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Broward and Alachua County Schools are either heroes or villains for their mandatory school mask policies—depending on what side someone is on. The State Board of Education is erring on the side of villain— and has decided to punish those districts for requiring students to wear masks. The board says the policies violate rules issued by the Florida Department of Health. Lynn Hatter reports neither district is backing down despite threats up to removal from office.
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Florida State University’s Presidential Search Committee is advancing three finalists for the job and none are lobbyists, politicians or currently employed with the school.
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A key higher-education accrediting organization is raising questions about a potential conflict of interest involving state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran as he seeks to become president of Florida State University.
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The Florida Department of Education issued an emergency order Friday waiving accountability measures tied to state exams. Concerns about consequences of testing loomed with exams already underway for some students.
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Governor Ron DeSantis says Florida’s K-12 schools will continue to offer parents the choice of remote or in-person learning through the Spring semester.
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Florida’s education commissioner is promising parents will have the option to continue distance learning for the rest of the school year. But, after Wednesday’s state Board of Education meeting, it’s not yet certain that districts will receive full funding for online learners.
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A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal, in a 31-page decision, flatly rejected the conclusions of Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, who in August sided with teachers unions that challenged Corcoran’s order. The unions argued, at least in part, that the order violated a constitutional guarantee of “safe” and “secure” public education.
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The state Department of Education’s emergency order calls for in-person instruction to be made available for the coming school year
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Under DOE’s emergency order, in-person instruction must resume along with all services schools usually offer, five days a week.
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A directive from the Florida Department of Education says the state’s public schools have to reopen for in-person classes five days a week in August. The order also says the reopenings should happen unless state or local health departments say otherwise. But local health officials say they don’t have the authority to give that advice.