A bill that would eliminate salaries for school board members and increase scrutiny of the way public-school instructional materials and library books are chosen is now primed for consideration by the full House.
Schools
For Second Time in 3 Weeks, Flagler School Board Members Reject Declaration Against Hate
An attempt by Flagler County School Board member Colleen Conklin to revisit a proclamation denouncing hate speech failed today, with School Board member Jill Woolbright calling the debate a “waste of time” and Janet McDonald calling hate speech subjective.
Dear Chairman Tucker: Don’t Appease School Board’s Crackpots
School Board members Janet McDonald and Jill Woolbright are directly and exclusively responsible for the board’s degradation into binges of deceit and zealotry. Until they have their third vote, it’s in Chairman Trevor Tucker’s power to re-assert the reality-based majority he speaks for. Anything less is appeasement–or complicity.
FPC’s Jack Petocz Is Featured at Length in Page One New York Times Story on Schools’ Book Bans
Jack Petocz, the Flagler Palm Coast High School senior who organized last November’s protest against two local school board members’ attempt to ban books from school libraries, is featured today in a Page One New York Times article that examines a surge of attempted and actual book bans in school districts across the country, including in Flagler.
Secret College Presidential Searches in Florida Would Open the Way to Corruption, Nepotism and Cronyism
Once again, certain legislators want to exert more control — not less — over the thoughts, actions and beliefs of local Floridians who are seeking higher education to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Where Are All the Substitute Teachers?
Pay for substitute teachers averaged $17 an hour in May 2020, according to federal figures. Assuming a substitute worked as much as possible – seven hours a day for 180 school days – that’s $21,420 a year, which is about one-third of the national average pay for full-time teachers. It is also below the poverty line for households with three people.
Are Lawmakers Seeking to Censor Discussions of Race and Gender in Classrooms and the Workplace?
With such things as critical race theory and sensitivity training targeted, much of the debate and public testimony centered around the bill’s effect on schools and whether it would curtail frank discussions about United States history and race.
Dismissing ‘Slippery Slope of Censorship,’ GOP Senators Back Stricter Scrutiny of School and Library Books
The proposal (SB 1300) would change the review process for books and other learning materials, adding requirements and making it more open to the public but also enabling regular purges of book lists to align them with standards or if the books are considered out of date.
Embry-Riddle Awarded $3,875,000 for Cybersecurity Scholarships for Students
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University this week joined a national effort to build aviation and aerospace cybersecurity after being selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to receive $3,875,000 that will be awarded in scholarships to students in cybersecurity programs over the next five years.
Jacob Oliva, Still a Flagler Resident, Is One of Three Finalists for Miami-Dade Superintendent
Jacob Oliva, senior chancellor of education and a former superintendent of Flagler County schools, is one of three finalists for superintendent in Miami-Dade, the nation’s fourth-largest district. The nine-member Miami-Dade school board will interview him for the job, along with two other candidates, on Monday.