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A difference of $50 million for teacher pay raises? FL House and Senate disagree on the numbers
How much more should be spent to increase the starting salaries of Florida teachers — an initiative pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis? There’s no agreement yet, as House and Senate budget negotiators try to finish the state budget for 2021-22 in the waning days of the legislative session. While both chambers proposed keeping the starting […]
Would a daily moment of silence help Florida students with stress or just take away instruction time?
Come next school year, all of Florida’s public school students might have to walk into their classrooms first thing in the morning, sit down at their desks and prepare for a daily moment of silence that could last up to two minutes. That’s because the Florida Senate passed legislation on Thursday, which would require that […]
More FL students could attend private schools with public dollars. Is that good or bad?
The Florida Legislature is moving toward a more expansive education landscape for students and families to go to private schools with public dollars. The dollars, referred to as scholarships or vouchers, are part of programs being considered in the waning days of the 2021 legislative session. Wednesday, the Florida House passed HB 7045, which would […]
Controversial transgender athlete bill hits hurdle and may not survive the 2021 session
As the 2021 legislative session winds down, a controversial bill legislating how transgender athletes participate in school sports looks like it’s not going to survive. Last week, the Florida House passed a transgender athletics bill, HB 1475, and sent it over to the Senate for deliberation. But as of Tuesday, the Senate version appears to […]
Gwen Graham, long-time Florida political figure, tapped for assistant secretary in U.S. Department of Ed.
President Joe Biden intends to nominate former North Florida Congresswoman Gwen Graham to serve as an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she would serve as assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs. “I’m so humbled to be nominated by President Biden to help serve America’s students, […]
Male lawmaker who proposed cutting pay for mostly female school board members has retreated
State Rep. Sam Garrison changed his legislation on cutting pay for mostly female school board members following some “good dialogue” with his colleagues in the Legislature, according to conversation in a committee meeting earlier this week. Garrison, an attorney and a Republican representing part of Clay County in northeast Florida, was pushing legislation that would […]
School districts and families are divided: Should masks still be in place in the upcoming academic year?
Florida schoolchildren are nearing the end of an entire school year under the impacts of COVID-19, and administrators are planning for the next academic year. But what’s in store for 2021-22 could become a divisive dilemma over whether kids, teachers and staff should continue wearing masks. Already, school districts and families of schoolchildren are divided: […]
FL House passes controversial bill affecting transgender athletes, despite hours of opposition
Amid a national debate over the rights of transgender kids on the playing field, the state House in Florida voted 77 to 40 to approve a pivotal bill affecting how transgender athletes participate in sports and athletics. The bill, HB 1475, means transgender athletes would have to compete on teams that match with the gender […]
“You can’t defend the indefensible”: House Republicans silent as Dems try to soften attack on trans athletes
An emotionally-charged and long-dreaded conversation is fully on display in the Florida Legislature, with the life and liberties of some of Florida’s most vulnerable communities, transgender folks, on the line. Wednesday, the state House is likely to pass a highly controversial bill, HB 1475, that would restrict transgender athletes from playing on the teams that […]
U.S. Sens. Rubio and Scott join battle to reopen shuttered cruise industry by July 4
Anxious to get one of Florida’s biggest industries afloat, U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott have introduced legislation to bypass sailing restrictions set in place by the federal government following the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press release posted Tuesday, the two Florida senators and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, of Alaska, introduced the “Careful Resumption […]
The scholarship called Bright Futures, a crucial way to pay for college in FL, is still at risk for ripping off kids
For Florida families, planning for college begins long before a senior in high school submits his or her first application, and students and parents depend on a scholarship called Bright Futures to help finance the cost of college. That scholarship program is based on academic success during high school — the better the academic achievement, […]
Due to COVID, it’s not likely that FL will meet the threshold for testing students required by federal law
Families and educators every year prepare their students for key state exams. What they might not know, is that federal education law requires that 95 percent of public school students must be tested. But due to COVID-19, that’s not likely going to happen this academic year. And Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran now has to […]