Florida universities try to stem coronavirus cases

Florida university officials have started suspending fraternities and punishing students who flout coronavirus-safety measures, as schools grapple with cases of the virus at the beginning of the fall semester. University of Miami President Julio Frenk said students have already been evicted from their dorm rooms and suspensions have been initiated for violations that could potentially put other people at risk of getting sick. More from CBS Miami and WUSF.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Diversity and Florida's executive MBA students

Traditionally, most EMBA students were climbing the corporate ladder, and their companies paid their tuitions. Some still follow that model, but cohorts in Florida this year are far more diverse, with small-business owners, sales managers, engineers, financial consultants, physicians, nonprofit directors, logistics specialists, sports industry professionals, military veterans and even a fighter pilot. Most of the students interviewed for this article are paying all or most of the tab themselves. [Source: Florida Trend]

Virtual learning sites sprout up to help working parents

With many schools still closed by the coronavirus pandemic, public and private alternatives are sprouting up across the nation to watch over children as they study. The programs are taking shape in somewhat unlikely places: a dance studio in Florida, a martial arts center in Missouri and libraries in San Francisco. [Source: AP]

Educators partner to train in-demand auto workers

Coming at a time of high unemployment, automotive industry jobs are in demand and educational institutions were taking notice even before the pandemic’s economic impact. Miami-Dade County higher learning institutions, automotive manufacturers and retailers have joined forces to created vehicle technician programs for people looking to change or build on a lifetime career. [Source: Miami Today]

Florida judge asked to lift stay on school reopening ruling

After winning an initial round in the closely watched legal fight, teachers unions have asked a Leon County circuit judge to lift a stay on his ruling that a state mandate to reopen brick-and-mortar schools is unconstitutional. Judge Charles Dodson on Monday issued a temporary injunction as he sided with the Florida Education Association and the Orange County teachers union in their challenge to a July 6 school-reopening order amid the coronavirus pandemic. [Source: CBS Miami]

See also:
» Florida sees nearly 9,000 new COVID-19 cases among children as schools reopen

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida Gateway College expands Florida inmate education program [WCJB]
Florida Gateway College is expanding its education program for Florida inmates. FGC is now offering a B.A. degree in water resource management for people incarcerated in the Columbia Corrections Institution. The degree prepares graduates for jobs in the field of water conservation, resources, and policy.

› Pasco alternative school needs a new principal [Tampa Bay Times]
When Adrian Anthony first arrived at the Pasco County school district in 2016, leaders introduced him as a rising star, snagged from the Pinellas County school district. But Anthony has left the district. He’s now principal of Kathleen Elementary in Polk County.

› UCF starts classes with once-scarce parking now plentiful during pandemic [Orlando Sentinel]
Though thousands of students have returned to campus and enrollment is up about 2% over last year, three-quarters of classes remain online-only for the fall semester and some beds remain empty in on-campus housing, which usually fills quickly.

› How are textbooks in Florida chosen? [Tampa Bay Times]
According to the Florida Department of Education, each district school board is responsible for K-12 classroom textbooks, materials in the school libraries and items on reading lists. “Instructional materials” also include learning laboratories, software and other electronic media.