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CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Miami Norland Senior High teacher earns prestigious international fellowship
Dr. Precious Symonette really likes being a teacher. "I want my students to be proud of me," she said. Miami Norland junior RickStephan Jean said he's very proud. "It's a certain type of comfort that you get from her that you don't get from any other teachers," Jean said. Janice Ducheine, who is also a junior at the school, agrees, saying, "You know Dr. Symonette can honestly serve as a second mother at school. There'd be times, I do a lot at school, and sometimes it gets overwhelming, and she's always there for me." Symonette teaches various writing courses at Miami Norland Senior High. She said that allowing teenage emotions, thoughts and feelings to leave their hearts and minds to be placed onto paper is how she's able to get her students to open up, and it's easy to see just how much she really cares. "I like to see my students shine, especially when I know their stories and I think that's probably the thing that I carry most in my heart," Symonette said. "I know students. I know their stories. I know their struggles and I want to be a part of not just the things that make them feel sad, but the things that make them feel great." Symonette shines in the classroom This is part of what makes Symonette so accomplished. Back in 2016, she was named the Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year. There have been lots of awards and accolades in between, including the latest. This year, she was named the 2025 National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. Symonette said getting it caught her by surprise. "It was a moonshot moment, like I never thought that I'd be selected," she said. She'll spend this summer in Iceland. Learning about all things the Vikings, which coincidentally also happens to be Miami Norland's mascot. Her students have also given her a complete to-do list — basically, it's homework. "They have completed an activity called 3-2-1," Symonette explained. "Three things that I should look for while I am in Iceland, two things that I should do, and a question that I should ask the people when I come in contact with them." Symonette said she'll take part in science experiments, do a polar plunge, and also go to Greenland. She said it's these experiences that become tools she uses to take learning to new levels. It's her students who ultimately gain the most. Jean says he knows she does it all for her students, "you learn things while it doesn't feel like you're learning anything." Symonette adds, "I'm here to educate them and at the end of the day, I want all my students to be published writers. I want them all be authors. Writing is transferable, and you can use it in any type of career." Send us your story at MiamiProud@
CBS News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
South Florida non-profit helps kids tap into their creativity to express themselves
Darius Daughtry may look like a traditional classroom teacher, but he's not anymore. "When I was teaching, I saw this gap that existed in a lot of schools. I began to go around to different schools and see that some schools have these arts programs, but then other schools didn't have them and I knew what it did for me," he said. So taking his love for his students and art into consideration, Daughtry founded the Art Prevails Project non-profit. It was born from his own experience as a child who needed an escape. "I realized that was a place I could go when I needed to just express myself and over the years the idea of expressing and writing, putting things on paper just became a place of refuge for me," he said. Daughtry set out on a quest to make art accessible for every child. The Art Prevails Project started in his car but has blossomed into much more. With his signature programs, like Speak Your Piece and Write Out, Daughtry goes into schools to help students tap into their creativity and learn life skills. "For our students who need to learn self-advocacy and those independent functioning skills, this is huge to help them prepare to go into their work-related fields," Hollywood Hills High School assistant principal Sara Pierce said. "What I think I love most is it really opens them up to possibilities they didn't think of before." While Daughtry isn't a teacher by title anymore, he is still teaching students how to overcome obstacles and making Miami Proud. "Like Whitney Houston said, I believe the children are the future," Daughtry said. "As a world, if we're ever going to be what we're destined to be, it's going to be in the hands of the children." Send us your story at MiamiProud@
CBS News
11-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could end accommodations for special needs students
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . A lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton could end federal protections for special needs students. More than 400,000 students in Texas benefit from 504 plans in school , according to the Texas Education Agency. These are federal accommodations for students who have disabilities, but do not require special education services. Disabilities include ADHD, dyslexia, visual and hearing impairment and emotional disorders. Paxton's lawsuit could threaten that right. Last September, Texas, along with 16 other states, filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenging the law. Specifically, a portion that added "gender dysphoria" to the definition of "disability" by the Biden administration in may of 2024. Gender dysphoria is the mental stress a person experiences when that individual doesn't identify with the body they were born with. Paxton said the "HHS has no authority to unilaterally rewrite statutory definitions and classify 'gender dysphoria' as a disability." While much of the lawsuit focuses on this change, it also asks for section 504 to be declared unconstitutional. However in February, the plaintiffs filed a joint status report saying they don't want the court to declare section 504 unconstitutional "on its face" or at first look.
CBS News
10-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
What is a 504 plan for students with disabilities? The Learning Curve
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . There is no "one size fits all" way to learning. So for kids who may need extra support, help is available through what's known as a 504 plan, or 504 accommodations. The number refers to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights law making sure students with disabilities have help if they attend a school that receives federal funding. Examples of qualifying disabilities include: Accommodations include sitting at a specialized desk with adaptations that help students focus. It allows extra time for assignments or test taking, fidget items during instructional time and the use of speech-to-text technology and modified textbooks. After the dismantling of the Department of Education , the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special needs programs like the 504 plan. The Texas Education Agency said it does not anticipate any changes in services for students who receive these accommodations. To get a 504 plan, parents should contact their child's school and request an evaluation.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
How will Texas' school choice bill impact public schools? A state educator responds
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . With Texas' school choice bill one step closer to becoming a reality, one public educator is addressing how it will impact public schools. Mark Terry, deputy executive director of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, has spent 33 years working in public education. He said there are aspects of the bill that many parents may not be aware of. He said that the bill will give schools the power and money, not the parents. "I have a fundamental problem with saying that we're going to expand school choice and then limit who can get into a school," he said. The bill would allocate a $10,000 voucher to students to use towards private school education. That would barely cover tuition for some schools in the state – Terry said that he knows one school's tuition is $26,000. Why does he think parents should choose to keep their student in public school? "I don't care if I'm in the roughest school in an urban area, way out in a small rural school, or if I'm in a suburban school with a lot of money," Terry said. "All those kids need an excellent education and the opportunity to receive that. If you're going after kids in the neediest areas and they can't afford the tuition, what does it matter?" Another element Terry touched on was school boards. Public school boards are elected officials with open meetings where parents can sign up to talk. Private schools are more often appointed and do not have to have open doors. They also often meet in communities outside of where the school is located, so Terry said access can be limited. He recommends to parents who are curious about public school, reach out to administrators and ask for a tour.
