There's been a move afoot lately to stop the practice "passing the trash" in education - that's where school officials push a teacher who's had inappropriate interaction with students (often sexual) out the door and then look the other way when that teacher applies for another job elsewhere.

Florida is among 15 states now pursuing an "ethics in education" law designed to stop such teachers from getting another job working with kids. SB 7038 would require, among other things, stringent screening, hiring and termination policies aimed at not allowing teachers with records of misconduct with students to have access to students.

And that's the connection to Hillsborough County. Senate Education chairman Don Gaetz told the Gradebook that Hillsborough has one of the best vetting systems in the state, and he expects to use it as a model for the statewide effort.

The committee agreed to send the bill to the next step in the process during a meeting this morning, though it didn't talk about Hillsborough's potential role. It also moved forward a charter school accountability bill. To see the full committee meeting packet, click here.