Since the Great Recession, Florida Department of Education data shows that K-12 Leon County teacher salaries have lost ground to average salaries state-wide. However, during the same period, Leon County was able to retain teachers at a higher rate when compared to state of Florida trends. The graph below shows the annual comparison of the […]
Over the last year, multiple sources have contacted Tallahassee Reports about the potential bias of Tallahassee Democrat reporter Jeff Burlew’s reporting on the Leon County School Board and Superintendent Jackie Pons. Previoulsy, the complaints have been about the number of stories, 40-50, dedicated to the coverage of the investigations into the awarding of construction contracts […]
Tallahassee Reports recently published an analysis of Leon County High School enrollment numbers and growth rates over the last five-years. It was the first analysis published by a local media outlet aimed at providing information about the need and location of a new high school. The report can be found here. Current Superintendent Jackie Pons […]
The debate over the construction of a new high school in Leon County has begun. Last year the headline in the Tallahassee Democrat said “Crowded Leon County may get a new high school.” The article went on to say that “For years, classroom portables functioned as Band-Aids to overcrowding problems caused by steady hikes in student […]
Tallahassee Reports has learned that Leon County School Board member, Alva Striplin, is seeking an opinion from the Florida Commission on Ethics. Ms. Striplin, who retained Ron Meyer, of Meyer, Brooks, Demma and Blohm, P.A., asked the Florida Commission on Ethics if it was a violation of state ethics laws for a school board member […]
It is more than a year until the final votes will be cast in the race for Leon County School Superintendent and the three candidates have already raised over $300,000. Candidate Scott Maddox reported $22,590 in donations for August to go with the $93,000 he has previously raised. Maddox said “I’m proud of the support […]
Leon County School Superintendent Jackie Pons, who has weathered a turbulent year or so at the school district, proved that he still has support in the community. Pons reported today that he raised $108,000 during August. This was Pons first report since deciding to seek re-election. Pons told Tallahassee Reports that ” I am proud […]
Former Leon High principal Rocky Hanna turned some heads with his first campaign report. Hanna, who has not run for political office before, reported that he raised $105,000 during August. Sources that TR talked to were surprised at the amount he reported. “You knew Jackie and Scott would raise a lot of money. This means […]
Current Superintendent Jackie Pons has told Tallahassee Reports he will file to run for re-election at the end of this month or the first week in August. “I look forward to talking about the positive things with our school district and my leadership. We have one of the highest performing school districts in the state […]
On June 19, 2014, Tallahassee Democrat reporter Jeff Burlew wrote an article entitled “School employee becomes whistle-blower, former secretary files lawsuit.” Tallahassee Reports has recently learned that the Tallahassee Democrat labeled part of the article as gossip, gossip that almost one year later has no independent factual basis. In the article, Burlew reported accusations from […]