A new charter school in Carrollwood is taking a peaceful approach. Taylor Peace Academy opens Monday with kindergarten through third grade; it will expand to fourth and fifth grade by 2010. Teachers are trained to offer peace education for all grades. ...more

August 14, 2008

A new charter school in Carrollwood envisions a setting where children gather around the "peace table" daily to discuss differences, work through conflicts or recap learning experiences. ...more

August 13, 2008

A new charter school in Carrollwood envisions a setting where children gather around the "peace table" daily to discuss differences, work through conflicts or recap learning experiences. ...more

August 13, 2008

I'd like to offer my suggestion on one way to help cover the budget shortfall for schools in Hillsborough County. How about laying off a couple of school board members? The savings on the $40,000 salary from each would free up enough money for hiring at least a couple of new classroom teachers. ...more

August 7, 2008

"So what do you do," I asked my schoolteacher wife, "when your entire class gets out of hand? Do you send them down to the principal's office or whack 'em in the back of the neck with a ruler, or do you just have them write down something 500 times on the blackboard?" ...more

July 28, 2008

Nancy Whalen's summer reading camp students at Park Elementary School faced a tough practice test Friday. ...more

July 27, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - It could have been a time for celebration when Sandra Toner's 10-year-old son, Jacob, conquered the third grade FCAT reading exam, even if he did it with a minimal passing score. ...more

June 21, 2008

SEBRING — More Highlands County third-graders scored at or above grade level in math and reading compared to the state average, according to Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test results released Wednesday. However, about 146 third-graders, or 15 percent of the students, will have to pass another test after a summer reading camp to be promoted to fourth grade. They scored in Level 1 or the lowest level of the assessment scale. Eighty-percent of the county's third-graders scored in Level 3 or above in math. Statewide, and last year in Highlands County, 76 percent had achieved that level. In FCAT reading, that number was 74 percent compared to last year's 70 percent and this year's state percentage of 72 percent. ...more

May 21, 2008

As midlife revelations go, Nicole Rogers had a tasty one. Sitting on a beach in Greece, she and her boyfriend, Doug Longo, got to talking about how cupcake stores were showing up all across the United States. ...more

February 19, 2008

Barring changes by the Legislature, the state's class-size amendment is slated to take full effect in August as parental choices change. ...more

February 19, 2008