Around the state: An Oct. 25 trial date has been set in the lawsuit brought by unions representing teachers and other public workers against a state law that imposes new restrictions on those unions, a state report on alleged teacher misconduct in Duval County says 73 cases from 2020 to 2023 that should have been reported were not, Alachua’s school board approves a turnaround plan for Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School, a Hillsborough sheriff’s office four-day test shows that nearly 2,400 drivers ignored stop signs on extended arms from school buses, a survey shows that about two-thirds of American adults oppose restrictions and bans of books in schools, and Gov. Ron DeSantis says a busy schedule prevented him from providing more help for his endorsed school board candidates. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Hillsborough: A sheriff’s office test of cameras loaded on school buses to detect drivers who ignored the extended stop signs and illegally passed the buses resulted in almost 2,400 warnings being issued in four days. Superintendent Van Ayres called the numbers “unacceptable.” Starting Sept. 12, violators will be mailed $225 tickets. WTSP. WTVT. WFTS.
Orange: Metal detectors similar to the ones that Broward County is using in its high schools were considered and tested by the Orange County district but ultimately rejected because of the cost and the number of workers required to run them correctly. Broward had lengthy backups of students trying to get through the detectors when schools opened last week, and the safety and security director resigned a few days later. Implementation has improved, Broward officials said this week, but the detectors require more security staff than expected, which also makes those guards unavailable for other parts of the schools. Orlando Sentinel.
Palm Beach: School board members say they will consider rejoining the Florida School Board Association now that its president is no longer involved in the organization. Board members quit the association three years ago after then-president Chris Patricca, a Lee County School Board member, made remarks about immigrant and LGBTQ students that were considered by many to be offensive. Three of the seven school board members say a reconsideration is appropriate since three new members will be joining the board. A vote is scheduled Sept. 4. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: Allegations of teacher misconduct in the district from 2020 to 2023 that should have been reported to the state often were not within the required time frame, according to a recently disclosed report from the Florida Department of Education Office of Inspector General. The investigation uncovered 73 cases of alleged misconduct that included teachers using racial slurs and showing videos that included sexual content. District officials say they have added two investigators and are implementing changes recommended by the report to make sure teacher misconduct complaints are reported to the state on time. WJXT.
Brevard: The district’s marine science lab’s Aquadome opened this week at Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School. It will be home to the aqua-sciences program that is one of the newer options for career and technical education programs, and includes 12 tanks with 450 gallons of water in each. About 120 students are enrolled in the program, and they’ll be able to grow seagrasses, mangroves and organisms found in the Indian River lagoon that surrounds the school. WFTV.
Okaloosa: Two new apps that parents can use to review schedules, grades and notifications in an emergency are now available to download, district officials announced this week. The apps are FOCUS and OCSD Apptegy. Northwest Daily News.
Alachua: A district-controlled turnaround plan for Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary School got the approval of the school board this week. The school has received grades of D from the state for each of the past two years, which triggered its entry into the program. Rawlings has moved to a year-round academic calendar, created an attendance response plan, increased teacher training, become a community partnership school that includes services for students and their families, and has developed ways to identify students who need support. Mainstreet Daily News. Now that the state has changed the rules so a 50-50 vote means Newberry Elementary School can be converted into a charter, city officials who supported the move say they’re just waiting for the school board to fill out a charter application to get the process moving. WCJB.
Monroe: Superintendent Theresa Axford has announced appointments to four district-level roles: Heidi Roberts as coordinator for English, language arts and reading; Leidy Monteagudo as academic coach for English for speakers of other languages; Maureen Cattieu as academic coach for the Lower Keys ESOL program; and Sarah Adams as director of instructional resources and the AVID academic support program. Florida Keys Weekly.
Colleges and universities: Thursday was the first day of classes at the University of Florida, and it was also move-in day at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Gainesville Sun. WFLA. WFTS.
Education and the courts: A trial date of Oct. 25 has been scheduled in the lawsuit against the state’s new restrictions on some public employee unions, including the banning of payroll deduction for union dues and higher standards required for certification. Unions representing teachers and other public employees are among those suing because the law is at odds with collective bargaining agreements they signed with the agencies where they work and, they argue, violates the contracts clause of the U.S. Constitution. News Service of Florida.
DeSantis’ election explanation: Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that a busy schedule prevented him from providing more help for the school board candidates he endorsed in the primary Tuesday. Eleven of the 23 lost, six won and another six are headed to the Nov. 5 runoff. “I’m raising money for the super PAC helping Trump against Kamala Harris. I’ve got stuff we’re doing with the Legislature. I’ve got, you know, these amendments that they’re doing,” he said, referring to his effort to defeat state constitutional amendments that would legalize recreational marijuana and restore abortion rights. Florida Politics.
Around the nation: About two-thirds of American adults oppose restrictions and bans of books in schools, according to the Langer Research Associates survey released this week by the Knight Foundation. “More people say it is a bigger concern to restrict students’ access to books that have educational value than it is to provide them with access to books that have inappropriate content,” the report says. USA Today Network. Chalkbeat. Most Americans think that the next president should focus on preparing students for careers and recruiting and retaining top teachers, according to a survey by PDK International. The poll shows “there are clear priorities that overwhelming numbers of Americans on both sides of the aisle can support,” said James Lane, the CEO of PDK. The 74.
Opinions on schools: If Florida had a properly functioning Legislature, an investigation of University of Florida President Ben Sasse’s abrupt, unexpected resignation would soon be underway. His excessive spending is just one of the problems. So is the heavy hand of Mori Hosseini, the governor’s generous ally who chairs UF’s board of trustees. Orlando Sentinel and Sun Sentinel. Though no one best education system exists, all states should accept the variability of educational needs and priorities and embrace the form of educational pluralism that fits the political preferences of its residents. Ray Domanico, Manhattan Institute.
