Latest news with #PascoCountySchools
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay mother takes bullying concerns to court
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Wesley Chapel mother said her daughter was bullied repeatedly at school and online. She turned to the school district for help, but when the bullying continued, she took the case to court. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now This frustrated working mom said Pasco County Schools seemed powerless to stop the alleged bullying, even a judge's order couldn't seem to stop the abuse. So, she brought her story to 8 On Your Side because she feels that parents in her position have nowhere to turn. The mother, who we will refer to as Tosha to protect her children's identities, said she moved her family from Ohio to Wesley Chapel for the same reasons that draw many to this booming suburb: a better quality of life and a fresh start somewhere new. But for Tosha, dreams of a fresh start with her three daughters quickly turned into a nightmare. Plastic surgeon accused of murdering Largo attorney represents himself in court 'It was very traumatizing for her,' Tosha said. 'She at one point thought if she got skinnier, that the girl would leave her alone. If she had nice hair, the girl would leave her alone. We went through: 'I'm only going to eat crackers and water.'' It began with texts like this one from her 13-year-old, her oldest: 'Mom, can you come get me.''A young boy walked to her class, shared some classes with her, and that started a whirlwind and months of heartache for my daughter,' Tosha said. Tosha described her daughter's first day at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School last September. Tosha said the bullying began the next day: name-calling, racial slurs, even photos of her daughter taken in the school's locker room and posted on social media. 'I lost count as to how many times I've been in school,' she responded. When asked how the school responded, she said she only got reassurances. 'It was always 'we're going to talk to the parent,'' Tosha said. ''We spoke to the child. It's not going to happen again.' Then, they did something called a no-contact order.'Tosha didn't stop there. She said she went back time and again to the school district for help, requesting mediations, and asking for meetings with school leaders, board members even with the superintendent himself.'They asked her if she felt feel fearful, and she said yes,' Tosha Tosha called the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.'A total of six times,' she took her daughter's case to the courts. According to Pasco County court documents, a judge took the allegations seriously enough to sign an injunction forbidding the accused bully from stalking Tosha's daughter.'She's broken not only the school order of the non-contact,' Tosha said. 'She's broken the civil order that was given to my daughter by a Judge.'A few days later, Tosha received the final report from the school. 'Their final conclusion was [my daughter] has indeed been bullied, cyberbullied, harassed at the hands of this one child, and instead of giving any type of consequence to the child, they gave me a paper saying that you can move your child outside of the school,' Tosha said.8 On Your Side contacted the Pasco County School District about this case. A spokesperson cited a statute forbidding them from sharing confidential student information, but wrote: 'While Pasco County Schools in not in a position to discuss specific students, we can assure you that our District strictly and ardently complies with both our anti-bullying School Board policies and Florida Law. You can review more information regarding our Anti-Harassment ( Policy 5517) and Anti-Bullying (Policy 5517.01) at: Active Policies – 7227 Land O' Lakes Blvd.| Land O' Lakes, FL 34638 | (813) 794-2000 BoardDocs® Pro.' We're not identifying the accused bully because of her age, either, but we reached out to the Attorney representing her family, William Anderson. Anderson gave 8 On Your Side this statement, reading in part: 'My client and her family have been victimized enough.' Anderson goes on to ask that we not identify the accused bully or her family in our story. As for Tosha, she said her 13-year-old couldn't take it anymore. So, she moved her daughter back to live with the girl's grandmother in Ohio and when her own lease is up in Wesley Chapel, Tosha said she and her other daughters will join them. 'I feel that I failed her,' she said. 'I feel like the community failed her, and I feel like the school system failed her.' Tosha said the school district offered her daughter a Hope Scholarship to enroll in a different school, but said transportation wasn't part of the deal. This was a challenge for a single mom with two other little girls. There are studies on bullying in Florida's K-12 schools, but because of those student confidentiality laws, it's impossible to know the number of cases for a specific local school. Tosha claimed that at least three other parents with children at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School contacted her and said they had pulled their children out of the same school due to bullying. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pasco schools revise homework grading policy for Fall 2025
The Brief Beginning in the fall of 2025, Pasco County teachers will have the option to grade homework. This reverses a policy established in 2022 stating that homework should not be graded. Superintendent John Legg agreed to wait until the fall to implement the new policy to avoid disrupting the current school year. LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - Pasco County Schools Superintendent John Legg outlined the district's updated approach to homework grading, which will take effect in the fall of 2025. The new policy reverses the district's previous stance, established in 2022, that homework should not be graded. Instead, educators will now have the option to grade homework at their discretion. PREVIOUS: Pasco County may soon grade homework again, superintendent says Dig deeper The shift follows recommendations made by a committee of teachers formed to evaluate and propose updates to the district's homework practices. After researching and deliberating on the issue, the group presented a set of guidelines, including the option for teachers to assign grades for homework. The group emphasized the need for a thoughtful implementation process, recommending that the policy be rolled out at the beginning of the next school year to avoid disruption in the current semester. At Tuesday's Pasco County School Board meeting, Legg agreed with their recommendation to implement the new policy in the fall rather than rushing it into the final weeks of the current school year. "Many of our teachers, they will start, if they haven't already started on next year's syllabi, working on adjustments so they can incorporate this into their grading system," Legg told board members. "They can incorporate it into their assignments. They can start making those plans." READ: Senators OK repealing later school start times The changes also require adjustments to the district's student conduct policies, particularly regarding overdue work. As a result, school leaders will spend the summer reviewing and updating those guidelines to ensure a smooth transition. While the new policy allows teachers to grade homework if they choose, it will be optional. The goal is to give educators more flexibility in how they assess student progress while maintaining a focus on fairness and effective learning. What's next The revised homework grading policy will be officially implemented in the fall, with ongoing discussions and preparations to ensure its successful integration into the district's academic practices. The next school board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the boardroom in Building 3 at 7205 Land O' Lakes Blvd. The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Matthew McClellan. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
