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FL’s top education official — Richard Corcoran — has yet to announce plans for the 2020-21 school year
With only about two months before the start of the next school year, Florida’s top education official — Commissioner Richard Corcoran — has yet to address the public about what to expect from the 2020-21 school year. That leaves school districts, teachers, parents, and students in the dark for what fall semester will entail at […]
School superintendent in the state capital calls on governor, education commissioner: ‘Please send our children back to school’
School Supt. Rocky Hanna in Florida’s state capital called Thursday on Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to bring students back to school in August. “Governor DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran, I know you’re watching live right now, as well. Please send our children back to school. We want them back,” said Hanna, whose […]
DeSantis finally addresses Florida protests; reports ‘largely peaceful’ demonstrations
Days after Floridians began protesting police brutality, Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned the killing of George Floyd but added that Florida has “zero tolerance” for rioting and looting. “Florida has zero tolerance for violence, rioting & looting. George Floyd’s murder was appalling & the MN perpetrators need to be brought to justice, but this cannot be […]
Plan to reopen schools during COVID-19 leaves plenty up to local discretion
A committee of educators has recommended continued use of digital learning, boosting mental health resources, smaller class sizes, and moving teachers instead of students to limit spread of COVID-19 when Florida reopens its public schools. The panel, in releasing its recommendations Tuesday, left ample room for districts and schools to individually respond to the disease […]
‘Above-normal’ Atlantic hurricane season expected, with a tax holiday to stock up on supplies
The first day of hurricane season begins Monday, with experts projecting a busy Atlantic hurricane season. Meanwhile, Floridians can take advantage of the state’s hurricane sales tax holiday to stock up on supplies. The tax holiday began on May 29 and will continue to June 4. The Florida Department of Revenue released a list of disaster […]
The traditional opening of public schools in FL may no longer mean August
Educators and other key officials working on how to safely reopen K-12 schools in Florida considered the possibility on Friday that it may not be safe to reopen schools right away. “We need to be able to consider alternative calendars. It might not be possible for students to begin in August,” said Carol Cleaver, an […]
Lawmakers get A through F grades — from a progressive point of view — and many GOP members flunked
No surprise: Republican Florida House Speaker José Oliva, who has pushed a conservative to libertarian agenda through the state House, got one of the lowest grades of all in an analysis by the Progress Florida organization. Oliva got a 37 percent — an F. The more moderate Republican Senate President — Bill Galvano — got […]
FL officials hold closed meetings on logistics of opening schools, leaving the press and public in the dark
Ten groups discussing how to best reopen Florida’s K-12 schools and colleges were closed to the press and public on Tuesday, raising questions about transparency as families try to manage a new academic year during the coronavirus pandemic. The Florida Phoenix got a notice from the Florida Education Association, collaborating with the United Faculty of […]
Lawmakers deregulated parts of FL’s beauty industry. Should clients, and the governor, be concerned?
Kristin Dariotis Klawinski is a Tallahassee-based cosmetologist and hair stylist. Like many hairdressers, barbers and other salon professionals, she reopened her doors recently, using safety precautions and social distancing. The biggest change to her day-to-day life? A heightened focus on sanitation and disinfecting between clients, said Klawinski. “I clean my whole room down,” Klawinski said. […]
Parents, professors, and nonprofits join to petition against new civic literacy test
Families, college educators and nonprofit organizations filed an appeal Tuesday against the recent ruling by the State Board of Education to allow a 100-question multiple choice test to fulfill the state’s college-level civic literacy requirement. According to the new rule, students taking the Florida Civic Literacy Test will only need to answer 60% percent of […]
Talks begin in earnest on how to get students back into brick-and-mortar classrooms
As talks of reopening Florida public schools begin in earnest, state and local officials will need to communicate with each other in order to safely bring students back into classrooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort will involve “flexibility, compassion, grace, and patience” to safely open schools, said Rocky Hanna, Superintendent of Schools for Leon […]
The challenges of opening school in the fall — in Florida and other states
Teachers, administrators and families want to get kids back in the classroom when it’s safe, but shortages of custodians, bus drivers, and personal protective equipment concern educators as the coronavirus pandemic continues. As Florida’s State Board of Education begins to set goals for reopening schools, the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Parent Teacher […]