3 education issues that Florida lawmakers passed, and 4 they didn’t
Florida lawmakers debated dozens of education-related bills during their two-month session. Most did not make it through the process. Bills on teacher unions and cursive writing made it through. Others on vouchers, Schools of Hope and Charlie Kirk did not. Here’s a quick look at the fate of a few of the higher profile measures. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
See also:
» Florida lawmakers had a quiet session on education. What comes next?
Universities’ research expenditures up 43% since 2019
Florida’s state universities collected $3.24 billion in research funds in 2024-2025, an increase from $2.26 billion in 2019-2020. That number has steadily climbed. Universities plan to invest $3.75 billion by 2030, as pictured in a state report. Of that more than $3 billion, nearly half was federal research funding. Another $82 million was from business and industry support. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
Florida looks to protect religious rights in public schools
The Florida Department of Education has a new email hotline for public school students and staff who believe their religious rights have been violated. Asserting the department’s commitment to constitutional protections for voluntary prayer and religious expression, as outlined in recent federal guidance, education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas on Tuesday unveiled FLFaith@fldoe.org as a place to submit complaints. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida professors quietly defy restrictions on race and gender
Across Florida universities, some sociology professors are quietly choosing not to alter their courses in response to new state guidelines restricting how topics like race, gender and sexuality can be discussed. Rather than rewriting syllabi or removing foundational material, as the new demands would call for, they say they are continuing to teach their classes as designed. The professors view the preservation of their curricula not as an act of defiance, but as a professional responsibility to provide students with a full and rigorous education. [Source: The Guardian]
Florida reading proficiency reaches 57%
Florida reading proficiency for grades three through 10 increased to 57% in 2025, according to the Florida Department of Education. A separate 2025 report from the Florida Business Alliance for Early Learning showed that 43% of children entered kindergarten ready in the fall of 2024. The data comes as education officials and advocacy groups track academic performance across the state. [Source: Action News Jax]
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› FAMU academic 'all-stars' advance to national championship
As four Florida A&M University students combine their brain power to win big bucks, the team of scholars is advancing to a national championship tournament. And if they come out on top, it would be FAMU's first win in a decade. The team will compete in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge against 31 other HBCUs.
› At the Rollins College preschool, student learning is child’s play
There’s a science lab at Rollins College where instead of Bunsen burners and microscopes researchers use crayons, papier mache and Play-Doh. It’s a place where psychology students sit in pint-size furniture and study child development in the most hands-on way — because their lab is also a working preschool. Hume House Child Development and Student Research Center was set up 50 years ago so Rollins students could learn about child development and early childhood education.
› Pasco schools aim to speed suspensions for accused, arrested employees
As part of an effort to change the way it handles employee discipline, the Pasco County school district administration has asked for permission to suspend workers without pay before the school board can vote on it. In Florida, while the superintendent can place someone on paid leave, only the board can withhold pay or terminate employment.
› 'Unprecedented' drops in enrollment in Miami-Dade schools loom over budget
Despite already slashing its budget halfway through this school year, the Miami-Dade County school district is set to make further cuts in 2027-28 amid an "unprecedented" enrollment drop, the district's financial chief told WLRN. Miami-Dade County schools, the third largest district in the country, this academic year had 313,000 students — 13,200 fewer than in the 2024-25 school year.