Zika and schools: Gov. Rick Scott orders Florida’s Department of Health and Department of Education to provide mosquito repellent and teacher tool kits to all schools in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin, Monroe and Palm Beach counties as a response to the continuing spread of the Zika virus. The state also will send educational materials to all schools, and Scott is requiring that each district have a plan to quickly deal with any suspected Zika cases. Health News Florida. News Service of Florida. Gradebook.
Recess initiative: Some state legislators are asking the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability to research the ways school districts handle recess. Those lawmakers want the data this month so they can begin drafting bills for the next legislative session. Bills are due in January. An initiative to require daily recess was defeated in the last session. Gradebook.
Teacher shortage: A day before Marion County schools open, the district is still trying to hire 96 teachers to fill open positions. Superintendent George Tomyn says substitutes will be in the classroom until the hires can be made, hopefully in the next few months. “This is happening all across the state,” Tomyn said. Ocala Star Banner.
Enrollment growth: The Palm Beach County School District expects additional enrollment of 3,000 to 5,000 on the first day of school Aug. 15. The district is the 12th-largest in the United States. The district also says it will add 75 students in two popular magnet programs. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post.
Busing problems: Plans for a transportation service to drive students to and from several magnet programs in the Brevard County School District have fallen through. Parents will have to scramble until the district can find an alternative. The district is not required to provide transportation for those students, but has done so in the past. Florida Today.
District’s goals: In his state of the district speech, Alachua County School Superintendent Jackie Pons vows to increase safety by hiring more armed deputies, fight overtesting, support teachers with training and put extra emphasis on reading instruction. Tallahassee Democrat.
Immigrant issues: Even as undocumented students who were granted temporary protection from deportation do well in high school as they pursue their educational dreams, many cannot find the money to go on to college. Naples Daily News.
Dropout prevention: The Pasco County School District will put a special emphasis this year on dropout prevention. The district’s graduation rate dipped from 79.2 percent in 2015 to 78.6 percent this year. Gradebook.
School’s second life: When Rogers Garden Elementary School opened in 2009, it was supposed to be a model that helped revive a community. Seven years later the school was closed and is now reopening with a new vision. So what happened? Bradenton Herald.
Contract agreement: The Volusia County School Board is expected to ratify contract agreements with the three unions representing school employees. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Political signs: Some parents think the Highlands County School District is breaking campaign laws by posting political signs on the grounds of every school. The district says the signs are “informational” about what would be done if a sales tax increase is approved, and do not promote a yes vote. Highlands Today.
Accusations to be discussed: The Clay County School Board will meet Wednesday to discuss allegations against Superintendent Charlie Van Sant. Susan Sailor, former principal of Keystone Heights High School and a former Florida teacher of the year, has accused Van Zant of falsely labeling students as having learning disabilities in order to improve the district’s graduation rates and to receive more state funding. Van Sant denies the charges. Florida Times-Union.
Charges at charter: A Manatee charter school official is arrested and accused of stealing $27,000 from the school. Lori Bergeron, 43, was president of Manatee School of Arts & Sciences’ board of directors. Patch.
Notable deaths: Tom Coursey, who left his job as an architectural engineer to become a teacher in the Miami area, has died at age 87. Coursey once said “although I liked working outside in construction, what I really wanted to do was work with kids, talking to them, counseling them and helping them find out what they wanted to do with their lives.” Miami Herald.
Opinions on schools: The Hillsborough County School District’s response to its worst-performing schools has been underwhelming, and it’s time for the district to lay out a blueprint and high expectations for turning these schools around. Tampa Bay Times. School necessitates that a small arsenal of personal life support be carried on students’ backs on a daily basis. One research study found that 25 percent of teens suffer from backpack related back/neck pain. Lighten the load. Laurie Futterman, Miami Herald. Inappropriate teacher behavior isn’t tolerated in today’s world, but it used to be. Ellen Gillette, TCPalm.
Student enrichment: A group of Lake Wales High School students begin a drive to restore a 90-year-old red caboose at the Lake Wales Depot Museum. Lakeland Ledger.
