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New Florida laws on classroom topics make teaching about the holidays trickier

New Florida laws on classroom topics make teaching about the holidays trickier

The state has threatened to remove teachers’ certification if they violate new laws relating to the instruction of topics such as race and gender. At the same time, it has amplified the rights of parents to control their children’s lives in areas such as education and religious upbringing. Warnings against “indoctrination” loom large. Yet many key details remain vague. The environment has made some teachers reluctant to keep books on their shelves or introduce potentially contentious subjects into their lessons. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

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UF's YEAH high school partnership program helps foster young talent in health careers

UF Health Jacksonville is reaching out to prospective employees as early as high school. Since last year, the hospital has formed a partnership with Darnell-Cookman School of the Medical Arts, a nearby magnet school, to select 25 students each year for its YEAH program — Youth Education for Advancing in Health. Participants apply for the program and then visit UF Health Jacksonville about five times during a school year and are exposed to various health careers, says Ann-Marie Knight, vice president of community engagement and chief diversity officer. [Source: Florida Trend]

Presidents from nearly 40 Florida universities gather for 'first-of-its-kind' meeting

Nearly 40 college and university presidents from across the state of Florida gathered in one room Wednesday — hosted by Tallahassee Community College — for a meeting behind closed doors. Presidents from both the Florida College System and the State University System of Florida were invited to the private meeting to discuss system-wide educational goals and to share their best practices with each other, according to the Florida Department of Education’s spokesperson. More from the Tallahassee Democrat and WCTV.

Partisan school board races proposed

A House Republican on Tuesday filed a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to make school-board races partisan. Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers, filed the proposal (HJR 31) for consideration during the 2023 legislative session, which will start in March. Roach unsuccessfully filed a similar measure for the 2022 session. School-board races are required to be nonpartisan contests under the state Constitution. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Florida’s required school immunizations fell to 10-year low

Last school year marked a more than 10-year low for Florida’s kindergarten and seventh-grade students completing all doses of required immunizations, according to a recent report from the state Department of Health. About 91.7% of kindergarten students in public and private schools statewide completed the immunizations required to enter school during the 2021-2022 year, the September report showed. That rate of completion is the lowest since the 2010-2011 school year, when 91.3% of students completed all doses of the required vaccines. [Source: News Service of Florida]

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› St. Petersburg program teaches parents how to help kids learn
For the last year, Autumn Watson has brought her 4-year-old son, Pharaoh Anthony, to this classroom at the Campbell Park Resource Center on 14th Street S in St. Petersburg. They participate in the Learn & Play program. The activity, which brings parents and their toddlers together once a week, is part of an effort by the United Way Suncoast to improve learning outcomes for Tampa Bay youth, by teaching parents how to help their children learn at home.

› Florida Tech grads among most employable, global ranking finds
Florida Tech has surged in the latest edition of the influential Global Employability University Ranking and Survey (GEURS), rising to 17th among U.S. schools on the list and 76th overall among all 250 ranked universities. Florida Tech’s overall ranking represents an advancement of 85 spots since the 2021 GEURS report, making it the biggest mover in the 2022-23 edition.

› Applications open for students’ chance to win 2 years of tuition at Florida colleges through Farah and Farah scholarship
Farah and Farah’s annual Empowering Greatness Scholarship is back and five lucky students will be awarded two years’ worth of tuition to be used at any Florida university, college or trade school. The personal injury law firm has partnered with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and Goodwill Industries of North Florida to cover full tuition and local fees for 60 lower-division semester credit hours at any Florida college.

› Orlando is once again ranked the No. 1 best college city in the state, No. 3 in nation
With a goal to be the ultimate place to work and learn, UCF is in the perfect spot. For the second year in a row, Orlando, Florida, is ranked the number one Best College City in America among midsize cities. According to WalletHub’s 2023 list, the City Beautiful moved up one spot to No. 3 among all cities in the nation, making this the second year in a row that Orlando has made it to the top five nationally and No. 1 in Florida.