Around the state: xxxxxx. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: xxxx. News Service of Florida.
Hillsborough: xxxxx. Tampa Bay Times.
Orange: xxxx. Orlando Sentinel.
Palm Beach: xxxxxx. WPTV. xxxx. WPTV. WPEC.
Duval: xxxxx. Jacksonville Today. WJAX.
Polk: xxxxx. Lakeland Ledger.
Lee: xxxxx. WINK.
Brevard: xxxxx. Florida Today. Florida Politics.
Putnam: xxxx. Jacksonville Today.
Highlands: A Sebring Middle School teacher in her first year of teaching resigned Dec. 16, just before the district was made aware of alleged inappropriate comments she made in class and "online posts that potentially reflect hate speech and inappropriate content," said district spokesman John Varady. He said the district has passed along the information gathered to the Florida Department of Education's Office of Professional Practices. Highlands News-Sun.
Hendry: xxxxx. WFTX.
Colleges and universities: xxxxxx. Central Florida Public Media. xxxx. Tallahassee Democrat.
Black history instruction: xxxxx. Associated Press.
Book bans in court: xxxxx. News Service of Florida.
Legislative bills: A bill has been re-introduced in the Legislature to compensate Marcus Button of up to $1.2 million for catastrophic injuries he suffered when a car he was a passenger in was hit by a Pasco County School bus in 2006. Settlement bills have been filed annually since 2011, but have not cleared the Legislature. The 60-day session begins March 4. Florida Senate.
Opinions on schools: Providing each child with a high-quality customized education through a more effective and efficient public education market will require public education’s stakeholders to rethink all aspects of how it operates. Doug Tuthill, NextSteps. Opponents of education savings accounts have cited misuse of funds as a rationale for eliminating ESAs, but this appears to be a highly selective form of fiscal conservatism. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Once again, a bill has been filed to feed public school children. Once again, it is likely to be ignored. Douglas C. Lyons, Palm Beach Post. Yes, reducing public meetings raises questions. But this choice is not about avoiding accountability. It's about improving efficiency, increasing meaningful engagement and better serving our students and families. Superintendent Terry Connor, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. We owe it to our nation’s children to give them a transparent, empowering, education through social studies that prepares them for the future which seems to be filled with misinformation. Braden Pryor, Orlando Sentinel.
