Around the state: Schools could be consolidated in Broward, Osceola commissioners unanimously voted to approve funding to continue a free college tuition program for high school graduates, the Escambia school board is asking the county commissioners to put the renewal of the half-cent sales tax on the ballot and the University of South Florida announced plans to launch the first college of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in the state. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: An annual safety assembly was held in remembrance of a teen who was killed 30 years ago. The event was held at Southwest Senior High School in honor of Shannon Melendi. Miami Herald.
Broward: The school system here is preparing to close some schools after data shows that about 28% of public schools in the district have an enrollment that is under 70%. Superintendent Peter Licata said the trend is statewide and attributed it to a combination of factors, including the growing number of charter schools and parents’ use of vouchers. Licata said he plans to bring forward ideas at an April 16 workshop proposals that could include specific schools that could be combined, merged or dramatically changed. South Florida Sun Sentinel. WPLG. Meanwhile, a plan to install walk-through metal detectors at some Broward public schools was approved by school board members at a meeting earlier this week. Board members formally approved the plan, which calls for installing the metal detectors at a total of 10 high schools and other school centers. Flanagan High and Taravella High will receive the detectors for summer sessions, and eight more will receive them before school starts in August. WPTV. NBC Miami. The school district here "knowingly and willfully" refused to comply with the Florida law related to sharing 2018 referendum dollars with charter schools, and must pay millions by Dec. 31 or face sanctions according to a memo issued by Education Commissioner Manny Diaz. The district should document how it plans to comply prior to an April 17 meeting of the state Board of Education, Diaz wrote. He plans to make the formal recommendation to the state board on March 27. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Palm Beach: Five Palm Beach Central High educators who were arrested in July but cleared of all charges regarding their failure to report a sexual assault of a student are not going to return to campus according to the school district. The district is continuing to investigate former Palm Beach Central Principal Darren Edgecomb, then-Assistant Principals Dan Snider and Nereyda Cayado de Garcia, former chorus teacher Scott Houchins and former guidance counselor Priscilla Carter. All five employees were re-assigned to positions without contact with students following their arrests. Palm Beach Post.
Pasco: Voters in this county will choose their first new school superintendent in more than a decade. Kurt Browning is not seeking reelection after 12 years at the helm. Three candidates so far have announced campaigns to succeed him. Tampa Bay Times.
Osceola: Osceola commissioners unanimously voted to approve funding to continue the Osceola Prosper Program, which is a free college tuition initiative for high school graduates here. Approval from the commissioners allows the chair and vice chair of Osceola’s County Board of Commission to sign the Prosper III program, which would provide $8.3 million in funding for all 2024 graduates of Osceola County high schools so that they can enroll at Valencia College or Osceola Technical College. Recipients would have up to five years to complete their desired studies. Spectrum News.
Escambia: The school board here is asking the county commissioners to put the renewal of the half-cent sales tax on the November ballot. The half-cent sales tax, levied by the school board, generates about $40 million a year and funds construction and improvement of schools, including technology infrastructure. Pensacola News Journal.
Alachua: School Board Chair Diyonne McGraw spent time during a regular meeting this week rebutting a recent news report that Superintendent Shane Andrew asked the state to approve a new school. Main Street Daily News.
Supreme Court: A recent ruling could give school board members more freedom to block critics on social media. Chartbeat.
School resource officers: When the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Act required armed officers or guardians in every school in the state starting in 2018, that created an opportunity for the Clermont Police Department to add officers to all elementary schools since the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was already in middle and high schools. The police department now has six SROs located at four elementary and K-8 schools, protecting 4,300 children. WKMG.
Lottery news: The Florida Lottery champions itself as a win for students in the state due to its donations toward public education. The lottery's contribution to the state's education system has exceeded $46 billion since its inception. An annual report breaks down how that money is split. WTSP.
Colleges and universities: Research funding awarded to the University of South Florida reached an all-time high of $692 million in the fiscal year of 2023. “The University of South Florida's record-breaking success in research funding is a reflection of our commitment to advancing new knowledge, fostering innovation and making a positive impact on society," USF President Rhea Law said. "The dedicated work of our world-class faculty, talented research staff and collaborative partners continues to lift USF’s research enterprise to new heights." Yahoo News. In other USF news, the university announced plans on Thursday to launch the first college of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in the state. The college, which is still subject to approval by the USF board of trustees, would offer undergraduate and graduate programs in addition to certifications and continuing education choices. It would also bring together current faculty who research AI, cybersecurity and computing. Tampa Bay Times. Jacksonville is the frontrunner to become the future home of the University of Florida's Florida Semiconductor Institute that Gov. Ron DeSantis calls the next step in building the state's growing semiconductor industry. UF has not yet made a site selection. Florida Times-Union. The chancellor of Vanderbilt University has scheduled meetings in April with Palm Beach County commissioners to talk about bringing a university satellite campus to downtown West Palm Beach. The campus would be built on seven of the 12 acres offered in the aborted 2021 effort to woo a University of Florida graduate campus. Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier will be accompanied by lawyer and lobbyist Harvey Oyer in private meetings with commissioners. WLRN.
In the Legislature: The legislative session came to an end on Friday, with lawmakers working to finalize several measures that could impact schools for years to come. Spectrum News. Florida school districts could soon be authorized to allow volunteer chaplains to provide services to students under a bill given final passage by the Senate. Senators voted 28-12 to approve HB 931, which the House passed last month. The proposal is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Under the bill, school districts and charter schools could craft policies to allow volunteer chaplains to provide "support, services and programs" to students, if such policies follow certain requirements. Orlando Sentinel. WFSU. Yahoo News. The history of communism could be taught in lower grades. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WKMG. Miami Herald. Meanwhile, a Pasco family's 15-year effort to collect financial relief for their son's injuries in a school bus crash fell apart in the last days of the Florida legislative session. Tampa Bay Times.
Palm Beach: A majority of the Palm Beach School Board voiced support for building a new high school in Riviera Beach, which is a development supporters say is long overdue and would make good on a promise to the city's majority Black community. “We made a promise to the citizens of Riviera Beach and Palm Beach County that we will be constructing this high school,” said School Board Member Edwin Ferguson, who represents Riviera Beach and has championed the plan. “I do think the time is right for us to … to make good on that promise.” But some school board members argue that there are not enough students in the city to warrant building a new school there. WLRN.
Miami-Dade: At the start of the 2023-24 school year, Florida faced a staggering challenge: There were over 5,000 teaching positions that remained unfilled. In Miami-Dade, there were about 70 core instructional teacher positions that remained vacant. In response, district officials are formalizing a partnership with the Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) through a memorandum of understanding. TAP, an initiative of Achieve Miami, hopes to alleviate the teacher shortage by offering a streamlined pathway into the profession for college students who did not major in education. "This program provides an opportunity for you to prepare before you enter the classroom," said Jose Dotres, schools superintendent. WPLG.
Broward: Some good health news was heard on Friday in this county when the district confirmed the measles outbreak was over. The 21-day infectious period at Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston "ended on March 7," an official said. The county had confirmed nine cases of measles in February, and seven of them were students at the Weston K-5 elementary school. At Manatee Bay, 3% of its student body are not vaccinated. The other two Broward measles cases involved children age 4 or younger. Miami Herald. Tampa Bay Times. Meanwhile, the state is investigating Broward schools over charter school funds. In a letter sent Thursday to Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata, Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz said employees may be contacted during the investigation. In the letter, Diaz wrote the "Broward County School District is not complying with Florida laws requiring it to share revenue collected via a discretionary tax," adding that if the district doesn't comply the state "may impose certain sanctions, including withholding the transfer of state funds, discretionary grant funds, discretionary lottery funds." NBC Miami.
Seminole: An administrative investigation is underway at Seminole High after a complaint of public displays of affection — but those involved are school resources officers and not students. Fox 35.
SAT exam: As the SAT exams go all digital, students have mixed reviews of the new format. Orlando Sentinel.
Spring break: Dates vary for breaks in Jacksonville-area schools. Florida Times-Union.
Colleges and universities: Florida State, Florida A&M and Tallahassee Community College are in line to receive millions toward several key legislative requests in this year's state budget. Tallahassee Democrat. University of Florida students protested outside of the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday over the university's decision to eliminate all of its diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI positions. ABC News. A University of Florida-led study points to earlier detection of Alzheimer's disease. Main Street Daily News.
Opinions on schools: New College of Florida should end secrecy over President Richard Corcoran's incentive pay. Rodrigo Diaz, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Gov. Ron DeSantis and his sidekicks are busy trying to upend Florida's cultural, educational and other systems. Barrington Salmon, Florida Phoenix.
Around the state: School grades were released across the state, gender disparities vary across colleges and universities, teachers must get permission from principals to use certain material and parents in Duval are encouraged to fill out a crucial survey. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Palm Beach: A bicycling event honored a local man who was a pioneer in the education world. Dr. Joaquin Garcia was honored on Sunday for his contributions to local schools in this county. La Vuelta Palm Beach 2023 was a community event with the first long-distance bike ride to benefit the school named in the late Garcia's honor, which opened this fall. Dozens participated in the event. WPTV. Meanwhile, voters in Palm Beach may be asked to again raise the sales tax in order pay for construction projects at public schools. State requirements for the school district to share money with charter schools and the higher cost of construction has caused a $600 million shortfall in its capital budget of the next 10 years. Palm Beach Post.
Hillsborough: In Brandon, Black and brown students learned hair care through Curls for Queens, a Tallahassee-based hair care organization. Tampa Bay Times.
Duval: To secure federal funding for schools, the school system here is calling on all parents with children enrolled to actively participate in the 2023 Federal Impact Aid Survey. The survey can significantly contribute to funding for educational materials, textbooks and staff support. Parents are strongly encouraged to participate before the deadline, which is Dec. 20. CBS 47. Meanwhile, a new center in Jacksonville will expand the clinical capacity for the diagnostic evaluation, management and treatment of children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. It is among 10 new projects that are receiving strategic funding at the University of Florida, according to President Ben Sasse. Linda R. Edwards, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine in Jacksonville, is optimistic that the Precision Autism Center of Excellence will have a significant effect on healthcare outcomes. “We are thrilled to be receiving this opportunity to provide additional support to individuals with autism,” Edwards said. “CBS 47. Yahoo News.
Brevard: In the past, if a teacher saw a chance to step outside the textbook and use a video, poem, art project or word problem in a math class to help students better grasp a concept, they were free to do that. Now, due to HB 1069, which places responsibility of overseeing instructional material on principals, they must get permission before using "supplemental material." The process can take weeks and the consequences could be dire, with one elementary school principal writing to her teachers in an email that if they did not request approval of the use of items like worksheets, websites or coloring pages that were not part of district adopted curriculum, they could face monetary fines, fail time or forfeiture of their teaching certificate and loss of their jobs. The inability to be flexible with lessons through the use of supplemental materials is having a profound impact on students and teachers, said Adam Tritt, an advanced placement English teacher at Bayside High School. "Any time a teachable moment comes up, which I could cover with a poem or an article or a short video, I actually have to get the permission, fill out a form and get permission through the principal, which means it has destroyed the teachable moment," Tritt said. Florida Today.
Sarasota: Attention surrounding Bridget Ziegler's life is the basis of mounting pressure for her to quit her public life with the school board. ABC Action News.
School grades: Long-awaited school grades arrived on Monday for Florida's schools. Results from the state Department of Education showed that the Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Pinellas school districts earned B grades overall. Pinellas Superintendent Kevin Hendrick pointed to “tremendous” results at various campuses, including Tyrone Middle, the district’s only F-rated school last year. Tyrone rose to C, one of 10 middle schools to improve their grades. “These school grades serve as a baseline for districts and provide a starting point for future achievement,” state education commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said in a statement. Tampa Bay Times. In Alachua County, schools received a B grade. Main Street Daily News. In Miami-Dade, A grades were received. CBS Miami.
Colleges and universities: A cohort for LGBTQ students at the University of South Florida that is part of the school's "living and learning communities" celebrated five years since its creation. "The only agenda that we have here is to love each other, to respect each other, and make friends,” said Trikkha, a psychology major. WUSF. Across most college campuses in the United States, one fact has been consistent for decades: Female students outnumber male ones. The gender disparity is not the same at all Florida campuses, with the gap varying from school to school. Palm Beach Post.
Opinions on schools: The Florida Education Association estimates that there are over 5,000 teacher vacancies in Florida's public schools, which represents a critical shortage. Arthur Harley, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Around the state: Parents in Palm Beach can use a bus tracking service for their student, an associate professor is teaching students at University of Florida the importance of recycling batteries, the "Fight Book Bans Act" has been proposed and chronic absenteeism is being addressed across the state. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: The private school in south Florida that recently fired an employee over posts related to the Israel-Hamas war released a statement on Friday after the former employee discussed her ordeal. The Pine Crest School reported terminating an employee on Nov. 19 after social media posts that were "hateful and incendiary" to a degree that the school "will never" tolerate. WPLG.
Palm Beach: County officials here are expanding the bus tracking service. "Here Comes the Bus" is available via a website and an app allowing parents to opt-in to watch their child's school bus to know when it arrives at the student's stop. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Pasco: The school district here is introducing a new approach to the school calendar in the 2024-25 school year to help with chronic absenteeism. The schedule will include several "four-day mini breaks strategically placed throughout the years," according to the district. The extended weekends will be held from Oct. 12-15, 2024, February 14-17, 2025 and April 18-21, 2025. “This forward-thinking initiative not only benefits students but also accommodates the needs of parents and guardians who often struggle to coordinate family vacations with the academic calendar,” the district added. Fox 59.
Alachua: The Florida Music Education Association recently announced that 36 students from 11 Alachua County Public Schools have been selected as all state musicians. The students will participate in 13 all state ensembles at the annual FMEA conference in January in Tampa. Main Street Daily News.
Purple Star schools: Schools in Florida recently spent part of their day participating in the "Holiday Letters for Heroes" program for deployed service members. Nelson Elementary School is in the first group of Purple Star schools in the state. On Friday, students wrote letters to members of the Florida National Guard to show support and bring holiday cheer to our service members. Students were also able to learn all about Florida's National Guard. “They help our community, our state and sometimes they even get deployed, they get activated to go to another part of the country to help,” said second-grade teacher Sheena Longstreth. Bay News 9.
Fight Book Bans Act: Congressman Maxwell Frost introduced a new bill called the "Fight Book Bans Act" during an event in Orlando on Saturday. The legislation aims to give school district's the resources they need to fight against book bans, according to Frost's website. “We believe when that book is taken off the shelf, the book ban has begun,” Frost said. The bill would allow the Department of Education to help school district's cover the cost of fighting the book ban, which could include retaining legal representation, traveling to hearings on book bans and getting expert research. The Department of Education would be able to provide up to $100,000 to a school district with the total appropriation capped at $15 million over five years. WKMG.
Colleges and universities: A proposal to drop sociology from general education requirements for public college students has prompted controversy. Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. proposed replacing the sociology course with "Introductory Survey to 1877," which is an American history class that would allow students to meet the state's civic competency requirements. The change is still subject to a final vote in January. Orlando Weekly. Meanwhile, the high demand for housing in South Florida is taking a toll on college students. Many students face the challenge of balancing several jobs and classes to stay afloat financially and academically. WLRN. Katerina Aifantis, a University of Florida associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, found a discarded battery on campus and began a movement to teach students and the public about recycling them. Aifantis, who has been at UF since 2017, teaches the only battery course and has now organized two battery recycling drives. Miami Herald.
Chronic absences: Florida may have been among the first states to reopen its schools after the COVID-19 outbreak, but the state is exhibiting symptoms of a plague nationally that has gotten worse since the virus began: Absenteeism in schools. Rep. Dana Trabulsy of Fort Pierce noted that 30% of the state's students, or about 987,000, are chronically absent from school. That's defined broadly as when kids miss 10% of school, or 18 days a year, of the prescribed 180 days that make up an academic year. More than 70% of Florida schools have 20% of their students meeting the definition of chronically absent, officials say. Florida Politics.
Opinions on schools: A new scathing report documents the "horrifying" deterioration of higher education in Florida. It should be required reading for every college student, and, come to think of it, taxpayers, too. Steve Bousquet, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Should cellphones be banned in classrooms? That question is being asked around the state. Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board. The pandemic merely illuminated and exacerbated what has been happening in American education for years: The systematic dismantling of a culture of high expectation. Aimee Guidera, The 74th.
New rules: The Florida Board of Education approved several amendments during a meeting on Wednesday that will impact LBGTQ students. Three amendments and one new rule lay out guidelines to align with recently passed legislation regarding the usage of bathrooms, classroom instruction and admission of minors to adult performances. Two amendments address educators specifically, while two others detail guidelines for how districts must treat LBGTQ students who wish to go by a different name or use a bathroom that differs from their sex assigned at birth. Meanwhile, new academic standards were approved involving instruction about African American history after teachers statewide objected to the changes and asked the board to put the proposal on hold. Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. pushed back on assertions by some groups that the standards “omit or rewrite key historical facts about the Black experience” and ignore state law about required instruction. State Rep. Anna Eskamani said the new standards were "inaccurate and a scary standard for us to establish.” Also, TikTok was formally banned in Florida schools. Florida Today. WUFT. Axios. WBBH. ABC Action News.
Palm Beach: The school district here will have to revisit its Baker Act policy after a federal court judgment. In a statement released by the Southern Poverty Law Center, it says the school district will consider the proposed revisions specifically for students who have disabilities. WPBF. Meanwhile, school leaders here decided to keep the Bible on public shelves. The discussion arose after Barry Silver, a civil rights advocate from Boynton Beach, formally objected in April to the Bible being on library shelves at Olympic Heights High in Boca Raton, where his son was a senior in the spring. The Palm Beach Post.
Manatee: As the first day of school approaches, the Bradenton Police Department will be hiring part-time crossing guards for the 2023-24 school year. Crossing guards will work two shifts daily with pay at $24 per hour. Requirements include frequent standing and walking, a valid Florida driver's license and passing a background investigation. Bay News 9.
Leon: A hearing officer picked by the county school district to make a recommendation on how to proceed with a challenge to the book "I am Billie Jean King" is telling school board members they should keep it on elementary school shelves. "It is my opinion that removing ‘I am Billie Jean King’ from elementary schools infringes on the rights of parents who want their children to learn about Ms. King and the many contributions she has made to our country," wrote that official, retired principal D.J. Wright, in her recommendation. The decision now goes to the school board, which will discuss the book challenge at its Monday meeting and vote on a decision Tuesday. The Florida Times-Union.
Flagler: The school board here gathered on Tuesday for a special meeting with members of the Florida School Board Association to discuss what it's looking for in a new superintendent. In April, the board chose not to renew former Superintendent Cathy Mittelstadt's contract in a 3-2 vote. Since then, the board has partnered with the FSBA to begin its search for the vacant position. The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
University and college news: State Sen. Randy Fine once floated the idea of a "shutdown" of University of Central Florida. But his next job might be as new president of Florida Atlantic University. Why Fine, who already announced a run for state Senate next year, would want to take the FAU president job is unclear. Orlando Sentinel. Eric Stewart, a Florida State University research professor of criminology, has been fired after an investigation into ongoing, questionable research allegations from the past four years. The decision was effective on July 13 and stated in a five-page termination letter to Stewart from James Clark, FSU's provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Stewart held the position since 2007. “You demonstrated extreme negligence in basic data management, resulting in an unprecedented number of articles retracted, numerous other articles now in question, with the presence of no backup of the data for the publications in question,” Clark stated in the termination letter. Tallahassee Democrat.
Opinions on schools: Despite nearly $200 billion in emergency federal spending on K-12 schooling, students are doing worse than a decade ago, and lower-performing students are today less capable of doing math than they were 35 years ago. David Steiner, the 74th.
