Florida schools roundup: Security, summer jobs, civics tests and more

School security. Some Palm Beach County officers still live on K-12 school campuses, part of a decades-old program intended to prevent vandalism. That could soon change. Palm Beach Post. Miami-Dade County Public Schools swear in a diverse crop of new cops to protect classrooms. WLRN. Plenty of applicants show interest in joining the state’s Guardian program to protect Brevard County Schools. But the district says they won’t be ready to go by the time school starts. Florida Today.

Civics tests. Lawmakers and district officials debate shifts that caused some middle school students to take civics tests later in their academic careers, boosting some schools’ A-F letter grades.  Orlando Sentinel.

Summer jobs. A Miami program connects students in the Overtown neighborhood with work opportunities. Miami Herald.

Elections. A survey of “influencers” suggests teacher pay is a top issue. Miami Herald.

Charter school facilities. Could funding changes affect the commercial real estate market? Commercial Property Executive.

Capital projects funding. Money remains tight for Pasco County public schools. Gradebook.

Administrative overhauls. Hernando County’s new schools chief looks to mend rifts that plagued his predecessor. Tampa Bay Times. Marion County shifts some key district officials into new positions. Ocala Star-Banner.

Accomplishments. A Stanford University Online High School student in St. Johns County will join a delegation of nature conservation-minded youth in the nation’s capital. St. Augustine Record. A Central Florida high school alum gets a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Malaysia. Orlando Sentinel.

Dual enrollment. Pasco County schools look to add opportunities for students to earn college credit while still in high school. Gradebook.

Transportation. Parents in a St. Johns County gated community threaten to sue the school district after it announces the elimination of bus service to a nearby elementary school. St. Augustine Record.

Discipline. A Clermont school wins praise for its behavior intervention program. Daily Commercial.

Now hiring. Lake County Schools will host a jobs fair. Daily Commercial.

Teacher bonuses. Florida’s Best and Brightest program, flaws an all, looks like it’s here to stay. Bridge to Tomorrow.

Student’s loss mourned. A Catholic high school remembers a student killed in a car accident. Naples Daily News.

Misconduct. A Duval County bus driver is accused of inappropriately touching a kindergarten student. Florida Times-Union.


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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.