AP Psychology can still be taught if โage appropriate,โ says Florida education commissioner
After the College Board announced Florida schools should not offer AP Psychology courses over the stateโs requirement to exclude its gender and human sexuality unit, Seminole County Public Schools said it is offering its students an alternative course that would fulfill college credit requirements.
โInflammatory and sexualized:โ Florida pushes school districts to drop CDC youth risk survey
Orange County Public Schools will no longer participate in an annual national study charting risky behaviors in students, according to correspondence from the Florida Department of Education thanking the district for the change and criticizing the survey.
State says 2021-22 school grades โfar exceed expectationsโ as Central Florida school districts show little to no improvement
The Florida Department of Education on Thursday released reports of school grades, improvement ratings and other accountability metrics for the 2021-22 academic year, noting it was the first full publication of such data since 2019.
Florida targets โCRT,โ social justice in social-studies books
โCritical race theory, social justice, culturally responsive teaching, social and emotional learning, and any other unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination are prohibited,โ part of the document said, citing state education standards.
Despite threats to board member salaries, Brevard Public Schools stick to mask mandate
Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran demanded that Brevard Public Schools withdraw its classroom facemask mandate by Wednesday morning or the Florida Department of Education would withhold School Board member salaries.
Whatโs next for online learning? Florida schools still waiting on state guidance
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. โ Itโs been a year since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools across Florida forcing school districts to act fast and transition to virtual learning options. School leaders are now wondering what is next for online learning platforms. Spring break marks one year since Orange County students shifted from learning in the classroom to learning virtually. Many students chose to continue learning virtually this school year through LaunchEd@Home, the districtโs online learning platform. AdHowat said as of now the only online learning option for the next school year is through Orange County Virtual School, which offers free online learning at the studentโs own pace.
โHe is not going to take the test:โ Parents plan to opt-out of in-person state testing
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. โ Many upset Orange County parents say they plan to opt-out of state testing after Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced all schools will move forward with administering state assessments, including the FSA, and must do so in-person, according to an order from the Florida Department of Education. โMy kids arenโt going to school for this,โ said Orange County mom Angie Giurtino, who has a 6th grader at Legacy Middle School. โMy husband and I are really going to be evaluating do we want to send him on campus to do that.โAdAccording to Orange County School Board Member Angie Gallo, she is anticipating parents opt-ing out. Ron DeSantis extends the spring state testing windows for Florida State Assessments by two weeks to allow for further flexibility for makeups, if needed. AdBy statute, students must pass the Grade 10 ELA state assessment and Algebra 1 EOC state assessment before graduating.
Remote learning will be allowed in spring, Florida education commissioner says
Seminole County Superintendent Walt Griffin previously asked Floridaโs Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to forgo school grades for the 2020-2021 school year because of the circumstances created by the pandemic. In fact, Corcoran said the Florida Department of Education plans to continue all three learning options for parents: Florida Virtual School, face-to-face learning and each districtโs distance learning method. Under an emergency order for the fall 2020 semester by the Florida Department of Education all school districts could offer virtual learning options as long as they offered face-to-face education. School districts had to submit their reopening plans to the state for approval. Central Florida school district officials said after Wednesdayโs decision that they hope to receive the same state funding for remote learning in the spring as they did in the fall semester to continue making it an affordable option.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Seminole County
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Coronavirus cases are on the rise in Florida and Central Florida health officials are warning the public to be aware of the recent trend. Seminole County Medical Director Dr. Todd Husty said that the current weekly average for single day COVID-19 cases is 65. We are loosening up too much.โHusty also said Seminole County is currently monitoring 600 people who have either tested positive for coronavirus or are awaiting test results,Data released Thursday by the Florida Department of Health showed another 80 new cases in Seminole County. Seminole County Public Schools said the plan is to collect data from a survey given to parents, before creating a plan for next semester. The Florida Department of Health in Osceola County said it continues to work closely with school officials, as the county reported another 123 cases on Thursday.
Florida boosts funding to provide mental telehealth services to children in rural communities
TALLAHASSEE โ The Florida Department of Education is making $2 million available to rural counties across the state to increase access to telehealth to provide mental-health services for schoolchildren. โIโm excited today to announce to 18 of the rural counties across the state of Florida weโll be issuing $2 million to those rural districts to help students there increase access to tele- and mental-health services,โ Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis said during a Monday news conference at the governorโs mansion. The money is available from federal CARES Act stimulus funding and will be directed to rural counties that have lower rates of internet connectivity and have limited access to health-care professionals. Mondayโs announcement was lauded by Natalie Kelly, CEO of the Florida Association of Managing Entities. The 18 counties that will receive the funding are: Bradford, Calhoun, DeSoto, Dixie, Glades, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Union and Washington.
Judge sides with Florida teachers, rejects putting schools ruling on hold
Siding with teachers unions, a Leon County circuit judge Thursday lifted a stay of his earlier ruling that a state order requiring schools to reopen in August is unconstitutional. Under law, that notice of appeal automatically placed a stay on Dodsonโs ruling --- effectively putting it on hold until the Tallahassee-based appeals court can resolve the case. Late Tuesday, attorneys for the Florida Education Association and the Orange County teachers union asked Dodson to lift the stay. In Thursdayโs order, Dodson scolded the state for misrepresenting his temporary injunction. What the order did, for the reasons stated, is require that local school districts be given authority under their individual circumstances to open or close the local schools, based on local conditions,โ the judge wrote.
Volusia teachers union seeks more COVID-19 protection before students return
โWeโre very happy with the judgeโs decision,โ Union president Elizabeth Albert said. [Everything you need to know about Volusia Countyโs back to school plan]"In some cases, the supplies are limited and these items are on back order. The state has already appealed the judgeโs ruling but Albert said it doesnโt affect the school board to start a conversation about other options. This, after the local teacherโs union declared an impasse Tuesday morning, regarding the school districtโs re-opening plan. The Volusia County School Board briefly discussed the lawsuit during a workshop meeting.
Judge slated to rule on Florida teachers union lawsuit next week
Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, who is slated to issue a ruling early next week, heard closing arguments in lawsuits filed by the Florida Education Association and the union that represents Orange County teachers. Schools risk losing funding if they donโt comply with Corcoranโs order, which teachersโ attorneys called โfinancial bullying.โBut lawyers representing Gov. Ron DeSantis, Corcoran and state education officials, who are defendants in the case, maintain that the Constitution also requires the state to provide โhigh-quality educationโ to Florida schoolchildren. Although DeSantis and Corcoran have said publicly that teachers with medical conditions should be accommodated during the pandemic, local school officials have denied some educatorsโ requests to teach remotely. During testimony this week, the unions spotlighted the potential risks to teachersโ health, while the state focused on childrenโs educational needs.
Florida Department of Education makes teacher of the year announcement
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Officials from the Florida Department of Education touted an โimportant announcementโ Tuesday that ultimately ended up being the announcement of the teacher of the year. A news release provided by the department around noon only billed the virtual event as an โimportant announcementโ but did not provide details on the nature of the 4 p.m. announcement or who would be speaking. Locally, the 10 school districts have given parents the option to choose between sending their children back to school in person or allowing them to continue classes online. In July, Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran issued an executive order requiring school districts to open up schools for in-person learning at the beginning of the fall semester. Tune in at 4 p.m. to watch the announcement live using the video player at the top of this story.
Osceola County school board to meet Tuesday evening
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. School officials in Osceola County are expected to hold a school board meeting on Tuesday evening. Earlier this month, school board members approved a plan to reopen schools on Aug. 24 instead of their original date, Aug. 10. Chairman Kelvin Soto explained that decision was made following the number of cases of COVID-19 in the state. The districts reopening plan was submitted and approved by the Florida Department of Education, which gave parents three choices to enroll their child in. Only 20 people from the public will be allowed in the board room.
DOE approves reopening plan for Orange County Schools
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. The Florida Department of Education has approved the back-to-school plan for Orange County Public Schools. @OCPSnews reopening plan has been approved- another reopening plan that allows parents the flexibility to choose the educational option that is right for their child. Orange County plans to go back to school at Aug. 21. The reopening plan from Seminole County Schools and the reopening plan for Osceola County has also been approved by the department of education. [RELATED: DOE approves reopening plan for Osceola County schools and Seminole County schools]
Sumter County Schools sends reopening plan to DOE
SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. Sumter County Schools have sent the reopening plan to the Florida Department of Education. E-Learning: Students will sign in and attend school online and will follow standard school schedule and bell times. Virtual: The district said virtual learning is designed for students who want to attend school online at their own pace. School bus safetyFace coverings will be required on the bus and high-touched areas will be cleaned between runs. Secondary schoolsEach school will have a plan to discourage large gatherings in the hallways and common areas.
DOE approves reopening plan Osceola County schools and Seminole County schools
The Florida Department of Education has approved the reopening plan for Osceola County Schools and Seminole County Schools. OCPS gave parents three options to enroll their child in:Face-to-face instruction at school with health and safety precautions in placeDigital learning with their assigned school with a traditional school day scheduleVirtual learning for students to allow learning during non-traditional school hoursSchool will open on Aug. 24. Seminole County schools will begin class on Aug. 17. Seminole County parents can pick from four options:Traditional learning and students will follow a regular school day scheduleVirtual School where students will establish their own learning scheduleSeminole Connect is at-home learning during school hoursA hybrid option allows a family to choose from multiple learning options to meet a students needReopening plans from each county has to be sent to the Department of Education by July 31.
Florida schools ordered to reopen next month
The Florida Department of Education will give the final OK for school reopening plans. Seminole County School Board is set to approve the final safety plan for campuses to reopen on July 14. Osceola County schools will reopen on Aug. 10 as planned, according to the school district. A draft of Lake Countyโs school reopening plan is available here. The Marion County School Board has a meeting scheduled Tuesday to potentially approve a plan for the upcoming academic year.
Orange County School Board hears from concerned parents, teachers after state order to reopen schools
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. The Orange County Public Schools School Board held a work session meeting to discuss the reopening of schools, the day after the Florida Department of Education commissioner issued an executive order calling for all Florida schools to physically reopen this fall despite the ongoing pandemic. Ahead of the board meeting, a number of parents and teachers took part in a car parade that was organized by the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association. Smith-Mangan is a parent of children who attend school in the Orange County Public School District. Dr. Raul Pino from the Orange County -Florida Department of Health, answered almost three hours worth of questions from school board members Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Orange County Public Schools announced that they would not be holding in-person graduation ceremonies due to the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Orange County.
Central Florida school districts respond to state plan to reopen schools in August
News 6 reached out to all 10 county school districts in the Central Florida region for their reaction to the state plan. Parents and Orange County School District families also received a Connect Orange message Thursday in response to the announcement. Osceola CountySuperintendent Pace has been working with a Back-To-School Task Force on how to reopen schools in August, a statement from Osceola County Schools read. Dear SCPS Families/Staff:Today, the Governor announced that the Florida Department of Education has issued a Reopening Schools plan for the upcoming school year. As more school districts respond this story will be updated.