The main highlight today was a rally of an estimated 5,000 students, teachers, parents, school district personnel, legislators, and other citizens seeking to express their concerns and recommendations for legislative action in the wake of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last week. Concerns about student safety and school security have also influenced…
A proposal to add a standalone high school financial literacy class to Florida’s course offerings moved through the House Education Committee on Wednesday, falling short of what some members — not to mention some banking lobbyists and the state Senate — were hoping for. Unlike the Senate, which would make the course a graduation requirement, HB 323 would…
The students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School got a real-life lesson in the perils of high expectations Wednesday as they met with state legislators to discuss their promise of stricter gun laws and left disappointed that the progress that appeared likely would only be incremental. Read More
Today, Governor Scott convened several workshops – an education workshop, a mental health and child welfare workshop, and a law enforcement workshop — that met throughout the day to examine the elements to improve student safety and school security. FSBA was well represented in these discussions by Dr. Terry Nichols, Jackson County School Board Chair,…
A flurry of meetings took place in Florida’s capital on Tuesday in response to last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with dozens of leaders in education, law enforcement, and mental health pouring into the city to participate in a trio of workshops organized by Gov. Rick Scott. Some of those same…
Today, we begin the 7th week of the Legislative Session with only a few more weeks remaining before the scheduled adjournment on March 9. As we start the week, please be sure to watch our Legislative Weekly video which features FSBA Executive Director Andrea Messina offering heartfelt comments on the horrible tragedy at Marjory Stoneman…
Florida has received another extension to update its federal education accountability plan. Commissioner Pam Stewart was to have submitted revisions today, which already was a continuation from the original Jan. 4 deadline. But Stewart contacted the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday to request another, as the state grapples with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High…
As we all struggle to cope with and respond to the tragic events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School yesterday, Senate leaders have stepped up their plans to pursue funding for expanded mental health services and to “harden” schools for better security. In a press conference this afternoon, Senate President Negron outlined these plans and,…
Our hearts go out to those touched by today’s terrifying and heartbreaking shooting at one of our public high schools. We are so grateful to the heroes – law enforcement and other first responders, school personnel, and so many others — who stepped up to protect and comfort our students in this tragic situation. Please…
The FSBA Day in the Legislature Conference has been in full swing this week with more than 125 school board members and other attendees in Tallahassee to participate in legislative briefings and advocacy training, network with education leaders, and meet with legislators to discuss issues of interest to school districts. This has been a particularly…