Legislative session preview: Legislators open what is expected to be a less frenetic than usual 60-day state legislative session on Tuesday. Senators have filed about 800 bills, 25 percent less than they typically do, and House members have introduced around 700, down from 919 last year. Among the highest priority bills include ones to cut back on regulation of public schools, restrict social media use among children, reduce the restrictions on 16- and 17-year-old students working during the school week, and impose penalties on college students who support “foreign terrorist organizations” such as Hamas. Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to step away from his presidential campaign to deliver his annual state of the state address in Tallahassee on Tuesday, in which he’s expected to say he’s “delivered on 100 percent of what I promised I would do.” USA Today Florida Network. WFSU. Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times. WJXT.
Also in the Legislature: Social media use would be restricted for children under the age of 16 under a bill filed Friday by Florida Rep. Tyler Sirois, R-Merritt Island, who said social media contributes to bullying, harassment, suicidal thoughts and depression. The bill would require social media platforms to prohibit minors under 16 in Florida from creating a new account and create a system to terminate accounts held by those under 16. Parents could also request that accounts be terminated for their children under 16. Florida Today. A proposal would restore annual cost-of-living adjustment to state pensions, while another would allow current public employees to drop the 401(k) option and return to a traditional pension. USA Today Network. Video cameras would be placed in public or charter schools with self-contained classrooms that have “at least one student in regular attendance that is nonverbal and receives special educational services” under a bill filed for the legislative session by state Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce. Florida’s Voice.
Around the state: A hearing has been scheduled March 29 in a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a Florida law that forbids public schools from respecting transgendered teachers’ use of their preferred names and pronouns, Lake County schools name three finalists for the teacher of the year award, a former Marion school board member will run for a seat this year, and a Seminole County high school will start using a digital “hall pass” to keep track of students when they’re out of the classroom. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Elected city and county officials are speaking out against a school district proposal to replace law enforcement officers from the jurisdictions with a district-run police department. “The addition of an entirely new layer of government is not a cost-effective or safer solution,” Parkland Mayor Rich Walker wrote in a letter to the school board last week. The board is expected to consider the proposal Tuesday. Sun-Sentinel. A 34-year-old teacher at Discovery Elementary School in Sunrise was murdered after disappearing from a Christmas Eve party. The body of Shakira “Kira” Mozie, who was also a tutor and a cheerleading coach, was found along the Florida Turnpike. No arrests have been made, said detectives, who are asking the public for help. WPLG. WTVJ.
Orange: A state representative has filed a lawsuit against the Orlando Sentinel, claiming its story last August about her family’s university and finances were false and caused “permanent harm to her reputation.” Carolina Amesty, a Republican from Windermere, refuted the Sentinel’s reporting that Central Christian University, an unaccredited school in Pine Hills run by Amesty and her father, made false filings to the state about the credentials of 10 faculty members. Newspaper editors said they stand by the story and that Amesty’s lawsuit “mischaracterizes our reporting.” Orlando Sentinel.
Polk: More than 21 percent of Polk students do not graduate on time, according to a new report from the Florida Policy Institute. Statewide, the average is 13 percent. “Ever since the pandemic, most school districts have not rebounded in terms of getting and keeping kids in school and there’s a lot of widespread absenteeism. That is very concerning,” said Norin Dollard, Florida Policy Institute director. WMFE. Kathleen High School teacher Brandon Adams, 33, has been arrested and accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with an 18-year-old senior during the 2021-2022 school year. “In response to the allegations that led to his arrest, we are moving forward with Adams’ termination,” district officials said in a statement. “He had no prior disciplinary incidents in his time with (the district) and passed a background check before hiring.” Lakeland Ledger. WFLA. WESH. WTSP. WFTS.
Pasco: Barry Grayling, a Pasco High School discipline assistant and coach of several school sports teams for nearly 25 years, died last month from a brain tumor. He was 60. Tampa Bay Times.
Seminole: Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs will deploy a new digital “hall pass” app when classes resume today. The app, called Minga, tells school staff if students have been out of the classroom too long and their pass has expired. “Before, whenever we would give a kid a hall pass to go to the bathroom, or go to the water fountain or go see their school counselor, we would just have to act kind of good faith that the student was going to do what they were supposed to be doing and coming back in a timely fashion,” said principal Brian Blasewitz. “Now we have a digital receipt of every kid that is going to be unsupervised on campus, and when they were unsupervised. In the case of an emergency.” WFTV.
Lake: Three finalists have been chosen for the school district’s teacher of the year award. They are: Brittany Rudolph-Montgomery, an 8th-grade English language arts teacher at Carver Middle; Cindy Bellamy, an agriculture teacher at Mount Dora High; and Karen Kelly, a math teacher at Tavares High. The winner will be announced Feb. 1. Daily Commercial.
Sarasota: Realtor Greg Wood of Venice has announced his candidacy for the District 3 school board seat held by Tom Edwards. Wood also filed to run for the District 5 race in 2022, but withdrew. Tim Enos won that election. Charlotte Sun.
St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River: The number of students in Treasure Coast counties taking state scholarship money to attend private schools is up 60 percent over last year, from 6,148 to 9,856, according to figures provided by Step Up For Students, which helps administer the state program and hosts this blog. In Indian River, the number jumped 119 percent, from 875 to 1,914. In Martin, the increase was 99 percent, from 1,070 to 2,130. And in St. Lucie, the spike from 4,203 to 5,812 is an increase of 38 percent. TCPalm.
Marion: A former school board member who resigned in 2021 after she moved out of the district she was representing has filed to run for a seat in the district where she now lives. Beth McCall is challenging District 1 incumbent Allison Campbell, who was first elected in 2020. Ocala Star-Banner. More than 16 percent of Marion students do not graduate on time, according to a new report from the Florida Policy Institute. Statewide, the average is 13 percent. WMFE
Flagler: Angela O’Brien, the school district’s director of organizational talent in human resources, is being recommended for promotion to the position of assistant superintendent of academic services by Superintendent LaShakia Moore, who held the job before being appointed as interim superintendent last summer and then superintendent in September. School board members will act on the recommendation at their Jan. 23 meeting. Flagler Live.
Holmes: A continuing shortage of school bus drivers has prompted the school district to consolidate bus routes and use other employees as substitute drivers. The number of routes has been cut from 34 to 30, and Superintendent Buddy Brown this the shortage been an issue for several years as drivers retire and the district can’t find replacements. WJHG.
Colleges and universities: Students at Florida A&M University say they worry that a new state law forbidding the teaching of theories that “systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political, and economic inequities” will have a negative impact on how they learn about black history. Raghan Pickett, a senior, said it could prevent teaching about such events as the 1923 Rosewood Massacre, where hundreds of black people were killed or driven out of their neighborhoods by a mob of white men. “Back then, it was afraid of being lynched,” Pickett said. “Today, black people are still struggling. We’re still fighting to learn basic history.” Associated Press.
Pronoun lawsuit hearing: A hearing has been scheduled March 29 in a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a Florida law that forbids public schools from respecting transgendered teachers’ use of their preferred names and pronouns. One of the teachers, AV Schwandes, was fired by the Florida Virtual School after insisting on being addressed as “Mx.” and “they/them.” Florida Phoenix.
Opinions on schools: Someone needs to level with parents about how their students are doing and what they can do to help improve their learning. Most of the systems designed to measure student performance are designed to meet the needs of researchers and policymakers. We need to build better systems designed to inform parents. Travis Pillow, NextSteps. We all must redouble our efforts to fight for social justice, voting rights, civil rights, diversity, equity and inclusion. The dismantling of programs of diversity, equity and inclusion are shameful and insulting. Rev. Dr. R.B. Holmes Jr., Tallahassee Democrat. Florida is facing scores of serious issues, including insurance rates that are sky-high and SAT scores that are in the toilet. Yet what are Florida legislators obsessing over? Confederate statues, Pride flags and what pronouns people use in private workplaces. Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel. While legislators, their staff members and lobbyists are involved with considering the deregulation of the K-12 schools, the expansion of career and technical education, the limits of speech on university campuses, and of course the budget, this professor will be focused on whole different set of agenda items that they will never hear about (or if they hear about them somehow, they are almost certain to ignore). Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.
