Career academy: Some Pasco County high school students will learn to fly drones when their school launches an aviation career academy in conjunction with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Tampa Tribune.
Charter schools: Pinellas County school board members approve the school district’s first virtual charter school. The Tampa Tribune. Hillsborough school officials vote down a charter school for MacDill Air Force Base. redefinED. More from The Tampa Tribune and Tampa Bay Times. The Hillsborough County School Board made the correct decision in denying an application for a charter school at MacDill Air Force Base, writes the Tampa Bay Times. 
As the Miami-Dade School Board looks to improve its grip on charter schools, a new national report shows that Florida’s network of independent schools is expanding faster than anywhere else in the U.S. Miami Herald. Orange County school district ties for 10th nationally for “highest growth” in charter school enrollment the past two years. Orlando Sentinel. School board members receive a recommendation to deny approval of the South Lee County Florida High School for Accelerated Learning, but they vote to wait another month on a final ruling. Naples Daily News.
District schools: To help compete with a growing array of school options, Broward County plans its first online technical high school, three new preK-8 schools, and an overhaul of six failing elementary schools. Sun Sentinel. Four struggling Lee County schools get an extended school day starting in the new year. Fort Myers News-Press.
Honors classes: Starting next school year, incoming freshmen in Pinellas County high schools may find that honors classes carry less weight for their GPA than AP, IB and dual-enrollment classes. The Tampa Tribune.
Teacher evals: Calls to push back the deadlines are getting louder. Tallahassee Democrat.
Common Core: The Pasco County school district plans a series of 13 community meetings to educate parents about the Common Core State Standards. The Tampa Tribune.
Special needs: The family of a daughter with Down syndrome who drowned behind her school last year, thanks the Hillsborough County school district for improving safety for special-needs children. Tampa Bay Times. More from The Tampa Tribune.
Audits: For the first time in years, the Polk County School Board is presented with a nearly flawless district audit report. The Ledger. A longtime food service vendor at the heart of a recent Escambia County Schools audit is being debarred. Pensacola News-Journal.
School boards: Collier County School Board members ratify raises for administrators and support staff, and approves a new policy for after school care. Naples Daily News.
Lawsuits: The Orange County School Board approves taking legal action against the county after commissioners reject plans for a high school in the West Windermere Rural Settlement. Orlando Sentinel.
College ready: The 2012 graduates from 16 of Hillsborough County’s 27 public high schools were more college ready than their peers the previous year, according to the latest results from Florida’s Common Placement Tests. The Tampa Tribune.
New glasses: For kids at this Pinellas County elementary school, new glasses mean a better chance at academic success. Tampa Bay Times.
Busing: The Hernando County School Board considers alternatives to its controversial policy that eliminated busing for students who live within two miles of their school. Tampa Bay Times.
Cell towers: The Pasco County school district supports a cell tower on an elementary campus despite some parents objections. Tampa Bay Times.
Shine award: A Hollywood science teacher receives the Governor’s Shine Award, which recognizes outstanding work among educators every month. Sun Sentinel. An Escambia County science teacher also receives the award. Pensacola News-Journal.
Name change: A vote to change the name of a Jacksonville high school that honors a Confederate soldier and Klu Klux Klan member will come next week. Florida Times-Union.
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