Floridian of the Year | Degrees of hope
The future for thousands of Osceola County students changed immeasurably in January 2022 inside Tallahassee’s Liberty Bar & Restaurant. There, County Commissioner Brandon Arrington met Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske for dinner to brainstorm ideas for $12.5 million in available COVID-19 relief money the county set aside to support education. At dinner, Plinske pitched Arrington on an idea that no one had ever tried: What if they used that COVID money to cover tuition and fees for every Osceola County high school graduate to go to Valencia or Osceola Technical College? [Source: Florida Trend]
Homeschooling on the rise across Florida: Families seeking flexibility
From politics and religion to timing and convenience, more parents in Florida are opting to home school their children. Across the state, the number of children enrolled in home education has increased by 46% since 2020. According to the Florida Department of Education, in 2024, there were 155,532 students being home schooled. [Source: WUSF]
Column: It is not OK to ignore AI. Florida’s students deserve better
AI is not “doing” anything to students; instead, A.I. has allowed students to outsource tasks to a machine that can do them faster, and in some instances, better, than they can. In the research world, this is known as “cognitive offloading.” For millennia, humans have been “offloading” tasks that previously required “learning.” [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida universities are cutting 18 degree programs. Here's why
In November, the State University System of Florida (SUSF) decided to terminate 18 academic programs, citing underperformance in producing graduates. SUSF identified 214 programs it claims are underperforming; it intends to keep at least 150 of them, while consolidating another 30. Most cuts are to bachelor’s programs, notably African American Studies, Middle Eastern Studies and gerontology. [Source: FSU News]
Pool of Florida’s future teachers less diverse than current workforce
The pool of future teachers in Florida is less diverse than the current workforce, according to a study by the National Council on Teacher Quality, a national teacher nonprofit. The report found almost two-thirds of the state’s teacher preparation programs produce less diverse cohorts than the current teacher pool. It found that 40 of the 61 teacher prep programs in the state are graduating fewer candidates from historically underrepresented backgrounds. More from Central Florida Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› How $15 million for education will get divvied up in Jacksonville
A $15 million assortment of spending on higher education and vocational training won approval by Jacksonville City Council after months of debate that still left a piece of funding for Edward Waters University up in the air. The legislation earmarks $5 million to Florida State College at Jacksonville, $6 million for the University of North Florida, and $2 million for Edward Waters University.
› Nearly all staff laid off at UCF energy research institute
The University of Central Florida has laid off 57 employees at the Florida Solar Energy Center, leaving seven remaining employees at the facility in Cocoa. The staffing reductions coincide with the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to strip back renewable energy programs previously enacted by the Biden administration. The state legislature designated FSEC the state’s energy research institute in 1975. This year is the center’s 50th anniversary.
› FIU helps small business owners harness the potential of AI
Florida Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at FIU teamed up with OpenAI recently to host a hands-on workshop in Wynwood to help 200+ small business leaders learn practical ways to use ChatGPT and related tools in their day-to-day work, from writing marketing copy and organizing schedules to handling customer messages and bookkeeping.
› Orange school district may close 7 campuses as enrollment declines
Seven public schools in Orange County could be shuttered at the end of this academic year as the school district grapples with a sharp drop in student enrollment. The schools are: Union Park Middle School and Bonneville, Chickasaw, Eccleston, Meadow Woods, McCoy and Orlo Vista elementary schools, a school board member and the district’s teachers union confirmed Tuesday. Each school currently enrolls only about half the students it has room for, with Union Park, the emptiest one on the list, enrolling about 560 students on a campus meant for more than 1,400.