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According to the Florida Education Association (FEA), nearly 10,000 public school teacher and staff positions are vacant as the 2024-2025 school year begins. Of these vacancies, 5,007 are instructional positions and 4,835 are support staff. The number of vacancies has decreased from 11,992 in August 2023. FEA President Andrew Spar expressed concern about the impact of the shortage on students, stating that nearly 5,000 classrooms do not have a professionally trained teacher. He also criticized politicians for not addressing the issue and for keeping Florida teachers ranked at the bottom of the nation in average pay. The FEA compiled the data from advertised vacancies listed on school district websites. The largest instructional vacancies are in Hillsborough, Broward, Palm Beach, Polk, and Lee districts. The Florida Department of Education has not yet reported its count of teacher vacancies for the start of the school year. The shortages in the profession are attributed to stress, low pay, high cost of living, and the political climate. Florida ranks second lowest in teacher pay nationwide. The average starting salary for teachers in Florida is $48,286, while the national average is $44,530. The average teacher salary in Florida is $53,098, more than $16,000 below the national average. David Finkle, a high school English teacher, highlighted the challenges faced by teachers, including large class sizes.

 

Florida Phoenix

Florida has been ranked 41st out of 51 states in terms of student debt. A study by WalletHub compared the indebtedness and earning opportunities of residents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Delaware were among the states with the most student debt. On the other hand, Florida, Nevada, and Oregon were among the states with the least student debt. As college costs continue to rise, it is important for students to carefully plan their borrowing and consider attending college in a less expensive state. Federal student loan interest rates are also increasing, making it crucial for students to calculate how much they can afford to borrow. Cassandra Happe, an analyst at WalletHub, suggests using a Student Loan Calculator to determine an affordable monthly payment and payoff timeline.

 

NBC Miami

Get FREE Reading Intervention Resources to Raise FAST ELA Scores

Only 53% of Florida students in grades 3-10 scored a proficient score of 3 (out of a total of 5) on the 2024 Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) in English Language Arts. Improving reading comprehension, building background knowledge, and teaching explicitly based on the science of reading are essential for improving literacy proficiency.

This series of articles, videos, and downloadable resources has been designed specifically for reading intervention educators and administrators in Florida.

Access Free Resources

 

The Supreme Court has rejected the Biden administration's efforts for it to partially lift two injunctions barring the Education Department from enforcing most of its Title IX rule. In a 5-4 decision released Friday, the high court said it had not been given sufficient basis to disturb the lower courts’ findings that the challenged gender identity and sex discrimination protections were “intertwined with and affect other provisions of the rule.” The Education Department had asked the court to lift the preliminary injunctions on enforcing the rules, arguing that the decisions by federal courts in Louisiana and Kentucky to block the entirety of Title IX regulations in a number of states were overly broad. States requested the injunctions based on objections to provisions within the regulations that deal with discrimination based on gender identity. The ruling is being seen as a major blow to the administration’s efforts to strengthen protections for transgender students and leaves in place the complicated patchwork of Title IX policies across the country as the school year begins.

 

The Hill

K-12 Dive

Politico

Washington Post

The Detroit school board has postponed a $168,075 contract with Paper, an online tutoring company, due to concerns about the company's practices and efficacy. The move comes after previous investigations revealed problems faced by school districts across the country in using Paper during the COVID pandemic. Families and educators have complained about the quality of service, with students struggling to use the text-based chat platform and tutors working with multiple students at once. Community activist Helen Moore urged the board not to vote for the contract, citing the company's bad reputation.

 

Chalkbeat

Broward County Public Schools’ chief of safety and security Jaime Alberti has resigned. It's not clear why, NBC6 Miami reports, but Alberti submitted his resignation days after a chaotic rollout of metal detectors kept students waiting in lines long after the first bell rang. Superintendent Howard Hepburn said district administrator Ernie Lozano will temporarily fill Alberti's role while a nationwide search to fill the position takes place.

 

NBC6 Miami

The Osceola County School Board has decided to pause a chaplain program after concerns were raised about potential First Amendment violations and interest from The Satanic Temple. The board voted 3-2 to remove the policy from consideration, citing the need for further discussion. The program, authorized by a new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, allows volunteer chaplains to provide support services to public K-12 students. However, opponents argue that untrained chaplains may not be qualified to address the diverse spiritual and religious needs of students. The Satanic Temple expressed enthusiasm about the program, while the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and the Council of Florida Churches Inc. have voiced opposition. The decision by the Osceola County School Board highlights the challenges faced by school districts in implementing the new law.

 

Tallahassee.com

Gov. Ron DeSantis' office and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis are considering an audit of former University of Florida president Ben Sasse's spending. Sasse's office reportedly tripled its spending to $17.3m, including increased travel costs and hiring former U.S. Senate staffers. Sasse abruptly resigned in July, citing his wife's health. The Independent Florida Alligator student newspaper first reported the excessive spending. The Board of Governors and university leadership are being consulted on the matter. “We take the stewardship of state funds very seriously and have already been in discussions with leadership at the university and with the (state university system’s) Board of Governors to look into the matter,” DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin said in a statement.

 

Orlando Weekly

Thousands of books have been dumped by the New College of Florida in Sarasota, including the library for the defunct Gender and Diversity Center. The move has sparked outrage among students who believe the books could have been donated. The college's decision to get rid of its gender studies department last October and now clear out the Gender and Diversity Center is seen as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis's "war on woke." Incoming senior Natalia Benavides expressed her shock at seeing the books being thrown into a dumpster, stating that they could have been re-homed. New College claims that the books were no longer serving the needs of the college and were not part of any official collection. The college also cited state law as the reason for not donating the books. Some of the books were recovered by the Social Equity Through Education Alliance.

 

Daytona Beach News Journal

Tampa Bay Fl News

The race for the Leon County School Board District 4 seat in Florida has become a highly partisan affair, drawing attention and cash from both sides. Incumbent Laurie Lawson Cox, a Republican, is being challenged by newcomer Jeremy Rogers, a firefighter and preschool owner. The race has seen personal interventions from the leaders of both state political parties, with the state Democratic Party chair joining door knockers for Rogers' campaign and the state Republican Party chair targeting Rogers on social media. Experts have differing opinions on whether Amendment 1, which aims to enhance transparency in school board elections, will make races more transparent or more divisive. The winner of the District 4 race will be decided on August 20. The campaign has been marked by endorsements, attacks, and the politicization of issues. The election has also created fault lines on the School Board, with some members quietly supporting Cox and others remaining impartial. Cox's campaign has received bipartisan support, including an endorsement from Superintendent Rocky Hanna.

 

Tallahassee.com

The Citrus County School Board District 2 election features four candidates vying to succeed retiring Ginger Bryant, who has served for 24 years. The candidates are: Ken Frink, a former City Manager and Bryant's former student; Laura Gatling-Wright, a teacher at Florida Connections Academy; Dale Marie Merrill, a lawyer focusing on student behavior; and Victoria Smith, a geometry teacher and past president of the Citrus County Education Association. Frink leads in campaign donations, with $54,786 raised, while Smith follows with $29,800. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, the top two will compete in the November General Election.

 

Florida Politics

Middleton-Burney Elementary School students helped break ground at the site of a new Crescent City elementary school. The $68m project is part of the Putnam County School District's 10-year revitalization plan. Superintendent Rick Surrency hopes to move the students and staff into the new facility by the 2025-2026 school year. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by district leaders, Crescent City Mayor Michele Myers, and Middleton-Burney Elementary School Principal Tiffany Scranton. The construction is made possible by the bond referendum approved by Putnam County voters.

 

Palatka Daily News

Students who are chronically absent from school are more likely to struggle with mental health challenges, with pre-teen boys and teen girls reporting the highest signs of distress. A University of Southern California (USC) survey of 2,500 households nationwide found that the availability of mental health services in schools increased with household income. The national school absenteeism crisis continues, with 25% of students, or about 12m children, being chronically absent. California saw a decrease in chronic absenteeism, but districts statewide are still facing challenges. Emotional and behavioral problems contribute to absenteeism, with a strong link between poor mental health and chronic absenteeism. Families with lower incomes reported higher rates of using mental health services if offered in schools. There is an opportunity for schools to increase offerings and outreach to meet the unmet need.

 

EdSource