Around the state: A wide-ranging education bill was passed recently regarding high school diploma requirements, lawmakers are working on bills to make it easier to establish charter schools in Florida, a contract that aided the mental health of students is coming to an end in Sarasota and funding cuts loom in districts. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Sarasota: The school district here is ending a longstanding contract that placed full-time mental health therapists in elementary schools at a time when demand for these services remains high. The annual contract with The Florida Center for Early Childhood, which has been in place for seven years and served more than 475 children last year, is set to expire at the end of June and will not be renewed, officials say. The district is now weighing a new approach that shifts away from the in-school therapy model that once made Sarasota a national leader in student mental health care. WUSF.
High school diploma requirements: The Florida Senate passed a wide-ranging education bill on Thursday that eliminates a requirement that high school students pass algebra and language arts tests to earn standard diplomas. Senators approved SB 166 unanimously. Halfway through the legislative session, it is unknown if the House will take up the proposal. The bill would require that a student’s performance on the English-language arts assessment make up 30 percent of the student’s course grade. Several school districts lobbied in support of the bill, which would expand eligibility for teachers’ professional certificates, removes requirements for schools to have internal auditors and looks to enhance teachers recruitment. Third-graders who score a 1 out of 5 on their third and final reading progress monitoring tests could advance to fourth grade if they scored a 2 on the first two progress-monitoring tests. “If all they (students) learn how to do is take a test, then I think we have failed in our education system,” said Senate Education Pre-K-12 Chairman Corey Simon, who is sponsoring the bill. WCJB. WUFT. Florida Phoenix. Yahoo News. Tampa Bay Times.
Charter schools: Lawmakers in the state are working to pass two different bills to make establishing charter schools easier in Florida. House bill 123 and Senate Bill 140 would eliminate a requirement forcing charter schools to get approval from 50 percent of teachers before converting a public school to a charter school, among other changes. According to the latest data from the Florida Department of Education, charter schools serve 12% of the enrollment in public schools. Charter school enrollment has more than doubled over the last decade, the data shows. During the 2022-2023 school year, 23 conversion charter schools operated in Florida, representing approximately 3 percent of the total number of charter schools in the state. WPTV. WLFX. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Also in the Legislature: An Orange County school board member is voicing concerns about Florida House Bill 5101, which, if it is passed, would ax funding for certain programs at high schools statewide. If approved, the bill would cut funding for AP, IB, Cambridge, Dual Enrollment and career and professional courses for high school students. “If these cuts go through, our students will suffer, our families will suffer, and our economy will suffer,” said Orange County School Board member Stephanie Vanos. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, said during a budget committee meeting that concerned families should talk to school district officials about how they use their money. If passed, HB 5101 would go into effect on July 1. Spectrum News.
Colleges and universities: Undocumented college students affected by the repeal of in-state tuition rates and their advocates recently appealed to lawmakers. The Florida Legislature earlier this year repealed a 2014 law allowing individuals brought into the U.S. as children without documentation, referred to as “Dreamers,” to pay in-state tuition rates at Florida college and universities. The Florida Policy Institute reports that this will affect about 6,500 undergraduates. Florida Phoenix. The Florida House’s proposed budget would take away funding for almost 22,000 Florida students who attend private, non-profit colleges and universities in the state. The Effective Access to Student Education Grant, or EASE, provides scholarships to Florida residents at some private, not-for-profit institutions to help ease the burden of the cost of a higher education. The proposed cut would impact students at 15 of the 30 schools that fall under this designation. WUSF. College of Central Florida launched a program that guarantees transfer admission to the University of Florida for students who successfully finish one of 19 pathways. Ocala Star-Banner. Meanwhile, the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities, some of which are in the state of Florida, are wondering how to survive as cuts continue for higher education funding. The 74th.
Opinions on schools: Florida has long been a national leader in expanding educational choice, especially at the K-12 level, where policymakers have championed the right of families to select schools that best meet their children’s needs. However, when it comes to higher education, that same commitment to choice is under threat. Arthur Keiser, chancellor of Keiser University.
