Florida schools rank among the ‘Best Global Universities,’ according to U.S. News

Several Florida universities, including UF, FSU and UCF, rated in the top 500 institutions worldwide in U.S. News and World Report’s research-focused Best Global Universities rankings, which were released Tuesday. The rankings are based on a variety of criteria, including the number of scholarly papers produced, the institutions’ research reputations, and the number of papers published that are among the top 10% of the most highly cited papers in their fields. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times.

Here are Florida’s fastest-growing colleges by enrollment

College enrollment continues to rise with some projections anticipating a 2 percent increase in total enrollment by 2028, and many Florida colleges are seeing similar growth. Tampa Bay colleges performed well overall with seven of the area’s colleges seeing at least 5 percent enrollment growth between 2013 and 2018. [Source: Bizjournals]

See also:
» These Florida colleges saw negative enrollment between 2013 and 2018

School choice, HBCU support top education priorities for Florida’s Legislative Black Caucus

As Florida’s 2020 legislative session approaches, the Black Caucus stepped forward Tuesday to publicize the priorities it would like to see as outcomes. Members of the group, which includes 21 House members and six senators, emphasized the importance of education to their communities. But in a nod to the growing support for issues such as private school vouchers for low-income families, the caucus straddled the fence when it comes to PreK-12 education goals. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Former sex workers see value in Florida’s mandated sex trafficking education

This month, Florida became the first state in the nation requiring sex-trafficking education as part of every student's curriculum. The new policy requires every school district to implement age-appropriate lessons about the dangers of one of the state's fastest-growing industries. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida’s armed teachers get liability coverage in policy reversal

Florida teachers who are armed on campus will now be covered under the state’s liability insurance, so long as they act within their duties outlined in state law. The policy change was quietly made by department officials on August 17, representing a reversal after the department had specifically excluded armed teachers from its policy. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Adjunct professors unionize at St. Petersburg College [Tampa Bay tTmes]
Adjunct faculty at St. Petersburg College voted to unionize Tuesday, joining thousands of educators across Florida in the fight for better pay and working conditions. About half of the school’s 865 adjuncts voted, with 269 in favor and 187 opposed, according to the Public Employment Relations Commission.

› Plan would give millions of Job Growth money to Florida charter schools [WFOX]
Florida charter schools that teach job skills could get more state money if a new bill gets final approval. It’s part of an effort to expand workforce training. But not everyone supports the move, some lawmakers say charter schools are already getting their fair share of public funding and this is just another boon for privately run schools.

› Florida teachers try to rally support for public education with bus tour [Spectrum News 13]
As teachers in other states go on strike, teachers from unions all over Florida gathered in Orlando to call for better teacher pay and investment in public education. Around 800 teachers met for the FEA's annual convention. The FEA is the state union all the local teacher unions are connected to.

› Education consortium meets in Flagler for first time [Daytona Beach News Journal]
More than 80 leaders of local education foundations from throughout Florida gathered in Palm Coast Oct. 3-4 for networking, professional development and the presentation of $5 million in grants by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations.