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Florida bill would require public school students to be 'proficient' in cursive writing by the end of 5th grade

The bill would require students to be tested by the end of fifth grade to prove that they are proficient in cursive writing.

Jenifer Schneider, the interim dean for the College of Education at the University of South Florida, said studies have shown that teaching handwriting is important for students.

“There is science behind it," said Schneider, who is also a professor of literacy studies at USF. "There's research behind it that it shows that it's beneficial for students to learn letter formation and to do it quickly so that they can ease up their brain power for the things that matter."

Schneider said cursive is another tool for students to get their ideas down on paper. Whether it’s print or script, Schneider said, the cognitive benefits of handwriting are similar, but noted that learning cursive adds a cultural benefit.

“You could read an old document. You could read handwritten notes from different generations," Schneider said. "So, there's the ability to read cursive writing, if you learn cursive letters."

Jimmy Patronis Introduces Bill Prioritizing Critical Infrastructure Projects

Representative Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) has introduced legislation prioritizing federal highway projects critical to civil and national defense.

Rep. Patronis's Warrior Road Act requires the Secretary of Transportation to compile a list of the three most important highway and infrastructure projects nationwide — those roads most critical to ensuring the rapid and efficient movement of military personnel, first responders, and evacuees.

As a result, such projects will be given greater immediate priority.

"After years of putting America's military last, I'm determined to work hard alongside President Trump to put America's military first," said Rep. Patronis in a press release. "This bill will deliver safer, more efficient roadways, which will support mission success. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am committed to eliminating wasteful spending and making certain that every dollar goes toward projects that truly matter, ensuring our infrastructure serves those who serve us."

Florida’s campus DOGE report questions spending at New College

New College of Florida’s finances could be a point of discussion at this week’s Board of Governors meeting, due to a new audit from the state’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had ordered the audit of Florida’s State University System to eliminate unnecessary spending and investigate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The report does not include any analysis of those programs but instead compares student success measures like graduation rates with spending at each of the state’s public universities.

While concerns over New College’s finances aren’t new, the report, which draws from publicly available data, highlights how the university diverges from others in the state.

The university’s expenditures nearly doubled between 2021 and 2023, and it had the highest average pay for noninstructive staff in the state system last year, according to federal data. The university’s former alumni association chairman resigned in March because he was concerned that New College’s administration was mismanaging the university’s endowment.

Hillsborough River, muddied by pollution and pumping, is recovering, report says

Rory Jones peered down from the southern edge of the dam. In the shallow, still waters of the Hillsborough River, he watched a manatee bob to the surface. A newborn calf clung to its side.

During cold winters, the sea mammals travel upriver searching for warmer, more sheltered waters. The pair Jones saw that morning in 2018 would have braved 10 miles of the murky river, past a shuttered chemical plant, a former steel mill and the scene of a 2011 mercury spill, before arriving at the base of the dam.

It was the farthest upstream he’d ever seen a manatee.

The Tampa water director, who has worked 28 years for the city, took it as an early sign that the urbanized, long-polluted river was recovering. Years later, a report has corroborated his hypothesis.

For the first time since the Hillsborough River’s recovery plan was established in 2000, water managers have begun to consistently meet the river’s target flow levels, a guideline implemented to safeguard its ecology, according to a study completed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. As a result, scientists found that freshwater habitat has expanded along a stretch of its most impaired banks.