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Florida Trend Education
Will passage of education bill lead to boycotts in Florida?
Will passage of education bill lead to boycotts in Florida?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed the controversial "Parental Rights In Education" measure — dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics — into law. The highly contentious legislation bans classroom instruction on "sexual orientation or gender identity" in kindergarten through third grade, or "in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." The law is quickly creating backlash, with talk of possible boycotts and potential hits to Florida's economic engine, the tourism industry. More from WPTV, the Tampa Bay Times and CNBC.
The reading gap between Black and white students in Florida is 29 points. It’s wider in some local districts
Data from the Florida Department of Education shows that Black students in Florida are reading at much lower levels than white students. The data from the 2020-21 school year shows a gap of 29 percentage points between the reading levels of white and Black students across the state. And in Duval, St. Johns and Alachua county school districts, the gap is even wider. The Florida Department of Education tracks English Language Arts achievement and other subjects for all students and breaks it down by race each year on its website. [Source: WJXT]
Column: Increasing pay alone will not be enough to curb teacher turnover
Although current teacher retention numbers look similar to years before the pandemic, the high reports of teacher dissatisfaction are still cause for worry as school districts throughout the state struggle to fill teacher vacancies. Teacher retention is a complex issue with many causes and caveats. A common explanation cited when discussing teacher turnover is teacher pay — the thought being if teachers were paid more, fewer teachers would leave the profession. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
Crisis in the Classroom: Seclusion and restraint inside Florida classrooms
The U.S. Department of Education reported over 100,000 students were secluded or restrained in a single school year in 2017. Last school year, the state of Florida reported roughly 2,000 cases -- more than 1,800 of those listed as a physical restraint, according to data obtained from the Florida Department of Education. [Source: WEAR]
Florida schools will soon teach money management. This Pensacola lawyer helped it happen.
If you've ever wondered why schools teach trigonometry but not how to balance a checkbook, this law is for you. Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis created a new graduation requirement for Florida high school students aimed at improving their personal finances. On Tuesday, DeSantis signed SB 1054 into law, mandating that all Florida high school students take at least one-half credit in financial literacy and money management before receiving a diploma. [Source: Pensacola News Journal]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Jacksonville University to be featured on ‘The College Tour’
Jacksonville University announced that “The College Tour,” a TV series streaming on Amazon Prime that highlights universities across the U.S., is filming on campus through April 5 for the final episode of its fifth season. The show is hosted by Alex Boylan, past winner of “The Amazing Race” and a class of 1999 JU alumnus.
› Florida International University applications near pre-covid level
Florida International University is seeing application numbers for first-year students start to return to pre-pandemic levels, with some fluctuations in transfer students. The number of undergraduates enrolled last fall was 46,280 and this spring, the semester that ends in April, was 44,217, according to information from a university spokesperson.
› How Florida's professors are using UF's supercomputer to address society's pressing issues and more
The University of Florida Information Technology Research Computing hosted its Spring 2022 HiPerGator Symposium Thursday. The spring symposium was virtual and showcased artificial intelligence research conducted on HiPerGator AI by members from UF, Florida International University and the University of South Florida.
› FSU continues to shine in latest U.S. News Graduate School rankings
Florida State University’s graduate and professional programs continue to rank among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 edition of “Best Graduate Schools.” Twenty graduate programs and specialties at FSU are ranked in the top 25 among public universities, according to the publication’s annual rankings released March 29. Programs in education, business, law and engineering all climbed in this year’s rankings.
Previous Education Updates:
- FHSAA to potentially sanction esports in Florida schools
- College crime surging back to pre-COVID levels. Here's the crime at Florida colleges, universities
- Florida student aid requests plunge. How many will delay or skip college?
- Florida schools have a teacher shortage. Why are they cutting jobs?
- Florida schools need more nurses. Can they compete with employers who pay more?
- Florida's MBA programs: Mastering the cyber industry
- Florida settles lawsuit over LGBT education bill
- $117.5 billion state budget pumps up education spending
- Florida lawmakers continue debate over school red tape, education spending and more
