The big story: Ask many struggling students what keeps them trying in classes, and they’ll tell you that playing on a school sports team or participating in a school club provides the incentive.
That’s part of the reason Florida lawmakers have over the past few years broadened eligibility rules, including among other things allowing children whose schools — including charters and home schools — don’t offer certain teams to play at others that do.
The most recent changes have allowed two Pasco County high schools that have not had teams to reconsider. “There’s a lot that can be learned from being part of a team,” said Pasco school board vice chairperson Colleen Beaudoin, who pushed to have athletics at the two schools. Read more here.
In Leon County, the eligibility issue has led to controversy. After hearing parent complaints that charter school students were playing on a championship-bound middle school soccer team, superintendent Rocky Hanna disqualified the students.
That led Florida education commissioner to blast Hanna’s decision as “more odious than Dr. Suess’ infamous Grinch.” Read more from Florida’s Voice.
Teacher discipline: A Palm Beach County high school science teacher was removed from his classes pending an unspecified investigation, WPBF reports. • A Palm Beach County middle school teacher resigned rather than being terminated after accusations he told students from Haiti and Ukraine to go back where they came from, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Swifties: Students in the University of South Florida’s course studying the lyrics of Taylor Swift say they feel like they’re part of a special cultural community, WUSF reports.
Superintendents: The Volusia County school board approved a four-year contract for superintendent Carmen Balgobin, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.
School pride: A team of artists painted murals inside and outside a Miami-Dade County middle school for Miami Art Week. They said they wanted to help instill pride in the school’s students with their work, the Miami Herald reports.
Scholarship dispute: The battle between Orange County government leaders and the elections office over the office’s use of funds to create a college scholarship has landed in court, Florida Politics reports.
Inmate education: The Miami-Dade County school district has extended its agreement to provide academic and vocational instruction to inmates in county jails, WLRN reports.
Getting there: The Hendry County school district is the latest to begin using cameras to catch speeders in school zones, WBBH reports. • A Lee County mom disputes the school district’s way of measuring the distance from her home to school, as she tries to get a bus ride for her child, WINK reports.
College loans: A South Florida debt collector is accused of delaying collection of student loans so it could tack on its own additional fees, the Miami Herald reports.
Board politics: Volusia County school board chairperson Jessie Thompson is on the hot seat with her colleagues after her comments from a Moms for Liberty conference surfaced online. The Daytona Beach News-Journal offers more information about Thompson, who won election to the board two years ago.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go … It’s Friday the 13th. So for your enjoyment, the movie theme, reimagined.
Jeffrey S. Solochek is an education reporter covering K-12 education policy and schools. Reach him at jsolochek@tampabay.com.
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