Around the state: A Miami-based charter school company has put Sarasota schools on notice that it wants to move into unused space in three public schools, bills filed for the legislative session would require cursive writing instruction and ban corporal punishment, a Duval teacher is targeted by Florida’s education commissioner for punishment over her social media posts, and a federal judge has denied Florida’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over the 2024 law banning students under the age 14 from having social media accounts. Here are details about those stories and others from the state’s districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Palm Beach: Enrollment at Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington is down 44% this year, the largest decline of any traditional district school, according to numbers released by school officials. The emptiest school is K.E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary, with just 36% of its seats filled. Palm Beach Post.
Duval: Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas has filed a complaint asking the Education Practices Commission to punish a Douglas Anderson School of the Arts teacher for social media posts she’s made about Charlie Kirk, President Trump and a Jacksonville city council member. Hope McMath was temporarily reassigned by the district Sept. 25, and now Kamoutsas is recommending that she be reprimanded, fined, suspended or a have her teaching certificate revoked. WJAX. Former teachers union president Terrie Brady is expected to plead guilty today for her part in stealing $2.6 million from the union. Brady, 70, retired in 2023 after union headquarters was raided by federal officials. She and another union official were subsequently charged with selling leave time they hadn’t earned back to the union over a 10-year period. Florida Times-Union.
Lee: One of the options for reopening Fort Myers Beach Elementary School includes tearing down at least two of its three buildings that were badly damaged by three hurricanes since 2022. A new consultant’s report listing that as an option would need to be approved by the state. School officials and the city came to an agreement to reopen the school by 2026, and city officials are criticizing the school board’s willingness to consider demolishing a part of the school, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. WGCU. WINK. School board members are pressing legislators to end student vaccine mandates. WBBH. New school start and dismissal times have cut the number of late school buses in half since last year, district officials said this week. WFTX.
Osceola: A Zenith Accelerated Learning Academy custodian who resigned last week has been arrested and accused of possession of child pornography. Detectives said Mark Harden, 58, had images of children from the school. WKMG. WFTV. WESH.
Sarasota: A Miami-based charter school company has given notice that it intends to use the state’s Schools of Hope law to move into unused space in three Sarasota district schools by August 2027. The law allows charters to move into schools that have available space and requires districts to pay the maintenance and operations expenses. Mater Academy Inc. is targeting Brookside Middle, Emma E. Booker Elementary and the Oak Park School, a K-12 campus that serves students with disabilities. The district has 20 days to object to what school board member Liz Barker calls a “hostile takeover.” Suncoast Searchlight.
Colleges and universities: If state legislators eliminate vaccine mandates, Florida colleges and universities would be the only ones in the country without them. Tampa Bay Times. Five Florida universities are getting a total of $12.5 million in federal grants for an American history and civics seminars Program. Florida State will receive $4.6 million, Florida International $2.8 million, University of North Florida $2.1 million, New College of Florida $1.7 million, and the University of West Florida $1.5 million. Tallahassee Democrat. UWF also will receive a $9.6 million federal grant for cybersecurity research at its Pensacola campus. Florida Politics.
In the Legislature: Public school students in grades 2-5 would be required to learn cursive writing under a bill filed in the Florida House. The bill was approved by the House last spring but did not advance in the Senate. The 60-day legislative session begins Jan. 13. News Service of Florida. A bill has been proposed that would prohibit school employees from administering corporal punishment to any student. Florida is one of just 17 states that allow students to be spanked, with parental consent. WKMG. The state’s agriculture commissioner, Wilton Simpson, wants the Legislature to define and cut back ultra-processed foods in school meals for students. Florida Phoenix.
Social media lawsuit: Florida’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over the 2024 law banning students under the age 14 from having social media accounts has been denied by a federal judge. Social media companies filed the suit, claiming the law violates the First Amendment rights of students. USA Today Florida Network.
Opinions on schools: Artificial intelligence use is growing by the day. Its future is still unknown. Teaching students about it is the only responsible path. But the dangers are real. Florida shouldn’t wait for the federal government. If the state sets up guardrails now for use by students, we can lead on the use of AI in classrooms. Miami Herald. Whether you support or oppose vouchers, this is the reality: The cost of vouchers to your state will require tax increases, budget cuts or both. And it’s all for a scheme that doesn’t require any proof that voucher students are doing as well as or better than their public school peers. Pinellas County School Board chair Laura Hine, U.S. News & World Report.
