Around the state: A prominent New York charter school company is moving into south Florida, the state's attorney general threatens legal action against schools that don't allow Turning Point USA chapters, an extracurricular club focusing on Latino students in Broward is being eliminated after school officials are threatened with a loss of federal funding, and teachers in Volusia and Leon counties remain at odds with their districts over a contract as the deadline for distributing state-approved raises nears. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: One of the most prominent charter school companies in the country is moving into Florida, starting in Miami. Success Academy chief executive officer Eva Moskowitz made the announcement Thursday, and said the New York company is looking to use underutilized school district buildings under the new Schools of Hope law. Miami billionaire Ken Griffin has pledged to give $50 million to Success Academy. Miami Herald. Politico Florida. Associated Press. WPLG. WSVN. WFOR. Florida Phoenix. Five students at the Pinecrest Glades Academy charter school in Miami were hospitalized Friday after consuming "a food item" that caused intoxication, according to sheriff's deputies. Miami Herald. WPLG. WTVJ. WSVN.
Broward: An extracurricular club offered to Latino students in 44 district schools will be eliminated after the Trump administration said it discriminates against other ethnicities and violates federal law, and threatened to withhold $30 million in federal funding. WTVJ. A Pompano Beach Catholic school principal has been arrested and accused of stealing more than $238,000 from the school between 2016 and 2025. Lori St. Thomas, 61, was fired from her job at St. Coleman Catholic School in October 2024. Sun Sentinel. Miami Herald. WPLG. WFOR. Steve Babice, a social studies teacher at Everglades High School in Miramar, has been reassigned after recent statements he made to his students about Charlie Kirk and black people. WTVJ. WPLG. WSVN.
Orange: A coach at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando has been arrested and accused of human trafficking for commercial sex with a minor. Thomas Joseph Wasman, 68, has been fired by the diocese. WFTV. WESH.
Duval: A part-time art teacher at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts has been reassigned while the district investigates comments she made about a member of the city council. Community activist Hope McGrath called Rory Diamond a "grand wizard," a reference to leaders of the Ku Klux Klan, for proposing a ban on future city spending for abortion care, services for undocumented immigrants and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. WJXT.
Polk: An English teacher at Tenoroc High School in Lakeland has been arrested and accused of child pornography possession. Eddie Chirino, 34, was subsequently fired by the district. WFLA.
Volusia: An impasse has been declared in contract negotiations between the school district and its teachers. The district has offered a 1.5% pay raise, with another 0.5% funding from the state added. Union officials said not all teachers would qualify for the extra 0.5%. WFTV.
Marion: A substitute teacher won't be back in the classroom after she allegedly hit and cursed at her South Ocala Elementary School students last week. Christina Milano was an employee of a company that supplies subs for the district. Some parents complained the punishment wasn't enough, and that Milano should be arrested and charged. WCJB. WOFL.
Leon: Union officials have rejected the latest contract offer from the school district, and will present a counteroffer on Wednesday, which is the state's deadline for districts to implement teacher pay raises that were approved in the state budget. That money amounts to $1 million, which would raise the average teacher's pay by about $40 per paycheck. Tallahassee Democrat.
Colleges and universities: A lawsuit filed by professors challenging a 2023 law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs at state universities was dismissed by a federal judge last week. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said only one of the professors could show she was affected by the law and is allowing her suit to continue. Tallahassee Democrat. In-state tuition rates for undocumented immigrant students were, until this year, generally accepted as a good thing. Then that tuition break disappeared as part of the country's crackdown on immigrants, leaving college unaffordable for many of those students. Palm Beach Post.
Turning Point USA warning: Florida schools that don't allow Turning Point USA chapters to form could face legal repercussions, Attorney General James Uthmeier warned last week. Turning Point USA is a conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month. "We were hearing reports up and down the state of public schools not allowing Turning Point USA organizations to be formed on campus," Uthmeier wrote on social media. "This is discriminatory. It's wrong and we will not stand for it." Newsweek.
State's book report: The state's annual list of books removed from school libraries after challenges is misleading, say some critics, who point out that the list includes only those removed by school boards, and not the hundreds that were taken out on the orders of a superintendent or under pressure from the state. Tampa Bay Times.
Teachers must self-report: Teachers who are arrested for a felony or certain misdemeanors must self-report to their school districts within 48 hours after the Florida Board of Education approved the rules for the law that was approved earlier this year. The principles of professional conduct for teachers now states that any violation of that rule is ground for suspension or revocation of a teaching license. Florida Phoenix.
FLVS' top educators: Art teacher Michaele Ann Eliott has been named the teacher of the year for the Florida Virtual School. Michael Jata, an assessment accommodations coordinator, is the school-related employee of the year, while Florida Virtual High School principal Suzanna Pacheco and assistant principal Kaleigh McCoy were also honored. Florida Virtual School.
Around the nation: Three competing options for federal K-12 spending have been announced. President Trump's proposal would cut U.S. Department of Education funding by 15%. A second, from House Republicans, would cut more than that and the third, from the Senate, would make minor cuts. Federal spending makes up just 11% of school budgets. NPR. The Rand Corp.'s attempt to measure student achievement in microschools is "nearly impossible" because of a lack of testing data, says a senior scientist at the company. The 74.
Opinions on schools: While there is certainly bloat in most local budgets, the state shouldn’t abandon the property tax in response. Matthew Putnam, Tampa Bay Times. If property taxes are eliminated, what's the alternative? Mark Lane, Daytona Beach News-Journal. Besides being against the law, stripping teachers of their free speech rights also defies common sense. Randy Fair, Sun Sentinel.
