Around the state: The Scripps National Spelling Bee wraps tonight, Florida Virtual Full Time Public Schools held an in-person graduation ceremony, the Leon county school district may take legal action against a charter school and summer food programs are available for students. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Broward: A Bolles High student created a nonprofit to help pay for fees related to sports for kids in foster care. The organization helps provide everything from registration fees to transportation. “It’s sad thinking that not everyone’s as fortunate as me,” said Jai Patel. “I’ve had so much given to me in my life, and I feel like it’s my duty, and I was put here to help people.” News4Jax.
Lee: An emergency meeting was held to talk about the future of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School. The school was forced to close twice due to destruction from Hurricane Ian and Milton. The special town council meeting ended with parents, residents and the council agreeing that they want the beach school to reopen as soon as possible. The Lee County School District is expected to vote on whether to repair or rebuild the school at a June 3 meeting. WINK.
Brevard: Graduates of Eau Gallie High closed out graduation season in Brevard on May 27. Florida Today.
Leon: Superintendent Rocky Hanna told school board members at the May 27 board meeting that the district could soon take legal action against Renaissance charter to reclaim furniture and equipment that was purchased with tax dollars. The school announced its closure in March after its governing board landed a deal to lease the property to Tallahassee Preparatory Academy, a new local private school. Renaissance owns the building, but Leon county taxpayers have paid for it since 2012. Tallahassee Democrat.
Virtual high school graduation: Florida Virtual Full Time Public Schools, the state's only fully virtual public school district, hosted an in-person graduation ceremony that honored graduates from across the state. The event highlighted the achievements of students who chose a nontraditional learning path through school choice and excelled. "Our students have successfully achieved their academic goals, while also pursuing their passions and interests due to the flexibility of the online learning environment. As they embark on their next journey, whether it’s college, military school, trade school, or entering the workforce, I extend my heartfelt wishes for their continued success and fulfillment," said Louis J. Algaze, president and CEO. FLVS.
National spelling bee: Florida students are among the 243 competing in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee. "I've been studying the roots, like breaking down the etymology, and I've also been pushing myself on some words that I have trouble with, and a little bit of language patterns," said Moksh Maru of Sanford. Floridians have received the title of champion for the past two years, with Bruhat Soma in 2024 and Dev Shah in 2023. The finals take place on Thursday. Five competitors from Florida remain in the bee. The champion takes home the Scripps Cup and more than $52,000 in cash prizes. Meanwhile, dozens of past Scripps champions gathered together to honor the competition's 100th year. BayNews9. ABC Action News. Tampa Bay Times.
Summer food programs: Many districts are offering summer lunch programs to ensure students have meals to eat when they are not in class. Spectrum News. LKLD Now.
Legislative update: A bill that increases early detection opportunities and educational interventions for children with autism and their families was signed into law this week by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill directs the Florida Department of Health to provide Florida families with early intervention therapies and services through the Early Steps program until the child is 4. That program provides intervention services to eligible toddlers and infants. Under current law, children age out of the program when they turn 3 years old. Bill sponsor Sen. Gayle Harrell in a prepared statement called the new law a “game changer.” Florida Phoenix.
Opinions on schools: The Roosevelt Elementary School District in South Phoenix has experienced enrollment loss for decades, and the school board of the district has announced plans to close five schools. Matthew Ladner, NextSteps. We have experienced a massive loss of academic freedom and, as a result, academics. Adam Tritt, Florida Today.
In this episode, Step Up For Students president Doug Tuthill interviews Louis Algaze, president and CEO of Florida Virtual School. Founded in 1997, FLVS is a publicly funded non-profit that operates as its own $240 million school district. During the 2018-19 academic year, it served 215,505 students, technically making it the largest public school in the United States.
Tuthill and Algaze discuss FLVS’ rapid expansion in the wake of COVID-19 and the role the online school will play going forward, touching on improvement opportunities for the learning model they expect will be an example for the nation’s public school system as it shifts gears into the fall and beyond.
"There is so much talent and desire … We’re looking forward to really fantastic things in the future."
EPISODE DETAILS:
· How FLVS rapidly expanded capacity to serve every public school student in Florida
· Differences between crisis learning and a full online education
· How the demand for blended learning will grow and what it will look like
· The challenge of acclimating nearly 2,000 teachers to a blended learning model and the commitment to train teachers statewide
· Collaborating with traditional public, charter, and private schools to address student needs
LINKS MENTIONED:
· Online school during COVID-19: It’s about student learning (Alaska)
· Florida Virtual School brings online education to Alaska
As Florida officials prepare to discuss reopening brick-and-mortar schools in August, stakeholders urged members of the Florida Board of Education on Wednesday to use caution and involve health experts.
In comparing the reopening to flipping a light switch, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said he plans to “use a dimmer switch” approach. In addition to safety, he said, priorities include eliminating inequities that were exacerbated during the pivot to distance learning as well as mental health issues and food insecurity.
“We’ll be working though what these impacts are,” he said.
Details of the Florida Department of Education’s COVID-19 Education Recovery Plan outline call for using the state’s education slice of the federal CARES Act relief money for extended summer programs as well as extended school year programs and wrap-around programs to catch up students who fell behind during distance learning.
Congress has allocated $16.5 billion to the U.S. Department of Education to assist state and local education agencies in dealing with issues related to COVID-19.
Corcoran’s report also called for money to be dedicated to extended online learning, refreshing or replacing electronics that were used during the spring, and an infrastructure for future digital needs.
Board member Michael Olenick urged Corcoran to be proactive.
“I don’t think we should wait for the federal dollar figure and then accept it,” he said. “We should develop that figure and present it to the federal government.”
Corcoran’s report came as representatives from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents presented its recommendations for reopening.
The superintendent group’s recommendations, presented by Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Michael Grego, include forming a statewide “pandemic education response team” composed of medical professionals across Florida with guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The statewide pandemic education response team may need to consider a combination of social distancing/group gathering and personal protective measures/screening protocols to best mitigate exposure to COVID-19 while planning for a return to school that ensures the safety and well-being of all stakeholders,” the report said.
Board vice chairwoman Marva Johnson wondered what that would look like.
“Are we looking at split days, staggered days?” she asked.
Grego said the superintendents have a meeting Thursday with medical professionals, including public health specialists, pediatricians and psychiatrists.
Board members took no votes on reopening plans but expressed support for Corcoran’s recommendations and for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic.
“I think our governor is doing a heck of a job handling this situation and trying to get our economy going again,” Chairman Andy Tuck said.
In other business, board members, acting as the trustee board for the Florida Virtual School, heard a brief update from its CEO, Louis Algaze, who said the nonprofit school system had reached its goal of boosting capacity to serve 2.7 million students by May 4.
“Should we see any resurgence in COVID-19, we’ll be available to assist,” Algaze said.
