Tag: Florida Education

Former TN Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn Fails Upward, Lands $367k per Year Job with University of Florida

TC Weber

Tennessee’s former commissioner of education, Dr. Penny Schwinn, has landed a new position with the University of Florida. Dr. Schwinn will join the school in a newly created position as vice president for PK-12 and Pre-Bachelors Programs.

According to an email from Cynthia Roldán Hernández, University of Florida’s director of Strategic Communications, this work will earn Schwinn an annual salary of $367,500, making her the second-highest-paid University of Florida vice president.

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Florida Board of Governors Supports More Funding for Major State Universities

Grant Holcomb

The Florida Board of Governors (BOG) has requested the Florida Legislature to allocate approximately $150 million more to funding three major Florida universities: University of South Florida (USF), University of Florida (UF), and Florida State University (FSU).

The request is a part of the BOG’s total $3.57 billion budget request for all of Florida’s college and universities. If approved by the Florida Legislature, each university would receive $50 million.

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State of Florida Submits Plan to Spend $7 Billion in Education Funds

Grant Holcomb
Young boy sitting in a library, reading

The State of Florida has officially submitted its education plan to the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) outlining how the state intends to spend $7 billion in education funding stemming from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Approximately $2.3 billion was being withheld from the state because the state did not apply for the money. Florida notably became the last state in the county to apply for its final third apportionment from the U.S. DOE.

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Gov. DeSantis to End Florida’s Yearly Standardized Testing

Grant Holcomb

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced yesterday his intentions to end Florida’s yearly standardized testing requirements for public schools, known as the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA). The replacement for the FSA would be known as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) and will be a progress monitoring system.

DeSantis made the announcement along with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran with the hopes of reducing testing in the classrooms by up tot 75 percent, with the hopes of teachers being able to get back to traditional instruction and not concerning themselves with standardized test prep.

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Florida Department of Education Adopts New Education Standards

Casey Owens

The Florida Department of Education (DOE) adopted new education standards regarding how topics like Holocaust Education, Civics and Government, Character Education, and Substance Abuse Prevention, will be taught in schools.

In the press release on Wednesday, the DOE stated that the new standards are set to strengthen Florida’s education standards which are already “nationally recognized.”

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