The big story: The Florida Senate is poised to take another shot at overhauling unpopular changes made to teacher contracts and professional certificates nearly 15 years ago.
The Senate Education PreK-12 Committee has scheduled a review of legislation that would allow teachers to secure contracts up to three years, if they have not received a needs improvement or unsatisfactory evaluation in the past three years.
If a teacher on a multi-year contract were to then get a poor review, the teacher would be returned to an annual term. The proposal is one of several ideas included in the Senate’s latest “administrative efficiency” bill, now in its third iteration.
Again sponsored by Education PreK-12 chairperson Sen. Corey Simon, the bill also would double the length of professional certificates for certain teachers. Those who receive evaluations of highly effective for the first four years of their five-year certification period would be eligible for a 10-year certificate when then renew.
An applicant who receives a mix of effective and highly effective ratings for the first nine years would be able to get a 10-year certification upon renewal.
In 2023-24, the most recent available data, the state reported that 72.8% of teachers were rated highly effective, and 26.2% were rated effective.
Teacher union leaders have long argued that the need to annually renew contracts for educators who have proven their value is demoralizing and unnecessary. Lawmakers eliminated multi-year contracts in 2011, despite proposals to maintain job security for effective teachers as the current bill seeks to accomplish. Then-Gov. Charlie Crist rejected a similar bill a year earlier amid massive teacher protests.
The Senate passed an “administrative efficiency” measure early in the 2025 session, only to see it die in the House, which does not have a companion bill at this point. The debate is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 9
Confidence builder: The girls in this Pasco County elementary school’s running club are getting much more than training for a 5K event.
K-8 schools: Oldsmar city officials are supporting a proposal to convert their local elementary school into a K-8 campus, as suggested by some Pinellas County school board members, Suncoast News reports.
Health insurance: A revamped insurance trust led by former Suwannee County superintendent Ted Roush says it can save Florida school districts millions of dollars in health plans, Florida Politics reports.
Mileage investigation: A Putnam County assistant superintendent resigned while under investigation for mishandling mileage reimbursements, the Palatka Daily News reports.
School closures: The Duval County school board voted to shutter two of its smallest elementary schools and reassign their students, despite community opposition, Jacksonville Today reports.
Schools of Hope: The Brevard County school board is setting up a task force to work through the details of how co-location of charter schools in district campuses could functionally happen, WFTV reports.
Student health: Students at an Alachua County high school are working to place free feminine hygiene products in their school restrooms, the Gainesville Sun reports.
Syllabus requirements: Unions representing Florida college faculty members filed an administrative challenge to the state’s new rules expanding online posting requirements for course syllabi, News Service of Florida reports.
Trump presidential library: Miami Dade College trustees won’t hold a formal public hearing as they reconsider their vote to give away downtown Miami property for a future Trump presidential library, the Miami Herald reports. The board also won’t livestream the meeting.
Vaccinations: The Florida Department of Health has yet to release its proposed language for changing school vaccination requirements ahead of a Dec. 12 public hearing, WTXL reports.
From the police blotter … The Dixie County sheriff’s office has launched an investigation into parent complaints that teachers and aides at a local elementary school abused students, WCJB reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go … Thanksgiving is over, so it’s not too early for this, right?
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.