Florida roundup: Failure factories, teachers unions, discipline and more

florida-roundup-logoFailure factories. The latest Tampa Bay Times investigation installment looks at teacher quality in segregated schools.

Teachers unions. The Florida Education Association taps new leadership. Gradebook. Miami HeraldPolitico Florida looks at the legacy of the statewide teachers union’s outgoing president, the long-serving Andy Ford.

Discipline. Suspensions are down in Hillsborough. Tampa Tribune.

STEM. Should computer coding be treated like a foreign language? Tampa Bay Times. Sentinel School Zone.

Budgets. Districts deal with dwindling money for repairs. Sun-Sentinel. Volusia schools seek donations. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Dual enrollment. Should for-profit colleges have access to the program? Gradebook.

Gifted. Broward programs become more diverse. Sun-Sentinel.

Testing. Districts follow different paths on end-of-course assessments. Orlando Sentinel. Thousands of state tests went un-graded. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Reading. An audio-book program helps students with special needs. Pensacola News-Journal. A group donates books to schools. Pensacola News-Journal.

Teacher conduct. Two Pasco teachers are arrested. Gradebook.

Yoga. Palm Beach high school students relieve stress. Sun-Sentinel.

Transportation. School district officials call for a bus stop location change after a student is hit. Palm Beach Post. Could alarm systems prevent incidents where special needs students are left on school buses? Palm Beach Post. Volusia ups safety measures after a 27-year-old man sneaks on to a bus. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

School boards. An Escambia board members opts not to step down, after all. Pensacola News-Journal.

Halloween. Disney donates Frozen costumes in Central Florida. Orlando Sentinel.

Names. Orange County seems poised to rename Robert E. Lee Middle School. Orlando Sentinel.

Superintendents. Palm Beach’s search for a new leader cost $72,000. Palm Beach Post.

Music. Escambia students learn about rock n’roll. Pensacola News-Journal.

Nutrition. A free breakfast program grows in Manatee. Bradenton Herald.

Motivation. A former NBA player talks to college students. Naples Daily News.


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BY Travis Pillow

Travis Pillow is Director of Thought Leadership at Step Up For Students and editor of NextSteps. He lives in Sanford, Fla. with his wife and two children. A former Tallahassee statehouse reporter, he most recently worked at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a research organization at Arizona State University, where he studied community-led learning innovation and school systems' responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. He can be reached at tpillow (at) sufs.org.