High school students begin the long journey to become doctors

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 2/1 1:00A Uma Raja

When Cypress Bay freshman Isabella Lao had a soccer injury, her ACL pain inspired her to pursue a different path in life. At just 14 years old, she is already taking the steps to begin a career as an...

Florida reading, math scores fall to lowest mark in more than 20 years on nation’s report card

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/28 10:30P Steven Walker

Florida students scored significantly worse on national reading tests taken last year than in 2022, mirroring a continuing national decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, data released Wednesday morning shows. The Sunshine State s eighth graders...

Oklahoma proposal requires parents to provide immigration status when enrolling students

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/28 5:20A Associated Press

By SEAN MURPHY, Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Parents enrolling children in Oklahoma public schools will be required to provide proof of their child’s U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status under a proposed rule approved Tuesday by...

Free speech organizations denounce Education Department’s calling book bans a ‘hoax’

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/27 5:45A Associated Press

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Organizations that track the removal of books from schools and libraries are denouncing a Department of Education announcement that called bans a “hoax” and dismissed 11 complaints that had...

Broward school board approves plan to close underenrolled elementary school

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/23 4:14A Amanda Rosa

After a year of intense school board discussions, varying proposals and public outcry, one Broward County public school will close. The Broward County School Board voted to close Broward Estates Elementary School in Lauderhill and repurpose it as...

‘There’s no way’: Palm Beach County schools want exemption from law requiring later start times

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/23 3:28A Luli Ortiz

WEST PALM BEACH — The Palm Beach County school district is pushing back against a new Florida law that will require later start times for middle and high school students, a move that keeps sparking debate statewide. The Florida law requires that...

New bill targets start times for Florida middle schools, high schools

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/20 2:11A Jim Saunders

TALLAHASSEE — With Florida school districts facing a 2026 deadline, a Senate Republican  filed a proposal that would repeal requirements aimed at later start times for many high schools. The proposal (SB 296), filed Friday by Sen. Jennifer...

Will Broward close one school or five? The proposals expected up ahead

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/18 9:25P Scott Travis

A yearlong effort to shrink the size of Broward schools for this fall could end with the School Board deciding to close one school. Or maybe five. The School Board is expected to consider separate proposals Wednesday from Superintendent Howard...

Banning cellphones in schools gains popularity in red and blue states

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/17 6:29A Associated Press

By ANDREW DeMILLO LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas’ Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom have little in common ideologically, but the two have both been vocal supporters of an idea that’s been...

How to get student loan relief after the L.A. wildfires

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/17 2:00A Nerdwallet

By Eliza Haverstock, NerdWallet Wildfires have burned at least 12,000 homes, buildings and other structures in Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s latest estimates. If the L.A. wildfires have...

Florida bill would ban students in the US without legal permission from some public universities

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/14 8:34A Kate Payne

TALLAHASSEE  — A Florida state lawmaker has filed a bill that would ban some public colleges and universities from admitting immigrants who are in the country without legal permission. The proposal comes the day after Gov. Ron DeSantis called for...

Millions have had student loans canceled under Biden — despite the collapse of his forgiveness plan

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/13 5:44A Associated Press

By COLLIN BINKLEY WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite failing to deliver his promise for broad student loan forgiveness, President Joe Biden has now overseen the cancellation of student loans for more than 5 million Americans — more than any other president...

Some US lawmakers want more Christianity in the classroom. Trump could embolden their plans

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/13 4:56A Associated Press

By MORIAH BALINGIT, AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing to introduce more Christianity to public school classrooms , testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references...

Trump wants to change colleges nationwide. GOP-led states offer a preview

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/9 5:42A Associated Press

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JOCELYN GECKER of The Associated Press, WILLIESHA MORRIS of AL.com, and KEVIN RICHERT of Idaho Education News Nearly a decade ago, intense protests over racial injustice rocked the University of Missouri’s flagship...

Lawmaker wants to reverse parts of Florida’s controversial teacher merit pay law

Florida Education News-South Florida Sun Sentinel 1/3 8:15A Steven Walker

A GOP state senator wants to nix Florida’s merit pay requirement for teachers, unwinding the first-in-the-nation policy pushed into law by Republicans, but fiercely opposed by most teachers, more than a decade ago. Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez,...