Texas looks to Florida for guidance on public education

The big story: Gov. Ron DeSantis is not the only political leader pushing Florida’s education agenda.

So, too, is Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

In a speech in Houston, the Texas Republican told business executives that his goal for public education in the Lone Star State is to be the best in the nation. And that means copying Florida, particularly in the area of choice.

“What school choice does ... is ensure competition in the education place and public schools in Florida are doing better,” Abbott said. “Private schools in Florida are doing better. Homeschooling in Florida is doing better. Across the board, education is better.” Read more from The Center Square.

Of course, there are many in both states who strongly disagree with the approach, which they say funnels money away from public education. They also oppose Florida’s laws to remove books from classrooms, limit teachers’ interactions with students and restrict instruction about race and gender.

Texas is trying those too, as are several other Republican led states. Read more from Texas Observer.

Hot topics

Book challenges: The Escambia County school district has two books about sexual abuse under review for whether they’re appropriate for students, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. • The Clay County School Board adopted new procedures to clarify which books are allowed in classrooms and libraries, Clay Today reports.

Personal pronouns: Legislation to restrict the use of personal pronouns in school is advancing to the state Senate for final consideration, Florida Politics reports.

School zones: The Broward County School Board approved a controversial plan to redraw the boundaries for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Student athletes: Documents indicate the FHSAA faced pressure from sponsors to drop plans to require female students athletes provide information about their periods in order to play, the Palm Beach Post reports.

Superintendents: The Sarasota County school district has officially opened its superintendent search, the Herald-Tribune reports.

Technology: Charlotte County school district officials are discussing whether to ban student use of cellphones during class time, the Port Charlotte Sun reports.

Vouchers: The Orlando Sentinel requested copies of complaints against private schools that accept state-funded vouchers. The state asked for $10,414, the Sentinel reports.

Other school news

The Duval County school district faces potential lawsuits over alleged teacher misconduct at its school of the arts. The district has hired an outside law firm to prepare, Jacksonville Today reports.

Broward County schools remain closed today because of flooding. The area has experienced millions of dollars in damages, the Miami Herald reports.

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A Tallahassee charter school made national news over its use of Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture and the principal’s ouster. Some parents say the school’s real problem is high teacher turnover, WFSU reports.

The fate of Escambia County’s long struggling Warrington Middle is back in play. An agreement to have a charter school firm take over daily operations appears to be falling apart, meaning the district might end up closing the campus, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

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

Before you go ... The Electric Mayhem has been around for decades. But they’ve never released an album. Now they have a show. Can’t wait.

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