Sommer Brugal
@smbrugal
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@Axios Miami Reporter | hablo español 🇩🇴 | prev: edu + edu policy @MiamiHerald , edu @tcpalm / @usatoday | always eating noodles 🍜 | she/her
Miami, FL
Joined August 2010
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Pinned Tweet
✨Professional news✨time: This is my final story for the
@MiamiHerald
. Yesterday was my last day.
Taking a few days off & then I'll be joining
@axios
Miami. I'll continue keeping tabs on edu news (duh), but excited to expand my coverage to more beats.
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ICYMI: The Florida Board of Education yesterday voted to ban critical race theory, which had become a divisive issue on the Treasure Coast.
@TCPalm
Here's what a few parents, teachers and school officials had to say:
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BREAKING: The board voted 3-2 to approve the measure. Masks will be required for students PreK-8 starting Monday.
@IRCSchools
now joins the number of school boards that already have defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates.
Full story coming soon.
@TCPalm
Hello 👋 Welcome to
@IRCSchools
School Board meeting, where members will consider the superintendent’s recommendation to mandate masks for students Pre-k through 8. Students with a medical condition & doc’s note will be exempt.
Stay tuned for updates.
@TCPalm
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Today is my first day covering k-12 schools
@MiamiHerald
✨
I’m so excited to begin and I can’t wait for the people I’ll meet and the stories we’ll tell.
Tips? Send them to sbrugal[at]miamiherald[dot]com. Chat soon!
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✨professional news time✨ tomorrow is my last day
@TCPalm
. next month i'm heading to the
@MiamiHerald
to be the K-12 education reporter.
leaving is never easy — i have a list of stories i'll never get to here — but i'm so excited & grateful for the next chapter.
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At the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami, a group students, youth members & organizers are gathering to protest the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill before hopping on a bus to head to Tallahassee to protest there.
Latest update
@MiamiHerald
:
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Hey
@washingtonpost
, please consider attributing who first reported this story, especially if you’re going to quote one of the 3 teachers in the original piece.
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Today marks 1 year since I joined the
@MiamiHerald
.
I met people who trusted me with their stories. I attended tame school board meetings & a few ~lively~ ones. I reported stories I'm immensely proud of, but know I missed a few, too.
So here's to Year 2 & the stories to come✨
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NEW: Over the weekend, I spoke to 3
@MDCPS
students in the AP African American Studies pilot class
@GovRonDeSantis
rejected earlier this month.
They enrolled not to earn college credit (a perk of AP courses), but to learn more.
Here's what they shared:
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Ashley was such a joy to chat with & watch graduate yesterday. The Miami Beach Sr. High class president is a speech & debate rockstar & founded an org that works to empower young girls. She also got into every Ivy League.
Her story is on
@MiamiHerald
’s front page today 👇
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Former President Donald Trump enters Trump Nation Doral hotel to a group of about 10 people.
He’s expected to show up in the federal courthouse in downtown Miami tomorrow. He was indicted last week & is facing 37 felony counts.
@MiamiHerald
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For years, residents in Florida’s heartland complained about smoke & ash. Reporters set out to see if they were being exposed to pollutants current monitoring systems would miss. They were.
Incredible investigation by
@luluramadan
&
@propublica
reporters.
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‼️‼️‼️‼️
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I have written my lede, deleted, re-written, deleted, gotten a snack, called my mom (no answer), walked around my apartment, read about DACA (!!!) & repeated at least 8 times today and I have *checks page* zero words written for a story due today.
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i’m waiting on edits, which as of today, i’ve been doing most days
@TCPalm
for 2 🎉 WHOLE 🎉 YEARS 🎉
to mark the occasion,
@olivia_McKelvey
took a photo of me with today’s paper (ft my A1 story 😎).
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The room tonight is standing room only.
Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books, said tonight is a “celebration of reading, of writing,” particularly the titles that were challenged & restricted in
@MDCPS
last month.
Here’s that story:
June 6th at 6pm show your support for the freedom to read!
The Sanctuary for Banned Books @ The Coral Gables Congregational Church is hosting a celebration and book giveaway of 3 of the recently challenged books at the Bob Graham Ed Center, a K-8 school in the MDPS system
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NEW: As Gov. DeSantis & FL Republican leaders explore alternatives to College Board’s AP classes & test, the founder of a test focused on the “great classical and Christian tradition" said he's already been meeting w/ top state officials.
w/
@anaceballos_
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New: The impacts of HB1 -- expanded school choice for all FL students -- are finally coming into play in
@MDCPS
, where officials said lawmakers couldnt give a larger per student funding increase to districts b/c there's "too many" voucher students to fund.
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"WOWOWOW I'M OVERWHELMED" — me, an education reporter, every time a teacher calls me with a tip, days before one of my three school districts opens amid a pandemic.
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New: Florida’s new civics initiative pushes a conservative ideology, a “Christian nationalism philosophy” & downplays the role the colonies and later the US had in the history of slavery in America, educators said.
Published last night with
@anaceballos_
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an education reporter visiting a school while taking time off work. classic.
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This interview should be required listening for everyone in Florida, whether you've been following education news or not.
Big props to
@hellokatepayne
& Renee for this honest, powerful conversation.
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For anyone paying attention to what's been happening in Florida surrounding the AP African American Studies class, this was a great episode.
And bonus! It includes the perspective of a Miami-Dade County student who was in the pilot class.
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Hard disagree. As an ed reporter, I often talk w/ young students & recording lets me engage w/ them & lets them feel a little more at ease, like we're just chatting about their day.
A middle schooler may not feel heard if I'm not looking at them b/c I'm focused on taking notes.
Reporters (esp newer ones), please stop recording most* of your interviews. Using a recorder is time-consuming and leads to an overreliance on quotes in your writing. (*Exceptions include potentially adversarial interviews and those to run as Q&As.)
#journalismtipoftheday
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Good morning 👋
@MiamiHerald
is outside of Metro-Dade Firefighters Local 1403, where
@GovRonDeSantis
is speaking this afternoon for the first stop of his Education Agenda Tour.
A group of protestors is across the street with signs like ‘We Say Gay’ & ‘Protect Trans Kids.’
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NEW w/
@anaceballos_
: The FL Dept of Edu said it found more than half the books it rejected had “prohibited topics,” like CRT
But a
@MiamiHerald
review of nearly 6k pages of book examinations shows just 3 state reviewers said 4 math books violated the rule
🧵 on what we found👇
NEW: Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Department of Education last month rejected 54 math textbooks, saying many had "indoctrinating content," including on critical race theory.
The overwhelming majority did not agree, a Herald review found.
w/
@smbrugal
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Happy Wednesday 🎉
We’re at the
@MDCPS
School Board meeting, where board members are expected to vote on a measure to recognize October as LGBTQ+ History month. It passed last year, but needs to be approved annually.
Background
@MiamiHerald
:
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Outside the line is a group of
#ProudBoys
members, each wearing branded hats and shirts and bandanas covering their faces. They’re screaming with a person waving a trans flag.
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📢
@MDCPS
will be closed Wednesday and Thursday because of
#HurricaneIan
, Superintendent Jose Dotres announced Tuesday.
The decision was made, in part, because of high winds that will impact transportation & the many students who walk to school, he said.
@MiamiHerald
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It's 8 p.m., but we've updated this story to include more about
@CharlieCrist
's expected running mate, Karla Hernandez-Mats, the Miami-Dade teachers union president.
@CBSMiami
first reported the likely choice this afternoon.
More
@MiamiHerald
:
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New: Doral city manager faces possible removal after a council member accused her of breach of contract & misusing city resources for the "personal & political benefit of her husband," a Miami-Dade School Board member.
The meeting is Wednesday at 12 p.m.
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Youth & community members are gathered at Pride Park to rally against the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill making its way through the Florida legislature.
The rally, organized by
@safeschools1991
, follows a day where folks across the region wore purple in support of LGBTQ+ youth.
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On Valentine’s day, we sat in on Renee O’Connor’s African American History class at Norland Sr. High, where she & her students discussed the 10th anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s murder.
In today’s
@MiamiHerald
, with 📷 by Carl Juste:
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scarfing down food in my car before a School Board meeting, a memoir ✨
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In today’s
@MiamiHerald
, a look at how teachers are feeling ahead of a new year — one that will feature a slew of new laws & regulations on what can (or can’t) be taught in classrooms & where parents will have a heightened role.
✍️ w/
@taveljimena
:
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Happy First Day of School
@MDCPS
students 🎉🎉
@MiamiHerald
reporters & photographers are scattered around the district this morning talking to students, teachers & parents.
At
@hghs_gladiators
, there’s a band and dancers welcoming everyone 🎺
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Breonna Taylor’s name, for many, is one of the first times a woman has been central to rallying cries about police use of force.
But before her, nearly 250 others had also been fatally shot by police since 2015.
@marisa_iati
,
@jenjenkinswp
& I wrote about a few of those women.
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I kinda love seeing edu reporters across the country tweeting about the School Board meetings they’re watching/attending and reporting on the same night I am.
There’s a certain camaraderie in seeing their tweets, esp when we hit 10 p.m. and beyond 🥲
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Closing out a year of (chaotic) education news with a story about Judie, a second grader at David Fairchild Elementary, who for the second year in a row won her school's spelling bee 🐝
It was easily my favorite interview of the year.
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A family is suing a local charter school, Meta & Instagram for their role in the events that led to a 13 y/o being falsely accused of threatening the school, arrested & jailed for nearly 2 weeks.
Read what happened
@MiamiHerald
:
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Recent months have put a spotlight on education in Florida.
I spoke to
@Slate
's What Next podcast about a few issues that have come up — from textbook debates to conservative bills & Hillsdale College's footprint in Florida.
Listen here:
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ICYMI:
@MiamiHerald
launched a *new* education newsletter, where
@taveljimena
& I dive into the biggest edu stories of the week & look ahead to what’s coming. It'll arrive in your inbox every Thursday (today!) at 5 p.m. 🥳
Interested? Sign up here:
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"everything changes when they bring out the dominican guy"
Congratulations
@marcellohdz
— Miamian and
@ONLYinDADE
alum — on his epic SNL Weekend Update debut with
@ColinJost
! See if you can guess my favorite joke…
#BecauseMiami
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3 districts, 2 first days of school, 1 district’s mask policy reversal ➡️ a very exhausted education reporter
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me, shortly after deleting social media off my phone so i can *really focus* on finishing a story i've been working on for a bit: "wow, zillow is so fun. look at all these beautiful homes i can't afford!"
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Me: opens folder with months of reporting notes + spreadsheets for a story I was working on before COVID.
Me, 35 seconds later: *overwhelmed* I wonder what twitter is up to?
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"There’s something terribly troubled about a society that convinces men that this is “what they do.” That puts workers in jobs that break their bodies, and convinces them that the brokenness is a sign that they’re doing it right." - from
@MonicaHesse
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Monday is off to a fun start:
Two school districts on the Treasure Coast announce delayed starts to the 2020-21 school year & the Florida Education Association announced it filed a law suit against Gov. DeSantis and Commissioner Corcoran to stop reopening of schools.
Whoop!
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online recipes: enjoy this easy meal in under 30 mins!
me, 1.5 hrs later:
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Today’s front page is all about education 🤓
Hug a schools reporter today (it’s been...a time). Then subscribe to your local newspaper.
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Happy Friday.
I’m standing with my colleagues today as we participate in a one-day work stoppage to urge our company,
@mcclatchy
, to agree to a fair contract with our union,
@OneHeraldGuild
.
We want better working conditions to ensure
@MiamiHerald
prevails for decades to come.
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florida education reporters realizing school starts next week, COVID cases are rising, “back to school” stories need rewrites, parents asking about masks & if homeschooling is an option, pitching stories you probably won’t get to bc ~time~ etc etc etc etc etc
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currently playing “how many times will i walk to and from the kitchen this morning to avoid writing a story due in a few hours.”
tons of fun, highly recommend.
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Former President Trump just got into his car, presumably heading to the federal courthouse in Miami. There’s a motorcade of about 10 vehicles.
Again, a handful of guests waited outside.
@MiamiHerald
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Days before I started
@MiamiHerald
,
@MiamiSup
said he was leaving for LA
A week later, I sat down w/ him to chat his 14yr tenure, remaining challenges the district (& his successor) faces & his role out west.
Here's what he said, w/ 📸from
@pportalphoto
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Ms. Abbott, the inspo behind
@AbbottElemABC
, said teachers always knew when reporters were on campus bc the school was “spotless” & they were sent to the best classes. 🙃
“If you’re always told where to go and who to see you won’t get the truth.”
#EWA22
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To clarify, naming a Teacher of the Year is incredibly important.
But to bait reporters, mainly ed reporters, already stretched too thin as districts prep to reopen, with a *big* announcement that would presumably touch on
#COVID19
concerns in the classroom is misleading.
The "important announcement" we've been waiting for will be the selection of the teacher of the year.
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And here’s the second story
@MiamiHerald
put out so readers could review the slides for themselves:
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Hello! Was on leave this summer, but I'm back this week & here's what we got:
Next week, an effort to recognize Oct. as LGBTQ History Month will come before
@MDCPS
School Board. Didn't pass last year & some members already indicated they won't support.
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Kids are by far the best interviews, and Katie was no different 🤗
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UPDATE: The
@MDCPS
School Board just voted 5-4 to approve the recommendation to adopt the textbook, flipping last week's decision.
Chairwoman Tabares Hantman flipped and voted in support of the adoption.
@MiamiHerald
I'm going to bring this to the top, as it seems like the convo may be going in a different direction with the Chair's suggestion
If last week's item is brought back to the table, that could signal another vote may occur. Unclear, though. The lawyer is reviewing policy
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Students, parents & community members are gathering tonight at the Pride Center to rally against the “don’t say gay” bill.
It was organized by Safe Schools South Florida & there’s well over 100 people in the crowd tonight.
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"We’re in the early stages of building a listening library of powerful female voices," writes
@MonicaHesse
. But with Fiona Hill's testimony, perhaps "listeners will remember that they’ve heard a voice like that before, & trusted it when they did."
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New:
@MDCPS
reversed its decision to adopt a comprehensive sex-ed book for middle & high schoolers, leaving the district with no sex ed curriculum for at least 4-8 months.
The 5-4 vote followed a contentious meeting where some attendees were escorted out.
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Well, I’m emotional now 🥺
These are the best messages to read. Telling these students’ stories makes being a reporter so worthwhile.
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Tomorrow is my 29th birthday. Today I woke up with what I think to be a pinched nerve in my neck and can’t move it or my arms too much.
My late 20s really keeping me humble.
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I saw
#InTheHeights
this weekend & still can't fully put into words every emotion I experienced, but pride & joy quickly come to mind.
I'm Dominican-American & grew up in Santo Domingo. It's home. Watching these women made me emotional all over again💛
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In today’s
@MiamiHerald
, the 4 finalists hoping to become
@MDCPS
✨ Teacher of the Year ✨
Each has such a unique, inspiring story. Give them a read:
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yes, we're 12 days into the new year and my christmas tree is still up. no, i will not be taking it down anytime soon 🤗
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everyone: the week between christmas & new years is so fun! what even is time?! what is work?! day drinking!
journalists:
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In today’s
@MiamiHerald
,
@MDCPS
2023 Teacher of the Year Unethia Fox 🌟
Fox is a special ed math teacher at
@SMSHCobras
, her alma mater. On Thursday, she thanked her students: “You are the reason I smile.”
Story:
Incredible 📸:
@cjherald1
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New: Earlier this week, Gov. DeSantis announced a target list of school board members who are up for reelection in 2024. One of them is in
@MDCPS
.
It’s unclear why Luisa Santos made the list, but those involved in convos cited voting records.
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BREAKING: Two additional elementary classrooms in
@MCSDFlorida
will have quarantine after two employees reported symptoms of COVID-19, according to district officials.
A total of 26 students will have to pivot to remote learning for 14 days.
@TCPalm
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“I have about an hour worth of notes and comments.”
something no reporter wants to hear from a School Board member when we’re already 3 hours in to a special meeting
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happy friday! here's a few wholesome stories from the
@MiamiHerald
about yesterday's spelling bee to start your weekend :)
first up is brody, from broward county! his winning word was coterie, which i'd never heard before:
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my god how is not one woman quoted in this story?
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Journalism is the best gig. You get to meet new people & tell so! many! stories! But it's really hard. I wish I learned earlier to stop comparing my work to other reporters' work (still do) & be proud of where I was.
Thank you
@NPRinterns
for this thread. And Happy Birthday 🎉🥳
1/ ok so today is my 22nd birthday. I have this account so I want to just talk about being 21, being 22 and journalism.
I know it's a lot to share, but I just think it might be helpful to someone. Just a warning I talk about some v serious stuff.
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A bill to change how public schools are converted into charters is moving through Tallahassee. In theory, it could let a municipality convert all public schools w/in its jurisdiction into charters.
Critics say it's another ex of Tally favoring charters.
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Long before I joined the team in December, my colleagues at
@OneHeraldGuild
have been fighting for a contract & equal pay for Spanish & English-language journalists.
I’ll be participating today in a work-to-rule. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues.
🧵 THREAD 🧵
Today, the journalists of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald are demanding a fair contract and WORKING TO RULE. Our members will work the hours and roles we were hired for and nothing more.
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paid a parking ticket by the due date for maybe the first time ever today please clap
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Whew. The Florida *education* beat. Nothing else like it.
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beyond excited to join
@SPJFla
’s board this year ☀️ can’t wait to learn from and collaborate with this stellar crew
✨proud of this wonderful new board representing Florida journalists✨ If you have ideas for
@SPJFla
programs, events or training you want to see in your neck of the woods (or online, of course), message me!
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Alrighty folks, we made it to Thursday in what feels like a never-ending week & that can only mean one thing:
@MiamiHerald
's South Florida Report Card, our new education newsletter, is hitting your inboxes at 5 pm.
Still need to sign up? Here's the link:
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On the front page of
@USATODAY
, a look at the information schools, health officials and state agencies share about Covid-19 cases. How much is provided, however, depends on where you live.
With
@JaymeKFraser
@TomLanghorne
@ArikaHerron
&
@Rachel_Fradette
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BREAKING (again):
@MCSDFlorida
confirmed Monday afternoon that 37 Jensen Beach High School students and 54 South Fork High School students will have to transition to remote learning, effective immediately, because of Covid-19.
Stay tuned.
@TCPalm
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