Tampabay.com
JUNE 01, 2008

Today's news

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THE WAITING GAME: Educators at Cox Elementary in Pasco say the school's hard work to avoid "restructuring" has helped the students make good progress, but they still must wait until July to find out if it was "adequate" under federal law. (Times file photo)

FORGET IT: Hernando superintendent Wayne Alexander will have to do without a second-in-command, as his School Board rejects creating a new six-figure salary job.

BUS STOP LIST DELAYED: Hillsborough officials might not have the list of next year's bus stops available until July, as they review concerns that parents raised about proposed changes to the system.

A JOB AHEAD: About two dozen Pinellas students with severe disabilities will graduate to the world of work, thanks to a special training program.

HEY, TEACHERS. WE CAN SEE YOUR FACEBOOK: Several Palm Beach County teachers have personal, often lewd or profane, content on their social networking sites that can be seen by anyone with a Facebook account. It could cost them their jobs, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

TOUGH CHOICES: It's not easy to decide where to place autistic students in the public schools, as the St. Lucie school district is discovering, the Port St. Lucie Tribune reports.

ALL EXPENSES PAID: A Lee middle schooler will have the district pay for his trip to represent the state in a national history competition, after officials first said policies didn't allow for the expense, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. A Palm Beach principal and 15 teachers will be spending $17,000 on a trip to a Las Vegas conference even as the district is cutting programs, the Palm Beach Post reports.

GIVE US A BREAK: It's time for the federal government to give Florida more flexibility in determining whether a school is successful, the Orlando Sentinel editorializes.

SARASOTA'S NEW SUPER: Lori White, who takes over as Sarasota's schools CEO this week, offers her thoughts on the district's direction to the Herald-Tribune.

SAVE THEIR STRINGS: Parents of Okaloosa's only symphonic music program are trying to protect it from the chopping block, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

SCHOOL UNIFORMS: A survey in Lake shows that students hate the idea of mandatory uniforms while parents and educators like it, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Wonder who will win that debate.

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About the blog

Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

Meet the team

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THE TEAM

Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

Marlene Sokol covers Hillsborough County schools. E-mail her: sokol@tampabay.com.

Ron Matus covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail him: matus@tampabay.com.

Jeffrey S. Solochek covers Pasco County schools. E-mail him: solochek@tampabay.com.

Kim Wilmath covers the University of South Florida. E-mail her: kwilmath@tampabay.com.

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