Concussion study: A partnership between the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the University of Miami to catalog and study concussions among high school athletes is resulting in earlier diagnosis and treatment, and a rich amount of data for future studies. The first-of-its-kind study has counted almost 600 concussions in four years at 36 public high schools. Miami Herald.
Sports and prayers: State Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, thinks the Legislature should take another look at the issue of praying at athletic events. He referred to the FHSAA not allowing two Christian schools to use the PA system for a prayer before a football playoff game in December. Miami Herald.
Class sizes: Almost 74 percent of all Florida schools are now considered choice schools and are exempt from the strictest class-size rules, according to the state Department of Education. Legislation is pending that would tighten the definition of choice schools. Orlando Sentinel.
Testing and grades: The Citrus County School Board adopts a resolution to disregard the Florida Standards Assessments results for school grading and teacher evaluation. Citrus County Chronicle.
District reorganization: Palm Beach County School Superintendent Robert Avossa says a reorganization of the administrative staff will put more workers and programs into schools. Palm Beach Post.
Debate league: The Urban Debate League, in its first year in 18 low-income Miami-Dade schools, pushes students to debate their way to better grades and maybe a college scholarship. Miami Herald.
Textbook controversy: The Highlands County School Board will hear a complaint from a parent this week about a chapter on Islam in the textbook World History Ancient Civilizations. The chapter deals with the spread of the Muslim religion from 550 AD through 1650 AD and the rise of Muhammed. Highlands Today.
School cleanliness: About 25 percent of Volusia County schools fall below cleanliness standards outlined in the district’s contract with GSA Services. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Charter schools: Newpoint Pinellas High School, a Clearwater charter school, is ending its relationship with its management company, Newpoint Education Partners, after the school reported a deficit of almost $500,000. Tampa Bay Times. Officials from the Florida Department of Education visit the Western Academy Charter School in Royal Palm Beach to see what the school is doing to be one of the state’s highest achievers in math. WPTV.
Lawsuit meetings: Legal representatives for Citizens for Strong Schools, which is suing the Florida Board of Education for allegedly failing to provide every student with a uniform and a high quality education, is holding a series of informational meetings about the lawsuit. The trial is set for March in Tallahassee. Gainesville Sun.
School name change: The Orange County School District is soliciting the opinions of students, parents, alumni and other community members about changing the name of Lee Middle School, which is named for Confederate leader Robert E. Lee. Orlando Sentinel.
School absenteeism: A new initiative, Alignment Bay County, is targeting absenteeism by appealing to parents to get their children to school every morning. About 13 percent of Bay County students miss 21 or more days in a school year. Panama City News Herald.
Silent awareness: The early portion of Friday’s Robinson-Spoto boys basketball game was notable for its silence. It was part of a domestic violence awareness effort to have complete silence until one of the team scores nine points. A woman in the United States is a victim of abuse every nine seconds. Tampa Bay Times.
Suicide prevention: The Collier County School District campaigns for suicide awareness with a video and public service announcements that offer help to troubled students. Naples Daily News.
Teacher’s lament: A Duval County first-grade teacher who’s retiring early says all the joy has been drained from the job by rigid curricula and micromanagement of the way teachers work. Florida Times-Union.
More academics: Lake County School Board members who are worried that students aren’t ready for college want to start an international baccalaureate program and increase the number of advanced placement courses offered. Daily Commercial.
Mentoring emphasis: Mentoring is gaining attention as a method for improving high school graduation rates. Pensacola News Journal.
Disciplinary improvements: Pasco County schools are seeing declines in referrals, expulsions and alternative placements with new disciplinary guidelines. Gradebook.
Officer saves woman: Ural Darling, a resource officer at Osceola Middle School, is credited with saving the life of a woman who collapsed at the school Friday. Tampa Tribune.
Joy ride: A 13-year-old boy drives away with a school bus when the driver took a bathroom break Thursday in Leesburg. The bus was located through its GPS system, and the boy was arrested. Daily Commercial. Palm Beach Post.
Opinions on schools: Felony arrests of juveniles are down 20 percent in Florida, but up 18 percent in Pinellas County. It’s inexplicable, and troubling. John Romano, Tampa Bay Times. There’s a reason for a solid line between religion and public schools. Sue Carlton, Tampa Bay Times. The march for freedom continues with educational freedom. Rev. Manuel Sykes, Tampa Tribune. Taking funding away from school districts for each student who fails the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam on the first attempt is a Florida Department of Education proposal that should be killed. Bradenton Herald. Change is needed in school start times and school calendars. Scott Maddox, Tallahassee Democrat. Watching middle-schoolers in a math competition is a reminder that math can be fun. Mike Cazalas, Panama City News Herald. School grades do not reflect all of what a school accomplishes. Marie-Claire Leman and Grace Frances, Tallahassee Democrat.
Student enrichment: Apollo Elementary fifth-graders study and do their schoolwork at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as part of a 16-day Space School. Florida Today. Photographs by 32 students at Jupiter Community High School are on display at the Norton Museum of Art. Palm Beach Post. Fourth-graders from Pea Ridge Elementary School learn about crime forensics and more at a Career Day. Pensacola News Journal. Author Ron Lewis, a former middle school teacher, tells Brevard County students they can succeed if they have the right attitude. Florida Today. More than $160,000 in school supplies is delivered for Cocoa Beach teachers from the Kids in Need Foundation. Florida Today. Students from the Panama City Advanced School camp out to raise awareness of the refugee crisis. Panama City News Herald.
