Florida schools roundup: District lawsuit to target H.B. 7069, charters and more

District to sue state: The Broward County School Board votes to pursue a lawsuit against the state over H.B. 7069, saying the law improperly forces districts to share property tax revenue with charter schools and strips local boards of the authority to approve or deny charter applications. The Miami-Dade, Orange and Pinellas districts are considering joining the suit, says the Broward board’s attorney, Barbara Myrick. The board set aside $25,000 to begin work on the suit, which will argue that some provisions of the bill are unconstitutional. Myrick couldn’t say when the suit will be filed, but there’s a six-month window to file a suit under the single-subject clause. Sun Sentinel. Miami HeraldTampa Bay Times. News Service of FloridaThe Capitolist. WSVN.

Change talk ‘premature’: Many politicians and educators are already pushing for the Legislature to revise H.B. 7069, the broad education bill signed into law last month and effective since July 1. But Rep. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, who chairs the House’s pre-K-12 education budget committee, says any talk of change is “way too premature. Making adjustments going forward — we first have to see what happens instead of jumping the gun.” The primary complaint about the bill is the money it sets aside for charter schools. Miami Herald. Levy County School Board members add their voices to those complaining about the education bill. Board members say it excessively favors charter schools, restricts local decision-making and doesn’t adequately fund public education. Cedar Key Beacon.

School traffic safety: Traffic studies urge the Flagler County School District to encourage bus riding and discourage parents driving their children to and from school. The traffic endangers students and causes congestion, according to the studies of each of the county’s elementary and middle schools. The studies were sponsored by the Transportation Planning Organization, which is made up of elected officials from all local governments. Flagler Live.

Track donation: An anonymous donor is giving the Bay County School District the $200,000 needed to build an eight-lane, cushioned track around the renovated Tommy Oliver Stadium. Panama City News Herald.

Testing results: More reports on grades for school districts and schools. Suwannee DemocratTampa Bay Times. Port St. Joe Star. Clay Today.

Teacher honored: Jasmine Oxley, a 7th grade civics teacher at Viera Charter School, is named Brevard County civics teacher of the year by the Florida Bar. Space Coast Living.

Personnel moves: Tim Kitts, a founder and former CEO of the Bay Haven Charter Academy Inc., is hired as principal at the Rising Leaders Academy. Kitts resigned from Bay Haven in 2016 after allegations of discrimination. Panama City News Herald. WJHG.

School board elections: Nicole Carr, a former teacher and administrator in the Pinellas County School District, announces her candidacy for the school board District 3 seat currently held by board chairwoman Peggy O’Shea. Former state Rep. Carl Zimmerman is also a candidate. SaintPetersBlog.

New school buses: The Hernando County School District gets its first new school buses in about seven years. The three buses cost about $317,000, and are expected to save $9,000 to $18,000 a year in repairs. The district has 148 buses. Tampa Bay Times.

Suit still unresolved: A sexual harassment suit filed against the Monroe County School Board remains unsettled, and the girl’s parents will skip further mediation and try to negotiate a settlement directly with the board. The suit accuses Stanley Switlik Elementary School employees of ignoring a 2nd-grader’s claims that another student groped her repeatedly over a period of years. Keynoter.

Opinions on schools: As online learning becomes increasingly prevalent, let’s be honest about the role that intimacy and fulfillment play in the teacher job market and how the dynamics of online education might change this. Michaek Hristakopolous, Orlando Sentinel. There are strengths and weaknesses in the Indian River County School District’s proposed five-year strategic plan. Laurence Reisman, TCPalm. The state’s communities of physics educators and professionals in science and engineering have failed to convince Florida’s K-12 educators, parents and students that physics is the gateway high school science course to STEM career opportunities. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow. There is a time and place for everything — secular learning in the public schools and religious learning and experiences in the churches. Our founding fathers knew what they were doing when they believed in the separation of church and state. TCPalm.

Student enrichment: Students from Covenant Christian School take part in an NOAA experiment to trap and study lionfish. Panama City News Herald.


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BY NextSteps staff

One Comment

Janet McDonald

“Our founding fathers knew what they were doing when they believed in the separation of church and state” is not historically nor philosophically accurate.

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