That’s why a middle school in Palm Beach County offers a four-day program each summer to get incoming sixth graders accustomed to their new environment.
Independents can't vote in Republican or Democratic primaries, but they have a reason to head to the polls today: School board.
Hillsborough County Republican Party chairman Art Wood reminds political independents why they still have a reason to head to the polls today — it may be the only chance to vote for school board.
Non-partisan races such as school board and judges are being held across Florida. If you want a say, Wood recommends visiting your polling site before it closes at 7 p.m.
“Even though they’re a non-partisan race you really need to go vote,” Wood says, “because your selection of the judge and your selection of the school board is going to be determined today — unless there’s a runoff forced by the vote count.”
Brady Spencer sits with her son Brendon. Brendon has Asperger's, ADHD, and mood disorders. A few years ago she decided to take him out of his Mantua, Ohio public school, where he would often be sent to the hallway or a spare office during class.
Readers chimed in saying they’ve seen different data. And we’ve figured out why.
The Florida Department of Education keeps two sets of student seclusion and restraint data.
Every incident is supposed to be recorded in both reports. But the FLDOE says school districts may not know that.
One set of FLDOE data shows more than four times as many students were isolated in seclusion rooms than a second set of data we used, the School Environmental Safety Incident Report (SESIR).
Neither of those figures probably reflects the total instances of seclusion and restraint, though state officials say school districts should be recording incidents of seclusion and restraint in both reports.
Vanessa Richter, 17, works on her online summer course as her friends eat lunch at a food court.
Last year, Luis Gonzalez failed freshman English, Algebra and Physical Science. When he starts school later this month, he’ll still be considered a freshman.
His school has a different name for it.
“They call it a ‘fresh-more,’” he said. “By years I’m a sophomore. But I’m going to have freshman classes.”
Gonzalez thought he could make up the classes during summer school.
But summer school wasn’t an option for the Pasco County student.
Because of budget cuts, Florida’s largest school districts say they cannot offer summer school to everyone who needs it.
Only some students get to attend – and juniors and seniors are the priority in counties such as Pasco, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Orange and Duval.
“Now it’s going to be kind of embarrassing going to school because my homeroom is going to be with all freshmen,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not going to have any classes with friends, but I guess it’ll teach me a lesson.”
It may teach the 16-year-old to do better in school next year.
But having few summer school options also makes it harder for Gonzalez to catch up to his peers. The risk is that he keeps falling behind.
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