The Florida Supreme Court has removed three proposed state constitutional amendments dealing with school taxes and vouchers from the Nov. 4 ballot. ...more

September 3, 2008

Regarding "Judge Rejects Challenges To Voucher Amendments" (Metro, Aug. 5): The political vitriol directed by the head of the Florida Education Association at political opponents of the Democratic Party highlights the risks associated with eliminating parental choice from the education system. ...more

August 8, 2008

Two proposed state constitutional amendments that could expand school vouchers will stay on the Nov. 4 ballot, a judge ruled Monday. ...more

August 5, 2008

The battle in Florida over school vouchers returned to the courts on Friday when teacher, civil rights and other groups sued the state to keep two voucher-related proposals off November's ballot. ...more

June 14, 2008

Even as they fretted over billions of dollars in budget cuts, state lawmakers voted this spring to spend $27 million to help more poor children attend private schools. ...more

May 28, 2008

Donald Trump, who pays $1 million a year on a single Palm Beach County mansion, helped Gov. Charlie Crist raise money Thursday for a ballot question that could cap all property taxes while providing cuts for most homeowners. ...more

December 7, 2007

Hillsborough County schools' graduation rate increased nearly 2 percentage points in 2006-07 over the previous school year with a slight improvement in the dropout rate, the state reported Friday. ...more

December 1, 2007

SEBRING — One school bus driver hopes the district's support workers vote down the tentative contract agreement Sunday so a better salary increase can be negotiated. According to the School Board of Highlands County, the tentative agreement reached Nov. 9 calls for an average salary increase of 4 percent and a total salary and benefit package increase of 5.86 percent. According to the tentative agreement, each pay step will increase by 2 percent. Each year everyone moves up a step, except the senior employees, who have reached the top pay step. About one-third of the 700 support staff are at the top of the salary schedule and will be getting a 2 percent raise. "When we vote on our contract, we are voting on a 2 percent increase — period," said Mary Hein, a bus driver. "We are not voting on 4 percent. It would be nice if they increased my step by 4 percent, but they are not." The substitute drivers would only get a 2 percent raise because their pay is solely based on hourly salary, she said. ...more

November 28, 2007

Florida's public high schools have some of the worst student retention rates in the country, with half qualifying as "Dropout Factories," four times the national average, according to a new analysis of U.S. Education Department data. ...more

November 2, 2007

MIAMI - Florida's public high schools have some of the worst student retention rates in the country, with half qualifying as "Dropout Factories," four times the national average, according to a new analysis of U.S. Education Department data. Among the local schools on the list were Bloomingdale, Chamberlain, Plant City, Leto and East Bay. Dropout Rate Map: Is Your School On The List? ...more

October 31, 2007