Today's news

HOPING FOR AN INTERVIEW: Chris Dunning, a Pasco middle school principal, applies for the Pinellas superintendency in hopes of taking his career to the next level.

PAY FOR THE PRIVILEGE: Brevard school leaders consider increasing the district's driver education fees by 150 percent to cover the rising costs, Florida Today reports. (Florida Today photo)

TAKING OFF: Gerald Darling, the head of Miami-Dade's troubled school police force, will start up a new department for the Memphis school district, the Miami Herald reports.

LOOKING FOR A LOSS: The Lee school district, which gained about 20,000 students from 2000-07, expects its enrollment to start dropping, the Naples Daily News reports.

UNDER FIRE: Miami-Dade School Board member Martin Karp, who is up for reelection, gets criticized for an e-mail sent by a top district official to teachers that touts his board votes, the Miami Herald reports.

IT DIDN'T WORK: Glades Central High in Palm Beach tried all the school improvement methods that had helped other schools succeed, but got another F anyway. Community members take the failure personally, the Palm Beach Post reports.

WHAT TEACHERS DO ONLINE MATTERS: An Okaloosa teacher is fired for using his district computer to view soft porn on the Internet, and also for posting nude pictures of himself online, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

HOW MUCH DISCIPLINE IS TOO MUCH? Parents and experts are raising questions about the use of physical restraint on special needs students who are out of control, the NY Times reports.

Comments

[Frans van Haaren]

Any kind of restraint is too much (for special ed and typical students). If restraints are used it only tells us that there has been a long history of ineffective behavioral interventions. If restraints are still being considered much more emphasis should be placed on creating situations in which the use of restraints will not be necessary (prevention).