Florida Department of Education

The superintendent of Broward County Public Schools is defending her response to the statewide grand jury report that led to the ouster of four school board members and three district administrators.

Wrote the plaintiffs: “Throughout Florida, schools are taking extraordinary measures to purge any trace of LGBT people from schools, and teachers are afraid to show any support for LGBT students.”

Lawyers in Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office say the Legislature has discretion to make choices about school curriculums.

The motion contends that the law “was enacted with the purpose to discriminate and has the effect of discriminating against LGBTQ+ students and those with LGBTQ+ family members.”

Florida students began returning to classrooms this week amid a teacher and support-staff shortage, with some counties still advertising positions and exploring "creative options" to fill vacancies.

Several Florida school boards are being sued for changing their LGBTQ guidelines and removing similar material from their libraries and classrooms in response.

Recently released federal guidelines would extend protections under the law to include schools’ “obligations not to discriminate based on sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Manny Diaz Jr. said it would “vastly expand the application” of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational institutions.

Principal Keila Victor said building a community — or as she puts it, “a village” — for her 300 students is the most important part of her job.

Before becoming principal, Evan Markowitz was a music teacher at Athenian Academy. He said creating upward mobility for his teachers is important to him.

Andrew Spar, Florida Education Association president, said the latest series of Supreme Court rulings has already muddied separation of church and state.

More Tampa Bay area students in grades 3-8 passed their math exams this year than last, but very little improvement was shown in English and Language Arts exams in grades 3-10.