Zika and schools: As more Zika virus cases are discovered in south Florida, school districts are advising parents to dress their children appropriately for school and to use mosquito repellent. They’re also assuring parents that they’re taking all prevention precautions, such as eliminating standing water near schools. WLRN.
School rankings: Florida ranks 21st in the United States in school system quality and 8th in safety, according to a report by WalletHub. Overall, the report ranks Florida as the 14th-best system among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Florida also had the second-lowest number of bullying incidents. Sunshine State News. Palm Beach Post.
Extra hour questioned: Some parents of higher-performing fourth- and fifth-graders at low-performing schools in Pasco County are questioning the need for an extra hour of reading. School officials say state law requires the extra reading lessons for any student who scored below a 5 , which is the highest score. Gradebook.
School budgeting: The Hillsborough County School Board votes today on a $2.8 billion budget that is still short on specifics about where cuts will be made. Tampa Bay Times. Lake County School Board member Marc Dodd says the district’s budget doesn’t properly address the needs to improve. Lake County ranks among the lowest districts in Florida for learning gains by low-performing students. Daily Commercial. The Indian River County School District will have two town meetings to discuss the budget and the proposed half-mill increase that’s on the Aug. 30 ballot. TCPalm.
School buses: Palm Beach County school officials are confident last year’s busing problems will not be repeated. More drivers and buses are available, and the district is returning to previous routes. And all of the 650 district buses now have working air-conditioning, officials say. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post.
Standards-based report cards: Report cards using standards-based grades won’t happen this year in the Pasco County School District. Superintendent Kurt Browning wants to de-emphasize letter grades and move to a system that focuses more on student gains. But he says the district isn’t ready to make the change, and will reconsider the new system for the 2017-2018 school year. Gradebook.
Satan clubs: A group wants to put After School Satan clubs in every U.S. elementary school that has a religious club, such as the Good News Club. The Satanic Temple says it’s trying to make a point that religion should not be taught in public schools. Washington Post.
School elections: Polk County School Board candidates are asked about funding, charter schools and failing schools at a candidate forum in Winter Haven. Lakeland Ledger.
Notable deaths: Bob Lynn, a longtime educator and coach in Okaloosa County, died Saturday. Lynn was active in many community events in Crestview. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Superintendent search: Lake County school officials set three town meetings to get input from the community about what attributes it wants in a new school superintendent. Current Superintendent Susan Moxley retires in July 2017. Daily Commercial.
Education personnel: School opens in eight days, and the Manatee County School District is still looking for almost 100 employees. The district needs 48 teachers and 49 support workers. Bradenton Herald. The national policy director for Jeb Bush’s education reform foundation will become the Florida House education staff director. Joanna Hassell starts the job next month working for incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes. Politico Florida.
School expansion: A rezoning decision will allow the Foundation Academy, a Christian school in Winter Garden, to build more classrooms, a football stadium and possibly space for student boarders. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher on trial: A former Hillsborough County teacher is on trial on seven counts of sexual battery and lewd or lascivious conduct. Megan Connors, 31, who was a math teacher at Turkey Creek Middle School, is accused of having sex with a 15-year-old boy. WFLA.
Opinions on schools: A mother who has been fighting with the State Department of Education over a requirement that her disabled daughter take the state’s standardized tests wins the right to a hearing. Finally. Tom Lyons, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Florida’s failure to support its children not only places them at a long-term disadvantage, but also imperils the future economic health of the entire state. Terry Golden, Naples Daily News.
Student enrichment: All high school students and a substantial number of third- through eighth-graders in Escambia County will use Chromebook laptops this year. Pensacola News Journal. About 200 needy Immokalee children receive new shoes for school in a drive coordinated by the Guadalupe Center. Naples Daily News. Stephen Kirsch, a science teacher at Liberty Pines Academy in St. Augustine, is one of 25 teachers in the United States chosen by Northrop Grumman and the National Science Teachers Association for a year-long training program to make STEM subjects fun. St. Augustine Record. A plan to transform the Ahfachkee School on the Big Cypress Reservation in Clewiston is one of 50 finalists for a $10 million grant. The XQ Super School Project is a collaboration between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Florida International University. FIU News.
