‘Backbone of society:' Florida principals, classroom teachers to receive $1,000 bonus

| 5/27/2021

‘Backbone of society:’ Florida principals, classroom teachers to receive $1,000 bonus

Tens of thousands of teachers and principals throughout Florida will receive $1,000 bonuses, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday. Speaking at Baker County Middle School in Macclenny, the governor said he asked the Florida Legislature to approve the bonuses to reward classroom teachers and principals for all their dedication and sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bonuses will go to classroom teachers and principals in every school district and public charter school in Florida. More from WTXL and Click Orlando

Florida law will allow college athletes to profit from name, image, and likeness

College student-athletes help the NCAA generate billions of dollars each year. “We put in a lot of work, work that fans don’t see. That’s us doing it,” Florida A&M University quarterback Chris Oladokun said. Coaches sign multi-million dollar contracts and athletic programs land lucrative sponsorships, while the student-athletes are denied the fruits of their labor — until now. There is about to be a seismic shift coming soon to college athletics, and the state of Florida is leading the way with Senate Bill 646 - Intercollegiate Athletic Compensation and Rights. [Source: WFTS]

McCullough tapped to become FSU president

The Florida State University Board of Trustees on Monday selected Harvard University Vice Provost for Research Richard McCullough to succeed retiring FSU President John Thrasher. McCullough topped two other finalists who hold high-ranking posts at the University of North Carolina and Tulane University. As Florida State strives to climb into the top 10 public universities in the nation, McCullough told trustees that a focus on students is paramount to reaching the goal. [Source: News Service of Florida ]

Parents criticize Florida school for altering yearbook photos deemed immodest

Parents and students are criticizing teachers at a Florida high school for digitally altering photos in a yearbook in order to cover up students whose clothes the school officials deemed too immodest. The St. Augustine Record reported that 80 students at Bartram Trail High School in northeast Florida had their yearbook photos altered without their consent in order to cover up exposed shoulders and low necklines. More from the AP and the St. Augustine Record.

University of Tampa moves to quell housing shortage with tuition breaks

After a miscue that left its freshman class overbooked, the University of Tampa is offering a deal to students scrambling to find off-campus housing: Start next year instead and get a discount. The price break will come in the form of a $3,500 per year “deferral grant.” It comes as parents of incoming students have taken to social media to express frustration over a lack of clarity from the school about what caused the problem. Many say they are having to absorb larger-than-anticipated costs for off-campus apartments in downtown Tampa. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› USF scientists announce initial findings from Piney Point research effort [USF News]
University of South Florida College of Marine Science researchers today shared their initial findings of how the Tampa Bay ecosystem has responded to the controlled discharges of nutrient-rich wastewater released from the retired Piney Point fertilizer processing plant. The scientists launched their first research cruise on April 7 and have returned to the water several times since.

› UM fires its law school dean, setting off outrage among faculty, alums and students [Miami Herald]
In an abrupt move, University of Miami President Julio Frenk fired School of Law Dean Anthony Varona on Tuesday, sparking outrage among professors, students and alumni, and prompting Varona to hire a lawyer, who denounced the termination as “an egregious violation” of the dean’s legal rights. Frenk broke the news in an email to the university community, shocking faculty members who hadn’t been notified or consulted about it prior, which tends to be the standard procedure.

› The tumultuous 2020-21 school year will end with more than 115,000 cases of COVID-19 in FL’s K-12 schools [Florida Phoenix]
The first full academic year under the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to a tumultuous close in Florida schools, with more than 115,000 infections accounted for by students, teachers, staff and others. But while the numbers continued to rise throughout 2020-21, the Florida Department of Health’s COVID updates in schools became a difficult task, the Phoenix found.

› Colleges in Manatee and Sarasota ease COVID restrictions as fall semester approaches [Bradenton Herald]
Area colleges and universities are moving toward normalcy after a year of mask mandates, online classes and virtual graduations. Two campuses — New College of Florida and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee — are part of the State University System, which recently announced a return to “pre-COVID operations” for the 2021-22 school year.

Tags: Education eNews

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