Tropical Storm Helene closures and cancellations: Ahead of Tropical Storm Helene, officials across the state have announced public school closures, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in many of the state's 67 counties. Some schools are closing today and Thursday and will make decisions regarding what to do about Friday at a later time, while others have already decided to close on Friday. After school activities in many counties are canceled until further notice. The Florida Department of Education says it works closely with school districts before, during and after natural disasters to provide resources and resume normal operations. In the Panhandle, school officials are still making decisions on when school will be open. In Tampa Bay, school districts began to announce cancellations on Tuesday. Regarding colleges and universities, Florida State University's Tallahassee campus is closed today due to T.S. Helene. Other institutions, including Florida A&M University, are following suit. ABC Action News. Florida Department of Education. Tallahassee Democrat. WJHG. BayNews9. Suncoast News. Tallahassee Democrat.
Hillsborough: Members of the school board in this county have asked leaders of D- and F-rated charter schools to present improvement plans. “We’ve had a lot of conversation around — can the school board even do anything about a D and F school?” said School Board Vice Chair Jessica Vaughn. “And over the last several years, the legislation has pretty much tied our hands from doing anything around charter schools.” Bay News 9.
Pasco: Two veteran educators are vying to be superintendent of schools in this county. Tampa Bay Times.
Seminole: A mental health services provider in this county is trying to expand its presence in the school district after finding success on eight campuses. WKMG.
Hernando: School board member Shannon Rodriguez said the board will return to removing challenged books from the shelves once it has a new majority. Suncoast News.
Best states for teachers: Wallethub released its 2024 ranking of the best states for U.S. teachers. Florida ranked No., 8 overall. WKMG.
Home education rising: More parents are opting for home education. The Florida Department of Education reported that home education jumped 58% over the last five years. Also important for parents is finding alternative ways to build necessary skills while not in a traditional classroom. CBS 12.
Student arrested: An Englewood High student was arrested on Monday after multiple guns, including an assault rifle, were found in their vehicle on campus, the principal said. Jax Today.
Colleges and universities: South Florida's three major universities surged this year in the U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of the country's best national universities. The University of Miami rose four places to 63rd nationwide, while Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University rocketed 20 or more spots each. Meanwhile, Florida's highest-ranked schools, University of Florida and Florida State University, dropped slightly in the rankings released Tuesday. “The impressive rankings achieved by our 12 universities this year reaffirm Florida’s status as the top state for higher education,” state university system chancellor Ray Rodrigues said in a statement. “The State University System of Florida remains committed to maintaining academic excellence and delivering a high-quality education. The recognition from U.S. News & World Report highlights the successful results of our efforts.” Palm Beach Post. Tampa Bay Times. Main Street Daily News. Miami Herald. Meanwhile, more light has been shed on the many issues that plagued the FAFSA. NPR. Also, Tallahassee was named one of the best college towns in the United States, according to travel website Thrillist. GulfLive.
Opinions on schools: American military aviation strategy can teach the ESA movement a few things. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Home-based teaching can support student learning and reduce teacher burnout. Chad Aldeman, The 74th.
Around the state: Thousands of teacher position vacancies across the state, books discarded at New College of Florida, new principals are being appointed in Palm Beach County and University of Florida's provost is headed back to the university. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: Classes are back in session for more than 300,000 students in Miami-Dade County as they are welcomed into 522 different campuses across the district for their first day of school. Meanwhile, excitement was in the air at Miami Edison Senior High, since they have become an A-rated school for the first time in over 100 years since the school has been open. WSVN.
Palm Beach: School district leaders here approved another new principal on Wednesday, bringing the total number of schools with new leaders to 16 this year. The number of schools with new leadership at the start of an academic year is usual between 10-20 across more than 180 Palm Beach County district-operated schools. Changes in leadership are usually driven by a host of personnel matters that include retirements, departures and promotions. Palm Beach Post.
Pinellas: A Pinellas County School Board member seeking re-election alleges that Republican leaders crossed legal boundaries in campaign ads that endorse her challenger. Tampa Bay Times.
Volusia: ESE teachers in this county say they are exhausted, prompting the district to implement changes. The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Teacher vacancies: About 10,000 teaching and education staff positions remain open in Florida, even as students headed back to school this week, according to data compiled by the Florida Education Association. The association said it found that almost every district in the state has open positions in elementary education, ESE and speech-language pathology with "no significant improvement" in the vacancies for education staff professionals. There is also a need for teachers aides for non-ESE students, bus drivers and substitute teachers. ABC Action News. WQCS.
School board candidate endorsements: Gov. Ron DeSantis has endorsed 23 school board candidates across 14 counties. The Associated Press. WUSF.
Colleges and universities: Joe Glover, a longtime University of Florida provost who stepped down in 2023 before taking the same position earlier this year at the University of Arizona, is coming back to Gainesville. University of Arizona spokesperson Mitch Zak said the school will be appointing an interim provost in the coming weeks. In an email to faculty and students on Tuesday, Glover said he would be returning to UF because interim president Kent Fuchs “asked me to lend my expertise in support of the university, where I spent over 15 years, and which is undergoing a major transition.” The Gainesville Sun. Main Street Daily News. Kathleen Amm, Tallahassee's National High Magnetic Field Laboratory director, recently talked about her return to Florida State University. "Coming back 30 years later, I think FSU is just phenomenally poised right now to lead across a broad area of places that can have not just technological impact, and not just science impact, but a really great impact on the community here in North Florida," said Amm. Tallahassee Democrat. Gov. Ron DeSantis and top state Republicans are putting pressure on the state university system's Board of Governors to look further into the spending habits of former University of Florida President Ben Sasse after reports from a student-run newspaper that he spent millions in university funds on consulting contracts. Tampa Bay Times. Meanwhile, New College of Florida has discarded scores of books from its collection in what the university described as a "weeding" of its libraries. The university said its library was following its standard yearly procedures for updating its collection. University spokesperson Nathan March said in a statement that the process was conducted by “professional Librarians trained to assess the collection” and that state law prevents the university from selling, donating or transferring the books purchased with state funds. Tampa Bay Times. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. USA Today.
Opinions on schools: On a fairly regular basis, teachers and administrators in Florida’s public K-12 system will tell me that the colleges of education at the state’s public universities should work on graduating more science and math teachers. My usual response is something like this: They’ve tried, and it’s not working. Not even close. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.
Around the state: A program is launching in Duval to address absenteeism, district officials hope to work with students on the cellphone policy in Broward and early childhood educators can advance their careers for free. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: The school board here recently approved an initiative to review whether district-approved curriculum contains examples of antisemitism. The move comes after the state's public universities were ordered to review all college course materials for antisemitic content or "anti-Israeli bias." Axios.
Broward: Superintendent Howard Hepburn said during a press conference on Tuesday that the district wants to work with students as they get accustomed to the new cellphone policy being implemented this year. School board members adopted the new policy last month that expands on the current state statute that prohibits students from using cellphones during class instruction time — unless given permission by teachers. The policy requires that students either turn off phones or leave them on airplane mode. “We don’t want it to end up in a suspension,” said Hepburn. Miami Herald.
Duval: The city of Jacksonville launched a new program on Wednesday called "Show Up to Shine," which addresses the absenteeism issue in Duval County Public Schools. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said Duval county leads the state in the percentage of students who are "habitually truant." The Florida Department of Education says Florida law defines a habitual truant as a student aged 6 to 15 who has 15 or more unexcused absences within 90 calendar days, whether or not their parent or guardian is aware. Bernier and Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said the program is a call to action for the community to help combat the issue. News4Jax. Action News Jax.
Pasco: Early childhood educators can further their careers for free. "We know that teacher salaries are a little tight and can make it difficult for teachers in return, so the early learning coalition wanted to offer that opportunity and support to our teachers," said Samantha Dominguez, the Early Education Adviser at the ELC of Pasco and Hernando counties. ABC Action News.
Collier: Teachers and staff greeted students during the first day of school at Palmetto Elementary School in Naples earlier this week. Naples Daily News.
Sarasota: Superintendent Terry Connor talked about his goals for the 2024-25 school year, which include academic achievement with a focus on literacy, safe schools and enhancing options for students. ABC Action News.
Leon: The school district here is the first to use WeatherSTEM systems to monitor weather conditions in 2019, and will now be the first to receive the latest alert system offered by the local company. The new system will be used at the district's Gene Cox Stadium to alert attendees of impending weather conditions in real time. The stadium, where the county's five public high schools play football, is the first location where the system has been installed, the company CEO said Tuesday. Superintendent Rocky Hanna said the system will serve as support in addition to the district's communications with the National Weather Service. Tallahassee Democrat.
Colleges and universities: This week, the University of Florida's student newspaper reported that former university President Ben Sasse spent millions of the school's money to hire GOP political allies. Tampa Bay Times.
Opinions on schools: What teachers, administrators, school board members and candidates-hopeful, the superintendent, the governor and Florida education commissioner, the president and the U.S. secretary of education should do is lead, develop curriculum, and offer supportive materials (books or otherwise) that acknowledge difference in race, gender, migration, and economic class in a way that assures these characteristics are assets instead of liabilities in life as they have been (acknowledged or not) for hundreds of years. Nikesha Elise Williams, Jax Today.
Around the state: A tax referendum is moving forward in Hillsborough, metal detectors caused delays in Broward and one university official sent a letter that asks for leaders to resign. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: A Miami-Dade Public Schools psychologist was arrested on child pornography charges, according to police. Miami Herald.
Broward: School officials apologized for the chaos on the first day of school caused by the district rolling out new metal detectors that caused delays as hundreds of high school students were standing in lines waiting to enter schools. A district spokesperson warned delays may continue this week as staff make adjustments, but said the superintendent will ensure Monday’s lines aren’t replicated. The metal detectors were rolled out at 38 schools on Monday. It was an effort that was intended to improve school safety and security after a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. Officials on Tuesday hoped to remedy the issues faced by students. “We want to definitely apologize to our public because we know this is a stressful time, it’s a new routine for students,” said Superintendent Howard Hepburn. He said larger schools will be receiving additional metal detectors. Miami Herald. Associated Press. WSVN. WLRN.
Hillsborough: On Tuesday, County Commissioners here agreed to put a schools tax referendum on the November ballot just in time for a deadline imposed by a judge and also vowed to continue the legal battle to delay putting the tax question to voters until 2026. With a shortage of more than 400 classroom teachers and neighboring counties able to pay more, the school district plans to ask voters to consider paying $1 per $1,000 in taxable property value. Attorneys in the case are keeping a close eye on the appeals court for any rulings. Tampa Bay Times.
Lee: Students in this county headed back to school with celebratory entrances. There is an estimated 102,791 students in the district, including charter schools, according to last year's official numbers."We expect enrollment to increase this year," said district spokesman Robert Spicker. The official count takes place in October. Ft. Myers News-Press.
Sarasota: A 12-year-old girl was accidentally run over by her mother during the first day of school drop-off near Booker Middle School, officials at the Florida Highway Patrol say. The child was airlifted to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg in critical condition. Counselors were available at the school for students who needed help coping with what occurred. ABC Action News. Fox 13. USA Today. WFTV. Meanwhile, in Sarasota County, the district's full-time enrollment in public schools decreased by 334 students as a result of increased use of Family Empowerment Scholarship vouchers. School Board Chairwoman Karen Rose spoke at a recent press conference, saying "The performance and academic achievement is growing, and we couldn't be more proud of that as a School Board. We're looking forward to partnering with our community and providing the highest quality schools and service to you." Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Colleges and universities: Some colleges and students are finding ways to better respond to overdose rates among young people. A group is organizing students on 28 campuses to distribute and use Narcan. NPR. Meanwhile, USF faculty say a new state law that requires professors to undergo more frequent evaluations to earn tenure, in addition to restrictions on topics about DEI or race, are causing some to leave. "Morale has dropped significantly," said Dana Thompson Dorsey, a tenured professor in USF's College of Education. WUSF. At Florida A&M University, Interim President Dr. Timothy Beard sent a letter to members of the university leadership team that called on them to resign by the end of the day on Aug. 13. In the letter that is dated Aug. 12, Beard wrote, "after careful consideration and in consultation with the Board of Trustees, the past University President, and from my observations, I have concluded that a change in our senior leadership team is necessary to move forward more effectively." ABC Action News. Tallahassee Democrat. At Florida Southern College, the new president is Jeremy Martin, who is the 18th president of the Lakeland-based Methodist college and the first new leader in 20 years after Anne Kerr’s retirement. He oversees about 2,700 undergraduates and another 600 graduate students. Lkld Now. Raises were approved by trustees for faculty and staff at University of Florida. Main Street Daily News.
Opinions on schools: The most robust form of accountability, the kind that produces meaningful rewards and consequences for schools, is financial and comes with an exit option. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. Let us savor this moment that saw 432,000 students restart sacred routines in Tampa Bay. Let us enjoy the sweetness before feuds with friends, before the whipsaw of emotions and body chemicals. Before the tests get harder, before the team rosters go up and the egos come crashing down. Stephanie Hayes, Tampa Bay Times.
Around the state: School is back in session for most of Florida's 67 counties, with some significant changes coming to districts, a tax fight continues in Hillsborough and there's an update on adjunct professor unions. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: Long lines were seen across several high schools in Broward as students and staff adjusted to their new normal. WSVN.
Hillsborough: A Hillsborough judge again ruled that a referendum to ask voters to consider a property tax to pay for teachers should appear on the Nov. 5 ballot after the Hillsborough County Commission voted to delay the measure for two years. Judge Emily Peacock ruled on Monday in the school district's favor, but a lawyer for the County Commission filed an emergency motion asking an appeals court to reverse Peacock's decision. Tampa Bay Times.
Palm Beach: Students here returned to school on Monday. "This is the best day of the school year. Always," said Dr. Allison Castellano, the principal of Spanish River Community High School in Boca Raton. Superintendent Mike Burke said the district thinks Spanish River achieved a significant goal: A 100% graduation rate during last school year. Meanwhile, Palm Beach schools started the year on Monday with metal detectors on every high school campus after a pilot program last year. Leaders in Martin, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties said they are exploring the option but don't have metal detectors on their campuses currently. WPTV.
Martin: The new school year here included a new athletic center at South Fork High. The athletic center at South Fork High School is a $27 million, 50,000-square-foot facility. Money for the project was provided by the half-cent sales tax referendum that passed in 2018. WFTS.
Central Florida: As schools around Central Florida re-open their doors for students and staff, one school in Seminole celebrating a milestone: Lyman High in Longwood is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Meanwhile, public school students in Brevard, Flagler, Lake, Marion, Osceola, Orange, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties were expected back in school on Monday, while Sumter County Public Schools return on Wednesday. Drivers are being asked to exercise caution around school buses, with some school zones utilizing speed enforcement cameras. In addition, a gun-sniffing dog named Coco also headed to school for her second year on the job in Orange county. WFTV. WESH. Orlando Sentinel.
Tampa Bay: More than 430,000 students were expected Monday in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. There were celebrations in new buildings and struggles to keep air conditioning systems going in others. In Wesley Chapel, thousands lined up for the opening of Kirkland Ranch K-8, which is a magnet school that serves 1,200 students with a focus on entrepreneurship and Spanish language. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendents: In Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, superintendents sat down to talk about the new school year. WEAR.
Private school vouchers soar: Ahead of the 2024-25 school year, some families are part of the growing number who are receiving taxpayer-funded scholarships to attend the private school of their choosing. Miami Herald.
Start times: Although they don't have to be implemented until 2026, some schools have already started later start times for middle and high schools. Others are still collecting feedback from parents and teachers. Start times statewide will eventually all have to be pushed back to 8:30 a.m. for high schoolers and 8 a.m. for middle schoolers. “It’s so exciting to see the smiles,” Pinellas Superintendent Kevin Hendrick said. “The first day of school. Kids get to meet their teachers and get to see their friends.” Politico.
Back-to-school jitters: A new school year can bring changes for kids and their caregivers. To ease the transition as summer closes, there's a plethora of tips being offered by child development experts and pediatricians, from goodbye rituals to handling challenging situations. NPR.
Colleges and universities: All eight unions representing adjunct professors at public institutions in the state of Florida have been decertified in accordance with a new state law, affecting more than 8,000 faculty members. The adjunct unions were all established within the past five years. The eight unions represented adjunct professors: Broward College, Hillsborough Community College, Miami Dade College, Seminole State College, St. Petersburg College, University of South Florida, Lake-Sumter State College and Valencia College. Inside Higher Ed.
Around the state: Today is the first day of school for all public-school students in 58 of the state's 67 counties. Clay and Collier start on Tuesday, while Broward, Liberty, Monroe, Sumter and Taylor counties start on Wednesday. Miami-Dade students return on Thursday, while Madison County has a rolling start that runs today through Wednesday. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. USA Today Network.
Student safety is a top concern for school districts across the state. This year, that includes an initiative to keep all campus doors locked at all times, in accordance with a new state law. Orlando Sentinel.
Those seeking to open small private schools say that finding an affordable, suitable location is the biggest obstacle as more cities seek to put up barriers through burdensome zoning regulations. Florida, which passed legislation this year to relax rules for schools opening in certain locations such as movie theaters, community centers, houses of worship or former charter school properties, has sought to smooth the pathway. However, operators say some cost-related challenges remain. The 74.
Childcare centers across Florida say state early learning programs do not provide enough funding to adequately pay teachers. Advocates argue per-pupil funding is too low and a funding increase approved this year by state lawmakers wasn't enough. Despite funding concerns, data show students who enroll in a state-funded early program enter kindergarten better prepared than those who do not. Orlando Sentinel.
Miami-Dade: As the number of families using the state's expanded education choice scholarships grows, some Miami-Dade school district officials fear that district school budgets will suffer. School board members have discussed ways the district can increase revenue and continue to innovate to compete with private and charter schools, including renting district-owned public school land to developers to build workforce housing. Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Jose Dotres mentioned the possibility of creating professional development programs where teachers outside the public school system can pay to participate. “Will [school choice] present challenges? Yes. But will it do away with traditional public schools in five or 10 years? I don’t know the answer to that now in 2024, but I foresee us rising to the challenge and doing great things in Miami-Dade County,” said school board member Monica Colucci. Miami Herald.
Lee: When Diana Lowry talks about education, she speaks from experience. She has worked for almost 30 years in public education in Lee County as a school-based administrator and teacher. Instead of retiring, Lowry took on a new full-time job as a homeschool teacher. Last school year, the state rolled out an education savings account program for parents whose kids are not enrolled in a traditional school. Figures show that last school year, homeschoolers totals in Lee County were 4,133; in Charlotte, it was 2,502; in Collier, it was 2,693. WINK.
South Florida: Broward schools will use Focus, a new portal for parents to access their student’s information, including bus routes. Breakfast and lunch will continue to be served to all students in Miami-Dade and Broward schools free of charge. Both counties will continue to enforce the statewide cellphone ban. High schoolers in Broward will also be required to go through metal detectors. Miami Herald.
As a new school year gets underway, private school owners are wary of funding delays, and hopeful that issues that snagged scholarship funding last school year have been resolved. (Step Up For Students, which publishes the roundup, helps administer the scholarships.) WSVN.
The nonprofit Palm Beach County Caucus of Black Elected Officials gives out $1,000 college scholarships to 27 talented young people. Palm Beach Post.
Central Florida: With the school year beginning, some Central Florida school districts are urgently trying to fill their vacant school bus driver positions. Orange and Marion counties appear to be facing the biggest challenges. Brevard and Osceola counties have managed to fill all of their positions. Click Orlando.
Orange: Two Orange County schools that were in danger of not being able to welcome students on the first day of school because they had not secured certificates of occupancy due to construction delays will be able to open on time. Howard Middle and Luminary Middle had up to this point not received certification of occupancy, what proved to be a leering issue leading up to the start of classes looming today. The Howard Middle campus is in the middle of a $36 million renovation project while Luminary Middle is a new school built in Lake Nona. Orange County Public Schools has since said in a statement that both schools received occupancy certificates Sunday morning, allowing all 213 district schools to open on Monday as originally planned. Click Orlando.
Manatee. An appeals court Friday ruled that Gov. Ron DeSantis can appoint a successor for a Manatee County School Board member who is running for a state House seat. A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected arguments by would-be candidate James Golden that an election should be held in November for the school-board seat that will be vacated by Rich Tatem. News Service of Florida.
Broward: A mother of a student at Monarch High School was arrested Thursday after a gun fell out of her purse during the school’s “freshman invasion” event, officials say. Christina Yvonne Wilkes, 45, of Margate, now faces charges of felony possession of a firearm on school grounds. Florida law prohibits bringing a firearm onto a school campus. The mother had accidentally brought the gun onto school grounds when she arrived late to the freshman orientation event, according to Sgt. Scotty Leamon, a spokesperson for Coconut Creek Police. He did not know Friday afternoon whether the gun was loaded, but it did not go off. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Hernando: Despite objections from one board member, the Hernando County School Board on July 30 voted to continue on with the i-Ready progress monitoring program. In a 3-2 vote, the board approved as much as $1,409,930 to be paid to Curriculum Associates, the company that provides i-Ready. Hernando Sun.
Alachua: An innovative high school model with a track record of accelerating student engagement and academic outcomes in traditional public high schools will launch at Gainesville's Eastside High School this school year. The 3DE by Junior Achievement model is committed to expanding economic opportunity and mobility by re-engineering high school education. The program integrates real-world experiences with academic learning through partnerships between school districts, Junior Achievement and the broader business community. Gainesville Sun.
After students spent two years in modular buildings on a "swing" campus, Westwood Middle School announces completion of a $29 million renovation project. Gainesville Sun.
Colleges and universities: The University of South Florida has a new dean of the College of Public Health. Tampa Bay Times.
A University of Florida materials science researcher who grew up obsessed with LEGOs is contributing to NASA's quest to send a crewed mission to Mars. Gainesville Sun.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Denise Grimsley and Alison Hancock to the South Florida State College District Board of Trustees. Office of the Governor.
Around the nation: North Carolina parents rallied on Wednesday to urge the legislature to pass House Bill 823. The bill, which passed the Senate earlier this year, would provide $248 million nonrecurring for the upcoming school year and $215.5 million recurring to support scholarships in the 2025-26 school year. The House and the Senate adjourned without passing a budget for this year. The two chambers have not been able to agree about investments in both the expansion of voucher and public schools. About 55,000 students are on a waitlist to receive Opportunity Scholarships, North Carolina’s private school choice scholarship program.
“Parents watched in utter frustration on July 4 when legislature left town without solving this problem. So parents woke up and said, 'We are not going to take this lying down,’” Rachel Bray, an organizer of the rally, said. Ednc.org.
Thirteen popular books have been banned from all public schools in Utah in the first wave of bans expected under a new law that prohibits books when at least three of the state’s 41 school district boards claim they contain pornographic material. The state education board released its first list of banned books this month, which includes a popular young adult novel series by author Sarah J. Maas called “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and books by Judy Blume and Margaret Atwood. Associated Press.
