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Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will allow school districts in the state to authorize volunteer school chaplains to provide services to students. The measure, which has faced opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union, aims to bolster existing resources for students' mental health. Under the new law, school districts and charter schools can choose to allow chaplains to provide support and programs, as long as certain requirements are met. Written parental consent would be required for student participation, and the policies would have to describe the services provided. The ACLU argues that allowing chaplains in public schools violates students' and families' right to religious freedom and could result in inadequate mental health support. The new law is set to go into effect in July.

 

The Miami Herald

Orlando Sentinel

Tampa Bay Times

The Biden administration has unveiled a final set of sweeping changes to Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination at government-funded schools. The changes, which reinstitute protections for student survivors of sexual assault and harassment rolled back under former President Donald Trump, will take effect on August 1. The new regulations expand the definition of sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity, and aim to equip schools with clear-cut instructions to promptly and effectively respond to all forms of sex discrimination. The final update also establishes a lower burden of proof for survivors and students alleging sex discrimination. However, the administration has maintained several major provisions from the previous regulations to ensure consistency while schools update their procedures. The changes are expected to draw swift criticism from those who view the transgender student protections as an attack on protections for cisgender women and girls. The administration has yet to finalize a separate rule governing athletics eligibility.

 

The Hill

US News

In one-third of all school districts, the number of students per teacher is getting higher, with some states grappling with ratios as high as nearly 40 students for every teacher. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that nationally, the ratio is 15.4 students for every teacher, which aligns with the decades-long student-to-teacher ratio of 16 students for every teacher. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, some school systems are dealing with larger class sizes and fewer teachers to teach them. In Florida's Hendry County, the student-to-teacher ratio is the highest in the U.S. Nevada last year topped the nation with teacher shortages caused by low pay and pupil growth. The county also has 25% poverty rate—106% higher than the U.S. average. Population growth in the area is only exacerbating student-to-teacher ratios. Its local high school, LaBelle High School in Port LaBelle, Florida, was designed for 1,000 students but now has 1,400.

 

The Miami Herald

After months of discussion, Brevard Public Schools in Florida is moving forward with its guardian program, allowing trained employees to carry weapons on campuses. The decision was made after considering the cost of training staff and the number of interested participants. The program aims to protect students and staff in the event of a school shooting. The guardian program was established in 2018 following the Parkland shooting and was expanded in 2019. Brevard Public Schools already has school resource officers and security specialists, but the new program will involve current district employees who undergo extensive training. Participation in the program is voluntary and includes a screening process and rigorous training.

 

Florida Today

Fort Lauderdale is running out of cemetery space, prompting the consideration of converting shuttered Broward County schools into burial grounds. Mike Watson, the District 1 representative for the city's Cemetery System Board of Trustees, urged commissioners to explore this option due to the limited space in city-owned cemeteries. The Broward County School Board had previously identified five schools for closure or repurposing by 2025 due to low enrollment. The city's program manager for municipal cemeteries, Stacy Spates, mentioned that at least 15 to 20 acres would be required to build an additional cemetery. However, other uses for closed schools, including affordable housing, are also being considered. 

 

The Miami Herald

More federal and state policymakers are focusing on addressing data privacy, especially for children, because of increasing concerns about how companies collect and sell user information and how that affects users' mental health. Congressional lawmakers have introduced several data-privacy bills, some of which deal directly with children's online privacy. At least 15 states have enacted comprehensive data-privacy laws since 2020, while other states either have narrower laws or have at least introduced data-privacy laws during the current legislative session, according to Bloomberg Law. The problem with some of those policies, according to school data-privacy experts, is they don't always consider how day-to-day school operations would be affected. Schools use student data to support decisionmaking, to personalize learning, and for better reporting as required under federal and state laws. The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, would require certain online platforms to provide children with options to protect their information, disable addictive features, and opt out of personalized recommendations. Those platforms would also be required to design and operate their products in ways that prevent or mitigate negative effects on children, such as mental health disorders, bullying, and sexual exploitation. The Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA 2.0, would amend the original Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. The bill would build on the 1998 law and would prohibit online platforms from collecting personal information from users who are 13 to 16 years old without their consent. The current law only applies to children under 13. COPPA 2.0 would also ban targeted advertising to children, and require companies to allow parents and children to erase their personal information from the platforms. 

 

Education Week News

A school bus crash in Lee County caused delays and backups, according to the Lee County School District. The crash involved two school buses, but it is unknown if either driver was ticketed or if anyone was taken to the hospital. The crash affected all southbound lanes of South Tamiami Trail at Bernwood Parkway in Bonita Springs. No students were aboard the bus at the time of the crash. The Lee County School District follows DOT guidelines and requires drug testing after accidents. The exact number of injuries and their severity is still unknown.

 

News-Press.com

An Orlando lawmaker has criticized Florida universities for offering raffle tickets to students in order to boost participation in a politically charged state survey. The Board of Governors extended the survey deadline and announced the raffles, which drew backlash from Rep. Anna Eskamani. She called the survey biased and questioned the historical lack of student participation. The survey includes questions about the impact of political views on campus relationships and the difficulty of being friends with someone who voted for a different candidate.

 

Orlando Sentinel

Taylor Swift's profile is increasing in Central Florida, with the University of Florida offering a literature course on the star, who this morning released a double album titled The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. The course, titled LIT3301: Cultural Studies and Popular Arts, will explore American and international cultures as represented in film, fiction, and other cultural artifacts. The idea for the course came from three English professors who analyzed the lyrics of Swift's song "Begin Again." The course will include discussions on literary themes across Swift's music career and will compare her music to literary figures like Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. The course is open to all majors but requires students to have completed English Composition 1 and 2.

 

Click Orlando