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FL university system imposes 5-year tenure review; profs, other advocates criticize the change
Florida’s state university system is making major changes to long-time tenure protections, meaning that established professors would have to undergo a review every five years to determine the faculty members’ “productivity.” However, Florida-based professors and other advocates say that the new rule, approved by the Florida Board of Governors Wednesday, could hurt academic freedom and […]
After nearly 5 hours of testimony, all FL senators are poised to vote on a 6-week abortion ban
Hundreds of people have come to the state Capitol this spring but had been limited to just 30 seconds to give testimony on complex bills in the Legislature. But on Tuesday, at the urging of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, Sen. Travis Hutson allowed residents to speak as long as they wanted to on a highly […]
DeSantis signs massive voucher expansion; millionaire, billionaire families are eligible
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed an expansive voucher law to provide public money for children to attend parochial, secular and other private schools across the state, despite previous skepticism about letting millionaire and billionaire families participate in Florida’s K-12 school voucher programs. In the past, voucher, or “scholarship” programs have been used by low-income […]
Drag queens defend their livelihood while lawmakers try to define ‘adult live performances’
Friday at 8 a.m., House lawmakers gathered at a commerce committee meeting to consider a bill that would limit minors from attending so-called “adult live performances.” At issue is that some businesses may lose their licenses if they host an event involving so-called “lewd conduct” and where minors are present. As Rep. Randy Fine discussed […]
Massive school voucher program headed to Gov. DeSantis’ desk; questions remain about costs
Nearly all Florida families may soon be able to send their K-12 children to private schools with taxpayer money, even if their household incomes exceed millions or billions of dollars — an expansive effort that critics say could drain the state’s public school system for years to come. The Legislature pushed through the bill, HB […]
Trifecta: Potentially removing books; banning LGBTQ+ instruction, restricting ‘pronouns’ in schools
After weeks of multiple bills moving through legislative committees, GOP House lawmakers on Thursday combined three controversial measures into one — all about how Florida public schools operate regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. The combination bill is now headed to the full House, even as the three-pronged measure could create a hostile environment for […]
FL education chair goes on diatribe over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law; board looks to add more constraints
As part of his last meeting sitting on the Florida Board of Education, Chair Tom Grady provided a depiction about a highly contentious law approved by the Legislature in 2022, HB 1557, which was officially titled “Parental Rights in Education,” but derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Grady said that the law […]
GOP senators want 8-year term limits on school board members as well as county commissioners
After the full House of Representatives approved reducing school board term limits from 12 years to eight last week, a Senate committee is pursuing a similar bill: adding both school board members and county commissioners to those limits. That means the two bills are not the same between the House and Senate, which can create […]
Commissioner Diaz recommends book on Roberto Clemente, though it had been unavailable for months
An elementary-level book on famous baseball player Roberto Clemente, who faced racism prior to his death, became a symbol of widespread concerns over school book bans in Florida, spurred by 2022 legislation from the DeSantis administration regarding the review of school library books. Now, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. is recommending that same book for […]
Just 30 seconds? Despite complex bills, Floridians are limited on public testimony in Legislature
“This Florida government makes us students feel like you are our No. 1 bully–” a transgender Floridian started to say in front of more than a dozen Florida lawmakers Tuesday in opposition of a bill that would limit the use of certain pronouns in public schools. But before the speaker could finish the thought, Rep. […]
Tensions boiled over in higher education meeting Monday in the Legislature
More than 150 people came to a committee meeting Monday to express their concerns and fears related to changes in college majors and minors for students and concerns about tenure for professors in Florida. The three-hour meeting was tense from the start, when Rep. Lauren Melo of Southwest Florida, who chairs the subcommittee, let the […]
GOP lawmakers plan to ban more college majors in FL like ethnic studies, ‘radical’ feminist theory
Update: The House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Subcommittee approved a proposed committee substitute for HB 999 Monday, replacing the language of the original bill. Republican lawmakers are proposing to expand legislation that would further limit majors and minors available to Florida university students, which would exacerbate concerns from faculty and other opponents of the bill […]