The drumbeat grows louder after each drop in the Dow. The conventional wisdom when President Barack Obama took office was that he had a year to show some progress. However, that was before cable commentators started handing out 50-day report cards and presidents were expected to solve problems before the next round of Sunday's talk shows. ...more

March 17, 2009

As my daughter's third-grade career continues, I can't help but find myself rather awestruck at how the state of Florida handles education. Everywhere we turn, it seems mixed messages are being sent to our youngest learners. ...more

November 19, 2008

There are some basic conflicts in this world that may never be resolved - good versus evil, cat versus dog, Coke versus Pepsi. ...more

September 24, 2008

Q. Why does Florida give school grades? ...more

August 1, 2008

LAND O'LAKES -- The test scores are in, and Pasco County public schools have once again made the grade. Results of the 2007-08 school year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test were released Tuesday. Every school in the state gets a letter grade based on the standardized test, which is given in the spring. ...more

July 12, 2008

TAMPA – Florida's school report card was released today, and Hillsborough County ended up with two failing schools -- Broward and Sulphur Springs elementaries -- compared with five in 2007 ...more

July 8, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Pasco County schools are about to find out how well they did this year on the state's annual report card. ...more

July 5, 2008

AVON PARK — Wally Randall has a passion for the Boys and Girls Clubs that comes from someone who has a first-hand appreciation for its influence. When he was a teenager, Randall's single mother dropped him off at the club's summer camp every morning. "At the time, I didn't see the real impact, but now I see the path I could have gone down and where some of my friends ended up, and I really appreciate what a positive impact it had," said Randall, who is now the executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Highlands County. ...more

January 25, 2008

Environmentalism has taken off with such force at Westchase Elementary School that one third-grader asked the principal whether the balloons she was using at an assembly were Earth-friendly. ...more

January 19, 2008

ORLANDO - A McDonald's promotion that promised free Happy Meals to Seminole County students with good grades and attendance has been stopped, amid complaints from a Boston-based child advocacy group. ...more

January 18, 2008