Florida Department of Education

After a high-profile announcement Friday about rejecting math textbooks submitted for adoption by the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education are providing few specifics about how the books violated academic standards.

Florida Education Richard Corcoran announced Wednesday he will step down from his position at the end of April, and a powerful South Florida Republican lawmaker with charter school ties is being floated as his successor.

The Florida Department of Education is trying to quash a federal cease-and-desist order issued in a fight over local school mask mandates.The federal government issued the order after the State Board of Education began withholding additional funding from Broward and Alachua County School Districts.

An appeals court says it has “serious doubts” about a circuit court ruling that says Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his authority in an executive order banning school districts from requiring students wear face coverings. The appellate court has put back a stay on a ruling that allowed the districts to keep their mask mandates.

Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper on Thursday released a written ruling that said Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his constitutional authority in a July 30 executive order that sought to prevent school districts from requiring students to wear masks.

Leon Circuit Judge John Cooper has filed his ruling, giving a win to parents who sued Governor Ron DeSantis and the Department of Education over an effort to ban mandatory face masks in schools. The ruling is an extension of Cooper’s verbal order, effectively blocking the state from punishing school districts that have mask mandates.

A Leon County judge says the state cannot selectively enforce part of a law—and that the Parents Bill of Rights—which the administration has used to justify its mask ban—does NOT allow the state to issue blanket prohibitions. The ruling is likely to be appealed, but for now, school districts can keep their mask policies.

A ruling is expected Friday in a lawsuit over Gov. Ron DeSantis’ effort to ban school districts from requiring students wear face masks. Closing arguments are slated for Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ effort to stop school districts from mandating students wear masks is in court this week. A Leon County judge is hearing a lawsuit brought by a dozen parents who want to overturn the governor’s mandate ban. DeSantis says school districts that require masks risk losing funding.

Florida’s State Board of Education on Wednesday will consider adopting a wide-ranging overhaul of curriculum standards across multiple subjects in public schools, including guidelines for teaching civics and government courses and Holocaust education.