Special session on vaccine mandates: Gov. Ron DeSantis has called for a special legislative session next month to pass laws blocking any attempts by the Biden administration to enact vaccine mandates. Among the measures DeSantis would like the Legislature approve: One allowing parents to collect attorney’s fees if they win a lawsuit against a school district for imposing coronavirus restrictions, a law making it illegal for governments to require vaccinations for government employees, making businesses liable for any medical harm as a result of a mandatory vaccination, and the removal of coronavirus-related liability protections from businesses that require employees to be vaccinated. “We have a federal government trying to use the heavy hand of government to force these injections on a lot of folks who believe that decision should be theirs, their freedom of medical choice,” DeSantis said. “If we have unconstitutional mandates from the federal government we have responsibility to take a stand and fight that. … Your right to earn a living should not be contingent on getting shots.” Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, R-Clearwater, said they support a special session. News Service of Florida. Politico Florida. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald. Orlando Sentinel. USA Today Network. Florida Politics. WJXT. Florida Phoenix. Also speaking at Thursday’s news conference in Clearwater was the state’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who questioned the effectiveness of vaccines and their safety. He said many people are hesitant to get the vaccine because of “the climate of scientific dishonesty,” and he called for “open and honest discussions about both effectiveness and safety” of vaccines. Orlando Sentinel.
In the Legislature: The Florida Department of Education and a group of private colleges have proposed divergent accountability plans to House lawmakers that could affect grants for 7,000 students. The DOE is making a narrow proposal that would result in an end to EASE grants to students at nine colleges. The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, representing the colleges, wants flexibility on how to weigh the accountability metrics that take the unique qualities of each school into consideration. “Hard-line metrics disqualify students,” Bob Boyd, the president and CEO of ICUF, testified Thursday. “And I’m not sure that’s the best public policy for Florida right now when you’re facing these workforce shortages.” Politico Florida.
Mask mandate hearing: The challenge to the Florida Department of Health’s rule blocking school districts from imposing face mask mandates on students began Thursday before an administrative judge in Tallahassee. Attorneys for school boards in Alachua, Broward, Duval, Miami-Dade, Orange and Leon counties argued that that the health department did not follow procedural requirements for issuing an emergency rule. The state contends that the health department was within its authority to place the restrictions on school districts. Leon Superintendent Rocky Hanna, who attended the Division of Administrative Hearings and is expected to testify today, said, “I think it all comes down to state control versus local control. And we are just simply advocating on behalf of residents and students here in Tallahassee and Leon County that we have a seat at the table and a say in exactly what’s best for the children here in our community.” The hearing before Judge Brian Newman is scheduled to conclude today. News Service of Florida. Sun Sentinel. Capitol News Service. WCTV.
Around the state: The Florida Department of Education is investigating a Miami-Dade private school that told students to stay home for 30 days after each COVID vaccination shot, a new high school in St. Johns County will include an academy for pre-veterinary instruction when it opens next fall, Leon County School Board members approve a plan for spending $29 million in coronavirus relief aid, a 37-year Palm Beach County teacher says being flexible and remembering why she went into teaching are two lessons from the pandemic, and districts report shortages of security staff, school bus drivers and counselors. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Miami-Dade: The Florida Department of Education is investigating a Miami private school that ordered students to stay at home for 30 days every time they received a COVID-19 vaccination shot. In a letter to the Centner Academy, DOE officials said the school “may employ attendance policies which require parents of recently vaccinated students to quarantine their children for an unreasonable, unnecessary and unduly burdensome amount of time before returning for in-person instruction.” K-12 Chancellor Jacob Oliva said the school has until today to get its policies in compliance with state laws regarding attendance and health, safety and welfare requirements. CNN.
Hillsborough: A 13-year-old student was arrested Wednesday and accused of threatening to shoot teachers and other students. Deputies said the Henderson Hammock Charter School student had created a “hit list” with a detailed plan on how to carry out an attack. After being taken into custody, the girl was committed for mental evaluation under the state’s Baker Act. WFLA.
Palm Beach: A teacher with 37 years in the classroom reflects on the lessons she learned when the pandemic emptied schools. Among them, says Janet Alessi, is learning to be flexible and remembering why she went into teaching. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: School staffing shortages are extending into the district’s security force. Duval schools have 22 vacancies for officers: 17 in elementary schools and five in middle and high schools. The district police department has hired 13 school safety officers this year, but in that same time frame eight others have resigned. One problem is that the vast majority of people who file applications for a position are disqualified or withdraw from consideration. Another is the pay: a 12-month school safety officer earns less than $40,000. And the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is withdrawing officers, 20 a year, until they’re out of the schools. WJXT.
Lee: Two students at Caloosa Middle School in Cape Coral face disciplinary action after police found that one of them had a pellet gun on a school bus. WBBH.
Manatee: A former employee at Manatee Technical College has been charged with stealing students’ money and placing it in her personal account. School district investigators said Daisy Gulsby, 56, stole between $106,000 and $302,000 from low-income students who needed the money to attend MTC through her job as a financial aid specialist. She resigned after a student reported her to authorities, and was indicted in August on charges of grand theft and scheme to defraud more than $50,000. She has pleaded not guilty and has demanded a jury trial. Bradenton Herald. WFLA.
St. Johns: A new high school under construction in the northwest part of the county will offer several academies, including the county’s first for pre-veterinary instruction. High School III is expected to open next August, with space for 2,100 students. St. Augustine Record. District officials are addressing the shortage of school bus drivers by offering $3,000 bonuses for applicants with a commercial driver’s license and $1,000 to drivers without the CDL. Drivers are paid $13 an hour until they earn their CDL, and $16 an hour with benefits after. St. Augustine Record.
Leon: School board members recently approved a plan from the district for spending $29 million in federal coronavirus relief aid. About $15 million will go toward buying Chromebooks, technology leases, software, food service supplies, and added staff. Another $13 million will be used on salaries for additional instructional time to address learning losses during the pandemic. Tallahassee Reports.
Alachua: The shortage of workers in the district extends to school counselors, and officials said that’s causing problems for students who are already stressed from dealing with the coronavirus pandemic for the past 18 months. There are openings for counselors at Chiles, Idylwild, Lake Forest, Newberry and Norton elementary schools. Counselors say high student-to-counselor ration and low pay are contributing to the shortages. “I have many elementary colleagues who are one counselor to 700 students, one counselor to 800 students … you can see how that would burn people out and make them not willing to entice others into the profession,” said Karen Pearson, a school counselor at Stephen Foster Elementary. “It’s a great job. I love what I do, but it’s also a very demanding job.” Gainesville Sun.
Santa Rosa: A community survey to help school officials set its five-year strategic plan closes today. The district had been approving annual strategic plans, but Superintendent Karen Barber wanted to look further out in time because the county is growing so quickly. Since 2010, the county has added more than 36,000 new residents, an increase of about 24 percent. “There is so much growth that is occurring in our county and that really means we need to be strategic and deliberate in our approach,” she said. Pensacola News Journal.
Around the nation: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the Justice Department’s intention to respond to violent threats against school board members and educators, saying the department’s concerns are violence targeting public servants and not parental protests. “I do not believe that parents who testify, speak, argue with, [or] complain about school boards and schools should be classified as domestic terrorists or any kind of criminals,” Garland testified Thursday during a House Judiciary meeting. “FBI agents will not be attending local school board meetings.” Politico.
Opinions on schools: Data from North Carolina’s two education savings accounts programs find that a larger share of families are using their child’s account to purchase more than one education product or service than those who are only paying for one item, such as private school tuition. Jonathan Butcher, reimaginED. Education choice can expose children to many different worlds and unlimited opportunities. But it’s extremely important to not simply place a child in a private school and leave that child there. Every single day can be a battle for underrepresented students, even in the correct educational environment. With the proper support, those students can emerge with bright futures and an unmatched potential for their futures. Walter Blanks, reimaginED.
