Author
School voucher expansion bills could face hurdles and disagreements, even among Republicans
The discussion over so-called “school vouchers” has long been a contentious battle in education politics, and GOP lawmakers are pushing to expand the voucher program immensely if all goes well this spring in the Florida Legislature. But it isn’t going well, at least for now. The legislation has become fraught with confusion and disagreements over […]
FL GOP lawmakers move on voucher plan; Dems say bill will ‘destroy public schools as we know them’
In late January, Florida House Republicans announced a massive expansion of school “vouchers” or “scholarships” — a piece of legislation for the 2023 session to allow families to use public dollars for private education. Now, the Senate has its own version. Sen. Corey Simon, a Republican who represents parts of the Panhandle and Northeast Florida, […]
Feds award near $10 million to fund mental health services in FL school districts
As new data show a troubling increase in poor mental health and risk of suicide in teens, the U.S. Department of Education has announced millions in grants for seven Florida school districts as part of a five-year plan to invest $1 billion into mental health services. With a turbulent education environment left over from the […]
Two books on baseball players who faced racism finally got approved by Duval school district
Two elementary books on baseball Hall of Famers — one Black and the other Puerto Rican — were shelved for months, as media specialists in Duval County reviewed the content for topics banned by the DeSantis administration. As of Thursday, the two books were approved, following a nationwide controversy. The approval came as the Duval […]
Hundreds march to FL Capitol over rejected AP African American studies course, other concerns
Hundreds of Floridians, civil rights activists and religious leaders from across the state marched Wednesday from Tallahassee’s Bethel Missionary Baptist Church to the Florida Capitol building complex in protest of efforts to “whitewash” Black history by rejecting an Advanced Placement course in high school on African American studies. The large crowd also included students and […]
DeSantis’ attack on AP, SAT and College Board creates an uncertain future for FL high schoolers
As Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to chastise the century-old College Board and its related programs — from honors-level Advanced Placement courses to college entrance exams — eliminating those activities could create a dramatically different school experience for Florida high schoolers. In just 2022, nearly 200,000 students in Florida took the college entrance exam called the […]
Looks like DeSantis is going after the century-old College Board, known for AP classes, SATs
In an escalating battle over Advanced Placement courses, Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Monday that he has talked to House Speaker Paul Renner about reevaluating whether to continue AP classes in Florida’s public high schools. That could mean anything from doing away with the AP classes altogether in those high schools or putting other limitations […]
FL Legislature modifies how college athletes profit off their name, image and likeness
The Florida Senate quickly approved legislation Friday to remove many state regulations on how college-level athletes can make money off of their image, name and likeness in order to align with guidelines issued by the National Collegiate Athletics Association on the matter. The Florida Senate unanimously approved the legislation, HB-7B, as part of a special […]
Data: Which FL counties might be interested in more school vouchers? Geography may play a part
As GOP lawmakers work to pass a massive expansion of school “vouchers” or “scholarships” — to allow families to use public dollars for private education — where would the demand be for the program? The Florida Phoenix ran some numbers to look at the current situation in Florida, seeing how many private schools are in […]
FL protesters: You could lose access to the inside of the Capitol due to impending agency rules
The Florida Capitol in Tallahassee has long been available for the public to protest, rally, chant and hold signs inside the building, to support or oppose legislation. But that access may soon change. State agencies are reviewing a set of rules that could potentially limit where average citizens can engage in public protests or demonstrations, […]
House Democrats ‘cannot see any logical reason’ for a special session catering to Gov. DeSantis
State lawmakers are convening this week for yet another special session on a variety of issues that are priorities for Gov. Ron DeSantis — but not to Floridians who need help with other urgent needs such as affordable housing and health care, Florida House Democrats said on Monday. Those Democratic legislators will be compelled to […]
Trans kids want ‘lives of dignity and acceptance’; DeSantis, surgeon general want bans on therapies
James, of Central Florida. Nov. 15, 2022: “This rule cruelly and unfairly attacks vulnerable trans youth in our state by banning their access to gender-affirming healthcare. Young people who want only to be who they are and live lives of dignity and acceptance, something we ask for all people. In addition, as this rule does […]