National Merit Finalists solves Rubik’s Cube in 15 seconds
Today at our School Board meeting we recognized Citrus’s National Merit Finalists (top 1% in nation). One of these young men, Sasank Desaraju (Lecanto High School), has a unique talent that I asked him to share. He can solve a “mixed up” Rubik’s Cube in less then 15 seconds!
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Florida Senate passes education testing bill– moves back to House
Time is running out…
On Thursday, the Florida Senate passed a large educational train bill. While this bill had hoped to significantly reduce the state mandated assessments students must take, in the end the bill only eliminates one assessment, the Algebra 2 end-of-course (EOC) exam. The bill will also ask the Florida Department of Education to study by January 1st, 2018 in national exams, such as SAT or ACT, can be used as alternatives to the Florida Standards Assessments and other statewide mandated assessments.
In the end I concur with Senator Montford when he said on the floor of the Florida Senate Chambers on Thursday, May 4th, 2017, “Is this bill what I wanted? No. I wanted more, but … I know that, at least, this is a good beginning“.
One of those positive parts to this bill is Senator Mayfield and Rep. Ralph Massullo, M.D. bills which will allow students the participate in two seasons of interscholastic high school sports (varsity and Jr. varsity) to have their athletic participation count as their required physical education credit, rather than take an addition P.E. class. This will provide more equitable options for athlete students, it also provides students with addition elective options and flexibility.
Next the bill will move back to the Florida House of Representatives and House members could make further changes. Identical language must be approved by both chambers before the end of floor sessions on Friday in order for the bill to be sent to Gov. Rick Scott.
Stay tune…
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Twenty-years of military services is a great accomplishment in itself– that on top of twenty-years of educational services to remarkable. On Sunday, April 30, 2017 the City of Crystal River agreed when, Mayor Jim Farley gave Crystal River High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) Senior Chief Sparkman, USN (ret.) the key to the City of Crystal River for his 20 years of dedication to the CRHS and the Navy Science JROTC program.
Thank you Senior Chief!
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Legislature Tells Schools Boards No Standing Required for Pledge
Law passed in 2016 session, School Board Disagrees
A year ago the Florida State Legislature passed a “train bill” HB 7029 by huge margins. I was against that bill (as I remain today) for many items that were in that bill. Tuck into HB 7029 at the last minute was language that mandated that local school boards must, “… student shall be informed by a written notice published in the student handbook or a similar publication pursuant to s. 1006.07(2) that the student has the right not to participate in reciting the pledge. Upon written request by his or her parent, the student must be excused from reciting the pledge, including standing and placing the right hand over his or her heart.” This bill was signed into law and is now Florida Statute 1003.44.
Today during our School Board Workshop when the policy was presented for review I spoke out again about this new Florida Statute. The rest of the school board also spoke up and disagreed with this law.
The Board asked the School Board’s attorney, Wes Bradshaw to present alternative language which would meet Florida Statute but emphasizes that students are required to stand for the Pledge, unless requested in writing by the parent or guardian.
If you are interested in watching the video on this part of the School Board Meeting visit; https://youtu.be/BdjRztAqptg
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Every train has some ‘cool’ cars too! SB 926 maybe this year’s educational train bill and there are some good parts to it. This amendment is one of the good parts.
For a number of years I have been lobbying anyone that would listen in the Florida legislature to revise Florida Statute 1003.4282 to better apply participation in competitive athletics to the physical education wavier in high school.
This session Citrus County’s Florida House of Representative Ralph E. Massullo, MD, graciously ran HB 6015 and Senator Debbie Mayfield ran the Senate companion bill SB 782. Yesterday in SB 926’s final committee stop in the Senate Rules Committee, Senator Anitere Flores introduced an amendment that includes the language that Rep. Massullo and Sen. Mayfield have in their bills respective bills and included it in SB 926. This is most encouraging and positive. Sen. Flores’s SB 926 with this amendment passed Senate Rules Committee unanimously. Next SB 926 moves to the full Senate floor.
If passed what could result is a significant number of students that participate in interscholastic sports would no longer have to also take P.E. at the school or virtually and thereby give up other course options.
Florida law requires that a student achieves one-credit in physical education for graduation. Currently there are P.E. waivers that a student can get if they successfully complete marching band, JORTC, dance and on a stricter basis, interscholastic sport, due to the courses’ physical endurance work. This amendment would improve the current statute to read, “Participation in an interscholastic sport at the junior varsity or varsity level for two full seasons shall satisfy the one-credit requirement in physical education.”
I appreciate Sen. Flores bring forward this amendment and Senator Wilton Simpson, who has also been encouraging and helping improve this statute.
Stay tune…
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