The big story: The news that select charter schools have every intention to take advantage of a new law allowing them to claim unused space in district public schools caught many Floridians off guard.
That’s because the law that paved the way for this action happened with little public debate, long after lawmakers officially had ended consideration of policy matters in order to focus on their long delayed budget deliberations.
Democrats blasted the initiative and the way it went down. But the measure passed overwhelmingly, with Gov. Ron DeSantis signing it and later cheering the arrival of a New York-based charter operator Success Academy as the next “School of Hope” provider on its way.
The Sun-Sentinel recaps the activities, politics and finances that led to the law that is stirring so much discussion. Read it here, along with a sidebar.
Few lawmakers who voted for the changes are offering explanations when asked about the rules now, Suncoast Searchlight reports.
Sarasota County superintendent Terry Connor told The Florida Roundup that the Schools of Hope pose a challenge to high performing districts, and questioned the need for them.
Speaking of charter schools, a federal judge sided with the Hillsborough County school district’s decision to shutter a local charter school that was found to have safety deficiencies. Walton Academy had refused to close after the school board’s action, prompting the legal maneuver.
Baseball stadiums: The Tampa Bay Rays are looking at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus as a possible site for a new stadium. The talk is prompting concern at the college’s largest location.
Cellphone use: Researchers looking at a large unnamed Florida school district found that restrictions on student cellphone use have had limited effect on student academic performance, and short-term increases in discipline referrals especially among Black students, Hechinger Report reports.
Contract talks: The Clay County Education Association declared impasse in its negotiations with the school district after failing to reach a deal on salaries, WJAX reports.
Fee feud: The city of Tallahassee has backed away from its insistence that the Leon County school district pay millions of dollars in fire services and stormwater fees, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Homecoming: Florida A&M University canceled a big-screen showing of the school’s homecoming football game just hours before kickoff, citing safety concerns, WCTV reports.
Job training: Miami Dade College is promoting its apprenticeship program in more than 20 fields to help students prepare for well paying jobs, the Miami Herald reports.
Private schools: A private school will rise in a new Palm Beach County development instead of a charter school, despite government leaders’ concerns about whether area residents can afford private school tuition, the Palm Beach Post reports.
School board members: Gov. Ron DeSantis has named Broward County school board member Adam Cervera to the FHSAA board of directors, Florida Politics reports.
Social media posts: The Lee County school district publicly released the social media posts about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk that led to the superintendent’s recommendation that three teachers be dismissed, WINK reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to Friday’s roundup.
Before you go … Japan’s Grand Sumo tournament made its way to London for a five-day contest. If you’ve never paid attention to sumo, you should check it out.
Jeffrey S. Solochek is a reporter covering education as a member of the Tampa Bay Times Education Hub. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here.
