Donald Trump, who pays $1 million a year on a single Palm Beach County mansion, helped Gov. Charlie Crist raise money Thursday for a ballot question that could cap all property taxes while providing cuts for most homeowners. ...more

December 7, 2007

Hillsborough County schools' graduation rate increased nearly 2 percentage points in 2006-07 over the previous school year with a slight improvement in the dropout rate, the state reported Friday. ...more

December 1, 2007

SEBRING — One school bus driver hopes the district's support workers vote down the tentative contract agreement Sunday so a better salary increase can be negotiated. According to the School Board of Highlands County, the tentative agreement reached Nov. 9 calls for an average salary increase of 4 percent and a total salary and benefit package increase of 5.86 percent. According to the tentative agreement, each pay step will increase by 2 percent. Each year everyone moves up a step, except the senior employees, who have reached the top pay step. About one-third of the 700 support staff are at the top of the salary schedule and will be getting a 2 percent raise. "When we vote on our contract, we are voting on a 2 percent increase — period," said Mary Hein, a bus driver. "We are not voting on 4 percent. It would be nice if they increased my step by 4 percent, but they are not." The substitute drivers would only get a 2 percent raise because their pay is solely based on hourly salary, she said. ...more

November 28, 2007

Florida's public high schools have some of the worst student retention rates in the country, with half qualifying as "Dropout Factories," four times the national average, according to a new analysis of U.S. Education Department data. ...more

November 2, 2007

MIAMI - Florida's public high schools have some of the worst student retention rates in the country, with half qualifying as "Dropout Factories," four times the national average, according to a new analysis of U.S. Education Department data. Among the local schools on the list were Bloomingdale, Chamberlain, Plant City, Leto and East Bay. Dropout Rate Map: Is Your School On The List? ...more

October 31, 2007

Upon hearing a discussion on how badly the Democrats were handling the current government, I listened to the specific details. ...more

October 14, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Most teachers listed in the state's online database of misconduct cases never admitted to the charges against them, and they were never proven guilty. ...more

September 25, 2007

Most teachers listed in the state's online database of misconduct cases never admitted to the charges against them, and they were never proven guilty. ...more

September 25, 2007

The Florida Legislature's new and improved teacher merit pay plan may have passed with grudging union support, but teachers still don't like it and some school districts have declined to participate, turning down millions of dollars in state bonus money. ...more

September 17, 2007