Education bill: The Florida legislative session moves into its final three weeks, with a series of education issues to be decided. The Senate is reviewing the House education bill, and among the proposals being considered is replacing the House bill with the Senate version. Both bills would establish a Hope Scholarship for students who are victims of bullying or violence, though they disagree on how to pay for the program, and force teachers unions to disband if paying membership falls below 50 percent of the employees represented. Higher education issues, such as permanently funding an increase in Bright Futures scholarships, also will be addressed. News Service of Florida. redefinED. Gradebook. WUSF. Miami New Times. Gatehouse Media. WLRN. About 150 Tampa Bay area teachers protest against H.B. 7055 just down the street from House Speaker Richard Corcoran's Land O'Lakes office. Gradebook.
Political pressure: Marjory Stoneman Douglas students plan a march on the capital Wednesday to demand action on gun safety, just one of several rallies planned. Florida legislators say they will consider laws enacting an age limit to buy an assault rifle and add a three-day waiting period for all rifle purchases. Gov. Rick Scott has organized three meetings today to discuss school safety improvements and ways to keep guns out of the hands of people with mental illnesses. Miami Herald. Associated Press. Politico Florida. News Service of Florida. Orlando Sentinel. Sunshine State News. Florida Politics. WLRN. Legislation pushed by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will be considered once legislators strip out a provision allowing people to get a concealed carry permit without a thorough background check. Politico Florida. President Donald Trump says he would support an improvement in putting criminal offenses and other data into the national instant background check system. Sun-Sentinel. Broward School Superintendent Robert Runcie has spent much of the past five days acting as a tour guide for state and national politicians to the tragic shooting in Parkland, with the bullet casings and pools of blood still on the floors. “We’ve given them detailed tours and explanations of what has happened so they become sensitized to the tragedy and we can get the support we need,” Runcie says. “We only have one opportunity to make sure they understand what was inflicted on our community.” Miami Herald.
Cruz's rifles, appearance: Accused school shooter Nikolas Cruz had purchased 10 rifles in the year leading up to the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland last week. CNN. Cruz made his first appearance in a Broward circuit court Monday, but said nothing. The appearance was to discuss a sealed defense document that reportedly involved access of defense lawyers to Cruz. Sun-Sentinel. Miami Herald. WKMG. NBC News. Sun-Sentinel. The Florida Department of Children and Families will release 22 pages from a 2016 report compiled after caseworkers visited Cruz. The DCF got approval for the unusual move from a Broward County judge, which was necessary because Florida law prohibits the release of DCF files without a court order. Miami Herald.
ESSA plan submitted: Florida submits its plan on how it will implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The deadline to file the plan was Monday, but the state received an extension from the U.S. Department of Education because of Hurricane Irma. The plan would continue the state's accountability program, which calls for annual standardized testing and school and district grades, and increase the reporting period for English language learners from two years to four years. The state originally planned to ask for several waivers, but backed off in the final plan. Orlando Sentinel. Gradebook. Politico Florida.
H.B. 7069 lawsuit: Two more Florida school districts will join 12 districts in suing over the state's new education law, H.B. 7069, while another district narrowly decides against it. Joining the suit are the Alachua and Wakulla school boards. Manatee board members vote 3-2 against signing on to the suit, which has yet to be filed. Gradebook.
Gender-neutral request: A 5th grade teacher at Canopy Oaks Elementary School in Leon County riles some parents with a request that her students use gender-neutral pronouns in class. In a note to parents, Chloe Bressack wrote: "My pronouns are 'they, them, their' instead of 'he, his, she, hers.' I know it takes some practice for it to feel natural, but students catch on pretty quickly.” She also ask that students address her as Mx. Bressack. Principal Paul Lambert says he supports Bressack's request, and Superintendent Rocky Hanna says, "I can assure you that teachers in our district will not be allowed to use their influence in the classroom to advance any personal belief or political agenda. At this time, I do not believe that is the case in this instance." Tallahassee Democrat.
Makeup days, storm recovery: Some school districts announce decisions about making up days lost to Hurricane Irma, while others are still considering their options. The Florida Department of Education says it will waive two days, but other days will have to be made up. Schools may apply before Oct. 16 for an exemption. Bradenton Herald. Sun-Sentinel. WFLA. WTSP. Gradebook. Gainesville Sun. Naples Daily News. Daytona Beach News-Journal. Daily Commercial. Citrus County Chronicle. Eighty books and several board games were stolen from a Dunedin Highland Middle School classroom when the school was used an an evacuation shelter. Tampa Bay Times. WTSP. The Pasco County School District approves spending up to $10,000 to hire a consultant to supervise the filing of a claim to FEMA for storm damage reimbursement. The district has 30 days to initiate a claim and 60 days to file it. Gradebook. The Immokalee Community School, a charter school primarily for migrant families, plays a key role in the community's recovery. redefinED.
Back to school: Most of Florida's 67 school districts have reopened or are expected to today, tomorrow or Wednesday, according to the Florida Department of Education. A handful of schools will start later, and Hardee County schools remain closed until further notice. School districts are also starting to consider how they'll make up the days missed. Florida Department of Education. Miami Herald. Sun-Sentinel. Palm Beach Post. Naples Daily News. Associated Press. Daily Commercial. Keynoter. Charlotte Sun. WFLA. WTSP. WFTV. Gradebook. More reports on damages to schools. Fort Myers News-Press. Lakeland Ledger. Free school meals will be provided in all Florida counties affected by Hurricane Irma. Brevard Times. Experts say teachers should address Irma with students as classes resume, and give them a chance to discuss their experiences. Tampa Bay Times. About 8.5 million U.S. students lost classroom time due to Irma. USA Today. School officials pay tribute to school employees who worked at hurricane shelters. Ocala Star-Banner. Miami Herald. Will Irma be the impetus to require charter schools to be built to serve as hurricane shelters? WLRN. redefinED.
VAM questioned: Some education experts are questioning the effectiveness of the state's value-added model (VAM) for rating teachers. They say it's easier for a teacher to earn a high VAM score if she or he works at a school with few poor students. State education officials disagree, saying their research shows no bias against high-poverty schools in VAM data. The state has spent about $4 million of federal money to develop VAM, and pays $509,000 a year for analysis and reporting, says Florida Department of Education spokeswoman Audrey Walden. Florida Times-Union.
Child Baker Acts up: The number of children who are involuntarily committed for psychological evaluation is up significantly in Florida and Bay County. Across the state in the fiscal year 2015-2016, the number of children committed under the state's Baker Act was up about 34 percent over 2010-2011. In Bay County, the increase is 109 percent since 2011. The Baker Act is invoked most often when schoolchildren threaten suicide. Panama City News Herald.
