Jill Biden Explains Student Loan Reform

Anger erupts over school bills in Florida Legislature - March 26, 2010 - Florida's Senate voted to put class size before the voters; meanwhile, a House committtee faced angry educator as it voted to make it easier to fire teachers

Proposals would lead to fewer scholarships - March 26, 2010 - The effort to raise standards for Bright Futures scholarships will leave some students behind - - but some legislators are fine with that

Anger erupts over school bills - March 26, 2010 - Florida's Senate voted to put class size back before the voters; meanwhile, a House committee faced angry educators as it voted to make it easier to fire teachers

Gov. Charlie Crist backs easing class-size rules - January 26 - The governor announced he supports a plan to loosen the class-size limits imposed by a state constitutional amendment in 2002.

Governor Crist's January 15th, 2010 Video Message on "Race To The Top" Educational Funding Grant

School districts gear up to comply with class size amendment in 2010 - January 1, 2010 - Of all of the issues facing local school districts in 2010, no issue is more important than the class size amendment.

Florida's public schools battling funding cuts - December 7, 2009 - ORLANDO, Fla. — Just a few years ago, Camelot Elementary was overrun with students. Portable classrooms took up the basketball court and baseball diamonds, and 1,320 children were being educated on a campus built for 740.

More kids graduating in S. Florida - December 5, 2009 - Mirroring the state, South Florida school districts saw their graduation rates improve, according to a Florida Department of Education report.

Florida's Political System, Not Just Education, On Trial - November 26, 2009 - Christine Bramuchi, Linda Kobert, and Kathleen Oropeza are not kitchen table names in Florida, but you'll be learning more about them and their fight for Florida's public schools over the next several months

Broward School Board revisits botched land deal - November 18, 2009 - Broward School Board members voiced confusion over a $4.3 million land deal -- backed by an embattled ex-colleague and agreed to despite warnings the land couldn't support a new high school.

Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts - October 9, 2009 - On any given day, about one in every 10 young male high school dropouts is in jail or juvenile detention, compared with one in 35 young male high school graduates, according to a new study of the effects of dropping out of school in an America where demand for low-skill workers is plunging.

A perfect storm - September 25, 2009 - How the economy, a lack of state funding and vanishing lottery funding are shifting the education burder to property owners

Is 4-day week in schools' future? - February 22, 2009 - Kids in Florida public schools could be going to classes four days a week instead of five next fall if the Legislature lets financially strapped school districts adopt the cost-saving measure.

Parents, Students Rally Today Against School Budget Cuts - February 22, 2009 - ORLANDO -- Orange County Public Schools are bracing for more than $100 million in budget cuts, but parents are not taking the news lying down.

A bilingual future: More parents are sending their kids to language classes - February 19, 2009 - Ten-year-old Elle Futernick spends half her day at Key Biscayne Community School speaking Spanish in the classroom. Twice a week she practices her Mandarin Chinese, along with older brother Zander. At home her family speaks English

Magistrate backs Miami-Dade school district decision to deny teacher raises - January 30, 2009 - The Miami-Dade school district should not have to give teachers the raises guaranteed in their contract, a special magistrate said. The final decision is up to the School Board.

Study: Fla. Gets C-Minus in Keeping Good Teachers, Removing Bad Ones - January 29, 2009 - WASHINGTON | Most states, including Florida, are not doing what it takes to keep good teachers and remove bad ones, a national study found.

Lawmakers Say Fla. Teachers Should Be Paid First - January 28, 2009 - MIAMI -- Two South Florida lawmakers say they'll introduce a bill that would give teachers priority over other school employees when it comes to pay raises.

'Angry moms' riled over state cuts to education - January 25, 2009 - With Tallahassee likely to embark on a new round of cuts in school funding, parents are rebelling in a variety of ways and could help tilt the political balance.

Troubled Miami-Dade reform school may be forced to close main campus - January 24, 2009 - A troubled South Miami-Dade reform school could lose its main campus after the state announced it would lose its funding in March.

Budget Cuts Lead Schools To Offer Early Retirement - January 23, 2009 - The Miami-Dade School District is one of many looking to cut back on spending, and now they're looking to offering early retirement to offset the budget deficit -- something they haven't done in nearly two decades.

Miami Archdiocese plan to close school shocks parents - January 18, 2009 - Homestead's Sacred Heart Catholic School will close at the end of the school year in part because of large stock market losses taken by the Archdiocese of Miami.

Too much homework? Schools look at the load - January 14, 2009 - Amid complaints from parents about the amount of homework, the Broward School Board moved to find a better balance for students and coordination among teachers.

Miami-Dade School Board no longer bickering at meetings - January 14, 2009 - Six months ago, community leaders compared Miami-Dade School Board meetings to a circus.

Broward students can now text message potential danger - January 14, 2009 - Broward school officials are hoping that text will tell.

Lawmakers plan to cut $491M in school budgets - January 7, 2009 - TALLAHASSEE - The impact of the Florida Legislature's budget-cutting special session will hit hardest in the classroom, as school districts learned Tuesday how deep a cash crunch they would face under plans legislators will formalize today.

Teachers may take financial hit in proposed state budget cuts - January 6, 2009 - TALLAHASSEE — Teachers and other employees of financially distressed districts would be forced to take pay cuts under a Republican bill that won approval from a House committee Tuesday amid partisan sniping over how Florida should cope with a growing budget deficit.

Plenty of opportunities, rewards for special education teachers - January 6, 2009 - Mary Kornbluth starts work at 7:30 every morning, but her day is a little different from the average elementary-school teacher.

Education Union Proposes Sales Tax Increase - January 5, 2009 - Lawmakers Addressing Budget Crisis Wednesday

Miami-Dade schools' finances draw state scrutiny - January 5, 2009 - The Miami-Dade school district has increased its reserves, but additional budget cuts are likely needed, meaning more layoffs and program cuts.

The Student Loan Bailout - January 2, 2009 - As the economic crisis deepened during 2008, the turmoil in the housing and credit markets generated most of the more dramatic headlines. But higher education, and particularly the market for student loans, has also been feeling the effects of the ongoing recession.

Obama pledges schools upgrade in stimulus plan - December 31, 2008 - WASHINGTON --  Barack Obama probably cannot fix every leaky roof and busted boiler in the nation's schools. But educators say his sweeping school modernization program _ if he spends enough _ could jump-start student achievement.

Florida lags in school funding - December 24, 2008 - Florida ranks below the national average for teachers' pay and per pupil spending, according to the 65th annual report from the country's largest teachers' union.

Miami-Dade schools chief Alberto Carvalho off to strong start - December 21, 2008 - Since taking over Miami-Dade public schools, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has focused on stabilizing the budget, boosting achievement and long-struggling schools.

Lawmakers cash in with campus jobs - December 21, 2008 - Former and current lawmakers are finding employment at community colleges and state universities, even in times of cutbacks and curbs on enrollment.

Miami-Dade School Board lobbies Tallahassee over spending - December 18, 2008 - Miami-Dade's school board blitzed the state Capitol for two days asking legislators to spare classrooms from further cuts, but in tight budget times, was it enough?

Battle Continues Over Miami-Dade Teachers' Raises - December 15, 2008 - Teachers, School Board Members Attend Mediation

9 Dade schools, 5 in Broward, in U.S. News top 100 - December 6, 2008 - Design and Architecture Senior High and others were recognized among the best by U.S. News and World Report.

School Board Considers Abandoning $85M Computer Upgrade - December 4, 2008 - Computer Project Exceeds Budget, Misses Deadlines

Educators to state: Put your money where your mouth is - December 4, 2008 - Florida legislators should back up their talk about quality education with larger appropriations, the school chiefs' association president said.

Carvalho: I'm committed to saving failing Dade schools - November 13, 2008 - Dade schools chief Alberto Carvalho will recommend to the School Board that four schools facing closure must get at least a D grade, rather than a C, to remain open.

Schools facing another big cut - November 10, 2008 - Miami-Dade schools face a potential $122 million deficit from problems in the budget and an expected state requirement for schools to spend less.

Miami-Dade weighs boundary changes to West Kendall schools - November 10, 2008 - School officials are asking for feedback on boundary change proposals that would affect two West Miami-Dade middle schools and three area elementary schools.