Florida is reshaping higher education. Other states are watching
Florida has been ranked No. 1 for higher education by U.S. News & World Report for nearly a decade, and the University of Florida was tied as the seventh-ranked top public university this year. Other schools, like the University of South Florida and Florida State University, rose in the ranks, too. The same schools that produce successful students have also drawn heavy scrutiny. But Florida isn’t only drawing critics. It’s drawing copycats. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida drops ABA oversight of awyers
In Florida, law school graduates will no longer need to graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association to take the state's bar exam. The Florida Supreme Court decided to amend its rule which originally had made the ABA the sole accreditor for law schools. And graduating from an ABA-accredited law school was the only way to take the bar examination. More from the Tallahassee Democrat and the Florida Phoenix.
Florida announces additional funding to support nursing education programs
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis celebrated the state’s significant investment in nursing programs, highlighting more than $485 million awarded through the LINE and PIPELINE programs since 2022. The LINE program is a state-run scholarship program that provides a dollar-for-dollar matching grant to support partnerships between participating educational institutions and health care providers. PIPELINE is a secondary program that provides funding based on the number of completed nursing education programs. More from WINK News and WOFL.
Cutting food waste in Florida schools benefits students, farmers and the environment
When Floridians think about the future of our state, the conversation often turns to flooding streets, stronger storms and strained infrastructure. Those risks are real. But some of the most effective solutions begin far from the shoreline: inside our public schools. Every day, Florida schools discard enormous amounts of edible food while families across the state struggle with food insecurity. Schools are one of the largest sources of institutional food waste in Florida and nationally. [Source: The Invading Sea]
Teachers union backs Florida Senate bill targeting teacher shortages
A bill moving through Florida’s legislative session is drawing strong support from the state’s largest teachers union, which says it could help public schools hire and retain more educators. The Florida Education Association is backing Senate Bill 320, known as Administrative Efficiency in Public Schools. The proposal would allow school districts to offer teachers multi-year contracts and require higher pay for educators who hold advanced degrees. [Source: Spectrum News]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› University of Florida leaders seek community input for president search
University of Florida leaders are asking for input in their search for a permanent president. Leaders announced on Tuesday a list of online listening sessions where people can hear about ongoing discussions. The first two are scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday. They also released a stakeholder survey for students, staff, alumni, and community members to share their thoughts.
› Pinellas Couny names 2026 Teacher of the Year
Denise White covered her mouth, a look of shock on her face, as Pinellas County Schools Superintendent Kevin Hendrick approached her with a bouquet of flowers after announcing her as the district’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. “Oh my God,” she said, telling the person standing next to her that they might have to hold her up until she could get her bearings. “I was just blown away and so overwhelmed,” said White, 54, a language arts teacher at James B. Sanderlin K-8, an International Baccalaureate World magnet school.
› Charter school audit showed no crisis before sudden closure, OCPS says
A month before its surprise, mid-year shutdown that “blindsided” parents, Legends Academy’s financial reports showed no hint of a pending crisis, school district officials say. The charter school, which served about 200 students in west Orlando, announced in December it would be closing its doors for “ongoing and unsustainable financial and operational challenges.” In November, however, a financial report sent to Orange County Public Schools, which oversees the charter school’s state funding, suggested no looming problems.
› Tampa Bay Rays, Hillsborough College get go-ahead to start negotiations
Hillsborough College’s District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to take the first step of what’s likely to be a lengthy process to transform its Dale Mabry campus into the site of a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. The trustees agreed to a non-binding memorandum of understanding at an afternoon meeting that will allow college officials to negotiate with the team on a plan that will transform about 113 acres of the campus.