A dance team at Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee has been suspended because of an alleged hazing incident off campus last weekend.
FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson is putting the “zero tolerance” policy for hazing into practice.
“The University takes very seriously any allegation of hazing and has moved quickly to shut the organization down pending the outcome of an investigation,” said Robinson.
“It is unconscionable that a student organization would participate in any hazing activity considering what has transpired in the past year.”
Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal star in "Won't Back Down," Hollywood's take on parent trigger legislation.
A Hollywood drama focused on education made its way to Tampa and Charlotte in the last week.
“Won’t Back Down” is a fictional movie about two moms who set out to transform a failing inner city school.
Of course, this is no easy task as they must convince bureaucrats to look beyond traditional thinking.
The film was screened for panels at the Republican and Democratic conventions.
The movie is a dramatization of what the use of parent trigger legislation would look like. The idea is that parents should be able to take over a perpetually failing school and determine the best course of action to fix it.
A majority of parents at chronically low-performing schools could choose to fire staff or administration, convert the school to a charter school or close the school.
For supporters, a parent trigger law makes perfect sense. But critics see it as a way of turning over public dollars to for-profit companies, like charter school operators.
An early literacy initiative called “ReadingPals” will have three years to flourish in Florida thanks to a $3-million grant.
Local chapters of the United Way of Florida will use the money to train and deploy volunteer “ReadingPals.”
The program is designed to increase the number of students reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
“The early years, when 90 percent of brain growth occurs, are crucial to growing children,” said David Lawrence, Jr., chair of The Children’s Movement of Florida. “Learning to read by third grade is crucial, and reading to learn must become the standard by no later than fourth grade.”
Bottom line: More students are getting the money, but the awards aren’t going as far as they used to in covering the cost of college or university tuition.
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) award, including Academic Top Scholars (ATS) award Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) award Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) award
The value of Bright Futures scholarships has gone down in Florida as tuition has jumped, but they’re still a good deal.
Requirements have changed, so let’s take a look at what students need to do to receive a Bright Futures award and keep it each year they’re in college.
But Forrest Estep experienced sticker shock when he saw what the scholarships don’t cover. Estep is a student at Florida State University.
In the past, his Bright Futures Scholarship would have covered a lot more. But now?
“Here’s how much you owe for the fees,” he said, explaining the bill for his first semester. “It gave you a total. From that total I guess is where they took the percentage from, and it was barely any. It was like not even half.”
The Florida State bill was a lot more than Forrest Estep’s dad, Woody Estep, was expecting to pay.
“I think that was part of what was confusing me,” said Woody Estep, “because I thought it was going to be, ‘OK, here’s your total, you get a 75% discount off your total purchase.’ No, it was 75 percent off one item.”
Woody Estep wishes he’d bought into the prepaid program. His son attends Florida State University, where his Bright Futures scholarship last year covered just a portion of the tuition and none of the fees.
Now, Estep’s son is working his way through school while friends enjoy the benefits of having a prepaid plan along with Bright Futures money.
The Bright Futures program is on shaky ground as more students qualify for scholarships and the state has less money to pay for them.
A student’s financial need is not considered. The awards are based solely on grades, scores on college admission tests, and community service.
“I’m not saying take it away from somebody who earned it,” said Estep. “But if they have a scholarship already, it seems to me at some point somebody shouldn’t be getting money back to go out to dinner or to go on spring break.”
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.
You can set your alarm a little later if you're taking classes online.
Here’s a benefit to online classes you may not have considered: Sleeping in.
Seminole County high school students can opt out of early morning courses and take a class or two online later in the day. Others can opt for a mix of home schooling and virtual school.
“People who home-school or send their children to private or charter schools might not know what we have to offer,” said Griffin.
Griffin wrote a report early this year laying out all the ways Seminole County Public Schools can accommodate students. Opportunities stretch far beyond traditional learning in brick and mortar classrooms.
The order applies to immigrants under age 30 who were brought to the U.S. when they were younger than 16.
The Obama administration is urging immigration agents to grant deferred action status to undocumented students who qualify for the proposed DREAM Act.
Deferred action status simply gives children of undocumented immigrants the ability to get a valid ID, go to work, and go to school. But first, they have to fill out forms and pay fees.
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