Staying up-to-date on the latest in education news is easier than ever.
Week of April 7th
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‘'You can't lead from 50th place': Florida trails nation in teacher pay again: NEA report
For the second year in a row, Florida has placed last in the nation for teacher pay, according to data collected by the National Education Association.
The report released April 28 shows the average teacher salary to be $54,875. The minimum living wage for a family with one child and one adult in the state is $61,002.
A representative for the Florida Department of Education said the NEA is attempting to push a false narrative with the data. It's the largest labor union in the U.S., representing public school teachers and other education workers.
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Florida lawmakers look to aid more charter schools
Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature is moving forward with a series of proposals that would help charter schools, while Democrats argue the measures would chip away at traditional public schools.
At least five bills have passed the House or the Senate that could help lead to more charter schools, bolster charter school facilities and, at least in some cases, ensure charter schools get a cut of local tax dollars.
While the bills had not received approval from both legislative chambers and gone to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk as of Monday morning, they passed the House or Senate by large margins. Charter schools are public schools but are typically run by private operators.
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What to know about Florida's later school start times after SB 296 passed in the House
A 2023 Florida law requires school districts to start classes no earlier than 8 a.m. for middle school and 8:30 a.m. for high school beginning July 1, 2026.
The Martin County School District already began starting schools later during the 2024-25 school year, adjusting its bell schedule 5-10 minutes. The Indian River and St. Lucie County school districts have not made the change yet.
But now they may not have to meet the deadline since the Florida Legislature passed SB 296, which allows certain exceptions. The House passed it April 29 and the Senate passed it March 27.
If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the bill into law, the exceptions will go into effect on July 1, 2025.
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When must Florida schools lock doors? Lawmakers rewrite the rules.
After some give and take on the details, the Florida Legislature has sent a school security update bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his consideration.
The measure includes several provisions, including an expansion of the school guardian program that lawmakers first created after the 2018 Parkland school shooting massacre.
One of the most keenly watched portions of the bill (SB 1470) aims to provide relief to school districts that struggled to implement strict rules related to when doors and gates must be closed and locked. School officials said the law requiring all access points to be either staffed or locked whenever students are on campus created situations that might place students on the wrong side of a locked door during emergencies.
