Florida is the only state in the union that has not filed a plan to draw down billions in federal funds for local schools through the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER).
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran asking why his agency has not submitted a plan to get this money.
The state received the first two-thirds of the money but failed to provide a plan by the June 1 deadline or abide by the July or August timelines after talks with the state Department of Education staff. Upon approval of the plan, the state would receive the remaining $2.3 billion.
Florida has not doled out the majority of the money allocated for schools that it already received from the federal government.
The state Board of Education reconvenes tomorrow.
Guest: Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association.
The Morris Center
An estimated 15 million children and 52 million adults in the U.S. have some degree of dyslexia.
October is recognized as International Dyslexia Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness, share resources and highlight stories about dyslexia successes.
The Morris Center in Ponte Vedra Beach has just opened on the First Coast. It’s a comprehensive center for dyslexia and learning disorders.
Guest: Dr. Tim Conway, world-renowned brain scientist with more than 30 years of clinical research in dyslexia and learning disorders associated with difficulties in literacy, comprehension, writing and math.
Urban Meyer
Jaguars officials responded to a viral video of head coach Urban Meyer with a woman who is not his wife dancing on him on a night out.
Guest: Josh Torres, WJCT sports analyst.
Mariel Hemingway
The Jacksonville Women’s Network welcomes Mariel Hemingway as their keynote speaker for the 2021 Annual Speaker’s Forum. In her keynote address entitled “Unstoppable,” Hemingway shares her family story — from the suicides of her grandfather Ernest Hemingway and sister Margaux — to her journey from depression to a life filled with purpose and passion.
Guest: Mariel Hemingway, activist and mental health advocate.
What’s good Wednesday
- The Gamma Rho Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. hosts theStay Well Community Health Fair and Vaccine Event this Sunday at the Clanzel Brown Community Center. Attendants can listen to a panel discussion about the continued effects of COVID-19 and the emerging variants hosted by local, trusted Black health care professionals. Other free resources include COVID vaccines, testing, health screening, mammograms and well-living information.
- Downtown Vision hosts the return of the Downtown Art Walk from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight The art-centered, community-building event will be hosted at three main hubs: James Weldon Johnson Park, The Jessie duPont Center and Vagabond Flea at the VyStar Breezeway.
- Sculptor Diane La Fond’s solo exhibition comes to the University of North Florida’s Art Gallery in Founders Hall from 5 to 7 p.m. tomorrow.
- UNF faculty affiliated with the Digital Humanities Institute and the Africana Studies program won a highly competitive $100,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant for “Documenting Black Jacksonville: The Viola Muse Digital Edition.”
- Dr. Tammy Hodo of All Things Diverse is hosting aRadical Healing and Reconciliation Conference over the next two days.
First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Associate Producer Katherine Hobbs can be reached at khobbs@wjct.org or on Twitter at @KatherineGHobbs.
