Major publishers sue Florida over ‘unconstitutional’ book ban law
A coalition of the nation’s largest book publishers filed a lawsuit Thursday against Florida education officials alleging that a 2023 Florida law that increased scrutiny of school library books unconstitutionally limits free speech. The lawsuit, which was filed by Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, Harper Collins and three other publishers in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, also named school board members in Orange and Volusia County school districts. More from the Tampa Bay Times, K-12 Dive, and WTVT.
Florida professor becomes first academic to do research in space
University of Florida professor Rob Ferl first began doing space-related research in the 1990s. In 2021, he and research partner Anna-Lisa Paul sent test tubes with British billionaire Richard Branson on a voyage to space on Virgin Galactic’s Unity spaceship. In 2022, they grew plants using soil from the moon. They’ve had 12 experiments at the International Space Station. On Thursday, Ferl made history again when he became the first academic to conduct an experiment in space on a suborbital spacecraft through a NASA-funded program. More from the Tampa Bay Times and WGCU.
Florida college students return to campus amid restrictions on protesting
Florida’s college and university students are starting the academic year greeted by friends and professors — and by warnings from administrators and Attorney General Ashley Moody about how to express their views on campus. The directives follow nationwide protests over Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent assault on Gaza. While the scale of protests has varied nationwide, some led to arrests, including at the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of South Florida, and the University of North Florida. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
Florida to spend more on nursing education to prevent a provider shortage
The Sunshine State will invest more in nursing education to bolster the state's growing health care demands and ensure Floridians can access care. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that nursing education will receive a significant boost in funding to offset Florida's facing health care worker shortage in the coming years. Florida has placed a strong emphasis on workforce training over recent years and nursing education has become a top priority. [Source: The Center Square]
New Florida law provides schools grants for AI in classrooms
Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly common in our lives. And now, the state is making money available to help teachers integrate the technology into classrooms. “The challenge we have with AI is there needs to be some boundaries,” Florida Education Association president Andrew Spar said. A new law is making it easier for school districts across the state to integrate AI in classrooms. [Source: WCJB]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Pasco proposes closing, merging 3 schools into single K-8 campus
In an effort to maximize the efficiency of its space and staff, the Pasco County school district has proposed closing one of its under-capacity elementary schools and merging it with a nearby elementary-middle campus to become a kindergarten through eighth-grade school.
› Florida law prompts elections on teachers’ collective bargaining in Broward, Miami-Dade
Anna Fusco, the president of the Broward Teachers Union, blamed Florida’s new “anti-union” legislation for requiring an election as part of the certification process. Fusco said she views the new law as “egregious.” She also sees it as an attack on a “women-dominated profession,” and not just on the union as a bargaining representative, but on a process that ultimately benefits students.
› UF offering academic course on the life and times of late troubadour Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett’s music always had a bit of philosophy. In the lyrics to his songs, the Florida transplant usually included life lessons, such as dealing with growing older, traveling without losing your mind, and a bit of mixology when making adult beverages. Now, those lyrics and themes are literally being taught and analyzed in the classroom in a University of Florida course.
› Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland adds two master's degrees in engineering
Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland is expanding its educational offerings this fall with the addition of two master’s degrees: mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. The new graduate program options replace a master’s degree in engineering that offered specialization tracks in each of the disciplines.