Cold closing schools: A cold front is expected to bring freezing temperatures and icy conditions into north Florida today. The Walton, Escambia, Jackson, Holmes, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa school districts have closed all schools, and Bay County is limiting after-school activities. Northwest Florida Daily News. WMBB. WEAR. Pensacola News Journal. Destin Log. Panama City News Herald. The Leon County School District won't be closing schools because of the weather today. Earlier this month the district closed for two days when cold weather, snow and ice moved into the area. Tallahassee Democrat. WTXL.
Pension payments: Florida school districts will have to contribute an additional $54.4 million into the state pension fund this year, if a bill before the Legislature is approved. The state is forecasting a lower rate of return on the $160 billion pension fund, which would require school districts, colleges, universities, county governments and state agencies to pay a collective $178.5 million to ensure that there's enough money to pay retirement benefits. News Service of Florida.
Computer coding bill: A bill promoting computer coding in schools, by allowing students to use it to satisfy foreign language requirements, is amended to include a requirement that a set percentage of schools in each district offer computer science courses, and providing financial incentives for teachers to become certified in the field. The amended bill is approved by the Senate Education Committee and now moves to the appropriations committee. Gradebook.
Support for DeVos: Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Jeb Bush lobby for support for Betsy DeVos, whose confirmation hearing to become U.S. education secretary is today. Both call her a champion for school choice and for families. Democrats and teachers unions oppose DeVos, with one union official calling her severely underqualified and the “most anti-public education nominee in the history of the department.” Sunshine State News. Tampa Bay Times. Associated Press.
Union election: A Palm Beach County teacher has been told he cannot run for the union presidency because he let his union membership lapse while taking a semester leave to care for a dying relative. Justin Katz, a 32-year-old social studies teacher at Park Vista High, renewed his membership when he returned to the classroom, but says he was told by the union that the lapse makes him ineligible because the union rules require two consecutive years of membership prior to running.. The union's outgoing president, Kathi Gundlach, declined to comment. Palm Beach Post.
Teachers honored: Four finalists are named for Miami-Dade County teacher of the year. They are: Nadia German, Ojus Elementary; Rodolfo Diaz, Miami Senior High; Laura Ortiz, Robert Morgan Educational Center & Technical College; and Alfreida Dianne Joseph-Goins, Dorothy M. Wallace C.O.P.E. Center. The winner, and the winner for rookie teacher of the year, will be announced Jan. 26. Miami Herald. Longtime Bay County educator Daurhice Gibson is the winner of the first teacher of a lifetime award from the district. She retired in 2003 after 40 years of teaching. Panama City New Herald.
School boundaries: Despite facing intensive lobbying from parents, Pasco County school officials are not changing the recommendations for the rezoning of two school attendance zones. "While I wish there was a perfect solution, I have not seen one yet," says school board chairman Allen Altman. The board will hold public hearings on the proposed changes to middle and high schools attendance zones tonight. Tampa Bay Times. (more…)
