Hurricane Helene aftermath: On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that school districts in every county are now operational after Hurricane Helene made landfall last week and ravaged parts of the state.  WESH.  Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Education sent a memo to superintendents letting them know that they may use an alternative window for their fall enrollment counts, which are set to begin next week. Those counts are key in establishing funding levels for the first semester. The state also extended the testing window for the first round of progress monitoring. Tampa Bay Times.

Palm Beach: After seeing record-high raises fueled by pandemic recovery money last year, Palm Beach County teachers will get a smaller bump in salary this year, according to a proposed union contract between the school district and the county's Classroom Teachers Association. The annual contract, approved on Wednesday by the school board, includes a raise of 4% for teachers. Palm Beach Post.

Pinellas: Eight years after adopting the latest version of a plan aimed at improving academic outcomes for Black students, the Pinellas County school district hasn’t met many of its goals and is looking for new approaches. School board member Caprice Edmond, the board’s lone Black member, said after reviewing the latest data that “a lot of improvement” is needed. Tampa Bay Times.

Sarasota: The Sarasota School Board handled business at a Tuesday meeting by taking steps to approve new policies regarding artificial intelligence and curriculum guidelines. The district’s new artificial intelligence guidelines, which the board passed unanimously, “emphasize the role of AI as a tool to support learning while ensuring the platforms aren’t used as a replacement for student or employee work.” The guidelines allow for the use of AI with teacher approval but say that programs may not be used as “a substitute for human creativity, judgement and creation” and warn that AI can present information that is not correct. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Escambia: Northwest Florida has seen a rise in dual-enrolled students aiming for early degrees. WEAR. Meanwhile, West Pensacola Elementary School students are collecting socks for the homeless as part of their Socktober drive. Over 3,500 pairs of socks have been collected. This year, the school along with community partners plan to collect at least 2,000 more pairs of new socks for the homeless. The new socks will be donated to Opening Doors Northwest Florida, an agency that aims to end homelessness in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, for distribution. Pensacola News Journal. 

Alachua: The school board here delayed approval again on the annual improvement plan portion of the strategic plan for Alachua County Public Schools during a regular meeting earlier this week. Main Street Daily News.

Levy: Cedar Key residents weren’t willing to suffer the loss of their school. School board officials announced that students will stay on their campus after talks of busing them elsewhere. WCJB.

Blue Ribbon honors: The U.S. Department of Education recognized 356 schools with 2024 National Blue Ribbons. Of those, 15 were in Florida. National Blue Ribbon awards several hundred public and private schools for overall high academic performance, according to the federal education department. Patch.

Colleges and universities:  Florida International University’s Board of Trustees voted last week to drop almost two dozen courses from the core curriculum, including Anthropology of Race & Ethnicity, Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies, and Sociology of Gender. The move follows last year’s passage of SB 266, a higher ed bill that limits the scope of general education courses permitted at public universities. Inside Higher Ed. With a $1.64 million foundation grant, the University of Central Florida is giving college scholarships to 46 students from Orange County’s poorest high schools. “We are incredibly grateful for the leadership and generosity of the DeLuca Foundation,” said Rod Grabowski, senior vice president for Advancement and Partnerships and CEO of the UCF Foundation. The scholarships will be given out during the 2024-25 school year to students from Jones, Evans, Oak Ridge, Colonial and Wekiva public high schools. Florida Politics.  To address the shortage of teachers in the state, the University of Florida (UF) is launching a new degree program that could help fill some of those 5,000 vacant posts in schools. UF is offering a new online program designed to help develop teachers in the early education curriculum. The program began in August and already has its first group of students working toward degrees and certifications in the field of early childhood learning. Florida Politics.

Across Florida, 14 schools received National Blue Ribbon honors this year from the U.S. Department of Education.  

Those recognized for exemplary performance include a Catholic school, five magnet or choice schools and five charter schools.  

Among the winners is a charter school based in rural Putnam County that focuses on the needs of economically disadvantaged students. The Children’s Reading Center of Palatka uses a self-paced model that rejects traditional textbooks. Instead, teachers design their own lessons based on students’ needs. 

“We focus on a standard for as long as needed until children are comfortable moving forward. There are no boxed curriculums at our school!” the school says on its Blue Ribbon profile page. The Title I school serves 257 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. 

MAST@FIU was among the Sunshine State’s magnet winners. Situated on Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay campus, it represents a collaboration between the university and the Miami-Dade School District. It offers a blend of face-to-face instruction and community-based projects with a focus on marine and environmental science.  

 Queen of Peace Catholic Academy of Gainesville, which serves 470 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, was a repeat winner, having made the national list in 2011. It was the only private school on the list this year. 

The U.S. Department of Education has given the awards annually for 40 years to more than 9,000 schools across the nation.  

All schools are recognized based on test scores for all students, test scores among subgroups and graduation rates for either high performance or closing achievement gaps. The list of gap-closing schools is shorter and includes no Florida schools this year. 

   

 

Broward: School employees here will be soon receiving bigger paychecks after the school board approved an agreement with workers unions. Under the deal, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, police officers and other school support staff will be paid 5.5% more, at least for the next four years. That's after the county's voters passed a tax referendum in 2022 to invest in high salaries, mental health resources and school safety. “This helps retain our staff and our employees to make sure that they know we respect them,” Broward Superintendent Peter Licata told reporters after the vote. WLRN. WSVN.

Duval: School officials here are ready to start construction on an estimated $120 million project that would replace Ribault High with a next-generation school financed largely by a voter-approved sales tax. “It’s going to be a sight to see,” School Board member Darryl Willie told a crowd at a groundbreaking. Florida Times-Union.

Sarasota: Two years after the school board here redrew boundaries for the areas represented by the panel's five members, the board started the process to revise district lines yet again. With a lone board member dissenting — Tom Edwards — the school board voted 4-1 to approve a $39,000 contract with a consultant to launch the redistricting effort. Sarasota Herald Tribune. Meanwhile, the school board also adopted a $1.5 billion budget at a special meeting on Monday, ending the district's yearly budget process. The board voted 4-1 to approve the budget, with only Chairwoman Bridget Ziegler dissenting. Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Flagler: The school board in Flagler has assigned fellow board member Will Furry to hire a labor attorney at the district's expense who will assist in firing Kristy Gavin, the board's attorney, without risking a lawsuit. Flagler Live.

Alachua: The school board here hosted a workshop on Wednesday covering transportation changes coming to the Alachua County Public Schools district. Those changes include the elimination of courtesy stops, reduction of magnet stops and re-evaluation of school start times. In the face of a bus driver shortage, students who ride the bus have been up to an hour late for school since the fall semester began. Main Street Daily News.

Blue Ribbon honors: In all, 14 schools in the state of Florida were named National Blue Ribbon schools, according to the U.S Department of Education. The program "recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups," the department's website said. In all, about 350 schools were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023.  WKMG. Patch. WQCS.

University and college news: The U.S. Department of Education on Monday asked state officials to pump more funding into Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University, pointing to what the federal agency called "longstanding and ongoing underinvestment" by the state of Florida. Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education, sent letters to Gov. Ron DeSantis and governors of 15 other states highlighting what he noticed as funding disparities between historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCU's, and their "non-HBCU land-grant peers" in the states. According to Cardona's letter, over the past three decades, FAMU has been shortchanged financially by $1.97 billion. “These funds could have supported infrastructure and student services and would have better positioned the university to compete for research grants,” Cardona wrote. WFSU. A study by Degreechoices revealed that the University of Florida is the third best school based on value for money. UF was one of more than 400 national universities and colleges analyzed by college return of investment staff at Degreechoices. Main Street Daily News. Pasco-Hernando State College announced Tuesday that Jesse Pisors was selected as the school's fifth president. Pisors has served as vice president at Texas AP&M University-San Antonio and the University of Houston-Victoria. He was one of four finalists for the job. “We have full confidence that Dr. Pisors will continue to uphold the college’s core values and will lead PHSC to further success in all future endeavors,” Lee Maggard, chairperson of the college’s board of trustees, said in a news release. Tampa Bay Times. The Florida State University System's Board of Governors discussed a proposal by the University of Central Florida to close three of its campuses. According to state officials, the proposal would close the university's South Orlando, Leesburg and Palm Bay campuses. WKMG. The Biden administration has requested a federal judge to dismiss Florida's lawsuit against the accreditation requirements for colleges and universities, citing constitutional challenges. Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Education filed a 40-page motion disputing Florida's arguments that the decades-old accreditation system gives too much power to private accrediting agencies.  CBS 47. Action News Jax. Generative artificial intelligence is being integrated into higher education at Florida Gulf Coast University. WGCU.

 Opinions on schools: Students must learn math. "Future of work" studies consistently underscore this point as analytical thinking and other math-rooted cognitive skills have become core to success in today's economy.  Jeff Livingston, The 74th.

A veteran educator at the helm of a Ft. Lauderdale Catholic School is among nine academic leaders announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as recipients of the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership for 2022.

All nine school leaders, who are included in the 2022 cohort of National Blue Ribbon Schools, will be honored at a National Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C.

Principal Denise Aloma’s career spans more than 50 years, most of it at South Florida’s St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where she served as an English teacher and assistant principal before becoming principal.

Aloma’s commitment to ensuring that all students graduate with 21st century skills contributed to St. Thomas Aquinas becoming one of the first Catholic high schools in the country to adopt a STEM focus, serving as a model for other schools in effective STEM program implementation. She also has focused on growing successful pre-professional programs that allow students to explore pre-law, pre-med, and pre-engineering.

Additionally, to help students accelerate their learning and explore career pathways, she designed and implemented a summer school program to encourage students to work ahead in core content areas, giving them more flexibility with class schedules.

In a news release announcing the award winners, Cardona, a former school principal, said he understands the vital role school leaders play in shaping school culture and welcoming learning environments, improving student achievement outcomes, and empowering teachers to meet the needs of their students.

“The nine school leaders receiving this year’s Terrel Bell awards have raised the bar for building positive school climates, increasing achievement, and finding creative ways to nurture, engage, and support students, families, educators, and school staff,” Cardona said.

“At a time when principals and other school leaders face many challenges, from addressing students’ unmet mental health needs to accelerating their academic recovery from the pandemic, the Department of Education is proud to recognize the essential work they do each day.”

The U.S. Department of Education, together with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the Association for Middle Level Education, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, present the Bell Awards to principals of National Blue Ribbon Schools for their outstanding work and the vital role they play in guiding their students and schools to excellence, frequently under challenging circumstances.

Other award recipients are:

Brigett Stewart, Piedmont Elementary School, Piedmont, Alabama

Miguel Marco, Wittmann Elementary School, Cerritos, California

Linda Bevil, James B. Eads Elementary School, Munster, Indiana

Julie Scott, R.L. Wright Elementary School, Sedgwick, Kansas

Catherine Bricelij, Myrtle Place Elementary School, Lafayette, Louisiana

James Sonju, Lincoln K-8 School, Rochester, Minnesota

Ryan Ambrose, Checotah Intermediate Elementary School, Checotah, Oklahoma

Mahri Aste, Mosaic Elementary School, Fairfax, Virginia

Blue Ribbon schools: Twelve Florida schools are among 349 across the United States chosen as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Schools earn the designation through high achievement or by closing the achievement gaps for disadvantaged students. The Florida schools honored are: A.D. Henderson University School and FAU High School in Boca Raton; Colleen Bevin Elementary in Lithia; Lorenzo Walker Technical High School and Seagate Elementary in Naples; West Shore Junior/Senior High in Melbourne; George Washington Carver Middle, Herbert Ammons Middle and Archimedean Upper Conservatory in Miami; Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary; Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville; Pensacola Beach Elementary; and the Somerset Academy Elementary in Miramar. redefinED. Space Coast Daily. Boca News Now. U.S. Department of Education.

A/C help discussion: The Hillsborough County Commission is expected to "discuss collaborating with the Hillsborough County School District to explore ways the county can help expedite urgently needed upgrades to school air-conditioners and other vital building infrastructure" at its meeting Wednesday. The school district has a growing backlog of schools with A/C problems and other issues, and is asking voters Nov. 6 to approve a half-cent increase in the sales tax to raise $1.31 billion over 10 years for maintenance and construction. Gradebook. (more…)

Twelve Florida schools were recognized Monday as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.

More than half are schools of choice: four are magnet schools and three are charter schools.

The awards are made in two categories: either on a school’s progress in closing achievement gaps for disadvantaged students or for high overall student achievement measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.

The four magnet schools in Florida designated as exemplary high-performing for 2018 are: George Washington Carver Middle School and Herbert Ammons Middle School, both in Miami; Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School in Tarpon Springs; and Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville.

The three charter schools also named exemplary high-performing are: Archimedean Upper Conservatory in Miami; Pensacola Beach Elementary in Pensacola; and Somerset Academy Elementary in Miramar.

In total, 349 schools throughout the country were designated National Blue Ribbon Schools for this year. The federal program has recognized 8,800 schools in the past 36 years. Last year, all 12 Florida blue ribbon schools were schools of choice.

This year, 12 Florida schools won National Blue Ribbon School designations from the federal government.

This year's winners have one of two things in common. They’re either schools of choice (charter, magnet or magnet-like, private), or they’re part of the Brevard County school district.

We’re a bit late to the news. We missed the announcement when it came last week. But it’s worth noting because it continues a familiar pattern from previous years. Magnet and charter schools are over-represented among Florida's award-winning schools.

The annual federal awards come in two categories: Schools that excel closing achievement gaps for disadvantaged students, and those with high overall student achievement.

Florida has more schools in both categories than it in the past several years. Once again, there several Miami-Dade charters on the list. There are also multiple charters (Doral and Somerset) operated by the management company Academica. (more…)

Blue Ribbon schools: Four Florida schools are selected as 2016 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. Those chosen are Northside Christian Elementary School, St. Petersburg; State College of Florida Collegiate School, Bradenton; Somerset Arts Conservatory School, Pembroke Pines; and the Design and Architecture Senior High School, Miami. They are among 329 U.S. schools honored. redefinED. Patch.

Bilingual preschools: More than 200 preschool students at nine Orange County elementary schools are being taught in both English and Spanish, thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the Helios Education Foundation. The district is getting an assist from the Orlando Repertory Theatre, which is helping teachers learn techniques for teaching a second language. Orlando Sentinel.

Retention reconsidered: The Hernando County School District, one of six named along with the state in a suit over the state's retention policy for third-graders, is reconsidering its hard-line position on students who opt out of taking the state's standardized tests. School officials say they might use a computer testing program called i-Ready to determine if third-graders are ready for promotion, or permit students who opt out to present a portfolio of their work throughout the school year. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)

Ten Florida public schools won national honors for academic excellence today, as the U.S. Department of Education announced this year's National Blue Ribbon Schools. See the nationwide list here.

Six of the schools are charters, including one Broward-based school that is part of the Florida State University school system.

Miami-Dade Public Schools also appear to be over-represented, with four of the state's 2015 Blue Ribbon schools, including three charters.

Two of those schools are run by Academica, one of the state's largest charter school management companies, which also had a school among last year's recipients. One of its schools on this year's list, Mater Performing Arts & Entertainment Academy, is also Florida's only Title I school to receive the Blue Ribbon honor this year.

Here's the list of ten Florida schools. Charters are marked with an asterisk. (more…)