Education

Fourteen of Miami-Dade Public School System's better-known and accomplished graduates were inducted into the first official Hall of Fame, Monday night at the New World Center in Miami Beach.

If there are any undecided voters left in Florida, just weeks before the election, chances are they're educators.

Many say President Obama and Mitt Romney have strong education platforms that differ so subtly it may take a teacher's practiced eye to tell them apart.

"They're both strong on testing and accountability," says Doug Tuthill, who runs a nonprofit in Tampa for low-income K-through-12 students. "They both believe that student achievement should be included in teacher evaluation systems.

Alachua County school board member Eileen Roy has called a proposed constitutional amendment coming before voters in November “the very death of public schools.”

The state’s largest teacher’s union is running ads against the change and mobilizing teachers to get out and vote against it.

Amendment 8 – dubbed the Religious Freedom Amendment – is likely to be one of the most contested ballot questions this fall.

The big question: Will it take taxpayer dollars away from public schools — to fund private, religious schools?

Many school districts say math and science teachers are among the most difficult positions to fill.

But in Orlando schools, custodians are the highest in demand.

This summer, the Orange County school district asked principals which positions they needed help filling.

The top answer across the district? School Custodians.

Schools have been open for a couple of weeks across much of Florida, but not all of the students know who their teachers are yet.

There’s typically a lot of teacher turnover during the summer break, and schools can’t always get vacant teaching positions filled by the time school starts.

Last year, Luis Gonzalez failed freshman English, Algebra and Physical Science. When he starts school later this month, he’ll still be considered a freshman.

His school has a different name for it.

“They call it a ‘fresh-more,’” he said. “By years I’m a sophomore. But I’m going to have freshman classes.”

Gonzalez thought he could make up the classes during summer school.

But summer school wasn’t an option for the Pasco County student.