Three bills in the Florida Legislature would make some major changes to education regulations if passed, including changes to how school districts hire teachers, how student tests affect graduation, how school districts set recess, and more.

Education issues such as parental rights, school boards and teachers unions have become a key battleground in the race between Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist.

The continued presence of COVID-19 has impacted the state’s school staffing shortage.

Two Florida school districts have decided to require masks as children go back to classrooms, despite an order by Gov. Ron DeSantis essentially banning such mandates.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An appeals court Monday refused to reconsider a decision that backed Gov. The plaintiffs in October asked for a rehearing before a three-judge panel or by the full appeals court, a request known as seeking an “en banc” hearing. The Tallahassee-based appeals court posted the orders online Monday afternoon, shortly after DeSantis and Corcoran held a news conference in Osceola County announcing plans for the second half of the school year. In his Aug. 24 ruling that granted a temporary injunction, Dodson said the order left school districts with “no meaningful alternative” about reopening classrooms. But the panel of the appeals court overturned Dodson’s ruling on a series of grounds.

President Andrew Spar with the Florida Education Association said Florida school districts are struggling to keep classrooms staffed with teachers adding the pandemic is to blame. Gallo explained how OCPS is being transparent about COVID-19 cases in schools by launching a new dashboard online for parents and staff. And while there are cases in some schools, Dr. Raul Pino with the Department of Health in Orange County explained schools are actually doing better than expected." I can tell you I’m pleasently surprised that the numbers in our schools continue to be this low. For the last two weeks, students and teachers at Olympia High School had to pivot to online learning after several positive cases of COVID-19 at the school.

The unions argue that Corcorans order violates the Florida Constitutions guarantee of safe and secure public schools. After the appeals court put Dodsons ruling on hold Friday, Florida Education Association President Fedrick Ingram released a statement vowing to continue battling the state over the issue. This is not about closing schools or opening schools. The states lawyers pointed out that Florida law bases district funding on surveys of the number of children in schools. Corcorans emergency order waived the funding requirements for school districts that submitted reopening plans approved by state education officials.

Siding with teachers unions, a Leon County circuit judge Thursday lifted a stay of his earlier ruling that a state order requiring schools to reopen in August is unconstitutional. Under law, that notice of appeal automatically placed a stay on Dodson’s ruling --- effectively putting it on hold until the Tallahassee-based appeals court can resolve the case. Late Tuesday, attorneys for the Florida Education Association and the Orange County teachers union asked Dodson to lift the stay. In Thursday’s order, Dodson scolded the state for misrepresenting his temporary injunction. What the order did, for the reasons stated, is require that local school districts be given authority under their individual circumstances to open or close the local schools, based on local conditions,” the judge wrote.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. As of Friday, Orange County Public Schools has documented COVID-19 cases in 13 students and eight employees. Preliminary data indicates that as of Friday, Aug. 21 Orange County Public Schools has had 21 lab confirmed cases. Out of the 21 confirmed cases, only 13 students had been on campus at 11 schools, a spokesperson wrote in an email. About 69,000 Orange County students decided to return to campus for the semester rather than continue online learning. Between June 1 and Aug. 19, 192 employees tested positive.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – There were 15 cases of COVID-19 reported at 12 different Brevard County schools in the weeks leading up to the start of the school year, the Brevard Federation of Teachers union said. In a news release Monday evening, teachers union officials reported the results of a public records request filed with Brevard Public Schools for the numbers of positive cases among district employees and the school sites where they worked. Between Aug. 7 and Aug. 20, at least 15 school employees were diagnosed positive for COVID-19 at 12 sites throughout the county, News 6 partner Florida Today reports. The release came the same day Brevard County students reported for the first day of class. The state union argued the order ran afoul of a mandate under the Florida Constitution that students are entitled to a “safe” and “secure” learning environment.

The filing of the notice means an automatic stay will be granted on the judges order, according to the notice. Attorneys for the Florida Education Association presented arguments last week saying that its unsafe for campuses to be open amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A Florida Department of Education emergency order requiring that brick-and-mortar schools open in August was at the center of the weekslong legal battle. In Central Florida, school districts leaders said that as of Monday night, they didnt intend to make changes to their school reopening plans. Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins said the ruling could be discussed at the school boards Tuesday night meeting.

ORLANDO, Fla. Florida continues to report a decline in new coronavirus cases, a hopeful trend as tens of thousands of students return to class for in-person instruction across Central Florida. FDOH reported 72 new fatalities Monday, with six of those deaths reported in Central Florida counties marking a decline in people dying in relation to COVID-19. Ron DeSantis and state education officials saying the decision to reopen schools should be left up to school boards. Ron DeSantis and state education officials saying the decision to reopen schools should be left up to school boards. UCF and 6 Central Florida districts start school: The University of Central Florida says fall enrollment is up, though a quarter of its classes will be in person this semester.

ORLANDO, Fla. A Tallahassee-based judge sided with Floridas largest teachers union Monday ruling that Floridas blanket order to require schools to teach students in the classroom during the coronavirus pandemic is unconstitutional. Florida Education Association, the states largest teachers union, along with a number of other organizations filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran and the state alleging reopening schools was unsafe. It is unclear if school districts will stick to their reopening plans that were submitted to Floridas Education Commission or if districts will roll back plans. The Florida Education Association is expected to hold a news conference at 3:30 p.m.

Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, who is slated to issue a ruling early next week, heard closing arguments in lawsuits filed by the Florida Education Association and the union that represents Orange County teachers. Schools risk losing funding if they don’t comply with Corcoran’s order, which teachers’ attorneys called “financial bullying.”But lawyers representing Gov. Ron DeSantis, Corcoran and state education officials, who are defendants in the case, maintain that the Constitution also requires the state to provide “high-quality education” to Florida schoolchildren. Although DeSantis and Corcoran have said publicly that teachers with medical conditions should be accommodated during the pandemic, local school officials have denied some educators’ requests to teach remotely. During testimony this week, the unions spotlighted the potential risks to teachers’ health, while the state focused on children’s educational needs.

Floridas largest teachers union and attorneys for the state are meeting in Tallahassee Tuesday for court-ordered meditation in an attempt to come to an agreement on how to safely reopen school campuses amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Florida Education Association is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, the Florida Department of Education and others to stop Florida brick-and-mortar schools from physically reopening. A few school districts across the state have already welcomed students back. Many school districts have delayed the start of the school year to late August because of the pandemic.

The battle to stop Florida brick-and-mortar schools from psychically reopening is going to trial after a judge denied the states motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Floridas largest teachers union. On Thursday, lawsuits filed by the Florida Education Association, the Orange County teachers union and a parent were combined. The state had motioned to dismiss the lawsuit; however, on Friday morning a judge denied the motion to dismiss. Stuart and attorney, Billy Wieland are representing the plaintiff in a lawsuit that was filed against Gov. Both Stuart and Wieland represent the three OCPS teachers and the parent who are part of the lawsuit.

The Florida Education Association hopes a judge will delay the reopening of schools for in-person instruction. The labor union filed an emergency hearing on Aug. 3 to block reopening brick and mortar schools while a lawsuit against the state is pending. On July 20, the Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis, Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Board of Education. A special virtual meeting is scheduled for Aug. 5, at 1 p.m ahead of schools reopening.

TALLAHASSEE With the start of the fall semester just weeks away, the Florida Education Association has filed a lawsuit against the governor and other state leaders claiming that reopening schools in August will create an unsafe environment due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ron DeSantis, Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez as defendants. The governor needs to accept the reality of the situation here in Florida, where the virus is surging out of control. Teachers and parents want our schools to meet that basic standard.The lawsuit points out that schools were closed in mid-March when Florida had around 300 documented COVID-19 cases. The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association have expressed support for the lawsuit.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Members of the Florida Education Association said they are disappointed the task force for reopening schools, created by the governor and education commissioner, is made up of predominately business people and not educators themselves. They say they hope the task force will consider their recommendations for reopening schools. Highlights from the FEA’s recommendations include:Temporary suspension of standardized testing and school grades for the next school year. “We’re not only going to have to test adults, we’ll have to test teachers and every student. To view the FEA’s recommendations for reopening schools click here.