Florida tops nation in teacher vacancies, report says. Officials say no way.

The big story: All across the nation, school districts face teacher shortages. Low pay is a critical factor in why educators are not staying on the job.

The subject area needs vary across the states. But one thing seems clear, according to a report in USA Today.

In a series of charts, the publication asserts that Florida has the largest number of vacancies, and one of the lowest levels of teachers per 1,000 students.

After the story came out, officials in the Florida Department of Education raised questions about the numbers. It issued a statement calling the USA Today article “a media-driven narrative based on incomplete, low-quality data.”

The source information did not include large states such as New York and Ohio, for instance, and it offered an acknowledgement that it relied on details from other reports that did not provide many important definitions.

The department added that Florida has been rated as “the number one state for overall education, higher education and parental involvement in education,” and listed several accomplishments such as adding billions of dollars to the annual budget for teacher pay.

Hot topics

Diversity: University of South Florida officials said they remain committed to supporting a diverse campus community despite having eliminated its formal Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion because of state law.

Dual enrollment: Florida College Access Network is calling for increased access to college dual enrollment programs for students in groups that are historically underrepresented in higher education, WUSF reports.

NIMBY? The Volusia County school district is trying to answer questions and alleviate concerns from residents upset about the pending relocation of an alternative education program into their neighborhood, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.

School closures: The Broward County school board is ready to hold workshops to explore details of closing and consolidating its under-capacity schools, WLRN reports.

Superintendents: Former Leon County superintendent Jackie Pons is considering another bid for the post after leading the turnaround of Jefferson County K-12 as its principal, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

Tuition: The Osceola County Commission unanimously agreed to continue a program offering local high school graduates free access to Valencia College or Osceola Technical College, Spectrum 13 reports.

Unions: The Alachua County Education Association is struggling to meet the state’s 60% membership threshold as its April deadline looms, WCJB reports.

From the police blotter ... A Pasco County private school teacher was arrested on allegations of using artificial intelligence to create child pornography. • Two adults were arrested at a Miami-Dade County elementary school on accusations of fighting with a student in the parking lot, WSVN reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.

Before you go ... Who’s your pick for the big dance?

Editor’s note: The introductory section of this roundup was revised after the Department of Education raised its concerns about the referenced USA Today story.