'DREAM BIG': Pinellas officials look for things that motivate teens to stay in school as they embark upon a major revamp of the district's dropout prevention programs. (Times photo, Lara Cerri)

SMALL WORKS: Alachua Learning Center capitalizes upon its small enrollment and a mix of performing arts curriculum to regularly make top marks in the state, the High Springs Herald reports.

CLOTHES DON'T MATTER: A group of Bradford parents oppose the district's uniform mandate as too restrictive, the Bradford County Telegraph reports.

TOO CLOSE? A review of e-mails shows just how tight some Broward School Board members got to lobbyists, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Speaking of which, ousted Broward board member Beverly Gallagher might be cutting a plea deal in her corruption case, the Miami Herald reports.

OPEN RECORDS BLITZ: A Collier charter school finds itself on the defense as it deals with a slew of public records requests, the Naples Daily News reports.

UNDER INVESTIGATION: Polk's accounting director is placed on administrative leave as officials look into some documents he prepared, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

LABOR NEWS: The University of West Florida's faculty union declares impasse in contract talks, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

CRIMINAL RECORDS NOT WELCOME: Manatee considers refusing to hire anyone who has a criminal conviction until years after the conviction has passed, the Herald-Tribune reports.

Visit the Gradebook at noon for an interview with Florida deputy education chancellor Nikolai Vitti, who talks about school improvement plans.