The big story: Since becoming Florida education commissioner, Anastasios Kamoutsas has focused much attention and ire on the school district and board of heavily Democratic Alachua County.
Among other things, he has accused the board of violating parents’ First Amendment rights and blasted board members for statements they made on their personal social media pages. While attending an Alachua board meeting in October, Kamoutsas raked Vice Chairperson Tina Certain over the coals, telling her to appear at the November State Board of Education meeting to explain why she’s fit to serve.
Certain said she plans to make the drive to Crawfordville on Thursday. But she’s not going hat in hand.
On Monday, her lawyer, Gary Edinger of the Gainesville firm Benjamin Aaronson Edinger & Patanzo, sent the commissioner a seven-page letter spelling out how Certain “will appear at the hearing voluntarily to answer those questions which she deems prudent to address.”
“She does so as an elected member of the Alachua County school board, not as an employee of your department and not as a subordinate official,” Edinger wrote in the footnote-laden letter detailing how he viewed the state as overstepping its bounds.
Certain said she had questions about Kamoutsas’ directive from the time he spoke at her board meeting. If he hadn’t left immediately after making his speech, she said, “I intended to ask him, ‘What authority do you have to come in and question me about what I do on my personal time?’”
She referred to Facebook comments she shared after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed, which Kamoutsas and others took offense to. She contended that whatever he or others think of her negative views about Kirk, she has the right to state them. Voters can decide whether to keep her in office.
“I come from a line of people who we’ve had to fight and stand up for our rights,” Certain said. “It’s unfortunate that a lot of the gains that we’ve made in society, women and Blacks, are just being stripped away. … I’m not going to be their little punching bag.”
Edinger stressed that the State Board has no authority to adjudicate or enforce any findings regarding constitutional rights, “whatever right the department thinks it has to impose political orthodoxy among county school boards.”
Certain will gladly participate in a fair and frank discussion about education policy issues affecting her district and the state, he added. “However, Ms. Certain has no interest in participating in Star Chamber proceedings or a McCarthy-inspired show trial.”
The topic “Alachua County School Board” is fifth on the Thursday agenda. It states only that the board will “discuss ongoing issues” with the district.
Also on the agenda, the board will debate proposed standards for teaching the History of Communism, Politico Florida reports.
Start times: The Orange County school district issued a survey asking families whether they think middle and high schools should start later in the day, WKMG reports. The state has pulled back its start time requirements, but said districts must submit proof that they investigated the possibilities before making any decisions. • The Osceola County school district is conducting a similar survey, WKMG reports.
Schools of Hope: Members of Broward County’s legislative delegation aim to blunt the impact of Florida’s Schools of Hope law during their upcoming session, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Public comment: The Nassau County school board will move its public comment session earlier in its meetings, to take place before it votes on action items, Florida NewsLine reports.
Handwriting lessons: Some state lawmakers are trying again to require children to learn cursive handwriting in elementary school, Florida Politics reports.
Career training: A workforce development program new to Duval County is working with major employers to offer internships to high school students, Jacksonville Today reports.
Campus closures: Some Brevard County residents were frustrated about being left out of a meeting where school officials discussed plans to shutter a school with parents only, Florida Today reports.
Charter schools: A Florida-based English-Hebrew charter school system that is seeking to open a religion-based virtual charter school in Oklahoma, refueling a debate over religious charter schools in the Sooner State, Oklahoma Voice reports.
Athletic coaches: Momentum is growing for a legislative proposal to better pay Florida’s high school sports coaches after years of discussions, On3 reports.
From the police blotter … A Broward County teen was arrested on accusations of bringing a weapon to her high school for the second time, WPLG reports. • A Seminole County high school student was arrested on allegations of threatening to blow up a school, WKMG reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go … Pinellas County’s Sandy Lane Elementary magnet kids have performed “Thriller” at Halloween for the past eight years. It’s been getting bigger and better.
Jeffrey S. Solochek is a reporter covering education as a member of the Tampa Bay Times Education Hub. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here.