A day to remember: Valentine’s Day 2019 was a day of sorrow mixed with hope at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were gunned down a year ago. The few students who showed up at the school, the staff, and students from around the state and country marked the anniversary with a moment of silence. Families of the victims visited gravesites, and many Stoneman Douglas students devoted a day of community service to honor those who died. Sun Sentinel. Miami Herald. Palm Beach Post. Orlando Sentinel. News Service of Florida. Associated Press. WFTX. WSVN. Tallahassee Democrat. Miami Herald.
Textbook adoption schedule: The Florida Department of Education is telling state school districts that it is postponing the textbook adoption schedule, which is what districts use to determine when to purchase new textbooks and from whom. Under the new schedule, new elementary math books won’t be available for four years, and language arts materials for three years. Districts can opt to go outside the state-approved process, which some districts are doing. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent call for an end to the Common Core standards has complicated the process for buying textbooks, which reflect the standards. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Education Week. Two central Florida school district superintendents say DeSantis’ decision to eliminate the Common Core standards could be a welcome opportunity to re-evaluate school testing and all the things tied to it, such as school grades and teacher evaluations. Orlando Sentinel.
Anti-opioids for schools: A bill is filed in the Florida Senate that would allow schools to buy naloxone, which is a medication designed to quickly reverse opioid overdose. The bill was filed by Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami, and it would also provide liability protection for school officials who administer the drug to students who have overdosed. News Service of Florida.
School security: More drills, more threats, more security. It’s the new normal in Brevard and Leon county schools, and others around the state and country. Florida Today. Tallahassee Democrat. Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie says he wants his district’s schools to be “the safest in the nation.” WLRN. The Brevard County School Board is updated on improvements in security at its schools. Florida Today. Lee County schools created mental health and threat assessment teams as part of their security upgrades. Fort Myers News-Press. Bay County school officials note their security improvements in the year since Parkland, and say safety in schools is getting better on a daily basis. Panama City News Herald.
Arming teachers: A Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School teacher, a mom from a group seeking more controls on guns, and the chairman of the state commission that investigated the shootings at Stoneman Douglas discuss the issue of arming teachers in schools. Gradebook.
Teacher shortage: Hillsborough County school officials propose to attack the teacher shortage by setting aside $17 million to recruit and retain teachers at their lowest-performing schools. The money would come from federal and state sources. Officials from the teachers union say they have concerns about how the plan would affect salary negotiations. Gradebook.
Medical marijuana: The Miami-Dade County School District is starting to put together a policy that would allow medical marijuana to be administered on school campuses. WTVJ.
Dual enrollment: The Manatee County School Board approves an agreement with the University of South Florida to offer dual enrollment classes on Manatee high schools’ campuses. WWSB.
Home-schooling gains: The number of students being home-schooled in Florida has grown by 8 percent in the past two years, but by 38 percent in Hernando County. District officials credit the uptick to parents feeling their children are safer at home. Tampa Bay Times.
Board’s legislative agenda: The Pasco County School Board is asking its legislative delegation for more money per student, and more freedom how to spend it. “We need to be able to have discretion to do what’s best for our communities,” says district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe. “We need more money for salaries in place of bonuses that don’t count toward teacher retirement.” Gradebook.
Audit finds errors: The Manatee County School District could lose $174,000 in state funding after an audit by the Florida Auditor General’s Office discovered reporting and bookkeeping errors from the 2016-2017 school year. The audit found that the district was overpaid $174,000 for students who weren’t in school. The audit also found problems in transportation records. The district can appeal the decision. Bradenton Herald.
Contract agreement: Non-instructional employees of the Pasco County School District overwhelmingly approve a contract agreement with the district that gives them raises of 2 percent, or more in some cases, and fully paid health insurance. Gradebook.
School closing: Mainspring Academy, a school for special-needs students in Jacksonville, is closing at the end of this school year. No reason was given. WJAX.
Ex-coach arrested: A former coach of a hockey club filled with players from a Broward County Catholic high school is arrested and accused of possessing child pornography. Deputies say Nicholas Gullman, 32, also had photos of players from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in various states of undress. Miami Herald.
Threats and arrests: There have been 206 threats made against Lee County schools since the Parkland shootings a year ago, says school and law enforcement officials. WBBH. An 11-year-old Brevard County student is in police custody after allegedly threatening an employee at Fieldston Preparatory School in Titusville. Florida Today. A 17-year-old Fort Myers High School student is arrested after sending texts threatening his school. Fort Myers News-Press.
Gun discharged at school: While police were searching the Jefferson Davis Middle School property in Jacksonville for a reported intruder, which turned out to be a false alarm, a police officer’s gun discharged accidentally. No one was injured, and deputies will investigate. Florida Times-Union. WJXT.
Opinions on schools: Let us stand together to remember Broward County’s 9/11. Sun Sentinel. A year after Parkland, we still need action more than thoughts and prayers. Palm Beach Post. Even in the midst of this painful time, there is a glimmer of hope still shining today as a result of the brave students and parents who turned their heartbreak into action with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Shannon Green, Orlando Sentinel. If you widen your circle of contacts, you can broaden the conversation about school choice. Catherine Durkin Robinson, redefinED.
Student enrichment: Students from the Ransom Everglades School in Miami win multiple honors at the 2019 Berklee High School Jazz Festival in Boston, which is the largest of its kind in the United States. Miami Herald. Seminole Springs Elementary School in Eustis has a new $20,000 playground, thanks to a donation from the Golden Triangle Kiwanis Club. Orlando Sentinel.
