Around the state: Martin County students who are caught using their cell phones in class could have them confiscated under a revised student code of conduct, Duval’s superintendent says recent state testing results show the district needs to compete to retain students, several central Florida preschools are testing a learning model that empasizes building and tinkering, a Florida law that put restrictions on third-party voter registration has sharply curtailed those efforts on the state’s college campuses, and Florida Polytechnic University’s president hires an administrator from New College of Florida as the new provost. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Hillsborough: District official are asking for help in naming a new high school that opens in the fall of 2025 in Wimauma to as many as 3,500 students. Suggestions are being taken until Aug. 9, and the school board is expected to choose a name at its Sept. 5 meeting. WTVT.
Central Florida: Several preschools are taking part in an eight-month test of a learning method that focuses on building and tinkering. The Empowering Communities to Shape Their Worlds program is paying 25 preschool teachers an incentive to encourage their students to adopt a “maker mindset.” The Harvard Graduate School of Education developed the curriculum. “It’s about getting kids to understand how objects and systems are designed, so they can feel empowered to hack or reshape those objects and systems,” said Edward Clapp, one of the researchers. Orlando Sentinel.
Duval: There were improvements in the district students’ state standardized test scores over last year’s, but the results are still under the state average and charter schools outperformed traditional public schools. The district has been losing students to charter and private schools, and Superintendent Christopher Bernier ordered his staff to reach out to other large districts and see what they are doing to improve student performance. “I think the most important thing is we have to have the better product,” he said. “We have to compete.” WJAX. Florida Times-Union. Bernier met Monday with members of the Jacksonville branch of the NAACP to discuss their concerns about proposed school closings. Bernier said the plan is still being developed, and will be discussed at the school board’s July 16 workshop meeting. WJXT.
Polk: Superintendent Frederick Heid has announced new principals for 18 district schools. The only high school change is at Lakeland High, where Alain Douge succeeds Arthur Martinez. Five middle schools and 12 elementaries are also getting new leaders. The school year starts Aug. 12. Lakeland Ledger.
Collier: Students and teachers at Lorenzo Walker Technical High School in East Naples have started a petition drive to stop the proposed closure of the school. Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli announced the closure in May, saying the intent is to expand the neighboring college that’s also named for Walker and open its technical programs to more students. Her proposal would close the high school in 2028 and expand the technical college’s programs. Darlene Create, a teacher at the high school, said: “Instead of celebrating the success, the school is being shut down. This makes no sense.” Naples Daily News.
Escambia: Attorneys for the school board want to take a deposition from a 7-year-old student who was named as a plaintiff by their mother in a lawsuit against the school for removing and restricting books in school libraries. The board “has the right to explore the claims and defenses in the case directly with the students,” the attorney argued, adding that, “what a parent thinks their child wants to read and is interested in and what the child actually wants to read and is interested in may be different.” The attorneys have also argued that school board members can’t be deposed. USA Today Florida Network.
Sarasota: Sean Donovan, the assistant principal of exceptional student education at Sarasota High School, has been appointed as principal of the Oak Park School for students with special needs. He replaces Jamie Lowicz, who is taking over at Atwater Elementary in North Port. Charlotte Sun.
Martin: Students who are caught using their cell phones in class could have them confiscated under a proposed revision to the student code of conduct that will get consideration from the school board at today’s meeting. Parents would have to come to the school to pick up the phone. A third offense would result in the phone being take away for the rest of the semester. “Repeated offenses will result in progressive discipline and higher level of consequences,” the proposed changes state. WPTV.
Hernando: Three more schools have new principals. Dana Kublick is the new leader of Westside Elementary School, Julie Sweeney has been named the principal at Deltona Elementary, and Natasha Saavedra is taking over at Pine Grove Elementary. Suncoast News.
Colleges and universities: A Florida law that put restrictions on third-party voter registration has sharply curtailed those efforts on the state’s college campuses. Some have focused more on online registration, but voting rights advocates fear that won’t be as effective. Inside Higher Ed. Bradley Thiessen, an administrator for the past eight years at New College of Florida, has been hired as the provost at Florida Polytechnic University by new school President Devin Stephenson. Thiessen replaces Terry Parker, who had been in the job since 2016. Lakeland Ledger. Florida A&M University has appointed Shannon Smith as dean of the School of Nursing, and Garlen Dale Wesson as dean of the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences. Tallahassee Democrat. The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to decide soon whether to allow Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to sell about 30 acres of its property to New College of Florida. WUSF.
More on test results: Students’ state standardized test scores were up this year in most of the key academic subjects, Florida Department of Education officials announced last week. Here are reports from school districts around the state detailing how their students did. Palm Beach. Okaloosa, Walton. Bay. Monroe.
Teachers of the year: The state’s 2025 teacher of the year will be announced July 25. Finalists are Clayton Nylund of Hillsborough County, Jaime Suarez of Hernando, Jennifer Brown of Marion, Heather Stewart of Walton, and Samantha Nelson of the Florida State University School in Leon. The Florida Department of Education is honoring them and other districts’ teachers of the year on its Facebook page. Florida Department of Education.
Around the nation: A new poll suggests that only 36 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. That’s down from 57 percent in 2015. Associated Press. Problems with the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid form contributed to the 11.6 percent decline in the number of students who completed it, according to data from the National College Attainment Network. Only 46 percent of U.S. graduating high school seniors filled out the form. Chalkbeat. Project 2025 is a conservative policy agenda developed by the think tank Heritage Foundation. What changes in education policy is it calling for? Education Week.
Opinions on schools: Education reform policies require active constituencies in order to work and last. If the supporters of top-down policies recognize this need, they have yet to display much ability to acquire them. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Teaching the scientific consensus about climate change in Florida’s public school science classrooms serves the broadest range of children, and that is what public schools are supposed to be for. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.
