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.
Schools
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.
Special Education Council Draws Up Superintendent Recommendations as Board’s Consultants Fret
Flagler schools’ Exceptional Student Education Parent Advisory Council is submitting a list of superintendent candidates it deems worthy of further research to the school board-appointed citizens advisory committee. EPAC’s involvement was not quite welcomed by the board’s consultants.
The School Board’s Proposed Decorum Rules Are a Pretext to Silence Critical Information
The Flagler County School Board is considering speech restrictions at its meetings that include comment cards before a person can speak and prohibiting references to staff, students or anyone in the district.
Religious Leaders Defend Parochial Schools’ Shunning of LGBTQ Students on Taxpayers’ Dime
Religious leaders and some black lawmakers on Tuesday escalated a fiery debate over anti-LGBTQ policies at private schools that receive state-funded scholarships, fueling discussions of religious freedom, discrimination and politics.
Colleen Conklin’s Name and Harsh Charge Overlay Superintendent Search Advisory Panel’s First Meeting
School Board member Colleen Conklin’s decision to run for superintendent on at least seven occasions dominated discussions and concerns at the first meeting of the board-appointed Citizens Advisory Committee charged with drawing up a selection of top candidates from a list of 35.
School Board’s Trevor Tucker Asks For Expedited Attorney General Opinion on Conklin’s Superintendent Application
School Board member Trevor Tucker wants Attorney General Ashley Moody to shed clarity on the legal and ethical implications of Colleen Conklin’s “unprecedented” decision to apply for the superintendent’s post from her seat as a school board member.
Colleen Conklin, Candidate for Superintendent, Takes Leave From School Board to Avoid Conflicts
School Board member Colleen Conklin said to avoid any appearance of conflict and reduce difficulties for her colleagues, she would step back from board duties until the appointment of the new superintendent on March 17.
Rubio Derides as ‘Publicity Stunt’ Banks’ Funding Halt to Vouchers Underwriting Anti-Gay Schools
An investigation found at least 156 Florida private schools that took state-funded scholarships had anti-gay views or policies, and 83 of the schools refused to admit LGBTQ students or could expel them if their sexual orientations or gender identities were disclosed.
Girl Who Threatened to Kill FPC Teacher in Racist Screed Gets Probation, and Must Write Essay on Hate Speech
The 17-year-old former Flagler Palm Coast High School girl last December was found guilty of terrorist threats to kill her English teacher through racist-laced electronic messages with another student in December 2018.
School Board: Don’t Boot Out 4 Advisory Panel Citizens in Superintendent Search Because of Conklin’s Application
Stephen Furnari is one of the Conklin appointees to the Citizens Advisory Committee, and a representative of the ESE community. But he and three other Conklin appointees are being excluded from the committee now that Conklin is applying for superintendent.
Colleen Conklin Applies for Flagler Superintendent in Bold But Risky Move After 20 Years as School Board Member
Colleen Conklin, at 20 years the longest-serving member of the Flagler County School Board, this afternoon applied to be the next superintendent, a move that triggers a series of ramifications and places her four colleagues in the odd position of deciding whether to be her boss.
FPC Principal Cautions of Anonymous Threat With ‘Some Specificity’ as Campus Security Heightens
An anonymous threat was reported by way of a tip to Flagler Palm Coast High School officials, who are taking precautions this morning, heightening security sweeps.
Marcus Foundation Pledges $5 Million For Civics Education and Debate in Florida Schools
Governor Ron DeSantis announced the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative with The Marcus Foundation for elevating civic knowledge, civic skills and civic disposition for middle and high school students.
Just 21 Apply for Flagler Superintendent With 4 Days to Go, Among Them Vernon Orndorff
Cathy Mittelstadt, the deputy superintendent in St. Johns County Schools, and Vernon Orndorff, previously Jacob Oliva’s right-hand man in the Flagler district, are among the applicants. The window closes Jan. 31.
NCAA Looking at Florida and Other States as Athletes’ Pay Is Debated
NCAA leaders reaffirmed they won’t support a system that makes students paid employees of schools, something Florida isn’t looking to do.
Military Training as College Credits? It Could Soon Be Reality in Florida
Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation that would allow service members and veterans to receive college credits for their military training, with the goal of saving time and money.