The big story: The State Board of Education and commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas doubled down on their efforts to enforce their interpretation of parental rights during a meeting Wednesday in St. Augustine.

The board found the Alachua County school board to have violated parents’ First Amendment rights in late July, and ordered the board to correct its ways with no deviations over the next year or face financial penalties, as WCJB reports.

Kamoutsas read passages from the memoir “Trans Mission” that he told Hillsborough County schools to remove earlier this month or face possible prosecution for providing children with access to harmful materials. After citing statutes he said explain why the material is unacceptable, and saying he expected all districts to “govern themselves accordingly,” Kamoutsas praised the state’s new prosecutor and said he was “committed to working with him” on this issue.

The commissioner also spoke of how he wanted to suspend a Brevard County teacher who used a student’s preferred name without parental permission, a recommendation that the Education Practice Commission did not follow. The school district dismissed the teacher and has not rehired her, Florida Today reports.

Board members asked if they could override the commission. Kamoutsas said they have no authority to change the decision of the quasi-judicial action, for which any appeals could be filed in court, adding that he is consulting with department lawyers to see how they might rewrite the rules for the future.

Board member Daniel Foganholi used the discussion to suggest the state might need to do a better job communicating expectations to teachers, many of whom he said are working hard to do the right thing and scared of enforcement against them for mistakes.

He spoke of his own experience with his son’s teacher, who he said was reluctant to call the boy DJ because his formal paperwork said Daniel Jr.

“I want to make sure that we overcommunicate to our teachers so that we make sure they are comfortable in those situations, that they’re not scared, they’re not in fear,” he said. “I feel like a lot of teachers are paying the price for people doing the wrong thing.”

If it’s a mistake, Foganholi said, “show grace.”

Not everyone walked away from the meeting with that message. The Florida Education Association issued a statement afterward criticizing the board and commissioner for having chosen politics over students and “vilified the very educators who keep our neighborhood public schools strong.”

Some parents attending the session also signaled their dissatisfaction with the discussions and actions. They said the board should stop wasting time on “political theater” and focus on fixing crowded classrooms, low teacher pay, student academic struggles and other “real issues.”

The board meets again Sept. 24 in Fort Walton Beach.

Hot topics

Administration costs: Volusia County schools saw their administrative costs rise even as enrollment stagnated, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

Board members: A first-term Polk County school board member who was on a lengthy medical leave of absence has died, the Ledger reports. Gov. Ron DeSantis will appoint a replacement to complete the term.

Campus cops: The Broward County school board overrode district administrators to extend a program that allows school security officers to live on school campuses, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

Contract talks: Lee County teachers and school district officials are prepared to resume contract negotiations a week after the union accused the district of illegally implementing a selective pay incentive, the Fort Myers Beach Observer and Bulletin reports. Education commissioner Kamoutsas praised the Lee district at the State Board meeting for circumventing the union to put more money into the pockets of teachers who agree to work at low-performing schools.

Graduation: Some advocates for students with disabilities are lamenting the end of Florida’s high school certificates of completion, saying the change could hurt their job opportunities, Central Florida Public Media reports.

Health insurance: Alachua County teachers and other school employees will see their health insurance premiums rise, MainStreet Daily News reports.

New College: Plans to expand the eastern portion of New College’s campus are being delayed, possibly indefinitely, by FAA requirements, WUSF reports. The land in question is on land owned by the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

School closures: A virtual K-5 charter school based in Santa Rosa County will cease operations in September after having received an F grade from the state, WEAR reports.

Student privacy: An Escambia County parent is accusing the school district of inappropriately sharing students’ private data through AI programs it uses, the Pensacola News-Journal reports.

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