Critics call for veto of massive Florida education bill

| 5/11/2017

Critics call for veto of massive Florida education bill

After lawmakers ignored their calls to vote down a sprawling education bill, opponents of the wide-ranging measure have turned to Gov. Rick Scott as their last hope to stop the proposal from becoming law. Critics object to how the education bill emerged from budget negotiations last Friday crammed with pieces of a dozen separate bills plus $414 million in spending attached. “Where’s the government transparency that the leadership promised this session?” asked Florida Education Association President Joanne McCall. See the full 278-page Education Bill, here (PDF). Read more at WUFT.

Florida may restore college aid lost during Great Recession

Nearly a decade after the Great Recession, Florida may finally restore one of its main programs that aids students headed to college. A key part of the legislation now headed to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott would require the state to cover 100 percent of tuition costs for top performing high school students. [Source: AP]

Graduates at Florida university turn backs in protest of DeVos speech

Graduating seniors at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida turned their backs in protest of U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at the start of her commencement speech on Wednesday at the historically black institution. It was not clear how many of the approximately 300 seniors participated in the silent protest. Full story from Reuters, here. Also read more at Politico.

State colleges, universities required to unwind their reliance on foundations

University and state college foundations would be prohibited from using public funds to pay for their employees beginning in 2022 and would face more disclosure requirements under an agreement reached Friday by legislative leaders. [Source: Miami Herald ]

Labor market outcomes for students graduating from Hispanic-serving institutions

A new Florida State University study finds Hispanic students who attend and graduate from Hispanic-serving colleges and universities have comparable earnings to those who graduate from similarly ranked non-Hispanic-serving institutions. [Source: FSU News]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Leon County lecture focuses on black higher education [Tallahassee Democrat]
Leon County will host its second Library Lecture Series which offers the community an opportunity to pause and reflect on the 152nd Anniversary of the end of slavery in Florida.

› Florida Tech Institute of Technology awarded STARS sustainability certification [Space Coast Daily]
Florida Institute of Technology has received certification under the prestigious Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), solidifying its standing as a state and national leader in university sustainability.

› Polk State begins public forums for president candidates [Lakeland Ledger]
Polk State College faculty, students and members of the community took the opportunity Tuesday to meet with the first of five finalist candidates for the job of college president.

› Hodges University offers workshops on protecting personal information [Florida Business Daily]
Hodges University's Identity Fraud Institute will offer two workshops to better prepare financial and health care professionals for protecting the personal information of their clients.

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