Florida schools explore avenues to fill teacher shortage

The big story: As they work to fill teacher vacancies, school districts across Florida have held job fairs, recruited at colleges and even looked abroad for qualified educators.

Another avenue is opening for two Tampa Bay area districts.

This August, some schools in Hillsborough and Pasco counties will welcome Teach for America to their ranks. The program, started about 25 years ago, trains college students for about five weeks to work in some of the nation’s neediest schools. It’s already in Miami and Jacksonville.

Some applaud the initiative for its focus on critical education needs. Others criticize it for de-professionalizing teaching. Read more here.

Other programs also are trying to attract teachers into classrooms. UTeach Institute, which works to find science and math educators, is stepping up its role at Miami Senior High, NPR reports.

Hot topics

Career education: Florida Gateway College trustees are exploring whether to launch a career and technical high school, WCJB reports.

Cellphones: The Broward County school board is looking into extending its student cellphone restrictions, perhaps to expand to a complete ban, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Charter schools: More than a dozen teachers are leaving an Alachua County elementary school as it takes steps to convert to charter status, WCJB reports. • The operator of a private school that serves struggling students in Miami’s Liberty City area said it appears the school is being shoved out for a charter school as developers remake the neighborhood, WLRN reports.

Elections: A candidate for Highlands County superintendent faces a state investigation into allegations that as a principal he created a hostile work environment and sexually harassed some employees, the Highlands News-Sun reports. • There’s a legal debate afoot over a Manatee County school board seat and whether it should be filled by election or appointment, Longboat Observer reports.

Financial aid: An Alachua County foundation is offering students assistance in completing the FAFSA, which has seen low participation amid ongoing problems with the system, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Funding: Florida International University will get an added $25 million in funding as it rises to “preeminent” status alongside UF, FSU and USF, the Miami Herald reports.

Graduation woes: Nine students from a Lakeland private school are waiting for their diplomas six weeks after graduation, WFLA reports. They say the not having the documents is preventing them from moving on to jobs and other benefits.

Leadership: The Lake County school district is having a leadership shakeup amid retirements and reassignments, the Clermont Sun reports.

Protests: Two more University of South Florida students face stiff penalties for their role in organizing pro-Palestine protests at the school’s Tampa campus, WUSF reports. They’re accused of violating code of conduct rules.

From the court docket ... The federal government has filed a briefing in support of a lawsuit against Florida’s law that bars teachers from using preferred titles and pronouns not associated with their sex at birth, News Service of Florida reports. • Polk County school board member Lisa Miller has filed a defamation lawsuit against two candidates who challenged her in the 2022 election and their consultant, the Ledger reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to Friday’s roundup.

Before you go ... If only all talk show interviews were like those by Jiminy Glick.