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Florida education news: Parental rights, term limits, tax revenue and more

A roundup of stories from around the state.
 
Sen. Joe Gruters is sponsoring a parental rights bill in the Florida Legislature. [Samantha J. Gross | Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau]
Published April 22, 2019

PARENTAL RIGHTS: As a bill to grant parents more say over their children’s education and care begins moving late in the Florida legislative session, LGBTQ advocates raise concerns the measure might hurt teens who seek services before coming out to their parents.

TERM LIMITS: A push to limit Florida school board members to two consecutive four-year terms stalls in the Senate. It does not appear on any committee agenda this week, after leaders postponed it a week ago.

TAX REVENUE: Pasco County school district officials say they expect to add wings to crowded schools using sales tax income that exceeds projections.

FOREST STRONG: Nine weeks after Parkland, Forest High School in Marion County experienced its own campus shooting. Students, staff and others reflect on how they have bounced back from the incident, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

TEACHER TURNOVER: The Collier County school district aims to hire about 350 new teachers for the fall, the Naples Daily News reports.

TEACHER PAY: St. Johns County teachers earn about $2,500 below the state average, while district administrators make above the state average, the St. Augustine Record reports.

ACHIEVEMENT GAP: The Alachua County school district develops an equity plan to help overcome differences in academic performance among racial groups, the Independent Alligator reports.

SCHOOL GUARDS: A lawsuit claiming the Duval County school district’s guardian program endangers students heads to court this week, with the district trying to get the case dismissed, the Florida Times-Union reports.

NURSES NEEDED: Florida’s state college system nursing programs can’t keep up with the demand, the Herald-Tribune reports.

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCHES: The Indian River County school district has spent nearly $700,000 over 16 years in superintendent searches and payouts, TC Palm reports. It’s about to start another one.

CHARTER SCHOOLS: A new charter school is slated to rise on the site of a longtime Duval County environmental cleanup site, the Florida Times-Union reports. • The Okaloosa County School Board prepares to vote on the application of a long-sought Destin charter high school, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

THIRD GRADE RETENTION: The state of Mississippi increases its requirements for passing its third-grade reading test and progressing to fourth grade, based largely on Florida’s efforts, the Associated Press reports.

MOVING OUT: The Marion County school district considers relocating several technical programs and its administrative offices, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

LABOR NEWS: Three hopefuls angle to replace the Polk Education Association’s retiring president, the Ledger reports.

REALLY? Florida Virtual School’s interim chief executive claims a British nobility title, and some people are questioning whether it’s true, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

SOFTWARE WOES: The Manatee County school district continues to struggle with new business software that was supposed to modernize its operations, the Bradenton Herald reports.

PRESSING CHARGES: A Volusia County third grade teacher asks for criminal charges against one of her students who she says punched her, WESH reports.

BAD ACTS: A Broward County deputy is placed on restricted duty after pepper spraying a high school student, Fox News reports.