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What’s new in Florida education?

The Department of Education has a 31-page handbook on all the latest rule changes.
 
The Hillsborough County School Transportation Department on Harney Road is a busy place as officials get buses ready for the school year.  SKIP O'ROURKE   |   Times
The Hillsborough County School Transportation Department on Harney Road is a busy place as officials get buses ready for the school year. SKIP O'ROURKE | Times
Published Aug. 5, 2019|Updated Aug. 5, 2019

The Florida Legislature gave school districts another bumper crop of new and revised rules for the year that begins next week, ranging from who gets teacher bonuses to how to treat incidents of anti-Semitism.

Many of the issues got plenty of attention as lawmakers debated them, sometimes fiercely and furiously. But often, the details on how to implement the changes were scant. In some cases, they still are.

Aiming to help get districts up to speed, the Florida Department of Education has released a 31-page manual filled with the latest information on everything from revamped graduation requirements to the ongoing academic standards review requested by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Need to know about extended application deadlines for Bright Futures scholarships? Check page 4.

Curious whether your school’s industry certifications will be approved and accepted. That’s on page 7.

Wonder which courses can substitute for Algebra II and statistics for purposes of earning a “scholar” designation on your diploma? The lists appear on page 9.

The document goes through all the major issues, providing basic information, added links and contacts within the department to answer questions. When the most current details are not yet complete, as in the case of the new career and technical education graduation pathway, the department offers what it has and makes clear an update is in the works.

It’s some informative reading for anyone who wants to know in one centralized place what the state has done. Check it out.