Florida schools have a teacher shortage. Why are they cutting jobs?

Florida schools have a teacher shortage. Why are they cutting jobs?

Florida schools have made no secret of their inability to find enough qualified candidates to fill jobs ranging from bus driver to teacher. It might seem odd, then, to see school districts preparing to cut jobs and possibly let staffers go at the end of the year. Funding is the issue. Money from federal coronavirus relief grants expires in the fall. And so far there’s not a similar amount to replace it. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

The Florida State vs. ACC lawsuits, explained

The next step in the half-a-billion-dollar legal fight between Florida State and the ACC is scheduled for Tuesday in Tallahassee. The two sides will meet in a Leon County Circuit Court room about FSU’s lawsuit against its conference — not to be confused with the conference’s lawsuit against FSU, or the lawsuits (plural) between the conference and Clemson. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

High school football coaches leaving Florida for higher pay

A growing number of coaches, recognizing things literally are greener in other parts of the country, have left Florida for higher-paying jobs — primarily in states where coach pay is not collectively bargained by a teacher's union. The Florida Coaches Coalition is working with state Rep. Adam Anderson, R-Palm Harbor, on a bill that could see high school coaches paid $15 per hour for a minimum number of hours. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

Florida Supreme Court arguments are set in the UF shutdown case

The state Supreme Court will hear arguments on June 5 in a dispute about whether the University of Florida should return fees to students because of a campus shutdown early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The court Tuesday issued an order scheduling the arguments in the case, which is one of a series of similar class-action lawsuits filed against colleges and universities in the state. [Source: News Service of Florida]

These are the best public high schools in Florida

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students. [Source: WFLA]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› State officials say Broward district owes millions to charter schools. Here’s some context [WLRN]
The current dispute dates back to a tax referendum that Broward voters approved back in 2018 to raise millions of dollars to boost funding for school safety and teacher pay in Broward County Public Schools. At the time, the district didn’t have to share those revenues with charter schools, which are funded with taxpayer dollars but run by private organizations.

› How much skin can students show at school? Pasco seeks dress code clarity. [Tampa Bay Times]
The Pasco County School Board is getting ready to embark on another debate over the length of students’ shirts. In a year marked by several hot button issues, from book challenges to parent permission slips, few items grabbed more of the board’s time than whether students should be allowed to have their midriffs exposed.

› Orange County teachers approve ‘historic’ raise [Click Orlando]
Orange County Classroom Teachers Association on Tuesday approved the district’s “historic” 9% raise for this school year, according to the school district. Orange County Public Schools said the raise will be paid retroactively to instructional personnel to the beginning of the school year. “It is exciting to see our teachers decisively voted to ratify their contract,” Superintendent Maria Vazquez said.

› USF to launch new cybersecurity, AI and computing college in Fall 2025 [WFTS]
Cybersecurity and AI are rapidly growing industries, but there are not enough qualified people to fill positions. The University of South Florida wants to grow the workforce and put Tampa Bay on the map as a hub for technology and defense with a newly created college.

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 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