Teachers returned to Flagler’s nine public schools today amid bitter disputes over their safety and options while the district contends with innumerable and at times competing concerns, with somewhat diminished ranks and no additional resources to make it all stick. It’s going to be a difficult year.
Schools
School District Will Limit Information on Its Covid Cases Even as Flagler Children Have 17% Positivity Rate Since Mid-July
Citing privacy, the Flagler County School District is limiting the information it releases about covid cases among its employees or students even as the proportion of positive cases among children is growing rapidly and schools are set to reopen on Aug. 24.
Carol Bacha (Mother Elizabeth), Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Carol Bacha, also known as Mother Elizabeth, is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Bacha is running in District 3 against Paul Mucciolo and incumbent Colleen Conklin.
St. Johns Schools Discriminated Against Transgender Student, Appeals Court Rules in Case with Local Implications
On the heels of months of debate over Flagler schools’ stance on transgender students, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that the St. Johns County school district discriminated against a transgender high school student by denying him the right to use the boys’ bathroom.
Colleen Conklin, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Colleen Conklin is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Conklin, a five-term incumbent, is running in District 3 against Paul Mucciolo and Carol (Sister Elizabeth) Bacha.
Paul Mucciolo, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Paul Mucciolo is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Mucciolo is running in District 3 against incumbent Colleen Conklin and Carol Bacha, also known as Mother Elizabeth.
37% of Flagler Students Opt for Online Instruction; School Board Clashes Over Meaning of Covid ‘Data’
While facing some public and employee anxieties the Flagler school district is moving ahead with reopening, though key criteria such as when a school or in-person instruction would be shut down from a covid outbreak remain a mystery, raising further questions.
Vincent Lyon, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Vincent Lyon is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Lyon is running in District 1 against Jill Woolbright.
Jill Woolbright, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Jill Woolbright is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Woolbright is running in District 1 against Vincent Lyon.
Back To School Sales Tax ‘Holiday’ This Weekend Includes Computer Costs of Up to $1,000
Many children are expected to start the school year taking classes online because of concerns about the spread of the virus, likely spurring some families to look for computer equipment.
Cheryl Massaro, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Cheryl Massaro is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Massaro is running in District 5 against first-term incumbent Maria Barbosa.
Maria Barbosa, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Maria Barbosa is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Barbosa is running in District 5 against Cheryl Massaro.
Florida Pediatricians Say Districts With Positivity Rate Higher Than 5% Must Delay Opening
Florida pediatricians Wednesday released recommendations aimed at reducing risks to children and teachers, saying the benefits of reopening schools will not outweigh the health risks in many areas for the next four to six weeks.
Union Calls for Online Classes Only at Florida’s Colleges and Universities
The push to keep university and college campuses closed during the fall semester, amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, adds another pressure point on the Republican governor, who is increasingly facing criticism for how he has reopened the state.
School Board Approves 2-Week Delay and Revised Calendar, But McDonald Again Peddles Bogus Claims
The special meeting ended in a whirl of unanswered questions about the threshold that would trigger more delays or remote-only instruction, and in yet more outright false information spoken by Chairman Janet McDonald, who cited as factual bogus claims in a viral video that’s been banned from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Flagler Adds 2 More Covid Deaths, for Total of 12; Flagler Children’s Overall Positivity Rate at 10%
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 55 Flagler County children ages 17 or younger have tested positive out of 545 tested, yielding a positivity rate of 10.1 percent–a rate higher than commonly assumed.
Board Set to Approve Flagler Schools Calendar With Shorter Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks
Flagler County public school students may be enjoying an extra two weeks of summer, but a proposed revised calendar will have them make up every lost day through shorter Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks. Faculty members are losing teacher work days.
Flagler Covid Cases Set New Record for the Week, Including 6 Children 14 Or Younger; 22 in Treatment at AdventHealth
The latest Flagler County residents to test positive include girls age 2, 5 and 8 and boys age 8, 9 and 14, which raises concern for school and health officials looking at the reopening of local schools.
My Son Is the Student-Athlete at Matanzas Who Tested Positive. Here’s My Advice to the District.
The mother of the Matanzas High School student-athlete who tested positive for Covid-19 describes the experience and provides suggestions to the school district, and the community, on how to handle school athletics this coming year. In short, don’t cancel them.
Flagler School Board Supports Pushing Back Opening to Aug. 24; Up to 40% May Opt for Remote Learning
The Flagler School Board supports its superintendent’s request to delay school’s opening to Aug. 28 for students, and at least to Aug. 10 for faculty, to give staff more time to prepare for a radically different school-campus landscape that may be missing up to 40 percent of in-person students.
Student Athlete Tests Positive at Matanzas High as FHSAA Opts for Regular-Season Schedule Against Advice
Athletes in several school sports have been preparing for the fall season, which is set to resume at the same time as school’s resumption on Aug. 10, though Covid-19 cases are surging in Flagler and Florida.
Teachers Unions Sue Gov. DeSantis and Corcoran Over “Unsafe” Reopening of Schools as Virus Surges
Florida’s teacher unions have sued Gov. Rick DeSantis today, calling a state order to open schools to in-person instruction as the coronavirus surges “unsafe” and in violation of the state Constitution’s requirement that schools are operated safely.
Bernie Sanders Is Right. Free College. Now.
Youth unemployment is sky-high, reaching over 20 percent for people aged 16 to 24 this June. Student loans are at historic highs. It’s even more important now to eliminate the financial barriers to continuing education.
50-Year-Old Man Is Flagler’s 2nd Covid Death in 2 Days as Florida Sets Another Single-Day Fatality Record: 156
Flagler County has seen a surge of 102 cases in the last five days in tandem with a continuing surge in the state, with local residents complaining of long delays in getting Covid-19 test results.
Education Commissioner Corcoran’s Call to Reopen Schools Sparks Criticism from State Board
More than a week after Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran ordered schools to reopen in August, members of the State Board of Education on Wednesday said his order has sparked confusion, fear and angst.
6th Covid Death in Flagler; Florida’s Fatalities Surge and Cases Exceed 300,000; School District Announces Remote Option
Flagler County is coming to terms with a situation more serious than some officials–more particularly, a few county elected officials–have acknowledged, with the school district on Tuesday announcing what amounts to a return to remote instruction for all those who want it come Aug. 10.
15,300 News Cases in Florida Exceed New York’s High; Flagler Sets New Record; Schools Prepare to Open
Flagler County set a single-week record of 104 cases with a positivity rate of 10 percent as Florida shattered all single-day records across the nation, yet the Flagler school district is preparing to resume in-person classes on Aug. 10, along with most districts across the state.
Schools, Do Not Play Russian Roulette with Our Lives
We should not reopen schools until the county where the district is located reports zero new Coronavirus cases for two weeks. That would be taking safety seriously, argues teacher and author Steven Singer. It shouldn’t be too much to ask because other countries have been able to do such things.
28% of Flagler Parents Plan for Their Children to Attend Online Classes Only as State Orders Schools to Reopen
Flagler schools will offer two options: in-person instruction or online instruction through iFlagler. School prin cipals and faculty are contacting parents and students to find out what track they’re choosing.
Supreme Court’s Endorsement of Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers for Parochial Schools Undermines Rights
Public dollars should fund public schools, which educate 90 percent of our nation’s students, argues Rachel Laser of Americans United for Separation of Church and State in response to the Supreme Court’s decision clearing the way for taxpayer vouchers for private, parochial schools.
In Major Coup for Palm Coast, UNF in Town Center Is a Go as MedNex Initiative Survives Veto
The University of North Florida’s plan to build a satellite presence in Palm Coast’s Town Center as a feeder of health care practitioners to regional hospitals and clinics is a go as the $24 million dollar MedNex initiative survived Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto pen today.
Behind Belle Terre Elementary Principal’s Resignation: Claims of Theft, Nepotism and Bullying
Details of the Flagler school district’s investigation into ex-Belle Terre Elementary Principal Terence Culver point to a series of incidents involving bullying, favoritism and irregular management of the PTA’s funds.
Starting Teacher Pay Will Be at Least $47,500 as DeSantis Signs $500 Million Education Boost
The budget will then set aside $400 million for school districts and charter schools to increase minimum salaries of full-time teachers and certified pre-kindergarten teachers and $100 million to raise the pay of veteran teachers, librarians and counselors.
Florida Universities Cleared to Open Even as Infections Spike Among Young Adults
Board of Governors Chairman Syd Kitson acknowledged it is likely schools will see new cases pop up as students and employees return to campus in the fall.
School Board Chair McDonald Shuts Down Speaker Critical of Her at Public Meeting, Drawing Rebukes
School Board Chair Janet McDonald stopped a student speaker from delivering his comments at Tuesday’s meeting, allowing him later to deliver it only sanitized from mention of her by name. Two board members condemned McDonald’s move and want the public-speaking rules revised.
The Unedited Statement School Board Chair McDonald Censored at a Public Meeting
The original text of Jack Petocz’s statement is presented here unedited. School Board Chair Janet McDonald shut Petocz down the moment he mentioned her name in the context of a statement critical of her offensive tweeting activity.
Stunning Victory for Transgender and Gay Rights as Supreme Court Makes Protections Explicit
The decision will have far-reaching consequences regarding LGBTQ rights beyond employment, as it now explicitly lays out a prohibition against discrimination that cannot apply in employment situations without also applying in housing, education, the military and elsewhere.
Jim Tager’s and Janet McDonald’s Tweets Bisected the Flagler School Board. McDonald Won.
If School Superintendent Jim Tager left this week, it’s not because he had to–he amassed an excellent record–but because the School Board let just one of its members–Janet McDonald–drive him out. It’s an unsettling precedent.
What Flagler County Schools May Look Like as They Plan to Reopen Aug. 10
Flagler County schools plan to reopen on time on Aug. 10 for the 2020-21 school-year, but state recommendations issued today mean campuses will be vastly different, more restrictive places than students, parents and staff are used to.
Matanzas High and Rymfire Elementary Teams Take Top Honors at International Problem Solvers Competition
A Matanzas High School team was crowned Grand Champion in its division and a Rymfire Elementary team was one of the first-place winners at this year’s Future Problem Solvers International Competition, held virtually because of the coronavirus.
165 Teachers and Other Staffers Qualify for School District’s Offer of Voluntary Early Retirement
Nearly 10 percent of the Flagler County school district’s workforce qualify for an early-retirement offer, the first in a decade as employees contend with Covid-19 anxieties and the district weighs difficult budget years ahead.
School Board Chairman Janet McDonald’s Twitter Feed: Misinformation and Derision Abound, Empathy Does Not
Flagler County School Board Chairman Janet McDonald’s twitter feed is a seethe of conspiracy theories, contempt for government, the press, “leftists,” conventional medicine, and plenty of derision and contempt for protest movements.
Teachers Union Offers Proposal for Reopening Schools With Several Changes
Widespread testing of students, staff and visitors for the virus, adjustments to class sizes and student transportation, changes to the school calendar, promoting hybrid instruction and pushing to hire more school counselors and psychologists to help students’ social and emotional well-being are among the proposal.
A Post-Graduation Letter of Thanks for an Extraordinary Graduation from Superintendent Jim Tager
We would never be able to make up for missed moments, but for the biggest moment in their K-12 journey, Flagler Schools was able to showcase these graduates on one of the biggest stages, says Superintendent Jim Tager.
Daytona State College Announces Hybrid Courses for Summer Term as Campuses Plan to Reopen
Daytona State College has announced its own for the second summer session–the implementation of a blueprint for campuses across the state.
FPC and Matanzas Graduates Cross Finish Line at Speedway in Indelible, Pandemic-Defying Ceremonies
Over 1,000 graduates of Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast High School gathered at the Daytona International Speedway to receive their diplomas today in two ceremonies that broke with precedent even as they rousingly reaffirmed tradition in the face of limitations imposed by the coronavirus emergency.
County, Flagler Beach and School Board Resuming In-Person Meetings, With Some Mask Requirements
Local governments and the school board are preparing to resume in-person meetings in June, some starting next week, but with varying degrees of limitations and requirements–from distancing rules to attendance limits to mask requirements.
Flagler School District Builds Mosaic Honoring Decades of Graduates on Front Lines of Covid Pandemic
The district’s Jason Wheeler sought out graduates of FPC and Matanzas who’d gone on to fill health care and public safety jobs anywhere in the county, the state or the country, and honor them on the district’s Facebook page. There’s been some 200 responses, and counting.
Florida Colleges and Universities Wrestling With When and How to Reopen
Some of the questions gnawing at school leaders are: Who will need to be tested for the virus? Will temperature checks be required before entering classrooms? What will student housing look like? What restrictions will at-risk students and faculty face? What’s the plan for people who get sick mid-semester?
Due To Be Fired, Ex-Coach Ripley Is Allowed to Resign Over ‘Excessive’ Force On 8 Year Old, and Keeps Getting Paid
Ex-Matanzas football coach Robert Ripley was suspended with pay after using excessive force on an 8-year-old boy at Wadsworth Elementary in February. His firing was recommended in March. He’s been kept on through his resignation on May 29.