Bright Futures: The number of students in Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship program is forecast to grow by 5.7 percent this year, by 3,223 to 99,483, with the projected costs rising from $545 million to $583 million, according to state economists. Students who qualify for the Bright Futures’ “academic scholars” program receive 100 percent of tuition and fees at state universities and colleges and $300 for books. Students must have a 3.5 grade point average and score at least a 1290 on the SAT or 29 on the ACT and complete 100 hours of community service to qualify for the program. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida.
Shooting panel report: The state’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission is expected to issue a draft report this week that details its findings and recommendations. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the panel, says the initial recommendations are going to be practical, quick and cost-effective things to improve security in schools. “Physical site security will be a robust area for discussion because I believe there are immediate things that are absolutely essential to do that are low or no cost and don’t require any substantial law or regulation that will greatly enhance the safety of the campuses,” he says. Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press.
Superintendent accused: The Florida Department of Education is accusing Manatee County Superintendent Cynthia Saunders of inflating the district’s graduation rates between 2014 and 2016 by having employees “improperly code student withdrawals.” Specifically, according to the state, Saunders had employees code students who were dropping out as “withdrawn to home school” when they had no intention of doing so. A school district attorney disputes the allegations that could cost Saunders her educator certificate. The school board’s vote to make Saunders, the interim superintendent since June, the permanent superintendent through 2022 was postponed until Jan. 22. Bradenton Herald. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Contract negotiations: The Miami-Dade teachers union and school district reach agreement on a contract that provides large raises made possible when voters approved a tax hike. The district will gives all teachers and fulltime paraprofessionals a 5 percent bonus in January, followed by raises in July ranging from 12.5 percent to 22.5 percent, depending on experience. The tax hike is expected to generate $211 million in 2019, and continues four years. Miami Herald.
Certified teachers: Florida once led the nation in the number of teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This year it has four, ranking it 41st among the states and District of Columbia. At its peak, Florida had 1,809 teachers certified in a year, and the state is still second on the list of states with 13,551 who have held the certification for a decade. The numbers began dropping when the state stopped subsidizing the application process and the bonuses. Gradebook.
School roofing costs soar: Costs to replace roofs on Broward County schools are three times the original estimates, according to a district official, and $280 million more is needed to complete the work. Frank Gabordi, who now oversees the implementation of the $800 million bond program approved by voters in 2014, says 30 percent of the bond project was earmarked for roof repairs, but the cost estimate was set at $6.80 per square foot. But that was well below the $12.98 per square foot costs from a previous job in the 2007-2008 school year, and just a third of the current $19. Sun-Sentinel.
Virtual school inquiry: The top attorney for the Florida Virtual School used school employees to work on his outside business activities, hired his daughter’s boyfriend to investigate a former FVS executive and likely made “boorish and gender-based comments” to women, according to a law firm that was hired to investigate. Frank Kruppenbacher, 66, resigned Aug. 12 when the school’s trustees decided to hire a law firm to investigate complaints against him. Kruppenbacher has denied the accusations. Orlando Sentinel.
Drill policy changes: The Seminole County sheriff’s office will still hold active-shooter drills in schools, but will tell students, faculty and parents that the threat isn’t real as soon as the drill is announced. The change in policy was made just five days after an unannounced drill at Lake Brantley High School caused widespread panic and outrage. Orlando Sentinel.
Teacher honored: Holly Mickler, who helps Pasco Middle School students learn about organizing, studying and preparing for college through the AVID program, is named the Pasco County School District’s teacher of the year. Mickler, 35, is now eligible for the state’s teacher of the year award. Gradebook. Five finalists are chosen for the Leon County School District teacher of the year award. They are Macy Grauer of Killearn Lakes Elementary, Tamika Brown or John G. Riley Elementary. Taraneh Oliver of Deerlake Middle, Daniel Johnson of Fairview Middle and Jeannine Mei of Leon High. The winner will be announced Thursday. Tallahassee Democrat.
Medical marijuana policy: The Escambia County School Board votes this month on a recommendation to allow medical marijuana to be administered on school campuses under certain circumstances. The policy would allow parents or a caregiver to bring the medicine to schools and administer it to their children. WEAR.
Struggling state schools: About 43 percent of the state’s K-12 schools received grades of C, D or F in 2018, Florida House members are told during a briefing Tuesday in Tallahassee. “Wow,” said newly elected State Rep. Ardian Zika, a Republican from Pasco County. He and others got an overview of the K-12 education system during orientation sessions. The legislative session begins March 5. Florida Phoenix.
District police chief hired: The Citrus County School Board approves the hiring of a part-time police chief. Superintendent Sandra Himmel says the hiring of former Citrus County Sheriff’s Department undersheriff Larry “Buddy” Grant is a supplement to the school resource officers now in all county schools. Citrus County Chronicle.
School street closing: The Panama City Commission approves a Bay County School District request to temporarily close a street at Bay High School. Portable classrooms are being located across the street from the school, and officials asked for the closure so students could safely walk back and forth between the portables and school. The street is closed from January 2019 through July 2020. Panama City News Herald.
Name change considered: The Lake County School Board is considering a request to change the name of Clermont Middle School to Aurelia M. Cole Academy in 2019. Cole, who served the school district for 46 years as a teacher and administrator, died in July. Daily Commercial.
Notable deaths: James “Chief” Wilson, a history teacher who started the first school band at the then-all black Jones High School in Orlando, has died at the age of 90. Jones taught for nearly 40 years at the school, and was inducted into the Orange County School District’s Hall of Fame in 2015. Orlando Sentinel.
Game security rules tweaked: The Pasco County School District has revised some of its security rules for those attending school sporting events. Small handbags are now allowed, though they may be searched, and spectators can now carry in bug spray, gum, mints and sealed non-alcoholic beverages. Gradebook.
New license plate: Florida unveils a new design for the license plate that raises money for state education foundations. The big red apple, which has been used for 25 years, has been replaced by a beach scene with silhouettes of children reading under a palm tree at sunset. Ocala Star-Banner. WLRN.
School bus changes protested: Some St. Johns County parents are protesting the school district’s cuts in school buses and changes in some routes. WJAX.
Restraining order against student: A judge issues a temporary injunction order against a 6th-grade Polk County student who is accused of beating another student. The Sleepy Hill Middle School student has been ordered to stay 50 feet away from the victim for a year. Polk County school officials also transferred him to another school. Lakeland Ledger.
Threats called racist: Deputies say threats made by two white students against a black Flagler Palm Coast High School are racist in nature, and the students could still face criminal charges. The students, both 16, were removed from the school and likely to be suspended and transferred. Flagler Live. Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Opinions on schools: Putting former House Speaker Richard Corcoran in charge of Florida education is like hiring Genghis Kahn to head the state Department of Corrections. St. Augustine Record. The attack against Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students in the wake of unspeakable school shooting tragedy was the most significant falsehood of 2018, and is PolitiFact’s Lie of the Year. Tampa Bay Times. Revitalizing Alachua County’s existing schools is the district’s top priority with the money generated by the voter-approved half-cent sales tax. Paul White, Gainesville Sun.
Student enrichment: Fifth- and sixth-graders at Rymfire Elementary School in Flagler County produce seven YouTube videos showing pther students how to cook, make minor household repairs, sew, garden and more. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Windy Hill Middle School student Isabella Miller is honored by the Lake County School Board for reporting a theft and helping police capture a suspect by memorizing his license plate. A resource officers and a principal were also honored by the board for defusing a potentially dangerous situation at Eustis High School. Daily Commercial.
