Aid for education: Florida is projected to receive more than $1.7 billion for education from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump last week. The Congressional Research Services estimated that $770.2 million would go to K-12 schools, $760.9 million for higher education, and $173.7 million would be available at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ discretion to help districts and colleges most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. DeSantis must spend that money within a year or return it to the federal government. K-12 districts can use their share of the money for buying technology and cleaning supplies, and for training of staff on sanitation. Colleges and universities must use at least half of their share for emergency financial aid grants to students. Politico Florida.
Still no shutdown: Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to resist a more restrictive shutdown of the state, in part because he hasn’t been specifically told to by the White House task force. “The task force has not recommended that to me,” DeSantis said at a press conference on Tuesday. “If they do, obviously that would be something that carries a lot of weight with me. If any of those task force folks tell me that we should do X, Y or Z, of course we’re going to consider it.” DeSantis has been widely criticized for his approach to fighting the coronavirus. Thirty other states and the District of Columbia have issued more restrictive orders as a measure to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Florida is approaching 7,000 confirmed cases and 100 deaths. Tampa Bay Times. Florida Politics.
Spring sports seasons not killed: Florida’s high school spring sports season is now delayed through May 3, the Florida High School Athletic Association announced on Tuesday, but not canceled. The move mirrors the announcement by the state that the closing of schools has been extended through May 1. FHSAA officials said they are “actively working on creative solutions for the continuance of spring sports,” suggesting the spring season could be extended until June 30. If the seasons eventually are canceled, the FHSAA is considering giving the participating student-athletes extra eligibility. Earlier this week, the NCAA announced it was granting spring sports athletes an extra year of eligibility because their seasons were canceled. Palm Beach Post. Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald. TCPalm. Tallahassee Democrat. St. Augustine Record. WTXL. Florida Times-Union. Lakeland Ledger. Northwest Florida Daily News.
First day online issues: The first day of online learning in the Clay County School District was an incomplete one for about 1,000 students who have requested a Chromebook laptop but have not yet received one. “They are starting [Tuesday] if possible. [Tuesday] is mostly a getting acclimated day, kind of like the first day of school,” said district spokeswoman Nicole Young. WJAX. WJXT. Indian River County school officials said the first day or virtual education was “successful,” even as they acknowledge that most teachers and students seem overwhelmed by the change. Mostly, they said, it was a day for reconnection. “Whether it’s the way we deliver the instruction or how we communicate with them, it really is just letting them know that we care,” said Julie Dossantos, a 1st-grade teacher at Glendale Elementary School. TCPalm. Citrus County school officials said all the reports they’ve gotten from Day 1 of online learning have been positive, but they’ll have a better idea by the end of the week of how well teachers are connecting with students and their parents. Citrus County Chronicle.
Second day improvements: Day 2 of online education was much improved over Day 1 in the Broward County School District, according to Superintendent Robert Runcie. ”We’ve worked very closely with the vendor and the experience that we see today is substantially better than yesterday,” Runcie said, with fewer system crashes and quicker responses. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said problems were few on Tuesday, and by Monday the district anticipates taking attendance and giving grades. WPLG. St. Johns County students reported fewer technical problems Tuesday than they had Monday. “So by the end of the week, you know, we’ll see it as a huge success if we have everybody here to be on the different platforms that we have, and engaged in the schoolwork,” said deputy superintendent Brennan Asplen. WJXT. Orange County school officials also said they saw significant improvement in Day 2 of online learning. Still, said Maurice Draggon, the district’s senior director of digital learning, “It’s not something that we can sit back now and say, well everything is okay. We’re going to make sure we stay vigilant and monitor every system, every day to make sure it’s a smooth experience for teachers and students.” Spectrum News 13.
Parents and online learning: Florida’s students may be attending classes and doing homework online, but it’s clear that parents are now more responsible than ever for their children’s educations. “In a distance-learning environment, students and parents will take on added responsibilities to ensure that children remain engaged and they stay on task,” said Palm Beach County Superintendent Donald Fennoy. Palm Beach Post. Fennoy also announced that the district’s schools would be closed “until further notice.” State officials have recommended that districts close through May 1, and most districts have used that date in announcing the shutdown extension. Palm Beach Post. WLRN. Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. Sun Sentinel. Florida Times-Union. Naples Daily News. Daily Commercial.
More on the coronavirus: The Lee County School District has canceled high school proms and other standard end-of-year celebrations, though officials said they are still planning to hold graduation ceremonies. WBBH. WZVN. Hillsborough County School Board members said graduation is still scheduled, and Superintendent Addison Davis provided an update of online learning progress. Tampa Bay Times. WTVT. The Nassau County School District has reversed its decision to require teachers to work two days a week at schools, and now says they can work exclusively from home while schools are closed. Florida Politics. Polk County School District mental health counselors are using the phone, Facetime and Internet platforms like Telehealth to provide services to anxious students. Lakeland Ledger. Ways teachers are adjusting to online instruction, especially when they’re also parents. WKMG. WTSP. Chalkbeat. Teachers from five Escambia County high schools donate more than 700 pairs of goggles to a Pensacola hospital. WEAR. A Jacksonville charter school group that uses the Waldorf education principles cultivating students’ imaginations through active learning and limiting their screen time has had to adapt to the new reality. redefinED. Crystal River Primary School principal Donnie Brown posts a weekly video on Facebook of her reading a book to children before bed. Citrus County Chronicle. Students from the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville produce a performance of the song From Now On from the movie The Greatest Showman, and share the music of hope on YouTube. Florida Times-Union. Parents in Okaloosa County stage a car parade so their preschool children can wave to their teachers, who were lined up outside Noah’s Ark Preschool in Destin. Northwest Florida Daily News. School districts and other organizations continue to feed low-income students while schools are closed. Florida Department of Agriculture. Florida Department of Education. WJXT. WTSP. WTVT. WFTS. Fort Myers News-Press. WPEC. WTLV. Questions and answers about the coronavirus, guidance for school districts and a glossary. Florida Department of Health. Florida Department of Education. Palm Beach Post. The Florida Department of Education’s best practices for online education. Florida Department of Education. The CDC’s latest guidance for K-12 schools. Education Dive. Florida communities with stay-at-home orders in place. Florida Politics.
Superintendent search: The first appointed superintendent of the Marion County School District will be one of three finalists selected by the school board. They are: Brennan Asplen, now the deputy superintendent of academics and student services for the St. Johns County School District; Diane Gullett, the deputy superintendent of the Clark County School District in Las Vegas; and Heath Morrison, president of the McGraw-Hill Education School Group in Charlotte, N.C., and a former superintendent in Charlotte and Reno, Nev. More than 1,400 people applied for the job. A search firm narrowed the field to 47, then 12, and on Tuesday announced the finalists. Video interviews will be held April 8, and board members are expected to make a final decision by the end of the month. Marion County voters decided in 2018 to have an appointed superintendent instead of an elected one. The term of the current superintendent, Heidi Maier, ends in November. Ocala Star-Banner.
WLRN deal off: South Florida PBS has withdrawn its bid to manage WLRN, the station owned by the Miami-Dade County School District that is south Florida’s only public news radio station. PBS officials said they wanted to concentrate their resources on providing news coverage. The school district has been trying since last fall to find someone to manage WLRN’s operations. The district and station have had a rocky relationship, with district officials complaining about the way the district is covered and station employees citing a conflict of interest in the district controlling a new organization that it is covered by. Miami Herald.
Opinions on schools: As schooling changes, some students will adapt but others won’t, which will just worsen the inequality in schools. Gil Smart, TCPalm. Here are some of the similarities and differences between a traditional first day of school and the virtual first day of school made necessary by sheltering in place. Brent Batten, Naples Daily News. The message of the “public” schoolroom is neither uniform nor predictable. And that would be fine, if only the parent were empowered to choose, experience, switch – to be a parent. John E. Coons, redefinED.
Student enrichment: Ingrid Hanley, a 5th-grader at Hartsfield Elementary School in Tallahassee, has launched a drive to end the use of styrofoam trays in Leon County school cafeterias. Tallahassee Democrat.
