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Education News for Wednesday, May 3

Florida House passes class size amendment despite defeat in Senate – A proposed Florida state constitutional amendment that would weaken Florida’s class size reduction requirements narrowly passed in the House even though the Senate rejected a similar measure last week. (more)

Experts say shortage of male teachers hurt students – The school year is winding down, but this is the time teachers are hired for next school year. And there is a shortage of male teachers, especially at the elementary level. (more)

Senate reverses, keeps hopes for vouchers alive – In a startling move less than 24 hours after handing Gov. Jeb Bush an embarrassing defeat, the Florida Senate voted late Tuesday to revisit asking voters to allow private school vouchers. (more)

Professor to call for greater focus on math, science – A Kansas University chemistry professor will speak today on Capitol Hill, weighing in on the national debate about how to keep America competitive in science and technology. (more)

Scottsdale, Arizona council tables school-zoning code vote – City Council members Tuesday postponed voting on a new zoning code limiting the location of private and charter schools, saying they wanted to hear more from the public. (more)

Bill could enable online education – South Carolina students might not have to go to school to get a public education in the future.  They could go to cyberschool instead. (more) 

Senate moves to keep vouchers – The state Senate advanced legislation to fix the constitutional weaknesses of Florida’s first voucher program. The plan–to allow voucher students to instead receive money from a corporate tax credit program–comes up for a vote today. (more) 

Give kids more chance to hope – Opinion: a U.S. congressman from New York explains why he introduced federal federal tuition-tax credit for K-12 parochial and private school education. (more)

Check back later for more education news.   

UPDATE:

Vouchers not the answer – AFTER THE HOUSE rejected last year’s plan to subsidize private school tuition, supporters came back this year with a bill they claimed addressed a central objection: that they were pushing a giveaway to wealthy parents that would do nothing to help poor children. (more)

Tax plan doesn’t even pretend to help poor kids – AFTER THE HOUSE rejected last year’s plan to subsidize private school tuition, supporters came back this year with a bill they claimed addressed a central objection: that they were pushing a giveaway to wealthy parents that would do nothing to help poor children. (more)

From majority leader to GOP outcast – Only a couple of months ago Alex Villalobos was on the cusp of making history as a future president of the state Senate, the first Cuban American who would hold the post. (more)

TODAY AT THE STATE HOUSE – School Choice – A group of black advocates for school choice challenged the General Assembly to adopt legislation that would give parents from low-income households financial incentives if they choose to send their children to private schools. (more)

Choice Issue Opens Rift in Missouri – The proposal–a bill that would provide tax credits for donations to scholarship funds that help children pay tuition at private schools–is similar to programs that are growing in popularity in other states. While such plans have also evoked criticism elsewhere, the debate in Missouri has reached what may be new heights of acrimony. (more)