Housing for teachers: It’s becoming harder for Miami-Dade County teachers to find a place they can afford to rent in Miami-Dade County. So the county and the school district are collaborating on a plan to build apartments for teachers above a new school. The first phase of the plan would be to tear down an abandoned public housing project near Southside Elementary School in the Brickell area and build a school for grades 6-8. One floor would be used for apartments, with other floors devoted to parking and classrooms. “When you look at teacher salaries, it’s just impossible for them to get into the housing market,” says Ned Murray, associate director of Florida International University’s Metropolitan Center. If it’s successful, the county and board will propose building a 300-apartment complex next to Phillis Wheatley Elementary, just north of downtown. Miami Herald.
Education court case: Now that the legislative session is over, the Florida Supreme Court will resume its review of the lawsuit that alleges the state has violated its constitutional role to fund an “an efficient, safe, secure and uniform high-quality education.” Legislative leaders asked the court to suspend its review during the session. The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled that the question of financing was not an issue for the judicial branch. The case, Citizens for Strong Schools, was filed in 2009. Gradebook.
Atheists offer signs: The Tampa-based group Atheists of Florida is offering to provide signs with the saying “In God We Trust” free to every school in Florida to fulfill a requirement in the recently passed education bill. “We want to help educate about the First Amendment and the establishment clause, as well as about the diversity in our country,” says executive director Judy Adkins. One of the versions would state “E Pluribus Unum, In God We Trust” in a circle with red, white and blue stars and stripes. The outside of the circle would contain words from the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Gradebook.
School security: Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight and School Superintendent Todd Bowden are feuding over the costs to provide guards in schools. Knight will no longer pay half the costs, he says, because the state is helping pay for school officers and he thinks the district should pay the rest. He also criticizes Bowden for misrepresenting his comments about the issue, for not acting quickly, and for not seeking his input early in the security discussion. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Leon County School Board will vote today on a resolution against arming school employees, as allowed under the state’s new guardian program. Tallahassee Democrat. Sixty-two percent of Lake County’s teachers say they don’t support arming school personnel, according to a district survey About 83 percent of all teachers responded. Orlando Sentinel. The Volusia County School Board’s discussion of capital projects today is expected to center on security concerns. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay says putting an officer in every school will cost up to $2 million a year. He also questions whether schools with 100 or so students require an officer. Key West Citizen. Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast is asking the county commission for an extra $978,000 to hire 10 deputies for county schools. Citrus County Chronicle. At a town meeting, Clay County Superintendent Addison Davis says it’s time to put an officer in every school, and he does not support arming teachers. WJAX. WJXT.
School choice amendments: Two major school choice amendments have been dropped from the Constitution Revision Commission’s consideration. One was the proposed repeal of the Blaine Amendment, which forbids the use of public money for any religious institution, including any private school with a church affiliation. The other would have added language to the constitution saying “nothing herein may be construed to limit the Legislature from making provision for other educational services … that are in addition to the system of free public schools.” Gradebook.
Daylight saving time: Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill last week that would keep Florida on daylight saving time year-round. But Congress still has to allow the exemption, and there are critics of the measure. For about half the year, the Florida PTA argues, students would be waiting for school buses or walking to school in the dark. The last time this was tried, in 1974, eight Florida children died in traffic accidents while going to school, and six of those were attributed to darkness. Fox News. Sun-Sentinel.
K-8 academies: The educational trend toward creating K-8 academies, such as the St. Johns County School District’s proposal to turn Mill Creek Elementary School in St. Augustine from a traditional K-5 elementary school to a K-8 school, draws questions and some concerns from parents. St. Augustine Record.
Notable deaths: Linda Brown, whose father was one of the plaintiffs in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, has died at the age of 76. In 1951, Oliver Brown tried to enroll his daughter Linda in an all-white elementary school near the family’s home in Topeka, but was refused and she was forced to go to an all-black school. A lawsuit challenging the decision was filed and combined with other similar case, and in 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that “separate but equal” schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Topeka Capital-Journal. Education Week.
District official charged: The Okaloosa County State Attorney’s Office is charging school district director of community affairs Henry Kelley with a noncriminal violation of the Sunshine Law. Kelley is accused of turning an exempted complaint against associate superintendent Stacie Smith over to a reporter. Kelley has a court date of April 17. If found guilty, Kelley could be fined up to $500. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Students arrested: Two teen-age students are arrested and accused of stealing iPads and ransacking classrooms at Cambridge Elementary School in Cocoa last weekend. Florida Today.
Opinions on schools: The state’s civic literacy requirements for school students is being eroded by the Department of Education’s rules. Bob Holladay, Tallahassee Democrat. Volusia County should keep beating that drum on changing Florida’s district cost differential formula for funding school districts. And all districts would agree that regardless of size and local economics, they need not only more money from Tallahassee, but also more freedom with which to spend it. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Student enrichment: College-bound students in Immokalee earn scholarship money by tutoring elementary school students. WGCU. South Sumter Middle School is the first in the county to be named an AVID National Demonstration School. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a college-readiness system aimed an narrowing the achievement gap between the lowest and highest performing students. Daily Commercial. Students get individualized learning and build social skills and more at the Jacksonville School for Autism. redefinED.
