Around the state: Seminole district officials decide to remove 31 books from school libraries because other districts had, Miami-Dade’s school board approves the adoption of new social studies, history and personal finance textbooks, Bay school board members approve a contract with teachers that provides raises ranging from $1,200 to $4,400, Lee’s school district is considering rezoning middle school boundaries to ease the effects from a shortage of school bus drivers, Pasco school officials told a hearing officer they were just following laws and policies when they approved a Christian radio personality’s personal finance material for classroom use, and a new women’s professional soccer team wants to use a Tampa high school’s field until it can build a stadium in three to five years. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: School board members voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt new textbooks for social studies, history and personal finance classes. After an outcry over state-approved black history teaching standards that suggested slaves might have benefited from their enslavement, board member Steve Gallon III said the new books do not mention any benefits of slavery. “Absolutely not! Absolutely not!” he said. “That’s not reflected in these materials that we adopted.” Community members have 30 days to contest the board’s decision. If approved, the books will be in classrooms next fall. Miami Herald. WFOR. WTVJ. WPLG.
Broward: A Margate Middle School student was arrested Wednesday and accused of having a weapon on campus. Police received a tip from another student about a classmate who had a gun in his waistband. When police stopped the suspect, they discovered the weapon was a nonworking pellet gun. Sun-Sentinel. WPLG.
Hillsborough: A new women’s professional soccer team wants to play its first several seasons at Howard W. Blake High School in Tampa, Mayor Jane Castor announced Wednesday. The team, which has no players or a name yet, will play in the Super League starting next August. It’s expected to add a turf field, expand seating from 1,800 to 5,000, upgrade the locker room and more. Team officials said they plan to play at Blake for three to five seasons, until they can build a permanent stadium. School board members still have to sign off on the proposal. Tampa Bay Times. WTSP.
Lee: District officials are proposing to rezone middle school attendance boundaries next fall as a way to address the ongoing shortage of school bus drivers. Nine zones were redrawn to get students closer to their schools, cut the number of bus routes and reduce student wait times. WINK.
Pasco: Parental concerns about the quality of a radio personality’s financial literacy textbook and materials that got the Pasco district’s approval for classroom use were dismissed by school officials at a hearing this week before a specially appointed officer. Parents also objected to the inclusion of Bible references in the textbooks, which are produced by Dave Ramsey, who offers financial advice. District officials said they followed state and county laws and education policies in approving the texts. Hearing officer Jim Robinson, a former attorney for the Pinellas County School Board, said he will make a recommendation within 14 days. WUSF.
Brevard: Several speakers at this week’s school board meeting questioned district officials’ relationship with the conservative activist group Moms for Liberty. Some took issue with board member Megan Wright calling the group’s members “brave moms” for handing out pocket Constitutions to middle schools in September, and another was critical of Superintendent Mark Rendell for speaking to the group’s local chapter Oct. 3. “I think it’s inappropriate for our schools to be speaking at groups with … I’ll just say questionable motives,” said Donna Herring. Florida Today.
Osceola: A student at Tohopekaliga High School in Kissimmee was arrested Wednesday and accused of having a weapon at school. A school resource officer reported smelling marijuana on the student, and found a gun in the student’s backpack. WKMG.
Seminole: District officials have removed 31 books from school libraries, but not because they were challenged by a parent or community resident. Instead, they were targeted because another Florida school district had yanked them following complaints about their content. The district said it was following state guidance that districts “check any books that have been removed or restricted due to a challenge in other districts,” and “carefully” consider their content before being placed in libraries. On Aug. 30, the Florida Department of Education released a list of more than 380 books removed from public schools during the 2022-2023 school year because of challenges. In addition to the 31 books removed, nine have been placed under review and students will need permission from a parent to check out three others, said district spokeswoman Katherine Crnkovich. Orlando Sentinel. WMFE. WESH. WKMG. A Winter Springs High School social studies teacher was arrested Wednesday and accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with a 15-year-old student. Deputies said they were tipped to the actions of Lucas Cridlebaugh, 25, when the girl’s mother told them he had been exchanging sexually explicit text messages with the girl since spring. Cridlebaugh is charged with lewd and lascivious battery and molestation of a minor. Orlando Sentinel. WKMG. WOFL. WESH.
Okaloosa: The district is receiving more than $360,000 as its part of the 2022 settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the American electronic cigarette company Juul Labs for marketing their products to children. Schools in 30 states were part of the suit, which ended with Juul agreeing to pay $439 million. Superintendent Marcus Chambers said the money will be used in the district’s anti-vaping campaign. WEAR.
Alachua: A final public hearing on an expansive school rezoning proposal is scheduled for tonight. Previous hearings have led district officials to adjust the plans, said district spokeswoman Jackie Johnson. Cutting back on overcrowding is the goal of the rezoning, she said, and the district also hopes to lessen its need for portable classrooms. Main Street Daily News. New crosswalks with flashing lights have been installed in front of Lake Forest Elementary School, Eastside High and Kanapaha Middle. Once a button on a pole has been pressed, flashing lights activate and continue for 20 seconds to allow pedestrians to cross. Main Street Daily News.
Bay: District teachers will receive raises ranging from $1,200 for teachers with up to four years of experience to $4,400 for educators with 17 years in the classroom after a contract agreement was approved by school board members this week. Before this deal was reached, first-year teachers and those who had 17 years of experience were paid the same. Members of the teachers union also must approve the contract before it takes effect. Panama City News Herald. Twelve students were hospitalized Wednesday after one school bus slammed into the back of another outside the Deane Bozeman School. None of the injuries are considered life-threatening. About 80 students were on the buses. The cause of the crash is under investigation. WMBB. WJHG.
Citrus: A canine program has been approved by school board members for public review. The aim of the program, said district officials is to detect and stop the use of THC and tobacco vaping in schools. The board also approved naming the Crystal River High School gymnasium in honor of the late Archie W. Dabney, a longtime teacher and coach in the district. Citrus County Chronicle.
Flagler: An attorney for the former Matanzas High School student whose classroom assault on a paraprofessional was captured on video in February and widely circulated said Wednesday that his client will enter an open plea in court Oct. 30. Brendan Depa, now 18, was charged with aggravated battery on a school board employee, Joan Naydich. The autistic man’s open plea means he has no agreement with prosecutors on a sentence and instead will leave the decision to the judge. Flagler Live. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Columbia: School board members decided to pursue a lawsuit against a company that they claim took $192,000 to renovate Columbia High School’s track but never did the work. Pro Sports Consulting Group was supposed to have finished the work by July 20. After three months of delays, board members hired Florida Track and Turf to complete the project. The cost will be $314,000 and is expected to be completed by Jan. 1. WCJB.
Colleges and universities: The long-dormant plan for the University of Florida to build a graduate school campus in downtown West Palm Beach is officially dead. The 12-acre campus, announced in 2021, would have offered graduate-level courses in business, engineering and law with a focus on financial technology and cybersecurity on 5 acres of land donated by the county, 2 acres by the city, and 5 acres from Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene. But UF and Greene couldn’t agree on terms, which would have included naming rights. Palm Beach Post.
Opinions on schools: Empirical research in the 21st century provides substantial evidence that grade retention in elementary school can be an effective lever for improving student outcomes. But school and district leaders should absorb the full lessons of the past two decades: waiting until middle school, retaining kids without providing the necessary supports, or failing to identify the students most likely to benefit are unlikely to yield the desired results and could even lead to adverse effects. Umut Ozec and Louis T. Mariano, Thomas B. Fordham Institute. I believe a game plan to score more wins for Florida’s kids is to integrate literacy and fitness education, as research shows that, like STEM instruction, teaching reading and fitness in an integrated way improves the results in both. Lindsey Franxman, Orlando Sentinel.
