Florida Association for District School Superintendents

• Superintendent's Leadership Role in Implementing Common Core
  Date: June 24-25, 2013
  Location: Gainesville, Florida
• Fall Leadership Conference
  Date: September 11-13, 2013
  Location: Tampa, Florida

Superintendents want Florida to lead the nation in K-12 education. We are committed to establishing and enforcing high standards for every learner so that they can compete in a global market. We need legislation that will give us the financial resources and also remove the obstacles that hinder progress towards that end.

Two things are needed to assist Florida’s public school districts in continuing to ensure a high quality education: sufficient funding, coupled with fair and equitable implementation of regulations.

Education is the key not only to individual success; but it directly correlates to the economic vitality of our state. Florida’s 67 superintendents, as Constitutional officers and dedicated education professionals, are fully committed to providing "a secure and high quality system that allows students to obtain an excellent education." 

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FADSS 2013 Legislative Report (DRAFT)
Updated as of 6/11/13. Once the Governor has acted on all the legislation, a final report will be issued.

1. GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT2013-2014 Fiscal Year
2. FEFP 2013-2014 Fiscal Year
3. Annotated General Appropriations Act2013-2014 Fiscal Year
4. 2013 Legislative Report
5. SB 1076 Summary
6. 2013 Legislation Required Rule Promulgation/Reporting Requirements

FADSS Platinum Business Partner Spotlight

Thermal Technology Services, Inc. can help your school district achieve REAL, DOCUMENTED savings through our patented Thermal Cycling Process.  

“We have tested Thermal Technology Services treated brake drums and pads on several of our late model school buses. Results have been highly impressive and we have experienced much longer life time in both. After 14,000 miles we only saw a 2% wear on the drums. We have decided to change over to thermally treated brake parts on our late model buses as cost savings are remarkable. We enjoy being green as parts last longer and there is less waste.”

– Mr. F. Ellery Girard, Director of Transportation, Sarasota County Schools

Learn more about how Thermal Technology Services can save your school district achieve REAL, DOCUMENTED savings through their patented Thermal Cycling Process.

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FADSS and ASCD announce partnership to provide customized professional development

School CIO

EdNet Insight

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^{Online Risk Management Program Aims to Help Districts Reduce Risk}

With an end goal of assisting districts to reduce or eliminate risk, FADSS has developed an Online Risk Management Training Program for superintendents to use with district staff. FADSS is currently offering two online courses.

Avoiding Public Records Lawsuits, is an online course that will prepare all district staff to respond to the growing number of public records requests. Avoiding Email Pitfalls is designed to help prepare all district staff to consider the boundaries of proper use of electronic communication, and to recognize the ramifications of stepping outside those boundaries.

These courses are online, easily accessible on any timetable, and can be completed on most computers or tablet devices. ALL YOU NEED IS INTERNET ACCESS. Both courses were developed by attorney and Sunshine Law expert Leonard Dietzen, who has worked with a number of Florida school boards as well as a wide variety of local government agencies.

Learn more about FADSS Online Risk Management Training Program.

Teachers quietly serve as first responders to poverty

New: 10 of the best Apple and Android apps for education in 2013
ESchoolNews

The Condition of Education 2013
U.S. Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

Teacher evaluation in PreK: Using student data is risky
ESchoolNews

Five questions for Education Commissioner Tony Bennett
SaintPetersBlog

Preteens’ use of Instagram creates privacy issue, child advocates say
Washington Post

Bennett: PARCC Is Not The Only Exam Florida Will Consider

Governor Scott signs landmark education bill

Bill advances to create 'innovation schools'

State Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, said Monday his legislation would allow local school officials to seek to assign one school per district to benefit from the same flexibility as charter schools.

Many teachers taking second jobs
Herald Tribune

"It's not that I want a second job," said Eve, who has a master's degree and the credentials to be an assistant principal. "I have to have a second job."

Paul Flemming: In the Legislature, expect the unexpected

"For instance, who will be this year’s Reggie Jackson of the Legislature: Who will be the straw that stirs the drink? ..........One nominee is Sen. Bill Montford, a Democrat from Tallahassee and a genial broker of education expertise."

School Security Considerations After Newtown
Stanford Law Review

Indian River's literacy goals will require community collaboration

 "Many people have been convinced that it's the people in schools who are the problem," said Vollmer. "But the vast majority of educators are dancing as fast as they can. They could work 100 hours a week and we wouldn't get the graduates we need."

Orange schools join up with other school districts to drive down food prices
Orlando Sentinel

Officials Seeking Ways to Improve School Security in Florida
The Ledger

"That's one of the problems — no one understands or knows exactly how much it would cost because we haven't decided, quite frankly, as a state or the districts what level we are trying to get to," Montford said. "So there are a lot of fundamental questions that have to be answered."

Holding voucher schools to account is overdue
Tampa Bay Times Editorial, 12/14/12

Researcher: Florida District Schools Outperform Charter Schools On Average
StateImpact

Florida's shameful situation on charter schools
Bradenton Herald Editorial

"In mid-October, the governor ordered a review of the compensation awarded to the 28 presidents in the state college system after trustees at one agreed to a $1.2 million severance package with the school's departing chief. Charter schools deserve even sharper scrutiny.But this is just one example of a twisted system that fails taxpayers miserably."

$500,000 payout to charter school principal sparks outrage, call for probe
Orlando Sentinel
State Sen. David Simmons called for a thorough investigation. "There's no room for abuse by charter or traditional schools," Simmons said. "All it does is hurt children."

Parental takeover isn't a cure-all for schools
Tampa Bay Times
Oped B. Philip Jones Jr., Hillsborough Education Foundation President

Why I stopped encouraging students to become teachers
Tampa Bay Times

Graduating All Students Innovation-Ready
Education Week

America's Poverty-Education Link
Huffington Post 

Poverty, not bad teachers, is what plagues our schools
Newsday

State senator calls for time-out on FCAT
Tampa Bay News 10

‘Won’t Back Down’: Realities the movie ignores
The Washington Post

Addressing Poverty in Schools
New York Times Op/Ed by Joe Nocera