Around the state: A federal judge is being asked to issue a preliminary injunction to stop state school districts from implementing the Parental Rights in Education law, a Polk County activist group is taking its complaints about school library books to law enforcement agencies, less than 50 percent of the state’s 10th-graders passed the language arts exam this spring, two newly appointed Broward school board members say they’ll move quickly to make changes to comply with recommendations from the statewide grand jury, Monroe school board members are expected to vote today on a tax increase to help with rising costs, and a Leon County teacher develops an Advanced Placement African-American Studies program that is being used at 60 high schools around the country. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Torey Alston and Kevin Tynan, just appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the school board, said Monday that the board will act quickly to implement school safety recommendations from the statewide grand jury report. “There’s no reason we need grand-jury-report reports to effectuate change in the school board,” Tynan said. “It’s our challenge, especially those who are short-timers to see what can get done in that short term.” He wants to focus on the grand jury criticisms that led DeSantis to suspend four board members and name replacements. Alston said after reading through the grand jury report and reviewing other documents, he “will be ready on Day 1 and will push for swift action.” Sun-Sentinel. WPLG. What happens if suspended board member Donna Korn is re-elected in the November runoff? Florida Politics. Miami Herald. Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz displayed violent and disruptive behavior even as a young boy, a friend of his late adoptive mother testified Monday, and he saw his adoptive father die of a heart attack just before his 6th birthday. Defense attorneys are trying to convince the jury to sentence Cruz to life in prison instead of death. Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. WPLG. WFOR. WTVJ. Summarizing what happened Monday in the sentencing trial of Cruz. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post.
Hillsborough, Tampa Bay area: Four weeks into the school year, worries about unfilled teaching positions have faded for area school districts. Hillsborough had reported a shortage of 700 teachers, but now says it has 579 openings. That could shrink further as the district has enrolled nearly 10,000 fewer students than expected. Pasco reports 131 teacher openings, which is about normal for this time of year, and Pinellas is still advertising 169 openings but a district spokeswoman said the actual number is lower. Tampa Bay Times. After a recount confirmed the defeat of the proposed tax initiative, the school district and its teachers headed back to the bargaining table Monday. Teachers are asking for credit for years of experience, which would move them up the pay scale. WTSP. Football players at River Ridge High School have received guardian cap helmet covers after donations covered the cost. The helmets, which offer extra padding, are used by NFL players during practice. WFTS.
Duval: A parent was arrested Monday after allegedly making threats against Mayport Coastal Sciences Elementary School in Jacksonville. The parent became upset and caused a disturbance while in the school office and made the threat, police said. WTLV.
Polk: Complaints about the contents of 16 school district library books have been taken to law enforcement agencies by members of the County Citizens Defending Freedom. They say the books are obscene, pornographic or age inappropriate, and that the school board is ignoring their objections. “Because the Polk County School Board refused to follow the common-sense opt-in/opt-out process recommended by both Sheriff Grady Judd and Superintendent (Frederick) Heid, CCDF-USA will use all legal methods to protect the minor children of Polk County,” said group leader Robert Goodman. The sheriff’s office and Lake Alfred, Winter Haven and Haines City police department all confirmed receiving visits from CCDF. All said the complaints would be reviewed. Lakeland Now.
Leon: At a time when classroom discussions about racial issues are being restricted, a teacher at the Florida State University School has developed the first Advanced Placement African-American Studies program that is being used at 60 high schools around the country. Marlon Williams-Clark said he intends to stick to the Florida standards for Afrivan-American history, and has told his students, “I let them know, point-blank, there may be some topics in which it is a thin line and that we’ll just have to be careful how we talk about some things and how we approach some subjects.” NPR.
Alachua: A student at Mebane Middle School has been arrested and accused of having a gun in his backpack. Police said the student told them he brought the gun to protect himself. WGFL. WCJB.
Charlotte: The Punta Gorda City Council has approved a a special zoning exception that will allow the First Baptist Church to open a K-5 school on its property. Churck officials said the 84 students will be accommodated in the existing two-story fellowship hall building. No opening date has been announced. Charlotte Sun.
Monroe: School board members are expected to vote today on a proposal to raise property taxes 18 percent for those owners who don’t have homestead exemptions. Beverly Anders, the district’s executive director of finance and performance, said the increase is needed because the district faces a $1 million increase in annual fuel costs, another $1 million in electric and utility costs, and recently approved an average $3,000 raise for teachers. Key West Citizen.
Bradford: Bradford Middle School is closed today and tomorrow after rain from Sunday’s storm flooded the school. District officials said they expect the school to reopen Thursday. WJXT. WJAX. WTLV.
Colleges and universities: Another 128 Florida A&M students have been moved out of their dorm rooms and into hotels after a fire alarm at Polkinghorne Village West went off Friday, activating the sprinkler system and causing water damage. Last week, about 300 students in the Palmetto Phase III Apartments were moved to hotels because of a pest infestation. Tallahassee Democrat. WCTV.
H.B. 1557 suit: A group of parents is asking a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction that would stop school districts from implementing the Parental Rights in Education law that restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. Lawyers for those suing over the law contend it “was enacted with the purpose to discriminate and has the effect of discriminating against LGBTQ+ students and those with LGBTQ+ family members.” News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. H.B. 1557 and H.B. 1467 continue to cause confusion in the absence of specific guidance from the state. Districts are fashioning their own rules, which critics of the laws say differ from district to district. Orlando Sentinel.
Testing and 10th-graders: Just under 50 percent of the 202,900 10th-graders who took the language arts assessment exam last spring achieved a satisfactory score, according to data from the Florida Department of Education. That’s down 2 percentage points from the 51 percent who got a Level 3 or higher score in 2021. Only 28 percent scored at a 4 or 5 level, which is required to be considered proficient. Florida Phoenix.
Grant for school buses: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has awarded grants to the Broward, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas and Sarasota school districts to buy 218 electric school buses. Funds for the grants are coming from the state’s share of the settlement between Volkswagen and the U.S. government over claims that the carmaker violated the Clean Air Act by selling diesel-powered vehicles that it knew did not meet EPA emission standards. WWSB. Mainstreet Daily News.
Miscroschooling movement: The popularity of microschooling has grown enough that long-time education choice advocate Don Soifer has started the National Microschooling Center in Las Vegas to serve as a resource for anyone interested in starting a tiny learning environment. About 2 percent of the nation’s students attend microschools, and Soifer said, “It really wouldn’t surprise us at all to see microschools capture 10 percent of market share.” reimaginED.
Opinions on schools: The most robust form of accountability involves voting with your feet, and the private school ratings platforms have been taking the lead in informing these decisions for decades now. Families have more confidence in nonprofit ratings than government ratings, and they value reviews. Matthew Ladner, reimaginED. There are five conditions that support great teaching as system-level factors that can significantly impact classroom instruction, student engagement and learning: a shared vision for what great teaching looks like, quality instructional materials, effective professional learning, empowered school leaders, and the effective use of data. Mandy Clark, F. Chris Curran and Christopher Redden, Gainesville Sun. Now that he’s back from campaigning for MAGA warriors, Gov. DeSantis needs to set up an Office of Educational Crimes to investigate and prosecute any egghead caught violating the “Stop Woke Act.” Diane Roberts, Florida Phoenix.
