Florida Polytechnic president choice raises questions about its mission
The big story: Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland has grand aspirations to become the MIT of the south.
So when the time came for the school to choose its next president, some trustees saw it as an opportunity to make a mark. One of the top candidates came from the highly regarded Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. The other leading choice came from Northwest Florida State College.
The narrowly divided board went with the latter, who was the only finalist without a STEM background. The decision sparked an immediate backlash.
“It is no longer an honor to serve on the Board of Trustees of Florida Polytechnic University so I resign, effective immediately,” trustee David B. Williams wrote in a letter to the school. Read more from the Lakeland Ledger.
Hot topics
Cell phones: The push to remove cell phones and other personal devices from Florida classrooms is in high gear as districts rewrite their student codes of conduct. In the Tampa Bay area, districts begin taking public input this week.
Charter school conversion: Dispute continues over the outcome of a vote to convert three Alachua County district schools to charter status, MainStreet Daily News reports.
Computers for students: The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office donated 40 computers seized in a gambling raid to needy students at Daughtrey Elementary School, the Bradenton Herald reports.
Financial dispute: Volusia County superintendent Carmen Balgobin says she inherited financial problems she’s been working to resolve. Past superintendent Scott Fritz says she’s misrepresenting the facts, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.
Enrollment: K-12 public school enrollment is declining nationwide, including in Florida, where the expansion of state-supported schooling options has driven the numbers, NBC News reports.
Race relations: Racial hostility tore apart the once successful baseball program at a Lee County high school, ESPN reports.
Safety data: The University of Florida and Safe Schools for Alex have launched a new database providing accessible information about the safety characteristics of public and charter schools, Florida Politics reports.
Scholarships: A state audit raised concerns about the administration of the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, including a need to disburse funds in a more timely manner, Center Square reports.
School closures: Under-capacity schools in Coral Springs are not being considered for closure as Broward County district officials plan to repurpose several campuses with low enrollment, Tap Into Coral Springs reports.
Student transportation: Pinellas County schools are collecting information from families who want their children to ride the bus in the fall, as they prepare updated routes, WFTS reports.
Taxes: The Orange County school board is to decide this week whether to ask voters to approve a local option sales tax to support school construction projects, Spectrum 13 reports.
Teacher discipline: Three teachers at Lecanto Primary School in Citrus County are under investigation and recommended for dismissal amid an investigation into allegations they physically restrained a child and used a wipe to scrub the child’s mouth for cursing, the Citrus County Chronicle reports.
From the police blotter ... A teacher at Hillsborough County’s Durant High School was arrested on allegations of sexual battery against a student. • Some parents at a Sarasota County elementary school have filed complaints with the Sheriff’s Office over allegations of sexual battery by one student against others, the Herald-Tribune reports. The district is investigating the concerns. • Two students were hospitalized and seven teens were arrested after a brutal attack just after school outside a SLAM! charter school in Miami, WSVN reports.
From the court docket ... Lawyers for the state said they will appeal a federal court ruling that blocked implementation of a law governing teachers’ pronouns and titles, News Service of Florida reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to Friday’s roundup.
Before you go ... The message of this Elton John song still resonates, and who better to deliver it than the great Annie Lennox.
