Author: Rick Outzen
Escambia County slowest growing county
Escambia County, Florida is the slowest growing county in the region, according to the latest census estimates that were released yesterday. The county is growing,…
Buzz: Brownsville Middle sale not on school board agenda
For the second consecutive month, the proposed sale of Brownsville Middle School to George Hawthorne and his Diversified Program Advisors is not on the agenda…
Little Gaetz wants to cut off complusive gambling fee
Rep. Matt Gaetz has introduced legislation that would eliminate a $250,000 regulatory fee pari-mutuel gambling facilities with slot machines pay to help fund the Florida…
Nodine update
Mobile Press Register: Baldwin County District Attorney Hallie Dixon has not decided whether she will retry former Mobile County Commissioner Stephen Nodine on murder and…
Yahoo complaint
Had a reader complained about a Yahoo toobar being added to his Firefox browser when he downloaded other software. It was default setting that he…
After nine years of FCAT, high schools aren’t better
After nine years of teaching to FCAT tests at every level, we should see FCAT scores improve at high school. The high school grades should…
Lower FCAT schools don’t keep high grades
Escambia County schools have some successful years, but rarely do they maintain those high grades. If FCAT scores are based on the merit of the…
Why Escambia Public Schools aren’t progressing
Reading is the issue. Our math gains consistently range from 69-65 percent, but the gains in reading range from 61-55 percent. The percentage of students…
Escambia School District ranked in bottom 25 percent
The Florida Department of Education has been grading the school districts based on their FCAT scores since 2003-2004 school year. In 2009-2010 school year, Escambia…
Scott finds FDOT project he likes
Press Release: Directs FDOT to amend work plan to include $77 million for the port Miami – Standing before a crowd of hundreds at the…
Stallworth gets hung jury
At 11 p.m. on Thursday, Judge Nick Geeker released the jury in the Donnie Stallworth trial. The former Air Force staff sergeant was on trial…
Does FCAT measure the merit of teacher?
I think not. FCAT may measure the effectiveness of entire school district, but not a particular teacher. There are too many variables as School Board…
Buzz: “Amazing Grace” coming to UWF
Buzz: Grace Zabriske, actress, poet and artist, may be coming to the University of West Florida. She may interaction with students and faculty of the…
PNJ changes website, so do other Gannett papers
The News Journal will be touting its new website. It is merely the new Gannett template Rochester Ashville Jackson Ft. Myers Lafayette (green version)
FCAT scores to determine teacher pay
Yesterday, I interviewed a parent who pulled his son out of Escambia County Public School District because he felt all the teachers had been doing…
Buzz: CMPA board members resigning
Bentina Terry and Grace McCaffrey have apparently resigned from the Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees.
Hayward begins West Side Development
Press Release: Hayward To Begin West Side Improvements, ESP to Purchase Pipeline As part of Mayor Ashton Hayward’s 20 Solutions for 2011 and other public…
Tea Party Rally
The Pensacola Tea Party is hosting a demonstration Saturday to protest the restrictions placed on drilling oil in the United States. Supporters will gather from…
Buzz: Movement on West side plan
There is a buzz that Mayor Ashton Hayward will be making an announcement soon on a project for the west side of Pensacola. Not sure…
Bright Futures may be cut again
Bright Futures, the merit-based college scholarship program for Florida high school graduates, may be cut yet again from $3,750 a year to $2,900. This scholarship…
