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Students are at home, in school. What’s the best way to teach them?

A roundup of Florida education news from around the state
Teachers walk into the Pinellas School Board headquarters on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Largo. The teachers had plans to speak during a school board meeting to protest the district's requirement that teachers teach in-person and online students at the same time. District officials decided to use the model to keep social distancing in classrooms.
Teachers walk into the Pinellas School Board headquarters on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Largo. The teachers had plans to speak during a school board meeting to protest the district's requirement that teachers teach in-person and online students at the same time. District officials decided to use the model to keep social distancing in classrooms. [ DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times ]
Published Sept. 15, 2020|Updated Sept. 15, 2020

Florida’s latest education conundrum has started to center on a basic concern. Schools have one large contingent of students learning remotely and the others in classrooms. Yet the breakdowns for courses, while also keeping social distancing in mind, has not made an easy divide for their teachers. Several districts have told teachers to lead classes of in-person and at-home students concurrently. It’s not proving popular. Read on for the latest.

The approach is being called ‘simultaneous teaching.’ Pinellas County teachers tried to negotiate the concept away on Monday, saying it does a disservice to both children and educators. They didn’t make much progress. • Broward County teachers were told they must use the model when their campuses reopen, likely in October, and they’ll have to do it from classrooms, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Broward Teachers Union Anna Fusco said she had a ‘ginormous problem’ with this directive.

Students, staff become a priority for coronavirus testing. The Pasco County school district and health department unveiled a rapid test program, based on school nurse recommendation. • Duval County school bus drivers and aides have concerns about how their cases are being handled, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Still counting cases? The Collier County school district reversed course and began listing positive results and quarantines, the Naples Daily News reports. • Alachua County schools reported an increase in cases, but low overall numbers, the Gainesville Sun reports. • Lee County had its first quarantined classroom, the Fort Myers News-Press reports. • Orange County schools have had cases reported on 30 percent of campuses, the Orlando Sentinel reports. • A statewide tracker remains in the works, WPEC reports.

‘The schools were full today.’ Monroe County schools reopened their classrooms after starting the school year with online-only instruction, the Miami Herald reports. • Miami-Dade County schools won’t reopen without hearing from health experts first, WLRN reports.

Online learning remains problematic for some Florida school districts. [Times files, 2015]
Online learning remains problematic for some Florida school districts. [Times files, 2015] [ Highlands Today ]

Online learning goes offline. Collier County’s distance learning system stalled amid a district-wide network outage, the Naples Daily News reports. • Alachua County schools are trying to help families get connected for remote classes, but don’t have enough devices to go around, WUFT reports.

Can school nurses keep their benefits if they don’t want to work this year? With a pandemic ongoing, it’s not likely, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Speaking of benefits ... Brevard County teacher contract negotiations made little progress, with health insurance premiums the latest sticking point, Florida Today reports.

For those of you who like rankings ... The University of Florida rose in the latest U.S. News and World Report university ratings. UF and the University of Miami were the only two Florida institutions to rank among the top 50 national universities, Florida Phoenix reports.

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What’s in a name? A Duval County group aims to stop the school district from renaming schools that carry the names of Confederate leaders, WJCT reports. They say it’s about school pride, and not defending the Confederacy.

The bad weather continues. Hurricane Sally prompted schools to close across north Florida, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s the link to yesterday’s roundup.

Before you go ... Sorry to remain stuck on the tropical weather patterns, but they’re just so 2020 for us. There’s only one name left on the list. Plus, the images just are fascinating. Be prepared.

This satellite image provided by the NOAA shows five tropical cyclones churning in the Atlantic basin at 5:20 p.m. GMT on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. The storms, from left, are Hurricane Sally over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Paulette over Bermuda, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rene, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky. (NOAA via AP)
This satellite image provided by the NOAA shows five tropical cyclones churning in the Atlantic basin at 5:20 p.m. GMT on Monday, Sept. 14, 2020. The storms, from left, are Hurricane Sally over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Paulette over Bermuda, the remnants of Tropical Storm Rene, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky. (NOAA via AP) [ AP ]