Gradebook

Schools in Florida and around the nation continue to grapple with how to treat transgender students. Which restrooms and locker rooms should they use? Which gender pronouns should school employees select to refer to the students? Do other students and their families have a right to know? The Sarasota County school district has debated the issues since 2016, when some students demanded their rights not be trampled upon. This week, the district superintendent quietly released a new policy guideline for the treatment of transgender students. Herald-Tribune reporter Elizabeth Djinis joins Times reporter Jeff Solochek for a discussion on the issue, which again has heated up as the Trump administration ponders a more limited definition of gender.

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As a Florida state lawmaker, John Legg often spoke about how the final two years of high school were becoming less important to students who had already passed many of their graduation requirements and could benefit from better preparation for college. As a charter school operator, Legg put many of his ideas into play, creating an "early college" program, in conjunction with a community college, for his school's high school students. Now he's studying the roles of early college, dual enrollment and related concepts for his doctoral thesis, and he discussed with reporter Jeff Solochek the philosophy and research behind rethinking the 11th and 12th grades, with the goal of helping more teens get ready for and then access higher education.

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It's a quarter of the way through Florida's school year, and some schools continue to grapple with implementation of two key requirements, one new and one old. Leaders remain uncertain of exactly how often to run active shooter drills, required by the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act. And they still face complaints and concerns over the student schedules and teacher assignments related to the 2002 class size amendment. In many instances, confusion over the requirements plays a big role in the schools' actions, and community reactions. Reporters Megan Reeves and Jeff Solochek discuss the two issues as they've been playing out in recent weeks.

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Hillsborough County, the nation's eighth largest school district, is asking voters to increase local sales taxes in order to help pay for construction and maintenance projects, including much needed air conditioning repairs. But the district faces hurdles along the way, such as convincing the public it can be a good steward of tax dollars while avoiding outright campaigning, which isn't allowed by law. Reporters Jeff Solochek and Marlene Sokol discuss the referendum, why Hillsborough leaders want it, and why school districts across Florida are left to seek new revenue sources for what many people consider basic expenses.

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Florida's two major party candidates for governor have released their education platforms, and they couldn't have offered a more distinct choice. With the exception of wanting to expand career and technical education, and to pay teachers better, Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum disagree on almost everything. Even their ideas for boosting salaries differ dramatically. Reporters Emily Mahoney and Jeff Solochek dissect their talking points — such as Desantis' dedicating 80 percent of funding to classroom expenses and Gillum's dismantling of charters and corporate tax credit scholarships — as the race heats up heading into the final month of campaigning.

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The Florida Supreme Court officially tossed education-related Amendment 8 off the Nov. 6 ballot, upholding a lower court ruling that found it misleading. But that's not the only proposal to change the constitution that voters face. Reporters Jeff Solochek and Emily Mahoney discuss the Amendment 8 ruling, and what's left on the ballot — including another measure that also could alter the way Florida's school districts operate.

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After the Florida Legislature changed its rules for school choice, the Leon County school district saw an uptick in families forging documents to register their children in preferred schools. Meanwhile, less popular schools sat under capacity, hurting the district's ability to justify new campuses in growing areas. The district took a hard line to root out the offenders and more evenly spread its student population, which also helped increase diversity. Superintendent Rocky Hanna talks with reporter Jeff Solochek about Leon County's address verification efforts, which he says has cost him some friends but is the right thing to do.

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It's a taxing time for the Hillsborough County school district, the nation's eighth largest — and not just in the literal sense of the word. In addition to pursuing a local sales tax increase via voter referendum, itself a contentious issue, the district is poised to lose three of its superintendent's four leading defenders. As residents question the district's credibility, its leaders weigh carefully the next steps. Reporters Marlene Sokol and Jeff Solochek discuss the latest week's escapades for one of the nation's biggest school systems.

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Florida's long-running education equity lawsuit, filed by parents, aims to force more money into public schools. First, they have to convince the courts that the issue can be judged. So far, a trial and appellate court have ruled that the constitutional language governing public education is more aspirational than objective. The state Supreme Court will take up the debate in November. In today's podcast, plaintiff's lawyer Jodi Siegel talks with reporter Jeff Solochek about what's happening in the Citizens for Strong Schools case.

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