Three more side agreements for Florida's Race to the Top

JUNE 03, 2010

For what it's worth, we've confirmed three more side agreements that are part of Florida's Race to the Top effort - and yet were not sent to the Florida Department of Education, or to the U.S. Department of Education as part of the state's second application. (Background here.)

The Lee and Polk school districts sent the Gradebook copies of agreements they signed with their local union. And the Broward school district approved its local side agreement yesterday.

That makes eight side agreement so far - the three DOE says it knows about (Marion, Hendry and Hardee), and the five we've confirmed (Broward, Duval, Polk, Lee and Hernando). And that means four of the state's 10 biggest districts have side agreements that may conflict with the promises made in the state's memorandum of understanding. Considering the Pasco union didn't sign the state MOU, and that Palm Beach County opted out completely, that means six of Florida's 11 biggest districts have asterisks by them. Hmmmm ...

An Education Week writer thought the side agreements were interesting enough to mention on her blog. "So much for transparency," she wrote.

Posted by Ron Matus at 9:03:24 am on June 03, 2010 in

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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.

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

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