Seeking alternatives to shuttering half-full schools in Florida
Closing neighborhood schools is not the only way to resolve capacity concerns that have plagued districts around Florida. While some of the state’s biggest school systems are shuttering under-used campuses, others are looking at less divisive approaches to the problem. They’re focusing on ideas such as creating new programs to attract more students and establishing community partnerships to use the vacant space. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
See also:
» Florida districts are closing underused schools. Pinellas and Pasco aren’t. Why?
Florida districts to receive more funding to pay teachers
Teachers across the state can expect a pay bump this year. How much, however, depends on individual school districts. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office on June 10 announced funding of $1.25 billion in the fiscal year 2024-25 budget for teacher salary increases. Teacher salaries and benefits are determined through negotiations between the school district and local teacher unions. [Source: Villages Daily Sun]
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» Florida school districts get early start on teacher pay talks
FSU argues case should move forward
Florida State University late Tuesday urged an appeals court to reject a request by the Atlantic Coast Conference to at least temporarily put on hold a lawsuit that could lead to the school leaving the conference. FSU attorneys filed a 17-page document at the 1st District Court of Appeal that was the latest move in a tangled legal battle that spans two states and has drawn national attention amid major realignments in college athletics. [Source: News Service of Florida]
DeSantis vetoes in-state tuition for Florida prisoners
As it made its way through the Florida Legislature, a bill to ensure imprisoned Floridians keep their resident status for purposes of qualifying for in-state tuition encountered little opposition. SB 62, sponsored by Sen. Rosalind Osgood, a Broward County Democrat, won unanimous approval at all its committee stops and on the floor. In the House, only five members voted against the measure, which Osgood said was intended to give former inmates a path to rehabilitation. Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t see things that way. More from the Tampa Bay Times and Florida Politics.
Florida’s evolving STEM economy is all about high-skilled talent
The higher education community is working to understand the growing need for skills in artificial intelligence, microchips and leadership training in engineering and health care. Large sums of money were handed out for STEM education during the last legislative session, from nursing to Alzheimer's disease. STEM remains a priority for Florida’s Board of Governors, which calls it a “program of strategic emphasis.” [Source: Orlando Business Journal]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Pasco County university to offer AI master's degree
Saint Leo University is enhancing its presence in the AI realm, introducing a master's degree in artificial intelligence. The Pasco County university's AI graduate degree, launching in fall 2024, is intended to build on current degree offerings in robotics and AI, computer science and cybersecurity and will offer courses in cloud computing security, advanced computing architecture and practical application of AI.
› A small Broward private school is training fashion’s next generation of Black talent
Students at Taj McGill’s K-12 private school in Lauderdale Lakes study core subjects like math and English in addition to what McGill calls “the good stuff”: fashion, beauty and content creation, a class where students learn how to promote their work on social media. Access can be an issue for students of color pursuing careers in fashion, and McGill wants to empower students of all backgrounds to pursue their dreams.
› UF College of Pharmacy ranks No. 3 in research rankings, with record $41 million in funding
The University of Florida College of Pharmacy’s top-tier research programs garnered further recognition this week when the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, or AACP, ranked the college No. 3 nationally in annual research funding. Researchers in the college secured a record $41 million last year, surpassing the previous year’s total by nearly $9 million.
› The president of Florida Memorial University, South Florida’s only HBCU, steps down
After five years leading the only historically Black college or university in South Florida, Jaffus Hardrick, the president of Florida Memorial University, stepped down from his post because of an unspecified health reason on Friday. The private university’s Board of Trustees told students, faculty and staff in an email sent Sunday that Hardrick, 62, had handed in his notice.