Stetson University President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD, joins more than 100 college presidents who offer insights into the forces reshaping higher education in the new book, “Commencement: The Beginning of a New Era in Higher Education.”
Schools
11-Year-Old Faces Felony for Threatening to Put 30 Bullets in a Buddy Taylor Middle Student
An 11-year-old sixth grader was arrested and charged with a second-degree felony for threatening to shoot a student at Buddy Taylor Middle School as a result of an argument over a girl.
Don’t Say Stay: More than Half of Florida LGBTQ+ Parents Considering Leaving
LGBTQ+ parents reported that their children had already experienced harassment and bullying at school and they also had fears about continuing to live in Florida. Almost one-quarter of parents surveyed feared harassment by neighbors.
Outrage Grows Over DeSantis Suppression of Black Studies AP Course
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rejection of an Advanced Placement pilot course on African American studies elicited a resounding response from a crowd of at least a hundred people gathered in the state Capitol Wednesday.
Matanzas High School Again Target of a Bomb Threat, Again Deemed a Hoax
Matanzas High School was on “Code Blue”–meaning a bomb threat–again for the second time in two months. The threat was made by phone, and was likely to be a hoax.
DeSantis’s War on Academic Freedom Is Systematically Subordinating Education to Ideology
DeSantis’s edicts include stifling testimony from professors in federal court cases, creating new “evaluations” for tenured professors, surveying students and faculty on campuses to measure political leanings, investigating expenses related to Critical Race Theory, and rejecting an Advanced Placement course on African-American studies that has reached national criticism.
DeSantis Wants Partisan School Board Races and 8-Year Term Limits, Not 12
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed to further politicize local school board elections — a way to get more conservatives on those boards that oversee Florida’s massive public education system.
Leaders Pledge to Fight DeSantis Administration Suppression of African-American Studies Course
Saying that an African-American studies course “lacks educational value,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is defending its rejection of the curriculum, while Black religious leaders and elected officials are pledging to “fight like hell” against the decision.
Paul Renner Proposes Making All Private and Home School Students Eligible for Public Dollars
Calling it a move toward “universal choice,” House Speaker Paul Renner announced an education savings account proposal that would make every student in Florida eligible for school vouchers — a move that Democrats blasted as a Republican attack on public education.
Custodial Services’ Renee Berry and Matanzas Math Teacher Lee Winfree Win District’s Top Honors
Renee Berry, the Custodial Services department secretary, was named the Flagler County School District Employee of the Year, and Lee Winfree, a math teacher at Matanzas High School, was named the District Teacher of the Year at the annual celebration at Flagler Auditorium Wednesday evening.