Two Orlando Schools In Trouble With State Board Of Education

Two Orlando schools are in trouble with the Statemonthly pay and benefit costs. They additionally
Board of Education. Both Evans and Jones Highbarred the district from applying for some grants
Schools have repeatedly failed the state's annualthat are considered "extra funding" by the state,
school grading system that is based on studentsuch as technology grants that would not directly
scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessmentimpact the students. The lost grants could potentially
Test. Evans has received three Fs and five Ds overcost Orange, the 12th largest school district in the
the past eight years, while Jones has been scorednation, millions in grant dollars. This is the toughest
with five consecutive Fs since 2002. A grade of Fmove the state has even made to force change
means these two Orlando schools have high numberswithin one of its school districts.
of students who perform far below grade level inIn mid-Setember, the state education officials and
reading and math.Blocker came to an agreement that will help the
These two Orlando schools, plus five other schools indistrict comply with the state's 26-point reform
Miami-Dade, Duval and Jefferson districts, facedstrategy for the two high-poverty, high-minority
dramatic overhauls by state mandate. In July, theOrlando schools. The state has lifted the potentially
state threatened sanctions against the four districts.costly penalties against the district and will return the
The districts did not draft bold enough strategies forAugust deducted penalties to the district within the
school reform, which prompted revisions from Duvalmonth. State Education Commissioner John Winn
and Jefferson that were accepted by the state instated that the penalties were a symbolic move to
August. Miami-Dade and Orange (which governs theshow the district that the state was serious in
Orlando schools) plans were not accepted by thereforming the two Orlando schools.
state, with both districts arguing the issue of whoAdditionally, the principals at the two Orlando schools
can run chronic-F schools in Florida.will continue in their positions. Karen Wilson has been
The state wanted new principals hired at the twoprincipal at Evans High School since 2004. Bridget
Orlando schools, who had track records of raising aWilliams became principal at Jones High School in
school's grade by more than two levels (from a D to2006, after pushing Robinswood Middle School from a
an A, or an F to a B grade). Orange SuperintendentC to a B, then to an A during her transition to Jones.
Ron Blocker believed such a move would destabilizeRobinswood also is a high-poverty, high-minority
the already fragile Orlando schools and argued thatschool. Both Orlando schools principals will be paired
the state's pool of qualified leaders was too small towith state-approved mentors.
locate new principals with such successes.Winn stated that he expects the State Board of
The state reacted by penalizing the Orange CountyEducation to approve the agreement and reform
School District by reducing its August funding byplans for the two Orlando schools by the end of
slightly more than $17,500, the equivalent of Blocker'sSeptember.