Broward: The school board here chose three external candidates as finalists for the superintendent position. Of the seven semifinalists, the board advanced Peter Licata, Sito Narcisse and Luis Solano. Internal candidate Valeria Wanza was not included in the board’s picks. Miami Herald.
Brevard: Three poetry collections were the first books to be officially barred for the next eight years from the shelves of Brevard Public Schools libraries and classrooms. More books may be joining their ranks later this summer. The book committee is comprised of five board-appointed members. Florida Today.
Sarasota: The school board here ranked Terrence Connor, an administrator for Hillsborough County schools, as its top choice to be the district’s next superintendent. Search firm representatives from McPherson & Jacobson presented six short-list candidates to School Board members. The Board narrowed their ranking to four candidates: Connor, Josiah Phillips, Charles Van Zant and Allison Foster, the current interim administrator. The board will conduct private interviews with each of the four candidates this week and meet again on Monday morning for a public workshop. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The Daily Sun.
Pinellas: A former legislative staffer for Chris Latvala has filed to run for the Pinellas County School Board seat held by Carol Cook, who hasn’t decided whether to run for reelection after having served on the board since 2000. Katie Blaxberg of Clearwater has worked as a teacher and real estate agent in addition to working for Latvala. Tampa Bay Times.
Escambia: Conditions considered alarming inside Warrington Middle School are proving how challenging it will be for Charter Schools USA to revamp the campus in a matter of months. Dr. Eddie Ruiz, who oversees all 65 Florida schools under Charter Schools USA, says the current conditions are unacceptable. The first steps: Hiring a principal and qualified teachers. WEAR.
Citrus: The Historic Hernando School recently received a historic marker dedication that was provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution Fort Cooper chapter. The school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, and is the oldest historic public building in Hernando, Florida. The land on which the building stands was obtained through a U.S. government land grant that was awarded to Edward Croft in 1885. Citrus County Chronicle.
COVID class: Some have called the current graduation classes of seniors the “class of COVID” since they were freshmen when the pandemic began and were seniors when the public health emergency formally ended in May. The pandemic brought unprecedented upheaval, dominating their high school experiences. Orlando Sentinel.
State study: Hot-button topics were not included on the state’s news voluntary health survey for teens. The Florida-specific youth survey, or FSYS, replaced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s youth risk behavior survey, or YRBS. The YRBS is a bi-annual voluntary student questionnaire that has been used to chart and compare risky behaviors among U.S. teens. Last year, Manny Diaz, the state’s education commissioner, asked school districts to stop participating in the CDC survey. Now, with the help of researchers from the University of South Florida, Florida’s Department of Education (FDOE) put together its own youth survey. ABC Action News.
Free meals: More states are lined up to serve free school meals to children. New York is one of many states where legislators are trying to make school breakfasts and lunches available to some — if not all — students, at no charge. Six states recently implemented state-sponsored universal free meal programs in schools, which are California, Colorado, Main, Massachusetts, Nevada and Vermont. About 20 states have considered bills this year that would make free school meals permanent, the Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center reports. During the pandemic, the federal government paid to make school breakfasts and lunches free for all students. Orlando Sentinel. Meanwhile, in Bay County, summertime for some kids means not knowing where they will get their next meal. That prompted school officials to offer two meals a day for anyone under 18. “They must go through the front office with their guardian or parent and they must eat on-site,” said Bay District School’s Community Engagement Specialist Stephanie Werchan. “Otherwise, they are welcome to come through, get a healthy meal, and not go hungry over the summer.” WMBB.
Theatre list: The Educational Theatre Association released its top 10 lists of plays and musicals performed in high schools during the 2022-2023 school year. More than 2,300 private and public high school teachers across the United States participated. NPR.
University and college news: A potential class action lawsuit that alleges state discrimination against Florida A&M University, a historically Black public university, is moving forward. The six plaintiffs, who are students, argue that the state has failed to meet its funding obligations to FAMU, and has maintained a “segregated system of higher education.” WUSF. An attempt by Bethune-Cookman University to obtain an order that would force its former alumni association to stop using the name of the school’s founder was rejected by an appeals court recently. The dispute was part of a larger lawsuit that the university brought against the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune National Alumni Association, formerly known as the National Alumni Association of Bethune-Cookman University. The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Opinions on schools: Experts recommend equipping students with essential knowledge and skills to address mental health in the classroom and to mitigate increased rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among young people. Schools have yet to adapt to this reality by creating spaces in the classroom to discuss mental health and wellness. Alison Malmon, The 74th.
