Struggling Florida high school seniors may get graduation reprieve

The big story: Concerned that thousands of Florida high school seniors might not graduate this year because of a test, state lawmakers on Tuesday took steps to delay the increased scores that were supposed to take effect this year.The House tentatively blessed an measure that would not implement the tougher requirement for another year. Representatives said the move, which came at the request of superintendents across the state, made sense given the obstacles the teens faced during the pandemic.This year’s seniors were freshmen when COVID-19 first forced schools to close for a quarter, and their sophomore year was interrupted by quarantines.“It’s going to happen,” House Education chairperson Rep. Ralph Massullo said, suggesting key senators also appear to be on board. The argument made by superintendents and others “was a good one and one we have to pay attention to,” he said. Read more here . Testing: Following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ lead, the state Legislature advanced a proposal to scale back Florida’s reliance on the College Board’s courses and tests . Vouchers: House and Senate budget negotiators compromised on how much money to set into reserve for the state’s expanded voucher program, Florida Politics reports. Required instruction: The House is expected to approve legislation requiring instruction about Asian-American history in K-12 schools, WMFE reports. Restroom use: The Senate is lined up to consider requiring all public facilities including schools to have restrooms designated for exclusive use by people according to their assigned sex at birth , the News Service of Florida reports. Charter schools: The House is poised to approve a bill that would require school districts to share more money with charter schools , Florida Politics reports. Higher education funding: The House and Senate reached agreement on funding for several higher education programs , Florida Politics reports. Today in Tallahassee ... The Senate is in session beginning at 10 a.m. with several bills on special order, including SB 846 on higher education agreements with foreign entities. • The House is in session beginning at 10 a.m. with several education bills available for final consideration. • Budget conference committees will continue to meet as needed. Black history lessons: With Florida placing restrictions on instruction about race in schools, a Pinellas County organization will offer a Freedom School to teach teens about “inclusive American history.” Book challenges: The Escambia County school district will offer parents more options about the books their children may borrow from school, WEAR reports. School start times: The Pinellas County school district approved bell schedules for 2023-24, and not everyone is happy with the changes , WUSF reports. Superintendent searches: Politics and division marked the Sarasota County School Board’s first public forum on picking its next superintendent, the Herald-Tribune reports. • The Charlotte County School Board narrowed its superintendent candidate list to five finalists , the Port Charlotte Sun reports. • Hernando County superintendent John Stratton withdrew as a finalist for Brevard County superintendent, the Space Coast Rocket reports. • The Martin County School Board named deputy superintendent Michael Maine as its acting superintendent , TC Palm reports. Teacher pay: A new report shows Florida teacher average pay ranks 48th nationally , WPEC reports. Teacher misconduct: The Florida Department of Education said Duval County superintendent Diana Greene failed to appropriately report educator misconduct and threatened her with financial penalties , WTLV reports. More from the Florida Times-Union . Teacher shortages: Some Tampa Bay area students are spending time sitting in auditoriums and gyms without teachers, as their districts struggle to fill vacancies and find substitutes, WFTS reports. From the court docket ... A judge dismissed perjury charges against former Broward County superintendent Robert Runcie, the Associated Press reports. Protests: The University of South Florida fired an employee who was involved with a March 6 protest that devolved into an altercation with police. The campus police also were recommended to get more training on how to deal with demonstrations. President searches: Florida Atlantic University officially launched its search for a new president with a nine-page profile of qualities and duties, the Sun-Sentinel reports. College football: Plans to bring a football stadium to the University of South Florida Tampa advanced into a design phase with a $14.8 million agreement . Campus “indoctrination”: Florida’s 12 public universities received seven complaints about violations of the “Stop Woke” Act over 4-1/2 months it was in effect. All were dismissed as unfounded, the Miami Herald reports. Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup . Before you go ... RIP Harry Belafonte. Enjoy the fun way they used his “Banana Boat Song” for “Beetlejuice.”• • •Every Thursday, get the latest updates on what’s happening in Tampa Bay area schools from Times education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek. Click here to sign up.

Struggling Florida high school seniors may get graduation reprieve

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