Major banks to pull contributions for Florida school vouchers because of anti-LGBTQ discrimination

| 1/30/2020

Major banks to pull contributions for Florida school vouchers because of anti-LGBTQ discrimination

Two major banks are ending their financial support of Florida’s private school voucher program because of reports of discrimination against LGBTQ students. That program allows companies to make donations, which are deducted from their taxes, to fund private school vouchers for lower-income students. Wells Fargo also decided to halt their donations to the program. More from the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News.

South Florida students told to stay home after possible exposure to coronavirus

Thirty high school students in Palm Beach County have been told to stay home because they may have been exposed to coronavirus at a weekend conference. The group had attended a Model United Nations event at Yale University in Connecticut that was cut short when the university notified participants that a student from China with a cough and fever had been taken to Yale New Haven Hospital. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Fans and critics appear as Florida waits for more detail on Common Core replacement

Florida’s new academic standards, replacing Common Core, already has fans and critics. That’s despite the state still waiting to fully roll out the 10-year-old current curriculum’s replacement. Governor Ron DeSantis only gave an outline of B.E.S.T. Standards, or Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking, last week. The Republican said the full details will be released before the end of the current week. [Source: WFTS ]

In new book, national education historian calls Florida 'model of lawlessness and greed'

For the last two decades, Florida has been a laboratory for school choice policies: alternatives to public education like privately-run charter schools and taxpayer-funded scholarships to private institutions. Diane Ravitch argues that’s not something to celebrate or emulate. Ravitch is a historian, advocate and former assistant education secretary under Republican President George H. W. Bush. She once believed charters, vouchers and standardized testing could improve public school education. [Source: WLRN ]

Florida Senate's education plan increases spending, but not as much as DeSantis wants

The Florida Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday tentatively approved a $22.6 billion fiscal 2021 state education budget that would increase overall spending by $762.8 million over this year’s plan, but falls about $300 million shy of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ education budget request. [Source: The Center Square]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› College athlete compensation a hit in Florida House Of Representatives [CBS Miami]
A plan that would set ground rules for a system in which Florida college athletes could market themselves easily cleared its first House panel Tuesday. The proposal, being watched by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, maintains that pay for on-field performance would remain prohibited.

› Students isolated after measles case at Florida College [WFLA]
Florida College is isolating students after a confirmed case of measles showed up on campus. Thursday, students at Florida College got an email and other alerts about a student on campus being sick with the measles. Health officials say the student went to South America and came back with measles.

› Florida Senate panel OKs bill shielding names of public university, college president applicants [Tallahassee Democrat]
A bill that would keep secret names of applicants for presidencies of Florida’s public universities and state colleges until they become finalists cleared a key legislative panel this week. The Senate Education Committee OK'd the bill (SB 774) on a 6-1 vote Monday. The proposal is similar to legislation that failed in previous sessions.

› Brevard schools roll out new mental health curriculum, but some teachers feel overwhelmed [Florida Today]
Brevard Public Schools has begun rolling out its version of a new state-mandated curriculum to educate students on a number of important subjects, from mental health to substance abuse and child trafficking. The new standards are aimed at shoring up the mental and emotional health of Brevard's students. But they also place additional burdens on its teachers.

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