30-04-2025
Florida attorney general to enforce parent rights in schools, government
The big story: Saying government does not know best when it comes to child rearing, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Tuesday unveiled his new Office of Parental Rights.
Touting it as a first in the nation initiative, the AG said he aims to assist families who seek justice from school districts or local governments that 'seek to 'treat,' indoctrinate or collect data from students without parental involvement.'
He made the announcement surrounded by activists from several groups that have advocated for a greater authority for parents in children's education, health care and other aspects of life.
Asked about the potential cost of launching taxpayer-funded lawsuits against government entities, Uthmeier responded, 'There is no cost to protecting the rights of parents and families.' Read more from Florida Politics.
Turnarounds: Pasco County's Cox Elementary faces the specter of a state-mandated takeover if its student test scores don't improve. The school community is working hard to make sure Cox stays local.
Teacher pay: Florida teachers are leaving their jobs as the state's average salary drops to the lowest in the nation, WEAR reports.
Taxes: The Florida House launched a special committee to investigate the possibility of eliminating most property taxes, a key source of public education funding, News Service of Florida reports.
State colleges: Hillsborough Community College is in line to lose 'community' from its name, as the state continues to rebrand its colleges.
Start times: Florida lawmakers moved to undo their mandate that middle and high schools have later start times after hearing concerns from local district officials. The bill now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Relief: A Pasco County man stands to get a $1.2 million settlement from the Pasco County school district nearly 20 years after being severely injured in a school bus accident.
Migrant education: Hillsborough County schools are celebrating one of its largest classes of migrant students who are graduating.
Mental health services: School officials in Sarasota and Manatee counties say student mental health needs outpace the funding available to help, Suncoast Searchlight reports.
Early education: Florida's prekindergarten program is one of the nation's largest, yet it remains inaccessible to some families, TC Palm reports.
Diversity, equity and inclusion: Four Florida public universities are holding graduation ceremonies to honor LGBTQ+ graduates, but rebranding them to comply with the state's anti-DEI laws, Campus Reform reports.
Cellphones: Florida schools and the Legislature continue to debate the use of cellphones in the classroom, Fresh Take Florida reports. Some parents have strong reservations about banning the devices. • A Lake County middle school administrator was reassigned amid an investigation into claims she inappropriate grabbed a student while trying to confiscate his phone, WOFL reports.
Advanced courses: Duval County school district officials say proposed funding reductions should not threaten the district's advanced and career programs, WJAX reports.
From the police blotter ... Police have found weapons inside Broward County's Miramar High School on two consecutive days, the Sun-Sentinel reports. • The Escambia County Sheriff's Office is investigating a student accused of bringing a gun to school, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.
From the court docket ... Cambridge Christian School will take its decade-old lawsuit over being denied the right to pray on the public announcement system at a state championship football game to the U.S. Supreme Court, News Service of Florida reports.
Today in Tallahassee ... The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. with HB 443 on charter schools up for final passage, and several education-related measures available on special order. The House convenes at 1 p.m. with five education-related bills available on special order including SB 140 on charter schools and SB 1470 on school safety.
Don't miss a story. Here's a link to yesterday's roundup.
Before you go ... The rage these days is the great moose migration in Sweden. The live stream is a Swedish source that's supposed to run through at least May 4. Here's a story about it.
