Florida
Florida substitute teacher fired over video DeSantis called ‘fake narrative’
![Florida substitute teacher fired over video DeSantis called ‘fake narrative’](https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/desantisron_021523ap-wilfredo-lee_desantis.jpg?w=1280)
A Florida substitute instructor has reportedly been fired for posting a video of empty bookshelves in a center college library, a video that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) known as a “pretend narrative” earlier this week.
Brian Covey, who was a substitute instructor at Mandarin Center College in Duval County, posted a video on Jan. 27 that confirmed aisles of empty bookshelves within the college’s library. The day earlier than, he had additionally tweeted, “They eliminated each single e-book from my kids’s school rooms.”
DeSantis mentioned at a press convention on Tuesday that the video Covey posted was a “pretend narrative” and “was not true.”
Covey mentioned that he was fired on Wednesday, almost three weeks after he posted the preliminary video, in accordance with First Coast Information.
In an announcement first supplied to First Coast Information, Duval County Public Faculties confirmed that Covey was fired in connection to his social media posts.
“In dialogue between the district and ESS relating to this particular person’s misrepresentation of the books obtainable to college students within the college’s library and the disruption this misrepresentation has brought about, it was decided that he had violated social media and cellphone insurance policies of his employer. Subsequently, ESS decided these coverage violations made it essential to half methods with this particular person,” the assertion learn.
ESS is a corporation that contracts substitute lecturers to the Duval County Public Faculties, in accordance with the web site.
DeSantis lately signed a invoice into regulation that required public college books in Florida to be age acceptable for college students, freed from pornographic materials and “suited” to the wants of the scholars, which has prompted college officers to evaluation books of their libraries.
The Hill has reached out to DeSantis’s workplace and Duval County Public Faculties for remark.
Covey posted a video responding to DeSantis’s “pretend narrative” feedback final week, displaying a number of empty e-book cabinets and saying the county had solely reviewed a small fraction of e-book titles.
Duval County Public Faculties responded to Covey’s posts, saying that the video Covey posted confirmed “lower than half the story” in a tweet. “Sure, these cabinets have been empty. However they have been in a room filled with books,” it added.
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Florida
Five Central Florida fire stations hit by burglars while firefighters are on shift
![Five Central Florida fire stations hit by burglars while firefighters are on shift](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox35orlando.com/www.fox35orlando.com/content/uploads/2024/07/1280/720/3ECC31C372AE763B4BE92EB1FFCDE0EC.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Are suspected car burglars targeting Florida fire stations?
More than a dozen vehicles have been damaged or broken into at fire stations in Central Florida.
Burglars are targeting firefighters in Central Florida. According to officials, criminals are breaking into firefighter’s cars while they are on shift.
“It’s unconscionable, it’s criminal and it’s preying on folks that are literally taking an oath and willing to give their life to help serve the community,” John Westmoreland of Orange County Fire Rescue said. “The thought of their vehicles being broken into it’s sickening, and it’s maddening.”
Three fire stations in Orange County were targeted between June 30 and July 1: OCFRD Station 34 (4000 Winter Garden Vineland Road), OCFRD Station 44 (14230 Reams Road), and OCFRD Station 33 (1700 S. Apopka Vineland Road).
According to the Seminole County Fire Department, two of their stations (Stations 12 & 14) were hit on July 1.
“These crimes have been happening after midnight,” Westmoreland said. “There’s some indication that we’ve had some false calls and then the break-ins occurring afterwards.”
It’s a trend nationwide, according to Westmoreland. Over the last six months, a rash of similar incidents have been reported in Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, and Colorado.
Last year, FOX 35 reported half a dozen other instances of car burglaries targeting firefighters again in Orange and Seminole counties. That was when Seminole County firefighter John Baker had a gun stolen from his truck.
Now, stations in Seminole and Orange counties are taking steps to improve or reinforce security measures.
Most fire stations do have security cameras. There is no word yet on whether any of the burglaries were caught on camera.
FOX 35 was told no guns were reported stolen from the Seminole County stations. We’re still waiting to hear back from Orange County regarding the same question.
Florida
Former ‘Cafe Risque’ stripper files lawsuit against the state of Florida
![Former ‘Cafe Risque’ stripper files lawsuit against the state of Florida](https://gray-wcjb-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZOXEUPSH7NDODIB6KP7KCBGGNM.png?auth=e1860afd84f1201226eaf316e670e74339066cd71932dd8d15f62a05aee8030d&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
MICANOPY, Fla. (WCJB) -The state of Florida now requires strippers to be at least 21 years of age.
A lawsuit filed by Serenity Bushey, “Cafe Risque”, and two other adult establishments claims the new law violates their First Amendment and equal protection rights.
Bushay’s attorney, Gary Edinger, says the law is unconstitutional.
“The idea that adult residents of the state of Florida don’t have the same rights as people who are a couple of years older than them… it doesn’t make any sense under the constitution.”
The federal suit claims at least nine women under the age of 21 perform at “Cafe Risque” and have since lost their jobs.
Edinger says the law doesn’t only apply to strippers at adult entertainment clubs.
“So whether they are performers, or cooks, or DJs, or security, they can no longer be employed,” he stated. “And that affects what you might think of as strip clubs, it affects adult theaters, and also adult retail stores.”
He also tells TV20 that the consequences are high stakes.
“If someone slips by with a particularly good fake ID that club is strictly liable,” he added. “If it’s a nude club such as ‘Cafe Risque’ in Micanopy that’s a third-degree felony, that means someone’s going to jail for that…”.
Edinger and Bushey are asking for attorney fees and calling for a permanent injunction on the law.
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Florida
Is Florida testing students too much? Why there's not an easy answer
![Is Florida testing students too much? Why there's not an easy answer](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc2f283/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2546x1337+0+0/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8e%2F77%2F9332250043709b6ba87d194325c1%2Fscreenshot-2024-07-02-at-3-45-05-pm.png)
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is continuing to dig deeper into Florida test scores just released from the state department of education. They show whether students are performing at grade level in a variety of subjects.
Education
Making the grade: Florida education leaders praise student test scores
3:21 PM, Jul 01, 2024
This was Florida’s second year of the progress monitoring testing style, measuring student success three times throughout the year.
Local school district leaders told WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind they really like it. But parents Susskind spoke to aren’t so sure yet.
“I just don’t get it. I truly don’t know how taking away one test to add three, there’s no logic to me. It doesn’t make sense,” said Palm Beach County mom of two Sheena Romano.
Romano shares a popular opinion with many parents Susskind heard from on Tuesday: there’s too much testing in school.
“You have the elementary school sitting three times a year for iReady to grade their progress. And then you have the [Florida Assessment of Student Thinking] to grade their progress. So it’s like, can we eliminate one?” Romano said.
North in St. Lucie County, Superintendent Dr. Jon Prince doesn’t disagree.
“Testing in Florida is rigorous,” Prince told Susskind. “I still say we’ve got a little too much assessment going on.”
But he does support the new style of progress monitoring testing using the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or FAST. It’s given at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to measure what a student is learning and where they need to focus.
“It’s been a great blessing that we get these results back immediately. So we know exactly where these kids are weak,” Prince said.
Florida education leaders tout this state testing style as the first in the nation. It replaced the high stakes FSA exam, which was given once at the end of the year.
“We are finding there is a lot more interface between parents and schools,” Prince said. “OK, my kid didn’t do very well. What can I do as a parent? And what can we do to partner and help them perform better? So I think it’s helped not just student learning, but that interaction between parents and families and schools.”
While parents like Romano understand that perspective, they still feel there’s too much testing pressure on today’s students.
“I think a good teacher, just like a good parent, should be able to see the progress. If you are honed in on the children,” Romano said.
So why are these tests important? Not only do they measure student progress, but they are used to help determine school and district grades. Those are expected to be released later this summer.
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