Desegregation complaint: The ACLU files an administrative complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights that accuses the Indian River County School District of not following the terms of a 1967 desegregation order. TCPalm.
School testing: State Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is not going along with the Florida Board of Education’s wish to have Florida Standard Assessments test scores tied to NAEP proficiency levels. Gradebook. Standardized testing is a strain on learning time and a drain on school resources, Volusia County school officials say. WFTV.
Classroom size: The Broward County School Board is limiting the number of late-enrolling students teachers will be asked to handle. Sun-Sentinel.
Homeschool law: A homeschool support group in Manatee County says the death of Janiya Thomas was a tragedy, but says it is not a homeschool issue and doesn’t believe the state needs to change its laws. Bradenton Herald.
School uniforms: The Volusia County School Board approves uniforms, starting in the 2016-2017 school year. Elementary, middle and high schools will have separate policies. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Language labs: Central Florida students are being urged to master a second language, and schools are building language labs to help. Orlando Sentinel.
Superintendent, board at odds: Ongoing tension with the Hernando County School Board over a contract and scrutiny of her actions lead Superintendent Lori Romano to look for a new job. Tampa Bay Times.
School favoritism?: Some Duval County School Board members question if the GRASP Academy, a school for students with dyslexia and other learning conditions, is getting special attention and money because Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and his two sons are dyslexic. Florida Times-Union.
New school website: Lee County school officials start a website about a proposed high school in Bonita Springs. Residents of the area object to the school site. Naples Daily News.
Legislators cancel: Due to scheduling problems, the Lee County legislative delegation cancels a community meeting to discuss school issues. Rescheduling could become complicated. Fort Myers News-Press.
Field trip opened up: Heron Creek Middle School’s black-students-only field trip has been opened to all students after parents complained about the exclusion. The trip is to see the musical duo Black Violin in January. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
School shooting scene: Lecanto High School teachers describe the aftermath of a student shooting himself in class this week. Citrus County Chronicle.
Employee discipline: The Collier County School District has banned a substitute teacher who showed a second-grade class an episode of the TV show Naked and Afraid. WINK. The dean of students at Sebastian Middle School has been placed on unpaid leave pending a hearing on his role in an incident with a student in the cafeteria. Two other school employees involved have been reassigned. St. Augustine Record.
Note draws attention: A Hillsborough County fourth grader who passed a note of affection to a girl in his class is told by administrators that doing so again could result in sexual harassment charges. WFTS.
School founder dies: Nancy Benjamin, who with her husband started a private school in North Palm Beach that later became the Benjamin School, has died at age 89 in Jupiter. Palm Beach Post.
Student enrichment: Students at Lee Elementary School in College Park, which was named after the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, are writing essays about a suggested school name change. Orlando Sentinel. Third-graders from U.B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary School of the Arts in West Palm Beach ask the City Commission for money to create a community peace mural. Palm Beach Post. Caia Gillett is named homecoming queen at Viera High School, but turns the crown over to Jazzmin Samuel, who has cerebral palsy. “Wow, it’s fun to be popular,” Samuel said. Florida Today. Eight Florida high schools are in the running for a $100,000 prize for creating public service announcements about safe driving. news4jax. A Miami-Dade teachers union president will join professional wrestlers in a match to bring attention to his anti-bullying message. Miami Herald. Students at two Pasco elementary schools use hands-on experiments to get the most out of STEM labs. Tampa Bay Times.
