Around the state: Athletics officials fined a Broward County high school, state elementary school students may not lose their daily recess break, a school board member in Sarasota was asked to step down, year-round classes have been proposed in one district and New College has a preliminary agreement for a major land purchase. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Miami-Dade: A teacher is being accused of sending explicit photos and money to a middle school student, according to police. Mauricio Alexander Ruiz, 29, was charged with offenses against students by an authority figure. The math teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School has since been released from county jail on a $7,500 bond, court records show. Miami Herald.

Broward: State athletics officials have fined a Broward County high school for allowing a transgender athlete to play on its girls volleyball team. Monarch High School will face a $16,500 fine and probation from a state athletic association because a transgender female played on the varsity volleyball team. The Florida High School Athletic Association also has banned the transgender student at the center of the controversy from playing on any member team in the state through Nov. 20, 2024, according to a letter sent to the high school’s interim principal, Moira Sweeting-Miller. The school’s regular principal, James Cecil, has been temporarily reassigned while Broward schools conducts its own investigation of the volleyball controversy. The student’s mother, Jessica Norton, an information management specialist at the school, and three other school officials have also been reassigned or suspended during the investigation. Officials announced the probe into Monarch High School in late November.  South Florida Sun-Sentinel. WPLG. CBS Miami. NBC 6. Politico.

Brevard: School board members will discuss a proposed pilot program that could lead to year-round classes for some schools in the county. Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that creates a four-year pilot program to test a year-round school system in five districts. The goal of the program: To see whether reducing the amount of days students are off in the summer would decrease learning losses. If based on other year-round school models, the programs would have shorter break periods. WKMG.

Sarasota: School board member Bridget Ziegler was asked to resign on Tuesday, but did not. The Sarasota County School Board cannot directly remove Ziegler from the panel, but voted 4-1 Tuesday for a resolution requesting that she step down. Ziegler is co-founder of the conservative parents group Moms for Liberty. School Board chairperson Karen Rose, who had been an ally of Ziegler, brought the non-binding resolution to the table for consideration. “It is not about the left. It is not about the right,” Rose said. “It’s about students.” Tampa Bay Times. NBC News. Associated Press. Axios. Politico.

Lake: A new dog at the Lake County Sheriff's Office is using her nose to keep vapes out of the hands of students to help the epidemic.  The Villages Daily Sun.

Recess update: Florida elementary school students may not lose their daily recess break. State Sen. Corey Simon removed the idea from his 52-page bill, SB 7004, on Tuesday. The bill was aimed at deleting several regulations that he said make public schools less competitive with private education options. Sen. Victor Torres said he was happy with the bill and the removal of the recess language. He said students have asked him why the Senate would consider restricting recess. “The kids are listening,” Torres said. “We as senators have got to listen to the students.” The Senate’s fiscal policy committee agreed by an 18-0 vote to end policies ushered in by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Those include requirements that high school students pass two exams to graduate and that third graders pass a reading test to move on to fourth grade. Tampa Bay Times.  Orlando Sentinel.

Chronic absenteeism: Students missing too many days of school is a problem for parents and faculty across the state of Florida. More than 450,000 students missed at least 18 days or more during the 2020-21 school year, according to the state Department of Education. “We spend a lot of time on attendance because we know if they're not here they're not learning," said Sharon Patrick, Santa Rosa County School District director of continuous improvement. Some methods to curb the issue include interventions like phone calls, meetings or counseling.  WEAR.

Colleges and universities: New College has a preliminary agreement for a major land purchase from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on Monday, and the college is preparing for its pitch to state legislators for millions of dollars in investment for improvements on campus. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The University of Florida last week announced plans to develop about 13 acres in Gainesville's Innovation District just east of campus aimed at creating a world-class destination for Fortune 500 research companies and a talent pipeline for University of Florida students who are seeking high-paying jobs. In collaboration with Concept Companies and Trimark Properties, the project — slated to start in 2024 — includes a total buildout of 1.2 million square feet of space.  The Gainesville Sun.

Opinions on schools: Americans started a baby bust in 2008. In addition, the public school system seems determined to do their best imitation of Side-Show Bob marching over rakes since 2020, prompting a great many American families to make other schooling plans. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps.   Bridget Ziegler helped turn Florida against LBGTQ kids and transform schools into battlegrounds for culture wars.  Miami Herald Editorial Board.

Around the state: The Florida Department of Education released school grades statewide, Hillsborough officials face hurdles in building new schools, free meals in Charlotte and  crowdfunding for teacher wish lists in Seminole. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

School grades: The Florida Department of Education released school grades for the 2021-22 academic year.  Schools statewide exceeded expectations, with the 2021-22 grades marking the first full school grade data released since 2019.  Some highlights: Fifty-three schools exited the school improvement support list in 2022, all schools graded 'F' in 2019 improved their grades in 2022 and 84% of schools graded 'D' and 'F' in 2019 improved grades in 2022. Statewide, the biggest gains were seen in elementary schools, where 1 in 5 schools improved by at least one letter, according to the Department of Education. News4Jax.  Politico. Tampa Bay Times.  Meanwhile, fewer schools earned 'A' and 'B' grades than they did in 2019.  In Central Florida, for example, Seminole County Public Schools remained the top performer, earning an 'A' grade. Orange County Public Schools earned a 'B,' as did Lake and Osceola school systems. The state canceled school testing in 2020 when the pandemic closed schools, so no grades were issued that year. Last year, grades were optional because students were studying remotely, so this year marked the return of the grading system for schools and districts, based mostly on standardized test performance.  Orlando Sentinel. Despite COVID-19 challenges, Lake County received a 'B' grade. Some families had trouble getting children to school during quarantines, but school officials say teachers, staff and administrators attentive to the needs of students, which was reflective in grades. WESH. In Sarasota and Manatee counties, Sarasota maintained its 'A' grade and Manatee its 'B' rating. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. In Collier County, the school district received an 'A' rating. Lee County received a 'B,' with 27 Lee County schools increasing their overall grade average since 2019.  Ft. Myers News-Press.  Fox4Now. Volusia and Flagler schools each earned 'B' grades, while St. Johns County district kept its straight 'A' performance. The Daytona Beach News-Journal. And of the seven largest school districts in Florida, only Palm Beach and Miami-Dade achieved 'A's' while Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Orange and Pinellas earned 'B's.' Palm Beach Post.

Seminole: With teachers reaching into their pockets to pay for school supplies as inflation continues to soar, a few teachers here turned to social media to receive assistance by posting their classroom wish lists. A Facebook page started more than a decade ago by a realtor named Emma Reichert has been encouraging the community to lend a hand to teachers and students in need. WKMG.

Building hurdles: Hillsborough school officials are facing hurdles in their quest to make sure every student has a seat to learn while its population continues to grow. Capacity issues plagued Hillsborough at nearly 60 schools. While the district waited for funding to build new schools, construction costs have skyrocketed, officials say. The construction of schools is up 43% in the last three months, and 90% in the last year. ABC Action News. Meanwhile, Flagler County schools, county government and Palm Coast are at odds over how to bill builders for new schools. A meeting will be held today with representatives from the school board, county, Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell to hash things out. Flagler Live.

Free meals: Students in the Charlotte County Public Schools system can get free breakfast and lunch daily during the 2022-23 school year, according to officials. The meals are made available through the federal Community Eligibility Program that allows schools to qualify as a "community" when the percentage of directly certified students reaches a certain threshold at a particular school. Port Charlotte Sun. 

Artwork competition: A Martin County High School student's art is up for consideration in a national artwork competition called Doodle for Google. Sophie Araque-Liu won Florida's nomination, where students submit artwork to be featured for a day on the search engine's homepage. This year's theme was "I care for myself by..." Araque-Liu's artwork depicts her hugging her mother. Voting to select national finalists began Thursday. TC Palm.

Suspension inequality: Despite a decline in suspension as students moved to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black children and those in special education were disciplined far more than white students and those in general education, a new study shows. The study also indicates that the behavior of students may have worsened this past academic year. The 74th.

Educator concerns: The president of the state's largest teachers union says educators are concerned about state legislation and recent education training that could threaten the bond between educators and their students, in addition to the separation between church and state. WINK.

University and college news: A state appeals court this month will delve into a dispute about whether the University of Florida should refund fees to students who were forced to switch to remote learning in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began. A panel of the 1st District Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments on July 20 after an Alachua County circuit judge last year refused to dismiss the potential class-action lawsuit. Two other state appellate courts have taken on similar cases from other schools. A key issue in the cases: whether schools breached contracts by not providing on-campus services in 2020 after students paid fees. WUFT. The board of trustees of the College of Central Florida on Wednesday approved renaming its Citrus County campus in honor of Sen. Wilton Simpson. The new name: CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus. Simpson served as a member of the Florida Senate since 2012 and is currently Senate president, representing the 10th district that includes Citrus, Hernando and part of Pasco counties. Citrus County Chronicle.

Opinions on schools: West Virginia's State Treasurer Riley Moore, who serves as chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, issued a statement after Kanawha County Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit permanently enjoined the state's Hope Scholarship Program. In the statement, Moore says, "I am deeply disappointed that a judge has decided to halt this program which would help so many families in West Virginia. More than 3,100 West Virginia students were relying on having this funding in the fall, and now — at the last minute — they may not be able to get the educational services they want and need." reimaginED.

Around the state: An upcoming career fair in Citrus, help for children of domestic violence survivors in Pinellas, college open houses and STEM support for Black girls. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Pinellas: With summer break in full swing, a local organization is making it easier for students to head into the next school year. Casa Pinellas launched its Back to School Drive to provide support to children of domestic violence survivors in Pinellas, and neighboring counties. Donations will be accepted until Aug. 5. ABC Action News.

Collier: Susan MacManus won't be at the helm of Champions for Learning, a Collier county education foundation, for the first time in almost three decades. MacManus, who was a founding member of the Champions for Learning board in 1990, retired to pursue her own education. Naples Daily News.

Citrus: A career fair hosted by the Citrus County School District will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 21 at the College of Central Florida Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway in Lecanto. The career fair will offer chances for new and experienced teachers in all areas, from bus drivers to food and nutritional services for CCSD, which serves 15,000 students and 23 schools from preschool to grade 12. Citrus County Chronicle.

Civics initiative: Some educators in Florida say the state appears to be chipping away at separation of church and state, and creating a divide between teachers and students over gender identity. Teachers attending a recent Florida Department of Education training on a new civics initiative say the content pushed conservative ideologies over opposing views. WLRN.

University and college news: The College of Central Florida is inviting anyone considering college to an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 14 in the Charles S. Dean Sr. Educational Center at the CF Citrus Campus. Students are encouraged to tour the campus and learn about more than 150 academic pathways that include job-training programs. Those who attend can also get help with financial aid and admission, and register for the fall semester that begins in August. Registration is encouraged. Citrus County Chronicle.  Only 63% of 2020 high school graduates or those who finished a high-school equivalent credential immediately enrolled in a two or four year college by October of the same year, data from the federal government found. The data comes from the annual "Condition of Education" report released by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education. Florida Phoenix. The Okaloosa County Extension Service, an outreach arm of the Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences at the University of South Florida, is providing an FAA remote pilot training session on July 13. NWF Daily News.

Ethics complaints update: The investigation into ethics complaints against a former band director at Leesburg High School and a former guidance counselor is still ongoing after it was discovered that both violated the Standards of Ethical Conduct and should be fired. Members of the Lake County School Board accepted their resignations in lieu of termination and then forwarded the investigation to the Florida Department of Education. Their fate now lies with the FLDOE. Daily Commercial.

STEM support: Atiyah Harmon, founder of Black Girls Love Math, wants Black girls to get involved in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field. She launched her organization in 2020, with the goal of fostering a fun and encouraging learning environment that allows Black girls from K-12 to develop the confidence to explore mathematical concepts, get involved in competitions and receive mentoring and other services in a culturally responsive manner. It's a new organization that is part of a 21st-century movement to foster an interest in STEM for Black girls, since only 2.9 % of Black women earn STEM degrees. The 74th.

Opinions on schools: There is a concerted effort to blur the line between religion and state and interpret the history of the United States through a conservative Christian lens that whitewashes our past of slavery and segregation. The Miami Herald's editorial board. A paper recently published in Physical Review Physics Education Research by West Virginia University researchers boils down to this: High school physics is very important for students who are considering majoring in a STEM field in college. Anyone who tells students and parents otherwise is harming them and should stop. Paul Cottle, Bridge to Tomorrow.

Around the state: Changes in district quarantine policies in Polk, students awarded for being courageous in Sarasota, new civics curriculum for Florida students and the state Legislature's restraint ban. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state's districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:

Miami-Dade: Graduation dates are set for seniors from 66 public schools, who will have the chance to walk across the stage to receive their diploma. Miami Herald.

Broward: A report released last week by state auditors found multiple violations of safety protocols in Broward schools. The findings show that complying with school security standards remains a challenge for the district, four years after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. WLRN.

Polk: Schools officials here announced a change in the district's quarantine policy, cutting in half the amount of time students and staff will have to stay at home if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or a positive test result. Lakeland Ledger.

Volusia: The Volusia County School Board has canceled the Tuesday workshop designated to discuss the extension of Superintendent Scott Fritz's contract, per the district's website. The extension of Fritz's contract has been a controversial issue, where teachers, district staff and parents have spoken out against the contract extension while area groups have sent letters of support for Fritz to the board. Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Sarasota: Several North Port students were honored for their courage recently at an awards ceremony called Do the Right Thing. Students from Imagine School of North Port upper middle and high school campus and North Port High helped others since the school year began. Some turned in money, while others told an adult when they heard about a student struggling with mental health issues. Your Sun.

Alachua: A ninth-grade PK Yonge Developmental and Research student named Marin Best has been selected to be a "youth trekker" for the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. Best will be part of a documentary called "Home Waters" coming out later this year. Gainesville Sun.

Citrus: Citrus High School made an announcement via Facebook on Friday that current principal Laura Lindeman will be leaving for a district job on June 1. Citrus County Chronicle. 

Learning losses: Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced a batch of new funding to address student learning losses. The money comes from federal COVID-19 relief funds, and it will be used for after-school programs, reading intervention and creating regional mental health teams. One chunk of funding will support reading intervention and professional development for reading coaches, since DeSantis says it's crucial to have children reading at grade level by the time they reach 3rd grade. WUSF. Florida Politics.

Civics curriculum: A new civics curriculum is available for Florida fourth graders, and all Florida residents will be able to access it online for free. The state Department of Education approved a curriculum created by the state House. Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls said the curriculum can assist in improving Florida's third place ranking in K-12 achievement. Citrus County Chronicle.

Pandemic update: The disruption and isolation of the coronavirus pandemic on students has been unlike anything they have ever experienced, with one counselor saying the impact on their mental health remains significant. Kids were already facing a mental health crisis before COVID-19, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, but the pandemic has only made it worse. WFSU.

Understaffing woes: The return to classrooms for schoolchildren nationwide doesn't equate to a return to work for many of their parents are finding needed after-school programs in short supply. Hiring and retaining staff are the biggest reasons school-based providers have not fully rebounded from pandemic shutdowns. Miami Herald. Meanwhile, students are stepping up to become employees at schools due to staff shortages. NPR.

Restraint ban: The state Legislature has banned teachers and other school staff from using zip-ties and handcuffs on students. The House and Senate approved legislation to prohibit those methods, which often target children with disabilities. HB 235 provides that only school resource officers, school safety officers, school guardians or school security guards can use mechanical restraints on students in grades 6 through 12. The next step? Approval of the bill by Gov. DeSantis.  Florida Phoenix.

Legislative confusion: Two pieces of major legislation pushed by Gov. DeSantis and approved by the state Legislature have created confusion, critics say, over what public school teachers can teach in class. Orlando Sentinel.

Bill support: U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona spoke with LBGTQ students to say the federal government supports them even if their governor does not in regards to the controversial parental rights in education bill. Fox 13.

Spelling bee champs: Twenty-four spellers in south Florida competed to become the champ and represent their county in the national bee, which will take place the week of Memorial Day in Maryland. The finals will be broadcast live on June 2. Miami Herald.

University and college news: University of South Florida is working to close learning gaps for male students through a mentorship program. USF officials hope such mentorship relationships will move students one step closer to addressing a longstanding issue: The growing gap in college completion rates between male and female students. Across the country, men are falling behind women not only in college enrollment, but in college graduation rates, with the gap widening in recent decades. Tampa Bay Times. The University of Florida launched the Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative Center in March. The initiative, known as AI Squared, is designed to promote the use of AI and data science research. WUFT. University of Florida officials have selected a presidential search firm used by University of South Florida and Florida State University. The UF Board of Trustees voted during a meeting on Friday to select SP&A Executive Search from among four search firms interviewed. Tampa Bay Times. As educational institutions return to a level of normalcy, Florida Gulf Coast University students are calling for the school to honor graduating seniors with a commencement ceremony as in years prior. Instead, university leaders announced they are keeping their Grad Walk to honor graduates, with the concern being space and not COVID-19. Ft. Myers News-Press. The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering partnered with For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics to host a regional competition in Tallahassee. The event featured robots built by high school students from across the Southeast, in addition to a team from Hawaii. Tallahassee Democrat.

Opinions on schools: The education budget passed by the state Legislature this year is the largest in the history of Florida. Step up for Students President Doug Tuthill and Legislative Affairs Manager Alexis Laroe discussed changes coming to educational choice programs in the Sunshine State. reimaginED. When Gov. DeSantis announced legislation to end the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), he said the proposal would reduce school testing by 75%. But it's unclear whether a bill he signed on Tuesday will achieve that reduction. Miami Herald. The 2022 Legislative session was about waging cultural wars in the name of "transparency" and parental involvement in public education. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Students in Florida charter schools are outperforming their peers in traditional schools in nearly every category according to the Florida Department of Education’s annual charter school performance report, released today.

The analysis used 2017-18 school year data to examine the average performance of charter school students and traditional public school students in terms of grade level achievement, learning gains and achievement gap. Data included in the report, based on more than 4.2 million test scores, was derived from student performance on the Florida Standards Assessments for English language arts and mathematics as well as statewide assessments for science and social studies.

The achievement section of the report measured the percentage of students who scored a Level 3 or above on the statewide assessment. A score of 3 is considered passing or at grade level. In 63 of 77 comparisons, students enrolled in charter schools demonstrated higher rates of grade level performance.

The achievement gap section measured the gap between white students and African-American students and white students and Hispanic students in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The achievement gap was lower for charter school students in 19 of 22 comparisons.

The learning gains section of the report compared the percentage of students in charter schools making learning gains against the percentage of students in traditional public schools making learning gains by subject, grade level and subgroup. The percentage of students making learning gains was higher in charter schools in 88 of 96 comparisons.

The report further showed that in comparisons of achievement and learning gains, students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in charter schools performed better than low-income students in district-managed schools in 93 percent of the comparisons.

Overall performance as measured by school grades showed that 47 percent of graded charter schools earned As compared to 28 percent of graded traditional schools.

The annual report is a coordinated effort between the Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice and the Bureau of Evaluation and Reporting in the Division of Accountability, Research and Measurement.

Charter school enrollment has more than doubled over the last decade and represents more than 10 percent of public school enrollment in Florida. Charter schools served more than 295,000 students in the 2017-18 school year.

Florida school boards received fewer applications for new charter schools last year than in any year since 2008, and they approved just one in four — the lowest rate in at least a decade.

Overall, school boards approved 50 of the 199 charter school applications they received during the 2014-15 school year, according to the latest annual authorizer report, which the state Department of Education prepares each fall.

The main trend identified in last year's report — that it's getting harder to open a charter school in Florida — continues to hold.

To the extent that means school districts are getting better at screening charter school applications, and saying "no" to risky operations that could implode shortly after the open, that could be a good thing. But if high-performing charters are putting off expansion plans because of, say, a lack of facilities funding or political disputes with school boards, the trend could be a sign of stress for what has been a fast-growing charter sector, and a source of worry for school choice advocates. (more…)

Tweaks coming to teacher evals? Gradebook: “Patricia Levesque, executive director of Jeb Bush's education foundation and a key voice in state education legislation, meanwhile, is floating a draft bill that would alter the evaluation system, too. She sent an e-mail to superintendents last week seeking input.”

Tony Bennett on charter schools. In a Q&A with the Orlando Sentinel, Bennett is asked whether lawmakers should tighten scrutiny on charter schools. His response: “When the charter movement began, the intent of charter schools was to trade increased freedom and flexibility for a higher level of accountability. Somewhere along the way, we lost track of that, and in too many cases, charter schools are held to lower standards than traditional public schools.”

Arming teachers? Teachers don’t like the idea, floated in the wake of Newtown, reports the Tampa Bay Times. Miami Herald columnist Fred Grimm agrees. Brevard schools go into lockdown after a man makes threats referencing Newtown, reports Florida Today. Rumors of violence in Hillsborough, reports the Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Tribune. More security discussions in Broward, reports the Miami Herald. A stranger trespassing on an Alachua middle school campus raises questions, reports the Gainesville Sun. Florida parents are among those ordering stacks of $300 bulletproof backpacks, reports the Orlando Sentinel. (Image from americablog.com). “Schools can’t be prisons,” editorializes the Pensacola News Journal.

More contracting issues. Four employees in the Division of Blind Services, which is under the Department of Education, are ousted after an audit reveals a sweetheart deal in the works over a contract, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

A day in the life. Orlando Sentinel columnist Beth Kassab spends a day with a teacher.

More poor kids. In Broward and Palm Beach counties, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Budget cuts. Brevard Superintendent Brian Binggeli recommends $39 million in cuts in the wake of a failed sales tax referendum. Florida Today.

Fallout over LGBT vote. SchoolZone.

Teacher evaluations. Errors mar the release of new teacher evaluation data. Coverage from Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Florida Times Union, Lakeland Ledger.

More on race-based achievement goals. NPR interviews Emily Richmond from the Education Writers Association about these goals in Florida and elsewhere. She offers context and nuance. Here’s her recent piece in The Atlantic that also mentions Florida.

Marco Rubio talks school choice. At the Jack Kemp Foundation dinner Tuesday night, he touts charter schools and tax credit scholarships. Full remarks here.Why did Florida settle? That’s the question Americans United for Separation of Church and State is asking after the Department of Education settled with Florida Christian College over whether its students can receive Florida Resident Access Grants.

Charters, competition and empty school buildings. EdFly Blog.

Charter school growth in southwest Florida. Florida Weekly.

Boundary jumpers. The Palm Beach school board delays a rezoning decision amidst parental angst and accusations of boundary jumpers, reports the Palm Beach Post.