The big story: As the number of threats against schools has grown, some Florida sheriffs have sought to deter such actions by publicly revealing children accused of making the threats.
They justify the “perp walks” as a way to make clear that it’s no joke to even pretend that you’re going to shoot up or bomb a school.
“For those of you who want to disrupt the school, the quality of life of these students, I’m coming to get you, and I’m going to publicly shame you in the process,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said recently.
A debate over the practice has grown, as some observers suggest that publicly shaming children is a step too far, and question its effectiveness. Still, many say they support the effort to keep schools safe. Read more from WESH.
Hot topics
Book challenges: Author Laurie Halse Anderson talks about why she joined a lawsuit challenging the book removal process of Orange and Volusia county school districts with the Daytona Beach News-Journal. • Florida’s list of books removed from schools after formal objections does not account for any titles pulled without a public challenge, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.
Charter schools: The city of Hialeah reversed course to allow a local charter school’s expansion into a park over neighbors’ objections, the Miami Herald reports.
College costs: Indian River State College is expanding its program offering a free associate’s degree program to in-district students to include graduates of accredited private schools, WPTV reports.
High school sports: Pasco County’s Angeline Academy of Innovation was not originally planned to have sports teams. Parents and students complained. Now it has a new state-of-the-arts athletic facility, Tampa Beacon reports.
New schools: Northwest Florida State College is building a new campus that includes a collegiate high school to serve a growing area of Walton County, WJHG reports.
Teacher pay: Hillsborough County teachers will see raises from the voter-approved property tax referendum starting in July, Axios reports.
From the police blotter … A Miami high school volleyball coach was arrested on accusations of inappropriately touching a minor student, WSVN reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go … Whoever thinks of modern pop and Irish dance together?