Florida district renegotiates paid COVID leave for employees in isolation
The big story: With COVID-19 raging, school districts across Florida ensured that teachers and staff forced into quarantine wouldn’t lose pay if they ran out of accumulated sick leave.
Toward the end of the school year, though, at least one district let that pledge lapse. And hundreds of employees found themselves “essentially suspended” without any way to appeal being sent home unpaid.
In Pinellas County, the unions filed a formal complaint. This week they reached a deal. Read about it here.
There’s more on employee pay ... The Polk County School Board approved raises for all employees, including a minimum of 2.25% for veteran teachers, the Ledger reports. • The Brevard County teachers union rejected a 4% pay raise offer from the district, WKMG reports. • Martin County teachers and parents criticized the school district for reducing the percentage of local-option property tax revenue that goes into teacher pay, TC Palm reports.
Hot topics
Book selection: A Clay County parent was stopped by the School Board from reading aloud from a book he wanted removed from schools, Fox News reports. He argued if the material is too pornographic for a community meeting, it doesn’t belong in schools. • The Orange County School Board is attempting to craft new rules on book selection to follow state law. Officials said they need more clarity from the Department of Education, WKMG reports.
Civics lessons: Florida’s emphasis on patriotism in civics instruction is generating imitators across the nation, Education Week reports.
Gender issues: Equality Florida is calling for improvements to the Leon County school district’s new inclusivity guide, WCTV reports. • The Duval County school district removed an anti-bullying video from its website over concerns it violated new state law dealing with instruction about gender identity, Jacksonville Today reports. • A Brevard County teacher went on Fox News to criticize his district’s policies on gender, saying they cause “homogeneous confusion.”
Student code of conduct: Duval County students will be forbidden from taking videos of anyone in school without their permission, WJXT reports. The district also revamped its rules for student protests, to include getting written principal permission, WJXT reports.
School leadership: Three Hillsborough County schools were assigned new principals. • Several Manatee and Sarasota county schools are getting new principals, the Herald-Tribune reports.
Other school news
The Pinellas Education Foundation has a new leader. Raymond James CEO Tash Elwyn will lead the board of directors.
Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at an event honoring state Teacher of the Year finalists. He defended his administration’s approach to education, including its pandemic response and its changes to testing, The Capitolist reports. • The winner will be announced Thursday, WPLG reports.
The St. Johns County School Board approved a $59.4 million contract to build a new school. The same school design by the same builder cost the district $37.2 million two years ago, the WJXT reports.
A Marion County elementary school shut down a year ago because of continued low performance. The campus will reopen in the fall as an early education center, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.
A long struggling Escambia County middle school received its state grade after delays. The D means Warrington Middle will transition to charter school operation, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.
Many teachers are quitting the profession earlier than planned. One Seminole County educator explained her rationale, WFTV reports.
From the court docket ... In a Collier County case, an appellate court found that school district employee conversations with the board attorney are not necessarily protected by attorney-client privilege, JD Supra reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go ... “Ms. Marvel” is a guilty pleasure. Come for the Marvel, stay for the music.
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