Florida pushed back on AP classes. Its first alternative option? Algebra
Lawmakers set aside nearly $5 million toward creating alternatives to Advanced Placement courses. Since then, the state has spent less than $150,000 of that allocation, and discussion about Florida-created replacement courses all but disappeared. This fall, though, the state rolled out its first course under the umbrella of the 2023 legislation. And the subject had nothing to do with the topics that had caused so much consternation. Instead, the state took on algebra. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida high school students invited to step into the shoes of appellate lawyers
Registration is open for The Florida Bar’s annual High School Appellate Brief Writing & Moot Court Competition, giving students across the state an opportunity to experience the rigor and excitement of appellate advocacy firsthand. The competition offers high school students the opportunity to gain a firsthand understanding of the appellate process by engaging in brief-writing and oral argument exercises based on a fictitious case. [Source: Florida Bar News]
Best and worst states for teachers in 2025: Here’s where Florida ranks and why
If you know or share a household with a teacher, you likely know that the phrase “overworked and underpaid” usually applies to the business of shaping young minds. According to Payscale, jobs in education are some of the lowest-paying jobs that require a bachelor’s degree. And salaries for teaching jobs stay relatively the same from year to year, usually failing to keep up with changes in inflation. But the pay scale and job quality of a teacher differ by state, as each U.S. state has its own department of education. [Source: Florida Today]
Column: Making college more affordable — a smart investment in Florida’s future
Fear of student debt and the ability to pay are the most significant barriers to college access. These fears are not unfounded. More than three-quarters of Florida students who leave college before earning a degree do so for financial reasons. The U.S. Department of Education reported last year that 23% of American undergraduate students faced food insecurity and 8% faced homelessness. Another study found that 56% of college students would struggle to cover an unexpected cost of $500 or more. Too often, money woes derail a college student’s education. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida school finds connection between tardiness, bathroom mirrors
It’s a common refrain in schools that students can’t learn if they’re not present. One Florida high school has found that bathroom mirrors had been keeping students from getting to class on time. “They’re spending time in the restrooms, not necessarily using the restroom, and one of them is using the mirror constantly, possibly sitting on a sink to get closer to the mirror, which causes breakage,” explained Victoria Hayden, principal of Crestview High in Okaloosa County. So the school removed them. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Miami business group invests $2 million in early literacy to build future workforce
Partnership for Miami will commit about $2 million to a program that aims to increase literacy rates at Miami-Dade schools. The nonprofit business advocacy group made the commitment to The Lucy Project's Literacy Hub program. Over the next three years, the initiative will work to support 800 students from kindergarten to third grade in an effort to improve reading proficiency.
› Pinellas planning to close more schools amid shrinking enrollment
Pinellas County families should expect to see some schools close next year — and more in following years — as the school district aims to confront enrollment declines that show no sign of rebounding. No details are set, superintendent Kevin Hendrick said during a Tuesday school board workshop, as his team plans to conduct town hall sessions and gather community feedback before settling on specific recommendations due in January.
› 'A historic day for Jackson County': 1970 school desegregation case ends
More than 55 years after the federal government targeted school segregation in rural North Florida, a judge Tuesday ruled the Jackson County school district has met desegregation requirements and ended a lawsuit against the district. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued an order that said the Jackson County district had achieved what is known as “full and final unitary status” and dismissed the case.
› Orange school leaders sound the alarm in Orlando, Washington as district faces funding shortfall
Orange County school leaders are making the case for more state funding for Florida’s public schools, sounding the alarm Wednesday on the issue in both Orlando and the nation’s capital. The push comes amidst the district’s drop in student enrollment and revenue, due in part to the state’s voucher program, which allows public-school eligible students to use state funds to attend private institutions.