Daytona State College nursing student Cassie Angrisani has been recognized by the State Board of Education for her work as an emergency responder on the front lines during the COVID-19 crisis. Angrisani was honored on Wednesday, before the Board’s regular meeting by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran and Division of Florida Colleges Chancellor Kathy Hebda.
Schools
Florida as Sports Hub: DeSantis Wants Professional and Youth Teams to Resume Playing in State
The Washington Post reported that Major League Soccer is looking to house players in large resorts near Disney World as a way for games to resume for all 26 teams in Orlando.
Rampant Covid Infection at Choir Practice Points to Dangers of Groups, Even Without Contact
As Gov. Ron DeSantis weighs when to move ahead with lifting additional coronavirus restrictions, a report issued Tuesday by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted how contagious the virus can be in group settings.
Florida Students Seek Tuition Refunds in Class-Action Lawsuits Filed Against All 12 State Universities
The University of Florida quickly made plans to issue prorated refunds of housing and dining payments once the coronavirus emergency closed campuses. But the lawsuits contend it and the broader university system should have gone further in refunding money.
Florida’s Universities Weigh What May Be an Altered Reopening This Fall, With Emphasis on Remote Classes
FSU Provost Sally E. McRorie told faculty members in an email that it is likely the school will only offer in-person courses that cannot be done remotely. Many universities are considering keeping at least some instruction online.
‘Like Someone Went to Class and Didn’t Come Back’: Florida Universities Contend With Students’ Belongings
Universities across the state will allow students to have items delivered to them or return to campus at a safe time to pick up belongings. Some universities are even preparing to dispose of unwanted items at the students’ request.
More Than 700 Graduating Eagles Unite Online for Virtual Celebration
Spring commencement season is here and, although in-person ceremonies across the globe could not take place as planned due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University community has come together online to share, in spirit, the success of all 754 Eagles graduating in its Daytona Beach Campus spring Class of 2020.
Graduates, Start Your Engines: FPC and Matanzas Will Have In-Person Graduation at the Speedway on May 31
Flagler Palm Coast High School and Matanzas High School will hold their graduation ceremonies on May 31 at the International Speedway in Daytona Beach following a committee’s work on devising an original plan to ensure a safe, in-person event despite the coronavirus emergency.
Daytona State Earns No. 3 Ranking for Nation’s Best Paramedic to RN Programs
Daytona State College’s healthcare program has received another honor as the school’s Paramedic to RN transition program is ranked No. 3 nationally by Registered Nursing.
Business Group Report Estimates $859 Million Hit to Florida’s Economy From School Closures
Florida’s economy could take an estimated $859 million hit as a result of school campuses being closed for six weeks during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released Monday by the Florida Council of 100 business group.
A Plea From Superintendent Tager To Telecoms: Students Need Reliable Internet Connections Across Flagler
As the Flagler school district went virtual in answer to the coronavirus crisis, it found that unreliable internet service in parts of the county puts some students at a disadvantage. Superintendent Jim Tager asks communications companies to address the gap.
Flagler School Board Adopts Anti-Discrimination Policy Without Specified Protections for Transgender Students
In contrast with months of raucous public debate on the issue, the Flagler school board in a virtual meeting on Tuesday adopted a policy without two words–gender identity–that had triggered intense controversy.
Schools Closed for Rest of School Year; Tager Says Decision Gives Families and Employees ‘Peace of Mind’
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to keep schools closed comes amid pressure from the statewide teachers’ union and medical groups. The governor acknowledged “there was some division amongst folks” on the issue.
Flagler County’s Teachers Union Joins Call on Governor To Keep Schools Closed For Rest of the Year
Flagler County Education Association President Katie Hansen said today she was “absolutely” behind the state education association president’s call on Gov. Ron DeSantis to keep schools closed for the remainder of the year, for the safety of students, staff and families.
1st Infection in Flagler Nursing Home; Flagler Opens Covid Testing Site at DSC Tuesday; Big Food Drop For Needy at FPC
Flagler opens its first drive-up Covid-19 testing site Tuesday and organizes a major food drop as infection numbers appear to be slowing but local officials say it’s still important to “stay the course” on distancing.
Florida Seeing Over 1,000 New Infections a Day as Federal, State and Local Officials Send Clashing Messages
The largest spike of coronavirus cases yet in Flagler-Palm Coast was on Thursday, with seven cases confirmed just that day, for a total of 44. Most of the new cases are the result of local, or community, transmission.
Mittelstadt Signs 3-Year, $154,200 Superintendent Contract After School Board Splits 3-2 Over Details
The board had approved the contract on Tuesday, but with less unanimity than all five board members wanted: the unusual 3-2 vote split over a clause that two board members said was not giving Mittelstadt the job security she should have in an election year.
Flagler Cases Up to 4; Woman Treated for Covid-19 at Advent Is Released, But Her Son, an FPC Student, Tests Positive
Tuesday was proving to be a day of mixed signals, with resilience and fortitude competing with challenges and more dispiriting numbers as various segments of society were rapidly adapting to life under different degrees of restrictions and still often unclear expectations.
Flagler Covid-19 Cases Up to 3 as Health Department Kicks In ‘Contact Tracing’ and Palm Coast Hunkers Down
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Flagler is now three, Department of Health figures indicate in the daily, midday update, up from one the evening before, as the department is tracing down who patients have had contact with, and where.
No School Board Meetings Until July and Potential Extension of School Year to June 30 as Questions Swirl
The coronavirus-triggered directives are raising questions among local officials about whether in-person school will resume at all this school year, even after April 15, and about the wisdom of not holding board meetings for long stretches of time.
Flagler Circuit’s Chief Judge Issues Order With Potentially Extraordinary Measures as Florida Covid-19 Cases Double in 2 Days to 319
The court system’s new restrictions reveal the potential for extraordinary, court-ordered measures in answer to the coronavirus emergency, pointing to the sort of unprecedented role the courts and law enforcement may be taking on in the weeks and months ahead.
Flagler and Florida Schools Will Remain Closed Through April 15, But With Distance Learning; State Tests Cancelled
All of Flagler’s schools’ physical campuses will remain closed at least through April 15 by order of Gov. Ron DeSantis, but distance learning will be instituted starting March 31. State tests are cancelled for the remainder of the year in response to the coronavirus emergency.
Flagler Schools Will Distribute Free Breakfast and Lunch Daily; Restaurants Implored to Offer Take-Out Only
The food distributions will be to all children up to age 18 regardless of qualification for free or reduced lunch, but children must be present and adults will not qualify for the free food, though arrangements with food banks are in the works to address those needs as well.
Grace Community Pantry Steps Up to Offer Food Bridge to Flagler District’s Neediest Children During Emergency
Grace Community Food Pantry, Flagler County’s largest food operation for the neediest, is offering to provide substantial food aid during the coronavirus emergency for distribution to Flagler County schoolchildren who would normally get free or reduced meals at school.
Florida Coronavirus Cases Triple in 2 Days to 64; Floridian Dies in California; AdventHealth Announces Measures
Coronavirus cases have jumped to 64 as of early Saturday morning, from just 21 two days ago, according to the Florida Department of Health, with nine cases in Florida unrelated to travel and 16 cases whose origins are still under investigation. Four Floridians have died from Covid-19, one of them in California.
Schools Closed Through March 30, Jury Trials at Flagler Courthouse Suspended as Coronavirus Fallout Continues
All jury trials have been suspended at the Flagler County courthouse through March 30, and all public schools in the state have been ordered to remain closed through March 30 as well.
Even in Flagler, Virus-Related Postponements and Restrictions Begin to Accumulate
The Flagler school district is scrapping out of state travel, the Sheriff’s Office is postponing the Safety Expo, Flagler College is moving classes online, Bethune Cookman is cancelling them, among other schedule disruptions.
Coronavirus Prevention Is Not Overreaction: Flagler Schools Should Extend Spring Break
With the coronavirus and its many knowns and unknowns, what may look like an overreaction today is the most effective form of prevention, and should not be given the chance to look like playing catch-up weeks from now.
Florida’s Public Universities Ordered to Shift to Online Instruction Only in Response to Coronavirus
As the deadly coronavirus continues to spread, “it has become clear that to protect the students and the residents of our state, proactive rather than reactive guidance to universities is necessary,” officials with the state university system said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
Flagler School Board Chooses St. Johns’s Cathy Mittelstadt To Be Its Next Superintendent
The Flagler County School Board this afternoon chose Cathy Mittelstadt, the assistant school superintendent in St. Johns County, to be the district’s next superintendent, starting July 1 in place of Jim Tager, who will end a three-year tenure.
Volusia/Flagler Chapter Marks ACLU’s Centennial With “Future Voters Essay Contest” and $500 Prize
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ‘s Volusia/Flagler chapter is celebrating the ACLU’s 100th birthday with an essay contest open to all students, with a $500 prize and publication of the winning essay in FlaglerLive.
$500 Million for Teacher Raises, $100 Million for Florida Forever
The $100 million planned for Florida Forever isn’t the $300 million the program annually received more than a decade ago, but it’s a boost for supporters of the program, which got $33 million during the current fiscal year.
Public Responses to 4 Superintendent Candidates Draw Sharp Distinctions on Eve of Board’s Choice
there is no clear-out, absolute favorite in public responses, but there are certainly sharper opinions, good and bad and in descending order, about Earl Johnson, Vernon Orndorff and Cathy Mitteldstadt.
Florida House Speeding Toward Proposal to Allow Stadium-Wide Prayers at High School Games
Amid a long-running legal battle, the Florida House on Friday moved forward with a proposal that could allow schools to offer prayers over public-address systems before events such as high-school championship football games.
Teacher and Ex-Matanzas Coach Ripley Faces Accusation of Excessive Force With Special Ed Student, 8
Wadsworth ESE teacher Robert Ripley was caught on school video twice pushing an 8-year-old student, behavior deemed impermissible by the school board attorney, in an incident that took place just one day after another ESE teacher was fired for using excessive force toward a student.
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Earl Johnson
Earl Johnson has been the executive director of leadership and operations for Flagler County schools–a position similar to that of deputy superintendent–for the past three years.
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Cathy Mittelstadt
Cathy Mittelstadt, an assistant superintendent for operations in St. Johns County for the past three years, spent the majority of her professional years, almost all of them in leadership positions, in Florida’s top-ranked school district.
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Janet Womack
Janet Womack, a 2016 Alabama Superintendent of the Year and the second of four candidates the Flagler school board interviewed for superintendent today, spoke repeatedly of framing her leadership aims toward excellence: “What is the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae, what will set us apart from the rest?”
School Board Superintendent Interviews: Vernon Orndorff
Vernon Orndorff, a 12-year veteran of Flagler schools who rose to the No. 2 administrative position before taking a job in a small Texas district three years ago, was first up this morning among four candidates for superintendent interviewing with the Flagler County School Board.
Full House and Senate Will Vote on Requiring ‘Moment of Silence’ in Schools
The Senate Rules Committee on Monday signed off on a bill (SB 946) that would direct principals and teachers to give students up to two minutes each day to reflect on anything they want.
How the School District Allowed “Rocco” Paffumi To Keep Teaching Despite 5 Violent Incidents
Jeffrey Rocco Paffumi, the former Buddy Taylor Middle School teacher who physically threw a student out of class in January, had a long and documented history of violent behavior in and out of the district, including two arrests and at least five previous instances of violent behavior toward students or adults, men and women–in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2014. Yet he was allowed to keep teaching.
Flagler School District Explains Its Role and Parents’ Responsibilities in Wake of Coronavirus Outbreak
The Flagler County school district issued a statement regarding district protocols in place in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, and precautionary expectations as far as what parents and guardians may or should do.
Without Apologies: Why EPAC Exists, and Why We Are Concerned About the Choice for Superintendent
Kristi Furnari, secretary of the Exceptional Student Education Parent Advisory Council, explains the organization’s deep and at times controversial involvement in the Flagler school district’s search for the next superintendent.
Orndorff, Mittelstadt, Johnson and Womack Will Be Interviewed for Superintendent; Conklin Eliminated
Combining local and non-local applicants, the Flagler County School Board will interview four candidates for superintendent: Kathy Mittelstadt, Vernon Orndorff, Earl Johnson and Janet Womack.
Hearts and Rainbows v. Satan and Lies as LGBTQ Advocates and Opponents Hold Neighboring Demonstrations
The two demonstrations by advocates and opponents of LGBTQ rights outside the Government Services Building in Bunnell preceded the Flagler County School Board meeting Tuesday night, which again was dominated by transgender rights issues.
Issuing Superintendent Preferences, ESE Committee Is Sharply Critical of Process and Local Candidates
The Exceptional Student Education Parent Advisory Council, a group of volunteers recognized but not sanctioned by the Flagler County School Board, issued its own recommendations for superintendent–a list of six candidates, none of them local, while pointedly excluding or sharply criticizing four of the local candidates who’d made a different short list.
The Quiet Rooms: How School Employees in Illinois Used Isolation Timeouts Illegally
The investigations found public schools throughout the state overused seclusion, routinely breaking the law that allowed children to be placed in isolated timeout only when there was a safety issue.
Jim Tager Lands Superintendent Job in Vermont, But Not Before End of Local ‘Marathon’
A 1,700-student school district in northeast Vermont voted unanimously this week to appoint Jim Tager its next superintendent as the Flagler School Board’s search for his replacement approaches its conclusion.
Retreating from HPV Vaccine in Flagler Schools, Health Department Expands Its Own After-School Hours for Access
The second Tuesday of every month starting May 12 the Flagler Health Department will make all vaccines for all ages available free to accommodate parents who can’t take advantage of the department’s morning immunization schedules.
In Flagler Primary for Superintendent, Orndorff, Mittelstadt, Johnson and Conklin Are Committee’s Top Choices
Vernon Orndorff, Cathy Mittelstadt, Earl Johnson and Colleen Conklin each got 50 percent or more votes from the 20-member citizens’ committee making non-binding but still weighty recommendations for superintendent to the school board.