Safety panel: Florida schools are underreporting crimes by students, painting a false picture of school safety, and skimped on security tests before the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, according to members of the state commission appointed to investigate the shootings. The panel suggests penalizing schools for underreporting crimes in their annual reports. The security assessments, which were optional until this year, were rarely performed. Stoneman Douglas never did one, and in 2017 only 16 of the state’s 3,900 public schools did. Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. WFOR. Former Brevard County School Superintendent Desmond Blackburn isn’t able to convince his peers on the state panel that a sworn police officer belongs on every school campus, including at elementary schools. Florida Today.
Amendment 8: The Florida Supreme Court will announce its decision today on whether proposed constitutional Amendment 8 will stay on the Nov. 6 ballot. The amendment, put forward by the Constitution Revision Commission, would create an entity other than local school boards that can approve charter and public schools, set term limits for school board members and require civics education in schools. The League of Women Voters is objecting to the charter school provision, and is asking the amendment be removed from the ballot because it’s “misleading.” Tampa Bay Times.
Sales tax hike: The Hillsborough County Commission agrees to a school board request to place a half-cent sales surtax on the Nov. 6 ballot to raise money for construction, repairs and maintenance of schools. If approved, the tax could generate about $1.3 billion over its 10-year life. A seven-member oversight committee will monitor use of the money. County voters also will be considering a 1-cent hike in the sales tax for transportation needs. Gradebook.
School security: School districts in Florida and elsewhere in the United States are increasingly relying on outside companies to scour student social media accounts for threats against schools, bullying, suicide threats and more. New York Times. Central Florida charter schools are struggling to meet the state requirement to have an armed guard in every school. “Nobody has enough money to cover this,” says Lynn Norman-Teck, executive director of the advocacy group Florida Charter School Alliance. Orlando Sentinel. Security at school-sponsored events in Marion County, such as sporting events, is being tightened. Among the new rules: no backpacks, all bags will be searched, and hand-held metal detectors may be used. Ocala Star-Banner. The University of South Florida St. Petersburg receives a $2.2 million grant to create a program to train K-12 educators to identify and get help for students with mental health issues. WUSF.
State K-12 ranking: Florida is 4th among the states in the latest rankings in the K-12 achievement index from Education Week. The state was given a grade of C-plus. The rankings are based on high school graduation rates; results on college-caliber Advanced Placement exams; and reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Proficiency and progress are also factored in. redefinED. Orlando Sentinel.
District budgets: Polk County School Board members approve a $1.4 billion budget, which is $44 million more than last year’s. School officials say unfunded state mandates and required tax rollbacks continue to cause problems. “Until that funding changes, it’s going to be a challenge every year to meet those priorities, and the finance department will make every effort that we can to squeak out funding for our classrooms,” says Jason Pitts, district senior manager of financial accounting. Polk is the seventh-largest school district in the state, but ranks 64th out of 67 districts in per-student funding. Lakeland Ledger.
Education and politics: The Florida gubernatorial candidates, Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum, both say the state’s educational system needs to improve, but they would go about it in different ways. DeSantis says he wants to scrap Common Core standards and require graduating high school students to pass the same test immigrants have to pass to become citizens. Gillum wants to raise teachers’ starting salaries to $50,000, boost funding for construction and maintenance, and cut the state’s reliance on standardized testing. The Capitolist.
Problems with lead: Two Polk County schools, Union Academy in Bartow and Winston Academy of Engineering in Lakeland, still show elevated levels of lead in water samples, according to recent tests. One classroom sink faucet at Winston showed 311 parts per billion, or about 20 times what’s considered safe. A third test is being done. Lakeland Ledger.
Persistent problems: Compounding the problems the Manatee County School District has had with its new business systems software is a lack of IT support for implementation, according to school officials. A half-dozen positions in the IT department were approved five months ago, but never filled. “It’s a budget issue,” says Doug Wagner, deputy superintendent of business services and operations. “We’re seeing if we have enough money to fill those positions.” Bradenton Herald.
Teacher honored: Joanna Davis-Lanum, an art teacher at Garden Elementary School in Venice, is named the state’s outstanding art educator of the year by the Florida Art Education Association. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Effort behind reading: School officials and other community leaders from Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties discuss strategies for improving 3rd-grade reading scores as part of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Students and flu shots: Nearly half of Florida’s high school students have not gotten a flu shot in the past year, according to a recent study presented at a Centers for Disease Control and Precention conference. The federal goal is 70 percent. WLRN.
Contract ratified: Lake County teachers overwhelmingly ratify a contract with the school district that will give most teachers raises of at least $1,200 a year. The school board votes on the deal Monday. Daily Commercial.
Education podcast: Leon County School Superintendent Rocky Hanna talks about why his district is stepping up efforts to verify student addresses. Gradebook. At a town hall, Lee County school leaders discuss the half-cent sales tax increase for education on the Nov. 6 ballot. Fort Myers News-Press.
Employee pleads guilty: A former transportation services manager for the Pasco County School District pleads guilty to child pornography charges. William Napolitano was charged with enticement/coercion of a minor and possession of child pornography, and faces a prison sentence of up to 30 years. WFLA.
Student arrested: A 16-year-old Citrus County student is arrested after making a social media threat against Citrus Springs Middle School. His mother is also arrested and charged with falsifying a report involving the use of firearms in a violent manner. Citrus County Chronicle.
BB gun at school: A BB gun is confiscated from a student at Bay High School in Panama City. The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Panama City News Herald.
Opinions on schools: Instead of hiring resource officers that see students as criminals, schools can use that money for real school resources — mental health workers and restorative justice practitioners, to name a few — who build students up rather than push them out. Lidwina Bell, Florida Today. Citrus County School Board members made the right decision in moving forward with plans and job descriptions for a school police force. While some might fear it jeopardizes the popular school resource officer program, we believe it will enhance security and supplement the program in a cost-effective manner. Citrus County Chronicle.
