Emma Behrmann

Emma is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.

Florida Senate passes bill that would undermine most of state’s teacher unions

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Nancy Velardi has negotiated with Pinellas County Schools, one of the largest school districts across Florida, for 18 years, securing affordable health insurance for teachers and their families and working to increase salaries.  But in her last term as president of the Pinellas County Teacher Association, the …

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Florida Standards Assessments’ replacement increases testing time

Alachua County Public Schools began taking standardized tests with the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking less than a month into the school year. Students in voluntary prekindergarten through 10th grade will participate in this assessment three times a year. Florida Assessment of Student Thinking replaces the end-of-the-year Florida Standards Assessments and monitors student progress in the fall, winter and spring. Each cycle tests students’ knowledge of the entire year’s material in English Language Arts and mathematics, according to the Florida Department of Education. But critics of the new assessment say more time spent testing means less instructional time.

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