committee Week #3: What’s on for Education in Florida

Next week (Jan 21-25, 2019), Florida’s lawmakers will return to Tallahassee for Interim Committee Week #3. Here’s what’s up for Education:

Tuesday, January 22:

11:00 am: House Education

• Presentation on Implementation of SB 7026 : This was last session’s school safety bill, passed in response to the Parkland tragedy.
• Presentation on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission’s Legislative Recommendations. You can read the entire 458 page report here. Are you concerned about the presence of guns in our schools (one way or the other), this is a meeting to watch. Also, watch for recommendations to punish superintendents and school board members who fail to fully comply with school safety mandates.

2:30pm. Senate Education

• Presentation on the Recommendations from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission Initial Report. You can read the entire 458 page report here. Watch the Senate’s take on the same topic presented to the House earlier in the day.

Wednesday, January 23:

1:30 pm. Senate Appropriation Subcommittee on Education

• Mental Health Programs and Services in Public Schools

1:30 pm. PreK-12 Innovation Subcommittee

• Presentation on charter school governance: Expect a revisiting of Alternate Charter School Authorization that was part of Amendment 8 (pulled from the November ballot due to deceptive language)
• Panel on public school choice options. Likely discussions regarding Magnet Schools, International Baccalaureate programs, open enrollment, etc.

4:00 pm: PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee

• Presentations on teacher certification, expect discussion of the teacher shortage and, possibly, alternatives to using certified teachers. 
• Presentations on school improvement: Likely discussion on the turnaround of D and F schools and the A-F Accountability system.

The PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee  is not scheduled to meet this week.

This year will be an especially good year to speak out in support of public schools. As always, if you can’t be there in person, you can watch these meetings live streamed on The Florida Channel.

Stay informed and call out the accountabaloney when you smell it.