Recent News Items:
February 6, 2013
Broward County Public Schools unveils new three-year Strategic Plan
Broward
County Public Schools (BCPS) has announced distribution of the
District’s new Three-Year Strategic Plan. The BCPS Strategic Plan was
developed with the assistance and input of the BCPS community. In brief,
the plan highlights three primary goals and provides a structure for
“Strengthening the Paths to Success.”
Broward school employees get 2 percent raise
More
than 5,000 employees at the Broward School District are set to receive a
2 percent raise this year after the School Board Tuesday approved pay
hikes for four of its unions. The raises are effective this year and
will cost the district about $1.6 million. Affected
employees include clerical staff, principals, assistant principals,
secretaries, administrative workers and food service workers. The last
time these groups were given a raise was in the 2008-09 school year.
School districts may have to share space with charters
The
relationship between charter schools and traditional schools could soon
get a lot cozier under a legislative proposal that could require them
to share space. The bill, proposed by a state House education
subcommittee, would require districts to make space available to charter
schools for free if a traditional school's enrollment falls below 50
percent.Charter schools could also have free access to vacant school
district buildings.
Parents claim Broward district denies services to special-needs students
Dressed
in all black, about a dozen parents stood before the Broward School
Board Tuesday with a unified message: The district is failing to provide
adequate services to their special-needs children. They claim that
schools deny their students evaluations, individualized education
programs and special services. Other parents said they've been excluded
from important decisions such as whether their children will be able to
graduate with a standard diploma.
Broward parents demand more rigor for special-needs students
Some
Broward parents with special-needs children complain the school
district pushes their students off the path for a real high school
diploma. In
testimony that was at once angry and tearful, a group of Broward
mothers told School Board members Tuesday that their special-needs
children are being forced into less rigorous classes that don’t result
in a standard high school diploma.
Broward School Board fires teacher accused of beating students
Alphonso Joseph taught at Arthur Ashe Middle School in Fort Lauderdale
A
Broward County Schools teacher, who was accused of beating students,
was fired on Tuesday. The School Board voted to terminate Arthur Ashe
Middle School teacher Alphonso Joseph. The board followed the
recommendation of Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie to fire Joseph.
February 5, 2013
School hosts centennial party
South Broward High School recently hosted a party 100 years in the making.
The
marine science magnet school celebrated its 100th anniversary with an
event featuring speeches from notable alumni, campus tours, classic cars
and musical performances. "Our school spirit, our tradition and our
history lives on," said Principal Olayemi Awofadeju.
Davie school hosts hydro rocket competition
Nova
High School in Davie recently hosted a Broward County hydro rocket
competition. The event featured three categories: hang time (the rocket
with the longest airtime wins), target (whichever rocket either gets
into the target or closest to it wins), and odd rocket (make a rocket
that doesn't look like a rocket).
Students named in Broward Center Teen Ambassador program
The
Broward Center for the Performing Arts has welcomed 25 students from 15
high schools in Broward into the 2012-13 class of Broward Center Teen
Ambassador Program. Open to students interested in the performing arts,
the program offers an insider's view as teen ambassadors participate in
educational workshops with touring artists, attend live performances,
write reviews and share their experiences in social media.
Scholarship deadline approaching
The
Broward League of Cities is offering scholarships to Broward County
high school seniors who are county residents, attend a Broward public or
charter school and plan to attend a college or university to pursue a
major in public administration, political science or other
government-related field. Four students will be selected for a $1,000
scholarship. Applications are due by Feb. 15. To be considered,
applicants must be available on the date scheduled for interviews, set
for March 30.
Heat giving out 4 scholarships totaling $10,000
The Miami Heat is giving four $2,500 scholarships to high school seniors attending Broward, Palm Beach or Miami-Dade county schools, based on their academic performance, sports activity, community service and financial need.
February 2-4, 2013
Special Presentation – “The Guidance of Youth to Adulthood” hosted by Broward Schools
Broward
County Public Schools invites the community to attend a special lecture
presentation by Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, a celebrated author and speaker on
topics that address diversity in urban school districts. Dr. Kunjufu’s
presentation will address ways to close the racial academic achievement
gap and how to develop students to become self-disciplined. The event
will include a question and answer session.
Deadline approaching for Broward Schools applications for Magnet School Programs, Nova Schools
Broward
County Public Schools (BCPS) is currently accepting applications for
its magnet school programs and Nova schools for the 2013-14 school year.
Applications must be received or postmarked by February 13, 2013.
Pines charters, Broward School Board in tug-of-war for tax money
The 5,600 students who attend the Pembroke Pines Charter schools are no different than their peers at Chapel TrailElementary
or West Broward High. They're all public school students. Some juggle
Advanced Placement classes and varsity sports. They all take the dreaded
statewide standardized tests. The only difference is that the money
their parents pay in property taxes to the
Broward County School Board never makes it back to their schools.
January 29, 2013
FPL distributes grants for classroom energy projects
Florida
Power & Light Co. announced Wednesday it awarded $47,000 in grants
to dozens of teachers in Florida to help fund innovative classroom
projects in which students learn about energy, its sources and uses. At
least 15 teachers from Broward andPalm Beach counties were among the 43 recipients of the company's Teacher Grant Program.
Broward legislators to tackle topic of school cops and how to pay for them
Public meeting planned Tuesday at 2 p.m.in downtown Fort Lauderdale
The hot topic of how to pay for school cops will be the primary focus of a public meeting Tuesday at 2 p.m.
School board to consider officers at schools
Funding, other issues need to be discussed
In the wake of the Connecticutschool shooting,
Broward lawmakers will meet Tuesday to discuss the possibility of
placing officers at all of the county’s public schools…. "With a child
who is still in public schools, as a parent of three daughters, it's
something that you think about constantly and how devastating this is,"
said Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie.
Pembroke Pines calls for more funding for its charter schools
Broward
school district leaders have said they are open to sharing capital
improvement dollars with the Pines charters if the Legislature restores
the higher property tax funding the district used to receive. Pembroke
Pines officials,frustrated that their prized city-run charter schools
are operating in the red, continued to call for additional funding on
Monday — while blasting Broward’s School Board for an “evil” policy of
not sharing property tax dollars.