last year’s”parental rights in education” Last week, the law was hit with a new frenzy.
Manatee County school district cover the bookshelfIn Sarasota they freeze book donations Afraid to accept anything too extreme.and the teachers threatened with felony if they don’t comply.
now, as i wrote before, I don’t share much of the panic and mania surrounding this bill that many Democrats do. I won’t go there. Also, students and schools should have some rules about what is and is not appropriate for children.
But does the law actually provide such guidance? All the examples above and one school intimidation story reported last year. Cancel the Hanukkah presentation Before you back down — for now, it seems the law is just confusing.
For activists who think schools are flooded with sexually inappropriate material (I don’t know which school they went to!), so long as they get what they want, confusion is probably No problem. Better to delete or ban too much than allow this supposed tidal wave of filth to reach the eyes and ears of poor children.
But I can’t stress enough how this looks to the rest of us. This includes people like me who are not quick to object to
However, these restrictions should be clarified. And the bill’s main problem from the outset wasn’t that it was an outwardly hateful law, as its harshest critics claimed. This led to unforeseen consequences and, in turn, opened the door to more extreme criticism.
There is no doubt that activists who support legislation will support legislation to the end. But if someone is actually concerned with constructing effective laws, governing them properly, and persuading the skeptics and the middle-of-the-road, then lawmakers are here to see what they are allowed to do and what they are not allowed to do. There is no need to make it clearer or provide more funding for local school districts to allow more ambiguity in the law.
If not, the law’s proponents have drawn more concern and criticism over the widespread book ban.
Now for the weekly winners and losers game.
winner
Honorable Mention: TeachersConfusion about the custody bill aside, teachers received at least some welcome news this week on the salary front.
government Ron DeSantis announced a bill that would add another $200 million towards a salary increase aimed at bringing the state’s starting teacher salary to $48,000.
The news comes after teacher vacancies were reported this month stay high in the skydespite previous pay raises and other efforts to bring more educators to Florida (well, I don’t think the confusion over book and curriculum issues is helping).
Now, this proposed law is not without some caveats. DeSantis offers a provision that would stop union dues from being automatically deducted from teachers’ salaries. Efforts to do so in the past have come under fire from Democrats. But with Republicans now in control of both houses of Congress, Democrats don’t have much of a say on the issue.
The law also further restricts term limits for school board members, reducing them from the current 12 years to eight years.
Democrats say the bill is just an experiment. political victoryand indeed has no real impact on teacher recruitment.
Whether these competing provisions do more harm than good in attracting more people to the field remains to be seen. It looks like you’ve got it.
Nearly (but not quite) Biggest Winner: Southwest Florida VotersSouthwest Florida residents received some welcome news this week as secretary of state code bird Authorized Lee County Elections Administrator Tommy Doyle To Make it easier for residents Vote in the March local elections.
The region is still recovering Hurricane Ianmaking it difficult for some people in Estero and Sanibel to attend the upcoming elections in person.
Current law restricts mail ballots from being sent to new or non-permanent addresses. However, Bard’s edict allows Doyle to ignore these restrictions and send ballots wherever residents live while they search for new homes.
“Displaced people in Lee County, Florida, are experiencing long-term effects as a result of Hurricane Ian,” Bird said in announcing the move. “To assist Lee County voters, the State Department wants to ensure that the necessary considerations are taken to give displaced voters a proper opportunity to vote.”
This is welcome news for a region that is still reeling. Both Estero and Sanibel will hold elections on his March 7th, with several elected offices contested.
Biggest Winner: Lake O. it took $1.5 billion in 18 yearsHowever, workers have completed renovations to the Herbert Hoover Levee that surrounds Lake Okeechobee.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to mark the occasion.
“This construction project was a monumental undertaking that began in 2005. Corps team members and construction contractors, as well as support staff from federal, tribal and state agencies, have devoted significant portions of their careers to the project. I am grateful for their efforts.” Colonel James Booth saidU.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District Commander.
“The Herbert Hoover Levee has never been in better shape. This is great news for the lakeside community. Each city is safer and more protected than ever before.These communities are the reason we have restored our levee.Thanks to our joint efforts, the Herbert Hoover Levee will stand the test of time for years to come. It has become more suitable for protecting lakeside communities across the country.”
Levees help manage the flow of water and prevent flooding outside Lake O. Before repairs could be completed, engineers had to keep the water level down for fear that heavy rainfall could put pressure on the embankment and cause it to collapse.
Once the repairs are complete, you’ll have more flexibility to keep your lakes at higher levels as your legions move to new locations. Lake Au Regulation ScheduleMore water in the lake makes water available to the communities that use the water source, even during periods of drought.
loser
Infamous Mention: Rocky HannahEarlier this month, Hannah announced her intentions to: Running for a third term As Superintendent of Leon County. Last week, it emerged that he may be the subject of a state investigation.
For what? Now, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) I’m researching his”personal opinion‘ affects his work performance.
according to Tallahassee Reportthe investigation stems in part from an email Hannah recently sent to an employee that appears to snort at the state’s efforts to monitor school activities more closely.
“I’ll always have your back!” Hana wrote.
“Keep teaching the standards as you’ve always done. And take a minute to talk about political naysayers and others trying to mislead people and control what you can and can’t say in the classroom.” Don’t worry. If anyone wants to go after you, they’ll have to go through us and our lawyers.”
Of course, there is a backstory here too. Hannah is one of 12 Superintendents who have voted against the state’s ban on mandatory mask-wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These other Superintendents are appointed and in some cases removed by the School Board, but Hannah is elected. That means he could lose his job if voters kicked him out or the governor intervened and fired him.
The fact that FDOE is investigating Hanna doesn’t bode well for his tenure. However, Hannah reportedly received a letter admitting an investigation on December 22nd. Hannah then announced his decision to run for office and revealed that he intends to continue fighting.
Almost (not quite) the biggest loser: Kurt Anderson. US Senator Rick Scott The main consultant may have been salivating over the possibility of a 2024 presidential election. But this week’s news has severely affected that possibility.
Scott, who chaired the Republican Senate National Committee, had publicly said he intended to run for re-election in the Senate, even if he challenged the Senate minority leader. Mitch McConnell It shows that Scott has bigger aspirations.
But on Thursday, Scott made it official. Tell NBC News He will seek a second term in the Senate.
Sure, Scott’s re-election is with Anderson Other familiar names We’ll be doing a steady gig in this next cycle. But Anderson could have built two beach houses with the money he could have made from the presidential campaign. Now he’ll have to wait until 2028 – or later.
Biggest Loser: Vicky CartwrightWell, on the bright side, at least Cartwright’s wild ride as Superintendent Broward is over.
cartwright agreed since last week depart as Chief of the Broward School District.That’s after the DeSantis-appointed majority fired cartwright On the last day governed only by newly elected school boards cancel the firingLater, after further criticism of the state, Cartwright Rumor has it that he will pick up the ax againbefore she finally steps aside.
State superintendents are caught up in this era of school reform. And Broward’s school district deserves a lot of criticism, mostly in relation to the 2018 Parkland shootings before Cartwright’s tenure.
Oh, but she ignored the DeSantis administration and enacted mask mandates. It put a target on her back.
When the school board was ready to vote Tuesday on whether Cartwright should go, the FDOE issued a letter Monday night alleging Cartwright was not complying with state-required school safety information. I’m pretty sure it was just a coincidence that I dropped the . Certainly the timing was not a deliberate effort to rob Cartwright of his support on the eve of the final vote.
Cartwright intended to be a reformer following the difficult ending of a former superintendent Robert Lancie Term. Now, that job will be left to someone else, but you should be fully aware that Tallahassee, just like Leon County, will keep a close eye on their work.
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