Contentious bills clear House: Two controversial education bills targeting cultural issues and being championed by Republicans were approved Thursday in the Florida House, mostly along party lines. The Parental Rights in Education bill, known to critics as “Don’t Say Gay,” was approved 74-41 with no Democratic support. It says that “instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.” It now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. The Individual Freedom bill was approved on a 69-47 vote with one Democrat backing it and seven Republicans opposing it. It would prevent the teaching of critical race theory and any instruction leading students to believe that a “person, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex or national origin, bears personal responsibility for and must feel guilt, anguish or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the person played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, national origin or sex.” The Senate’s version of the bill is awaiting a hearing by the Rules Committee. Politico Florida. Associated Press. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel. Florida Phoenix.
Also in the Legislature: A bill that would ask voters to approve the exemption of an extra $50,000 in property value for teachers, first responders, members of the military and child welfare professionals was unanimously approved in the House on Thursday. If approved by the Senate, the measure will go before voters in November. News Service of Florida. Florida Politics. Members of the House also unanimously approved a bill that would require students to be taught about the victims of communism. Florida Politics. All House members approved a bill updating school safety rules to clarify expectations and help school districts meet state safety standards. To date, none have. Florida Politics. A proposal that would allow juvenile to expunge their criminal records, including some nonviolent felonies, was approved by the House. Florida Politics.
COVID rule changes: Florida’s Department of Health is proposing to change the number of days students with COVID-19 have to remain out of school. The rule change would “update the number of days that a symptomatic or COVID-19 positive student must not attend school, school-sponsored activities or be on school property” from 10 days to five days, according to a notice published in the Florida Administrative Register. Florida Politics. DOH also recommended that businesses should stop requiring employees to wear masks, though the recommendation is nonbinding. Tampa Bay Times. Orlando Sentinel.
Around the state: Broward’s school board members approve a contract that will pay newly named Superintendent Vickie Cartwright $350,000 a year, the Palm Beach County School Board approves a pay raise for substitute teachers, a tentative contract agreement is reached between Alachua school officials and the union representing teachers and other workers, Volusia’s school board tabled a proposed contract because some board members think the raises for the lowest-paid workers aren’t enough, members of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Melbourne High School say they are being harassed and threatened, and a state audit finds six areas of concerns that the Jefferson County School District has to address within the next 180 days. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: School board members have approved a contract for newly named Superintendent Vickie Cartwright that runs through Dec. 31, 2024, and will pay her $350,000 a year. The contract also includes a contribution of 7 percent of her base salary to a tax-sheltered annuity, medical, vision and dental insurance, a car from the district’s fleet, and a provision that she be evaluated by the school board every nine months. “I’m very excited for this journey, as we continue to build upon the great things that happen here in our school district,” said Cartwright, 51, who has been the interim superintendent since last July and was chosen for the permanent job two weeks ago. “I’m just very, very grateful.” Sun Sentinel. Miami Herald. WLRN. WPLG. WTVJ.
Palm Beach: School board members unanimously approved a proposal to increase the hourly pay of substitute teachers and expand the pool of subs to include 18-year-old high school graduates. The pay range for subs is now $14.91 to $17.41 per hour, up from $12.33 to $14.30 an hour. Palm Beach Post. Board members also agreed to send a letter to lawmakers opposing the Parental Rights in Education Act, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics. Palm Beach Post. WPEC. WPTV.
Pinellas: More than 3,000 community responses have been given in a survey to determine what attributes are wanted in a new superintendent. They include integrity, a commitment to providing a well-rounded education to students, a sense of humor, an understanding of budgets, stability, and with a familiarity with the community. A third community meeting will be held Monday, which is when the district will stop taking online suggestions. Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: Members of the Gay-Straight Alliance club at Melbourne High School said they are being harassed and threatened, and that a club display on a school hallway bulletin board was vandalized with the message “gays r going 2 hell” scrawled on a wall. GSA president Sebastian Cook told the school board that he personally is being targeted. “I was met with over 600 comments (after the vandalism), many of which are vile and cruel,” he said. “I’ve been (messaged) slurs, sent threats and I no longer feel safe on campus because of the students behind these comments.” School officials said the responsible students have been identified and punished. Florida Today.
Volusia: School board members tabled consideration of employee pay raises over concerns that the raises aren’t enough for the lowest-paid employees. Those workers are scheduled to get 5 percent raises, but for many that would amount to 50 cents more an hour. “I think we ought to give the superintendent another chance to go back and talk it over and come back with something maybe more palatable for all of us,” said school board member Carl Persis. Daytona Beach News-Journal. A 14-year-old DeLand High School student was hospitalized with serious injuries Wednesday after a 17-year-old classmate slammed him down on a concrete floor. The 14-year-old landed on his head and neck and lost consciousness for a moment. The 17-year-old was arrested. Daytona Beach News-Journal. WKMG. WOFL. WFTV. WESH.
Collier: A 34-year-old mother was arrested Wednesday for having a gun as she was walking a child toward the entrance at Golden Gate Elementary School. Deputies who arrested and interviewed Amber Straub concluded she did not have bad intentions. WBBH.
Clay: Rena Reddish, a 7th-grader at Keystone Heights Junior-Senior High in Lake Asbury, is the winner of the recent county spelling bee. She finished third last year. Clay Today.
Alachua: The school district and the union representing teachers and other school employees have reached a tentative contract agreement that includes pay raises for some employees and bonuses of $1,250 for those who worked the first semester this year. Teachers with 10 years of experience will receive another $1,000 bonus, and those who have taken training on youth mental health and online security also will receive $1,000 bonuses. Members of the union and the school board still have to ratify the agreement. Mainstreet Daily News. WCJB. WGFL.
Bay: Students in the district’s only early childhood career and technical education program, at J.R. Arnold High School, get hands-on training, learn about childhood development and can earn their early childhood certification to teach pre-K after graduation. “They get a lot of hands-on experience,” said Rena Hazlett, a teacher in the program. “They do the book work with me in the classroom and then they get to go and help hands-on in the little kids’ classroom, so I think they enjoy it.” Panama City News Herald.
Martin: School leaders said nine district schools have enough space to take students transfers from other counties under the state’s open enrollment rules. Schools that will accept transfers are Citrus Grove Elementary, Crystal Lake Elementary, Hobe Sound Elementary, SeaWind Elementary, Hidden Oaks Middle, Indiantown Middle, Murray Middle, Stuart Middle and Jensen Beach High. WPTV.
Nassau: A 26-year-old teacher at Calvary Christian Academy in Middleburg has been arrested and accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. Caitlin Rose Crum was charged with sexual battery with a victim older than 12 and promoting sexual performance of a child. Rev. Ken Pledger said Crum has been fired, and that he is not aware that any misconduct happened on school property. Florida Times-Union. WJXT. WTLV.
Jefferson: A state audit has found six areas the district will have to correct within the next 180 days. The district didn’t properly vet all employees as required, didn’t provide all reports and plans for training staff to provide mental health care, inconsistently recorded and reported financial records, didn’t promptly distribute state funds to the charter school, kept incomplete records on enrollment and hours of instruction for adult education, and didn’t perform the required annual inventory of district equipment. Jefferson County Journal.
Colleges and universities: A controversial proposal calling for Blueprint 2020 sales tax proceeds to be used to make $20 million in improvements to Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium was narrowly approved Thursday by the organization’s intergovernmental agency. The 7-5 vote ended a nine-month fight over the funds. Tallahassee Democrat. WFSU. WTXL. WCTV. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student was arrested Thursday and accused of possession of child pornography. Police said Mathew T. Brockelbank, 20, was posting child porn online using Internet Protocol addresses assigned to the university. WKMG.
Education podcasts: Broward parent Simone Arnold talks with Step Up For Students reporter Lisa Buie about how a Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities helped her autistic son Ayden develop his skills at a faith-based private school in Margate. reimaginED.
Opinions on schools: Our teachers deserve better than the status quo. And if the past is any indication of the future, they can’t expect meaningful change from union leaders. Bob Rommel and Sal Nuzzo, Florida Politics.
