Library Closing, Beginning New Chapter

The West Florida Public Library’s main branch, located at 200 W. Gregory St. downtown Pensacola, will close temporarily in connection with the ongoing construction of…

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$21-million Suter project defies board policy and wasn’t planned

“Sal” wrote last Friday that the expansion of A.K. Suter Elementary has been in the works for years. He got me double-checking my research and…

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Help teachers teach

DonorsChoose.org grew out of a Bronx high school where teachers experienced first-hand the scarcity of learning materials in our public schools. Charles Best, then a…

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Oh, By the way

How many of you believe that it’s just a coincidence that two new schools that are being built are in the districts of school board…

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Only 52 percent of students at Suter Elementary live in attendance zone

Superintendent Malcolm Thomas and the Escambia County School Board want to replace A.K. Suter Elementary with a new $21-million facility–the most the district has ever…

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Florida Voices column gets attention

  FEATURED STORIES Parent trigger bill sparks fierce debate as vote nears By Leslie Postal Orlando Sentinel A proposal that could let parents decide the…

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Lincoln Park has largest enrollment increase

Lincoln Park Elementary has been on Superintendent Malcolm Thomas’ chopping block for nearly a year. The mistake he made this time was to tell parents,…

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Parent Triggering bill could destroy public education

My latest column for Florida Voices is on the proposed “parent triggering” bill, the crowning blow to a decade-long effort to take “public” out of…

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U.S. Dept. of Education finds huge racial disparities in public education

A report released today by the U.S. Department of Education has particular significance for Escambia County, in light of our cover story on such disparities…

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Building a Better Future

UWF’s Building Construction program is dedicated to teaching students the latest technology, incorporating the highest standards in energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. Josh Newby with…

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In 9 years, Escambia School District General Fund Reserves grew 377%

I reviewed the past 9 years to see how the Escambia County School District has grown General Fund Reserves under both Malcolm Thomas and his…

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How did School District grow reserves by 177% in two years?

We know that local governments have struggled these past two years as property taxes have fallen and other revenues have declined. Salaries have been frozen,…

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We’ve got a portable for that. West side needs classrooms

The Escambia County School District has 475 portables that have 3,487 student stations, according to documents received by the IN via a public information request….

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U.S. Department of Labor awards $3.9 million to UWF, Chipola College

Programs will train Northwest Florida residents for high-skill jobs PENSACOLA, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a $3.9 million grant to the University…

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Pace teacher on Colbert Report

Pace teacher Dawn Quarles, who was cited for violating the Act for her voter registration efforts in her classroom, is feature on this segment of…

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March 5 – Voluntary Pre-K registration

The School District of Escambia County will begin registering children who will be four years of age on or before September 1, 2012, for Voluntary…

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No nurse for you!

Superintendent Malcolm Thomas sounds like the “Nurse Nazi” in today’s PNJ article about the state legislature cutting funding for school nurses. Despite having doubled the…

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Watson Study recommended closing Suter to save money

My Outtakes for March 1 points out the unfairness in how Superintendent Malcolm Thomas and his school board treat the black community – “Black &…

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Mayor responds to School District claim on discord on closed schools

Yesterday I posted an email from a concerned citizen about his request that the playground at the close Allie Yniestra Elementary School be made available…

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School District blames City for playground issue

Mayor Ashton Hayward tried to work with School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas on the closed schools inside the city limits. They met over six months ago…

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