Eight months after Hurricane Michael, many fear a mental health crisis

For some children, all it took was the rain. When thunderstorms passed through the Panhandle this winter, the sound was enough to distress some students just returning to school, reminding them of Hurricane Michael’s raging path last October that left much of the state’s northwest in ruin.  They would run to their teachers in tears,…

State To Call Out School Districts If They Don’t Comply With Safety Mandates

After a state commission found out Wednesday that nearly 200 schools, including many charter schools, have not had armed security as required by state law, commissioners urged the Florida Department of Education to “name names and name people” to try to force compliance.  Within two hours, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran agreed to publicly name non-compliant school…

Handling Threats, Mental Health, School Safety Law: The Stoneman Douglas Commission Meets In Sunrise

The state public safety commission that’s been investigating the 2018 Parkland school shooting is meeting in Sunrise Tuesday, the first of two days of meetings this month. On the agenda: mental health services in schools, how schools handle reported threats, and changing discipline programs. Read More

Statewide grand jury delves into school safety

A statewide grand jury charged with investigating whether school districts are complying with safety requirements following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will start hearing testimony “as early as next month,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Tuesday.  The Florida Supreme Court impaneled the grand jury in February, at the request of…

Florida adds new voucher program, more schools receive public money as participation declines

The number of students using state vouchers to attend private schools has dipped for the first time in recent years as corporate contributions have slowed.  At the same time, the number of campuses receiving state-backed scholarships continues to grow. The funding allows children to attend largely unregulated and mostly religious schools. Read More

Congress finally passes Hurricane Michael aid

The U.S. House on Monday voted to approve a massive $19.1 billion disaster aid bill that includes money for Hurricane Michael recovery efforts in Florida.  The sweeping package — which will also fund disaster recovery efforts in other states and territories — passed the House with broad bipartisan support after being stalled by a series…

Draft revisions to Florida high school math, language arts standards released for comment

Sticking closely to its posted timeline, the Florida Department of Education on Friday announced the release of a first draft of high school math and language arts standards revisions for input from the general public.  Groups of experts from around the state have been reviewing the current standards, based primarily on the Common Core, in…