Education
Should the state require teens to take a standalone class in “financial literacy?”
Lawmakers are gearing up again to change high school graduation requirements and ensure kids who graduate know about financial literacy and money management. That means understanding how to open a bank account, balance a checkbook, complete a loan application, and fill out federal income tax forms, among other finance-related activities. Republican state Senator Travis Hutson, […]
Gov-elect DeSantis recommends former House Speaker Richard Corcoran for Florida’s new Education Commissioner
Governor-elect Ron DeSantis on Thursday recommended former House Speaker Richard Corcoran to serve as Education Commissioner and oversee Florida’s mammoth education system — one of the largest in the country. Corcoran would follow Pam Stewart, who has served since 2013. She announced earlier this week that she was stepping down and plans to retire. The […]
Orlando state senator moves to remove restrictions against prosecuting rape cases
Democratic state senator Linda Stewart from Orlando filed legislation Wednesday in hopes of trying to remove barriers on prosecuting rape cases. “Many young sexual battery victims do not come forward when they are first assaulted,” Stewart said in press release. “Sometimes they don’t understand, sometimes they are afraid, and sometimes they are simply ashamed. Each […]
FL Education Commissioner Pam Stewart is out; planning to retire
With “bittersweet feelings,” Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart submitted her resignation Tuesday, ending a five-year run at one of the largest education systems in the country. She plans to retire Jan. 8, 2019. The move was expected following the election of new governor Ron DeSantis, and rumblings in the media about a shift in the […]
Nation’s first charter school strike reverberates across the country
The nation’s first charter school strike launched Tuesday in Chicago, reverberating across the nation, including in Florida, where traditional public schools have been pitted against charters run by private groups. Media coverage in Chicago markets and nationwide took note of the historic strike, occurring more than a quarter of a century after so-called charters entered […]
Lawsuit against Duval County schools aims to stop “illegal” gun program on campuses
A group of parents and elementary students and the League of Women Voters of Florida filed a lawsuit Thursday against Duval public schools, saying a district gun program allows “inadequately trained individuals who are not law enforcement officers to carry guns while policing public schools.” The school board-adopted program is illegal — posing serious risks […]
The FL Department of Education gave a top-level teaching certificate to a troubled substitute fired for misconduct
Lack of communication, confusion, and potential holes in state law reveal how a troubled substitute got – and kept — a full-fledged, professional teaching certificate to work in Florida’s classrooms, despite being fired twice for misconduct, the Florida Phoenix has found. The state Department of Education issued the certificate for now-deceased educator Scott Beierle – […]
U.S. Department of Education’s proposed sex assault rules spark debate
If you missed it heading into the Thanksgiving holiday, the U.S. Department of Education on Nov. 16 released proposals on sexual assault rules for K-12 and college and university campuses. And those proposals are already stirring debate. Critics, including Democrats and advocacy groups for sexual assault victims, say the proposed rules favor the accused and […]
In Florida’s Republican-majority Legislature, a progressive speaks
With a solid majority of Republicans gathered together Tuesday for an organizational session of the new, post-election Florida Legislature, a progressive grabbed a rare opportunity to take the floor. He was state Rep. Kionne McGhee, a 40-year-old Miami-Dade County attorney and college adjunct professor who has served in the Legislature since 2012. On Tuesday, he […]
A Ron DeSantis win for Florida governor: How will he govern? And what’s in store for Floridians?
It may not be official yet, but it looks like Florida has a new governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, based on the most recent tallies that included machine recounts in Florida’s tumultuous general election. As of the state’s 3 p.m. deadline today, Democratic challenger Andrew Gillum hadn’t garnered enough votes to move on to a manual […]
ACLU of Florida announces new executive director
Micah W. Kubic, head of the ACLU in Kansas, will be the new executive director for the ACLU of Florida beginning in January. He’ll replace Howard Simon, who is stepping down from the Florida civil liberties organization later this month, after more than 20 years of service. “Like Kansas, the state I have spent the […]
March for Our Lives activists call on young people to vote ‘like their lives depend on it’
Shocked and horrified by the shooting massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, students formed the group known as March for our Lives, and announced that one of their first goals in changing gun control laws would be through voting. On the eve of the midterm elections, 13 members of the group returned […]