Florida
Emotions fly in debate over Florida teacher preparation
The heated story: The education topic that riled emotions in Floridaâs Legislature on Thursday was teacher preparation.
The bill sponsors aimed to remove âidentity politicsâ and âtheories of systemic racismâ from any lessons that colleges and universities provide students learning to become teachers. They said itâs important to teach about history and other important events without distortion.
Several Democratic lawmakers took issue with the proposal, contending it was an effort by the Republican majority to erase the truth about Black history. Tempers flared and some tears were shed during the intense debate over several amendments â none of which passed â aimed at muting the bill.
Speaker pro tempore Rep. Chuck Clemons repeatedly reminded members to turn the heat down and keep things civil. He specifically chastised the use of the word âgarbageâ to describe othersâ viewpoints, suggesting the lawmakers expand their lexicon to become more eloquent.
After rolling the bill to final reading, Clemons had everyone return to their seats, and pointed to the bracelet he received from Democratic Rep. Christine Hunchofsky. It says, âkindness.â Clemons asked everyone to use a little as they continue to the end of session, which comes March 8. He received a round of applause. Read more from News Service of Florida.
More Tallahassee action
Vouchers: State lawmakers are holding firm in their proposal to reduce the permitted uses of education voucher funds, despite familiesâ pleas to keep the expense list broad enough to include art supplies and musical instruments. Hereâs why.
Social media: Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she expects Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto HB 1 barring minors from social media, Florida Politics reports. Lawmakers are gearing up to revise HB 3 on limits to internet pornography access to take its place, USA Today Florida Network reports.
Deregulation: The House passed a second bill to reduce regulations placed on public schools and sent it back to the Senate. It removed several concepts, including the elimination of some high school graduation testing requirements, that the Senate had proposed, Florida Phoenix reports.
Today in Tallahassee … The House convenes at 9 a.m. HB 1291 on teacher preparation is on the calendar for final consideration. ⢠The Senate convenes at 9 a.m. Bills on the special order calendar include SB 1128 on university carryover funds, SB 994 on student transportation and SB 962 on inhaler availability in schools.
Hot topics
School construction: Hillsborough County school district officials have pledged $70 million to rebuild recently closed Just Elementary School and nearby Stewart Middle. ⢠The St. Johns County school district plans to convert a high school it closed in 1985 into a new campus for its technical college, WTLV reports.
Religion in schools: A Palm Beach County high school math teacher has been reprimanded for giving students pamphlets encouraging them to join in the worship of Jesus Christ, the Palm Beach Post reports.
Parent involvement: The Escambia County school district is encouraging families to get more involved in their childrenâs schools as a way to combat rising absenteeism, WKRG reports.
Open enrollment: The Martin County School Board will make all district schools available for open enrollment, if there is space available, WPTV reports.
New College: The school announced the hiring of a Presidential Scholar who has faced past criticism for his writings in favor of colonialism, the Herald-Tribune reports.
Hazing: The University of Miami chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity is under investigation after videos surfaced that reportedly show hazing activities, the Miami Herald reports.
Election season: Leon County superintendent Rocky Hanna has drawn a second challenger for the post, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Eclipse activity: A major solar eclipse is coming on April 8, and Seminole County schools are getting ready for it, WESH reports.
Culture wars: Teachers in Florida schools that follow the International Baccalaureate program say they are not feeling constricted by state laws on the instruction of race, gender and other areas because of the way the program is structured, Education Week reports.
Crossing zones: Recently installed cameras have captured nearly 200 drivers speeding through school crossing zones in the city of Eustis, the Daily Commercial reports.
Charter schools: Residents of an Alachua County town whose students attend schools in nearby Newberry are criticizing Newberryâs proposal to convert the schools into charters, WCJB reports.
From the police blotter … Six people, including a staff member and three students, were arrested after a fight at Hillsborough Countyâs Chamberlain High School. ⢠Two Flagler County teens face charges stemming from a fight at school, Flagler Live reports.
Donât miss a story. Hereâs a link to yesterdayâs roundup.
Before you go … Did you know physicists, scientists and mathematicians were behind some of the biggest ideas in finance? Check out this fascinating explanation.
Florida
South Florida faith leaders call for Miami mental health center to finally open
Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
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