Florida combats colossal teacher shortage

Florida combats colossal teacher shortage

There were 5,294 teacher vacancies in Florida in January 2023, according to the Florida Education Association's (FEA) last count of teaching and staff positions advertised on district websites. Furthermore, the number of support staff vacancies was 4,631. The number of teacher vacancies was up from 4,359 in January 2022 and is far higher than the 2,217 vacancies in January 2019, when DeSantis took office. [Source: Newsweek]

See also:
» Opinion: $20 a week won’t fix the teacher shortage

12-month schools plan in Florida moves forward

A program, which would create year-round schools in certain counties in Florida, is moving through the Florida Legislature. Senate Bill 1564 passed unanimously in the Education Pre-K-12 committee this month, and next heads to the Appropriations Committee on Education. If approved, the pilot program would start next year for a period of four years. The Florida Education Commissioner would decide which school districts would take part. More from  WPLG and WPTV.

Higher education reform bill gets makeover in Florida Senate, advances to final committee

There’s a harsh reality all Floridians are dealing with: It costs more to live here than it did a couple of years ago. In some communities, a lot more. Whether keeping the lights on or loading up the grocery cart, it’s getting harder to make ends meet for working families. Floridians are especially feeling the pinch with high housing and insurance costs. It’s tough for Florida educators, who are weathering this inflationary storm with some of the lowest salaries in the country. Despite having the fourth-largest economy in the United States, Florida ranks 48th in the nation in average teacher pay. More from  WPTV and the Florida Phoenix.

What books are appropriate for Florida schools? Two teachers seek clarity

As book challenges have increased across Florida, school officials have grappled with vague requirements and cautionary advice to “err on the side of caution.” The resulting reactionary outcomes, including preemptive removal of titles and, in some cases, self-censorship have caused frustration among opponents of book bans and restrictions. They have criticized actions taken based on the objections of one person, and argued in favor of a more even-handed approach that takes all viewpoints into consideration. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

University leaders unite to focus on partnerships with business

Higher education and partnerships with the private sector are the key instruments to develop the future workforce, say the leaders of some of the most important universities and colleges in South Florida. As most industries are experiencing a rapid pace in the growth of technological change, including technology impacts in healthcare, finance, environmental conservation, and social services among other industries, Dr. Elizabeth Bejar, provost, executive vice president, and chief operating officer of Florida International University, said industry boards need thought leaders that would partner with a higher education institution to help frame the experiences for students and faculty. [Source: Miami Today]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› TikTok banned from school-owned devices at all Florida state universities [CNN]
The State University System of Florida Board of Governors has banned the social media app TikTok, along with some other software, applications, and developers, from use on university-owned devices “due to the continued and increasing landscape of cyber threats.” In a memo sent to state university system presidents on Wednesday, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said, “This regulation requires institutions to remove technologies published in the State University System (SUS) Prohibited Technologies List from any university-owned device and to block network traffic associated with these technologies.”

› FSU Nursing admits largest class in college's history [FSU News]
The Florida State University College of Nursing has accepted its largest undergraduate cohort in the college’s history with 150 students scheduled to begin the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the Fall 2023 semester. This move is a direct reflection of the college’s work to boost enrollment and address the nursing workforce shortage facing the country, especially in Florida.

› Fake school threats on the rise in South Florida [CBS 12]
As school threats are increasing at a troubling rate, the number of fake threats coming into authorities have also seen a problematic rise. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder says that school threats are at an all-time high. No matter how vague, he says deputies must do a full threat assessment every time.

› USF Black Leadership Network helps students excel beyond the classroom [Tampa Bay Times]
Raised by a single mother in Putnam Hall, 25 miles east of Gainesville, Isaac Washington dreamed of pursuing higher education from a young age. When he got into the University of South Florida, he was ecstatic — but, coming from a community of 150 people, slightly intimidated. For first-generation students, the transition to college can be especially difficult. For Washington, it wasn’t just classes but all of the other “life things” that overwhelmed.

Tags: Education eNews

Previous Education Updates:

• FHSAA to potentially sanction esports in Florida schools
• College crime surging back to pre-COVID levels. Here's the crime at Florida colleges, universities
• Florida student aid requests plunge. How many will delay or skip college?
• Florida schools have a teacher shortage. Why are they cutting jobs?
• Florida schools need more nurses. Can they compete with employers who pay more?
• Florida's MBA programs: Mastering the cyber industry
• Florida settles lawsuit over LGBT education bill
• $117.5 billion state budget pumps up education spending
• Florida lawmakers continue debate over school red tape, education spending and more