Session targeting in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants gets pushback, ex-teachers union leaders indicted for fraud, and more

Around the state: The governor’s call for a special legislative session to revoke in-state tuition for undocumented students and address other immigration issues gets a frosty reception from Senate and House leaders, two former Duval teachers union officials are indicted on charges that they stole $2.4 million over 10 years, a report lists special education and technology teachers as those in the highest demand in Florida’s K-12 schools, a bill is filed to provide free meals in all public schools, and students in eight Tampa Bay area school districts are still dealing with the aftermath of two hurricanes last fall. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Tampa Bay area: The impacts of hurricanes Helene and Milton more than two months ago are still being felt in eight Tampa Bay area school districts. The storms significantly damaged at least 36 schools and other district facilities, and repairs to many of them are not expected to be finished for several more months. Even then, those school’s students will be dealing with the possibility that future storms could upend their lives again. WUSF.

Duval: Former district teachers union leaders Terrie Brady and Ruby George have been indicted on federal fraud and conspiracy charges. The indictment issued last month and unsealed Monday alleges that Brady, 69, and George, 80, falsely claimed leave time accumulated between 2013 and 2022 that totaled more than $1.2 million each. Both retired in late 2023, weeks after the FBI and IRS raided union headquarters and carried away computers and records. If convicted, each faces decades of prison time. Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville Today. WJXT. WTLV. WJAX.

Volusia, Flagler: Graduation rates from last year were up 2.1 percentage points in Volusia and 1.2 points in Flagler, and both were above the state average of 89.7%, according to Florida Department of Education data. Volusia’s rate rose to 93.7%, putting it among the top 10 districts for the second year in a row, and Flagler’s was 89%. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

St. Johns: Fourteen-year-old Maslin Mooney, a student at Gamble Rogers Middle School in St. Augustine, was critically injured in a hit-and-run Friday as he was walking to his school bus stop. Sheriff’s deputies said they have identified the suspected driver, seized the car and are continuing the investigation. WTLV. WJXT.

South-central Florida: Five of six school districts in the area improved their graduation rate in 2024. Glades County went from 86% in 2023 to 87.8% last year, while Highlands’ rate was up from 80.2% to 83.6%, Hendry’s from 71.2% to 80.6%, Okeechobee’s from 70.7% to 80.4%, and DeSoto’s from 72.6% to 77.5%. Hardee’s rate declined from 80.5% to 73.6%. Highlands News-Sun.

Wakulla: District officials are using a $975,000 grant to offer free heart screenings to about 450 student-athletes. Who We Play For, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac death in youth through screenings, is partnering with the district on the project. WTXL.

Special legislative session: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ call for a special legislative session to pass a bill ending in-state tuition breaks for undocumented students got an icy reception from leaders of the Senate and House. Both Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said DeSantis’ call for a session the week of Jan. 27 was “premature” and “irresponsible,” and that addressing the governor’s stated agenda could wait for the regular 60-day session that begins March 4. The governor said he wants the Legislature to begin preparing to help the Trump administration with its mass deportation plans, approve hurricane relief, help residents adversely affected by condo laws, and make changes to the citizen ballot-initiative process. Politico Florida. Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. USA Today Florida Network. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics.

New bills filed: Among the 37 bills filed last week for the 60-day legislative session that begins March 4 were HB 119, which would establish a “universal free school breakfast and lunch program” in all public schools; and HB 127, which would create a workforce credential program for students with autism. WKMG. WMBB.

High-demand teachers: Special education and technology teachers top the list of the position most needed in Florida’s K-12 schools, according to a report being submitted to the Florida Board of Education on Wednesday. “The high-demand areas … represent certification areas where larger than typical proportions of teachers who are not certified in the appropriate field are being hired to teach courses where vacancies exist and where postsecondary institutions do not produce enough graduates to meet the needs of Florida’s K-12 student population,” the report concluded. Other subjects on the list include English, math, general science, physical science and English as a second language. News Service of Florida.

Opinions on schools: The idea that any state has “enough” K-12 choice seems highly questionable; in a demand-driven system, families and educators continuously mold the clay of the education space. The greater the meaningful diversity of schools proximate to families the better. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Keeping 8th-graders from enrolling in algebra 1 can significantly affect their chances of pursuing a STEM career. Alina Adams, The 74.


Avatar photo

BY NextSteps staff