Monthly Archives: March 2019

Would providing a way for teachers, schools and districts to work around the General Knowledge certification test – as HB 7061 proposes to do – hurt student learning? I don’t think so, and here is why…

Posted on March 21, 2019 by Paul Cottle

If I were still young enough to have kids in Florida’s public K-12 schools, I would want their physics teachers to know their physics and how to teach it effectively, their math teachers to be strong in math content and … Continue reading →

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Is Florida’s STEM push “paying dividends”? If the measure of success is preparing our state’s own students for success in fields like engineering, computer science and medical professions, then no.

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The Lakeland Ledger recently published an editorial titled “Florida’s STEM push is paying dividends” that mostly reported on a ranking of “Most Innovative States” posted by the personal finance web site WalletHub that showed Florida ranked 18th among the 50 … Continue reading →

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Florida’s teacher shortage: Numbers of first-time examinees taking and passing state’s high school math certification exam continued their sharp declines in 2018

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The number of high school math teaching candidates taking Florida’s Math 6-12 certification exam for the first time continued to decline in 2018, as did the number of first-time examinees passing the exam. The number of candidates taking the Math … Continue reading →

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Second Annual Institute on Nuclear Science and Medicine to be held for rising 9th graders at FSU-Panama City July 8-12

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The second annual Institute on Nuclear Science and Medicine for rising 9th graders sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Nuclear Training and University-Based Research (CENTAUR) will be held on FSU’s Panama City campus July 8-12, 8:00 am-3:00 pm each … Continue reading →

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Orange County Public Schools leadership team coming to the FSU Physics Department on April 2 to recruit teachers for the second year in a row.

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Paul Cottle

A leadership team from Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) will be holding a teacher recruiting event at the FSU Physics Department on April 2 at 5:00 pm. The event will be held in UPL 101. The April 2 event will … Continue reading →

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It’s time for the Florida Legislature to pass HB 7061 and give teachers and educational leaders a way to work around the General Knowledge teacher certification test.

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Paul Cottle

Florida’s shortage of teachers for its K-12 schools is continuing to intensify. The Orlando Sentinel reported in January that halfway through the school year there were still 2,200 teacher openings around the state – 700 more than at the same … Continue reading →

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Does Bay County’s Bozeman School have the optimum range of opportunities for rural high school students? It sure looks like it to me.

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Paul Cottle

What would your ideal rural high school look like? Here’s what mine would look like: It would offer its students the broadest possible range of high quality instruction, from career and technical education in fields that are in demand to … Continue reading →

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Teacher Certification Reform: House PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee considering a proposal to provide districts, principals and teachers a way to work around the General Knowledge Exam

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee of the Florida House will consider at its Thursday meeting a proposal to allow temporarily certified teachers who are highly thought of by their principals a way to earn full professional certificates without passing the General … Continue reading →

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Teacher certification reform in Florida: Senate leadership bill is only a microstep, but at least it’s a microstep forward.

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Paul Cottle

The most likely outcome for teacher certification reform in Florida during the legislative session that begins next week is found in SPB 7070, the proposed omnibus education reform bill that the Senate Education Committee will consider during its meeting on … Continue reading →

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