Do Florida teens need protection on construction sites? Social media?
The big story: What does it mean to protect children in Florida?
When it comes to social media, state lawmakers said they need “perfect” protection to ensure kids under 16 aren’t exposed to the addictive materials.
When it comes to working at construction sites, some of the same lawmakers argued that children can benefit from being exposed to dangerous situations and learning to be careful. “By coddling them and preventing them from being around these situations, I don’t think we’re doing them any service at all,” said state Rep. Thad Altman, R-Indialantic.
Some Democrats are calling foul. Read more here.
Today in Tallahassee ... The House Education & Employment Committee takes up seven bills when it meets at 12:30 p.m. • The Senate Education PreK-12 Committee has four bills up for consideration when it meets at 1 p.m. • The House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee has two bills under review when it meets at 3 p.m.
Hot topics
Weapons on campus: Leaders of the Broward and Miami-Dade school districts say they will increase random security searches and add metal detectors to schools amid an upswing in guns being brought by students, WTVJ reports. Two Broward teens were detained Monday after deputies found two loaded guns and drugs in a car at a high school, WSVN reports. • Indian River County superintendent David Moore said he is looking into using metal detectors at middle and elementary schools, just days after expanding their use in high schools, WPTV reports.
School board politics: Hernando County School Board members got embroiled in heated debate over whether to consider a resolution supporting Israel over Hamas, Suncoast news reports.
Free speech: Florida State University suspended the Students for a Democratic Society chapter after the group interrupted a Board of Trustees meeting with pro-Palestine chants, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Officials said the students had a right to protest, but were disrupting school business. • A proposal to limit the types of flags that may be displayed at schools stalled in legislative committee amid questions of whether it would violate free speech and expression rights, WFTV reports. • The Lee County school district is looking into complaints that a high school teacher is displaying a flag that says “Hate Has No Home Here” in a classroom, WINK reports.
Food insecurity: Some Miami-Dade County public schools are partnering with Feeding South Florida to create food pantries in schools, WFOR reports.
College costs: The price tag for a Florida Prepaid Tuition program is shrinking, WKMG reports.
Book challenges: The Alachua County school district rolled out a new process for handling book objections, the Independent Florida Alligator reports. • The Hernando County School Board removed one book from school shelves and rejected five other book challenges, Suncoast News reports. • The Clay County school district is revising its book challenge procedures to give school principals and parents more say, Clay Today reports.
From the police blotter ... An Escambia County high school student was arrested on allegations of fighting with school officials, the Pensacola News-Journal reports. • A University of Central Florida student was arrested on accusations of threatening to kill three Jewish students participating in a pro-Israel demonstration, WOFL reports.
From the court docket ... A former Escambia County school custodian was sentenced to more than 16 years in prison on charges he uploaded child pornography while at work, AL.com reports. • A federal judge threw out a potential class action lawsuit by Florida A&M University students who alleged the state discriminated against their school in funding, News Service of Florida reports.
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Before you go ... Beat box is just so entertaining.