teachers

There's pressure from COVID, politicians, and parents. What’s it like being a teacher today? A panel of teachers from around South Florida talk about life in the classroom.

In Pasco County, there were 649 teacher vacancies Monday, with most related to COVID. It has forced the district to double up classes or pull in staff members with teaching backgrounds to fill in.

Florida Education Association president Andrew Spar says a "massive exodus" of teachers is contributing to the shortage.

Masks and shields, gloves and goggles are allowable expenditures under the bill.

The study was intended to monitor students’ language development, but researchers realized they could use the data to reflect how density of individuals in a classroom affected infection rates.

Thousands of teaching and school support jobs across Florida were open at the start of August. Local school districts are seeking bus drivers, food service workers, classroom aides and certified instructors.

"We are in a major surge now as we're going into the fall, into the school season. This is very serious business," Fauci said. He urges states and localities to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for teachers.

To help educators address symptoms of trauma in classrooms, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund is looking to build out a program with the nonprofit Hope Street.

The pandemic has been especially hard on Ashley Gaska. But she says it's also made her more resilient and determined to instill the values of her loved ones in her students.

The state's four FEMA sites and select pharmacies are some of the places where school staff of all ages can get their shots.