Book-banning move: The Florida Citizens Alliance says it has identified about 100 textbooks and library books in state schools that are “pornographic,” preach religious “indoctrination,” push “unbalanced propaganda” relating to climate change and violate Florida laws. It wants them removed, and many fear that the group, which has influence with the governor and Legislature, could accomplish that through a pair of proposed bills that would restrict decisions on textbooks by local school officials. Critics of H.B. 855 and S.B. 1454 are organizing to fight back. Gradebook.
Spending on guardians: A review of state records indicates that sheriffs are receiving little oversight in how they spend the millions of dollars they’re getting through the state’s Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program to protect schools. In Brevard County, for instance, Sheriff Wayne Ivey has bought a $125,000 simulator to recreate active-shooter situations. Money has gone for training, salaries, weapons, ammunition, and for uniforms, background checks, insurance, warning signs, staples and more. Some counties with few students received more than much larger counties. Department of Education spokeswoman Cheryl Etters says, “Other than ensuring that each district’s budget appropriation meets the statutory requirements, the department is not involved in oversight.” Florida Today.
Charters ask for shares: Two Hillsborough County charter schools are requesting a share of the money for schools repairs and construction that county voters approved last November. The hike in the sales tax is expected to bring in about $200 million a year for the school district to repair or replace failing air-conditioning systems at dozens of schools. Lutz Preparatory School and Trinity School For Children have asked for about $145,000. Their requests were met with skepticism from members of the citizens oversight committee. Tampa Bay Times.
Certification tests: Some social workers in Florida schools are losing their jobs because they can’t pass the teacher certification exam. The Florida Department of Education and state law consider school social workers as educators, and therefore are required to pass the general knowledge part of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam. “Passing a math test when I don’t do any education stuff? I don’t think that should be a requirement,” says Julie Grace, a former social worker for the Brevard County School District. This comes at a time when school districts are trying to provide more mental health services for students. WFTS. Should teachers who can’t pass the general knowledge part of the state certification exam be in the classroom? The question is provoking a variety of views from educators, state officials, administrators and union officials. Florida Phoenix. The number of aspiring teachers who pass the state’s high school math certification exam on their first try continued to decline in 2018. Bridge to Tomorrow.
Teacher victims’ act: Two Democratic representatives introduce a bill in the U.S. House that would provide financial assistance to the families of teachers who are killed on the job. Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson, who represent districts in south Florida, proposed a bill known as the “Teacher Victims’ Family Assistance Act.” Florida Daily.
After the shooting: Accused Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz claimed to “hear voices” after police arrested him, according to police bodycam footage released last week. Sun Sentinel. In a deposition in a lawsuit, a security watchman described Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School security as lax, with a school resource officer who joked that “when I pull out (my) gun, French fries will come out.” Andrew Medina said the school “didn’t take security serious.” Sun Sentinel.
School security: Citrus County School Board members approve a job description for school safety guardians. The district doesn’t plan to start hiring guardians; it’s simply getting prepared in case the Legislature decides to require them. Citrus County Chronicle. A Hernando County charter school that was threatened with losing its charter for not having an armed guard has contracted with the sheriff to provide the coverage that’s required under state law. Gulf Coast Academy signed the deal with the sheriff shortly before the Friday deadline imposed by the school district. Gradebook.
Construction over budget: Construction costs for Manatee County School District projects have come in 84 percent over budget in the past three years, according to the district’s records. The original budget for 20 major projects between 2015 and 2018 was about $27 million. The final price tag was nearly $50 million. School officials blame the staff’s inability to forecast costs beyond the five-year construction plan due to a shortage of staff, higher costs for labor and materials, and changes made by the school board after projects are approved. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
District freezes spending: The Pasco County School District has imposed a partial spending freeze as it prepares its budget for the next school year. The cutbacks won’t affect day-to-day needs for operations in the district, but will halt major projects, maintenance requests and non-instructional personnel hiring. Gradebook.
Educators honored: Joseph Malfara, a language arts teacher at Poinciana High School in Kissimmee, is named the Osceola County School District’s teacher of the year. Julissa Cardona, the Title 1 parent liaison in the district’s Special Programs Department, is named school-related employee of the year. Osceola News-Gazette.
Personnel moves: Sheila Lightbourne has been named assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Okaloosa County School District, and James Lee Hale is the new assistant superintendent of human resources. Both were promoted from other district jobs. Northwest Florida Daily News.
Community school: The University of Central Florida is proposing to start a community school in Manatee County. Community schools bring education, health and social services and after-school programs into a single school as a way of addressing more community needs and raising student achievement. If the proposal moves forward, it would be the first in Manatee. Bradenton Herald.
Rallying around a school: The parents and students of a Jacksonville school for students with special needs are mounting a campaign to raise enough money to keep their school open. Parents say Mainstream Academy has helped their children when other schools couldn’t, and say they’ll be devastated if the financially struggling school closes. So far, the school has raised $51,000 of the $150,000 it hoped to get by May 31. Longer term, the goal is to raise $500,000 by May 31, 2020. Florida Times-Union.
Pushing for property: Manatee County school officials want the developer of a proposed 6,000-home community in the Parrish area to set aside 40 acres for a school. They say such a development could be expected to produce 1,000 students, and the existing schools in the area won’t be able to handle that influx. The county’s planning commission and county commission must approve the developer’s plans. Bradenton Herald.
Annexing a school: The city of Eustis wants to annex Eustis Middle School. Lake County school officials are compiling the terms, which would include the city reimbursing the district monthly for franchise utility fees and a vegetation survey to make sure there are no plants on the property that would keep the school from future expansion. Daily Commercial.
Charter drops appeal: An online Pasco County charter school is dropping its appeal to the state of the school district’s intention to close the school. Superintendent Kurt Browning has recommended that Pasco MYcroSchool be shuttered because of fiscal mismanagement and faltering academic performance. The decision now rests with the school board, which is expected to consider the issue in May. Gradebook.
Increase in vaping: The use of vaping among Polk County students is skyrocketing, school and law enforcement officials say. The number of disciplinary referrals for vaping in the school district has jumped 67 percent from last year, from 201 to 335. Lakeland Ledger.
Teachers in trouble: A Seminole County kindergarten teacher is arrested and charged with creating child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child. Audra Mabel, 34, has been fired from Spring Lake Elementary School, district officials say. WFTV. WKMG. Orlando Sentinel. A Nassau County School District middle school counselor is arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Melissa Jadoo, 47, counsels 6th-graders at Callahan Middle School. WJAX.
No charges for bus aide: The Martin County school bus aide who removed a “Make America Great Again” hat from a student’s head won’t be charged, prosecutors say. “While the bus aide’s behavior is inappropriate and unprofessional, it doesn’t raise to the criminal level,” says assistant state attorney Nita Denton. TCPalm.
Students arrested: One of the students arrested for allegedly plotting an attack against Andrew Jackson Middle School in Titusville has a history of discipline problems, teachers say. Brevard County school officials contend the problems did not warrant removing him from the school. Florida Today. A 15-year-old Manatee County student is arrested after deputies say he admitted writing a note threatening the school that he had claimed to “find” in the bathroom at Bayshore High School. Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Opinions on schools: Charter school reform should include setting limits on payments to for-profit management companies and requiring those companies to report their expenditures and profits, according to a recommendation by the public interest watchdog Integrity Florida. But it won’t, because charter schools are protected in Tallahassee by a minefield of conflicts of interest. Sun Sentinel. The proposed expansion of vouchers for Florida’s K-12 schools is irresponsible if it isn’t coupled with increased accountability. Orlando Sentinel. Teachers tend to enter the profession because they love the job, certainly not because of compensation. But higher pay and better conditions would help attract more people to teaching and keep them in the profession. Gainesville Sun. The Florida Citizens Alliance, which is trying to remove about 100 books from public schools in the state, advances “the ideals and principles of liberty” on its website. But only if it’s the kind of liberty the group approves. Joe Henderson, Florida Politics.
Student enrichment: Isabella Pedraza, a student at Miami Country Day School, is one of 150 U.S. students selected as a Coca-Cola Scholar. Nearly 100,000 students applied. Miami Herald. A team of four students from the Maclay School in Tallahassee is one of 12 selected worldwide to compete in the Knowledge@Wharton High School Investment Competition. Tallahassee Democrat. Brindha Rathinasabapathi, a junior at Eastside High School in Gainesville, is chosen to compete in the International Science and Engineering Fair in May in Arizona. Gainesville Sun. The nonprofit Mobile School Pantry expands deliveries to seven Broward County schools. WLRN.
