Anna Fusco, the president of the Broward Teachers Union, blamed Florida’s new “anti-union” legislation for requiring an election as part of the certification process.

Education officials in South Florida are reacting Tuesday to a lawsuit settlement regarding Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which now allows students and teachers to be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms.

The Broward County School Board held a news conference with the county’s teacher’s union Tuesday following the tentative agreements that were made including base salary increases.

A roof covering a walkway collapsed Tuesday morning at the Atlantic Technical College campus in Coconut Creek. No one was hurt.

Two years after a roof collapse caused students and teachers to scramble for safety, a middle school in Broward County is getting major upgrades.

Teachers and administrators in Broward County were seeking clarity about whether or not to make the College Board’s Advanced Placement psychology class available to students looking for opportunities to earn college credits in high school.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, host Glenna Milberg welcomes Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, insurance expert Lisa Miller, and Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco.

There are only two weeks until the school year starts in South Florida.

A pay increase of 7 to 10% was still on the table on Thursday for Miami-Dade County Public Schools teachers and already some were celebrating.

The interim leader of Broward Schools, making a massive proposal just days before a vote on hiring a new superintendent is held.

The state board of education voted Wednesday to ban lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from grades four through 12, expanding the law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stopped at a southwest Miami-Dade Catholic school Monday to sign a major school voucher expansion bill into law.

Cypress Bay High School in Weston was placed on “secure status” Thursday morning after a “dangerous item” was found on campus, the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

School districts in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are still searching for teachers.

Teachers’ unions in South Florida oppose the state’s new effort to have fewer requirements for U.S. military veterans and their spouses to work in public schools.

Wednesday night, the association representing the principal told Local 10 News she is not the one responsible for safety and security at the school.

The president of the Broward County Teachers Union said there’s a lot more to the story and said the principal should be held accountable.

Pembroke Pines police say a 5-year-old boy likely won’t face charges after he allegedly attacked a teacher at Pines Lakes Elementary School.

Broward County School Board members voted on Tuesday to narrow their search for a superintendent to four candidates. The members will be conducting in-person interviews.

On the latest episode of the This Week in South Florida podcast, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg welcome Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, Broward County Elections Supervisor Joe Scott, State Sen. Shevrin Jones and State Rep. David Borrero.

On the latest episode of the This Week in South Florida podcast, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by newly elected Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Miami T. Wilard Fair, Broward Teachers' Union President Anna Fusco and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantails.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by newly elected Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Miami T. Wilard Fair, Broward Teachers' Union President Anna Fusco and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantails.

On the latest episode of the This Week in South Florida podcast, host Michael Putney is joined by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, congressional candidate Jason Mariner, state Senator Jason Pizzo, state Rep. Tom Fabricio and gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist.

Demand is high for Broward's school teachers to have access to at-home tests, but many of the COVID-19 test kits they were given out were expired.

On the latest episode of the This Week in South Florida podcast, host Michael Putney is joined by Dr. Geeta Nayyar, Miami-Dade School Board Vice Chair Dr. Steve Gallon, Miami Herald editorial page editor Nancy Ancrum and Sun Sentinel editorial page editor Steve Bousquet.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, host Michael Putney is joined by infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco and retired educator and author Dr. Marvin Dunn.

Broward County teachers will be getting a pay bump in a new contract tentatively agreed upon by the public school district and teachers’ union.

The two students involved are facing discipline from the Broward County school district.

Members of the School Board of Broward County voted on Tuesday to end the face mask mandate on Nov. 20th and to adopt a new opt-out policy.

A Tik Tok "slap a teacher" challenge has school districts in Miami-Dade and Broward county warning students and parents there will be serious consequences for anyone who breaks the law.

Is it time for schools to consider vaccine mandates for teachers and other employees — something private sector businesses have begun doing? We asked the teachers' unions in South Florida.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hitting another surge, it's causing big concern for social distancing in the classroom.

School is back in session Wednesday in Broward County, and at a time when pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising, some are worried more children could get since as they return to the classroom.

Forest Hills Elementary School administrators, teachers, and staff are preparing for Pre-K to 5th-grade students to return to the classrooms on Wednesday for the 2021-22 school year in Coral Springs.

Janice Wright, who was a Broward County Public Schools special education teacher and a Broward Teachers Union steward at Pinewood Elementary School in North Lauderdale, died of complications with COVID-19 just before she had planned to get the vaccine. She was 48.

Two Broward County teachers and an educational assistant died within 36 hours this week after contracting COVID-19, according to the teachers’ union.

School Board of Broward County members plan to discuss if Broward County Public Schools students will have to wear face masks during the 2021-22 school year on Wednesday.

Both Miami-Dade and Broward school districts are still in talks with health officials for guidance.

In a letter to Florida school systems, the state's education commissioner wrote that “broad sweeping mandatory face covering policies serve no remaining good at this point in our schools.”

Broward County public school students need to return to classrooms for in-person learning in the fall, Superintendent Robert Runcie said during a public meeting on Tuesday.

Broward County Public Schools’ employees who are age 18 or older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine this week at the T.Y. The last day for Broward school employees to make COVID vaccine appointments is Friday. State sites are only accepting school employees who are age 50 or older. As of Monday, FDOH reported 2,370,198 had completed the COVID-19 vaccine series in Florida, including 203,829 in Broward County and 258,271 in Miami-Dade County. Broward reportFlorida Department of Health (Copyright 2020 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.)

Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday in Hialeah that Florida classroom teachers who are age 50 and older will be next in line to get the COVID-19 vaccine. DeSantis first gave priority access to people who are age 65 and older when he signed an executive order in December. “Aside from being an educator in a school site, they also are citizens in the community,” Fusco said. We have school site personnel, frontline essential personnel that need the vaccination as well.”DeSantis also said sworn law enforcement personnel and firefighters will also be next in line. AdFor more information about access to the vaccine in Florida, call 1-866-779-6121, visit this state site, or e-mail at COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Principals at all Broward County public schools must meet with union representatives to explain the reasoning behind the denial of remote work extensions to vulnerable teachers, an arbitrator ruled. Arbitrator Roger I. Abrams issued a supplemental ruling on Wednesday that applies to 226 schools, departments, and centers in the BCPS system. The principals exercised their right to grant or deny remote assignments, and the meetings between principals and union representatives are meant to make sure that the remote work assignments were not granted or denied “in an arbitrary and capricious manner.”AdAnna Fusco, the BTU president, has accused Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie of not doing enough to protect teachers who are at risk of dying of COVID-19. “The less than 10% of educators who are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 must be protected,” Fusco said. “With only about 27% of students back in the buildings, there is no reason this can’t be accomplished.”

TAMARAC, Fla. – Teachers in Broward County are sharing their coronavirus concerns with the public. Those educators believe Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie’s direction keeps flip-flopping, which is putting teachers at risk. “The pun is intended, flip-flopping around,” said Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco. According to the superintendent, Broward Schools has allowed more than 600 teachers with underlying health issues to remain teaching online. The CDC Director said when there is transmission in schools, it is likely the virus was brought in from the community.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – After five teachers didn’t return to work at Beachside Montessori Village in Hollywood, some students were forced to “work independently.”Vanessa Cuomo, the mother of a Beachside Motessori Village student, said her 13-year-old daughter’s teachers for Algebra and Language Arts are not allowed to teach virtually. This is not a third-world nation.”Nelson Malhao is one of the Beachside Montessori Village teachers who are not being allowed to teach virtually. He said he is being replaced by a part-time teacher who will be able to work virtually. How is it fair to my kids?”Anna Fusco, the president of the Broward Teacher’s Union, said this is Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie’s fault. Broward County Public Schools released a statement saying the district has to operate in compliance with the Florida Department of Education’s order to have students “return to face-to-face learning.”

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, Broward Teachers Union president Anna Fusco, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, South Florida medical professional Dr. Hansel Tookes and attorneys Melba Pearson and Rafael Yaniz. The full episode can be viewed at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The decision in Broward County to require teachers back to the classroom is based on a school’s operational needs. Part of the decision requires schools to prove that need, and how they grant or deny remote access to teachers. Anna Fusco is the president of the Broward Teachers Union and she joined This Week in South Florida hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney to discuss. Their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

“You force people back into the schools that are the most critically ill,” Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco said. Superintendent Robert Runcie said teachers are needed back in the classroom, especially for the students who are falling behind academically. The school district is coordinating with the health department of Broward to get teachers and staff who are 65 and older vaccinated in the near future. District employees will be receiving additional information on how to register for an appointment. For more details on the Broward teachers leaving this year, compared to last, click here.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – In Broward County, more than 70 teachers have decided to quit or retire. The three-page list is part of Wednesday’s school board agenda and comes as the Broward Teachers Union speaks out against what they say is a relaxation of social distancing measures in the county’s public schools. Also on Tuesday, Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco said educators fear returning to physical classrooms, especially for those teachers who have critical illnesses. You can watch replays of both news conferences below:Broward teachers speak out on relaxed social distancing rules Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco is holding a news conference to express “outrage and grave concerns” over what the union says are relaxed social distancing guidelines at the county’s public schools. It comes minutes after the teachers' union held a press conference sharing concerns about a lack of social distancing at schools.

That means there’s likely to be an influx of students in the classroom, so the district wants more teachers there, too. But the teachers’ union says making immunocompromised educators go back to school in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic puts their lives at risk. About 1,600-1,700 Broward teachers used to teach from home. “I guess I’ve gone through the different stages of being angry and bothered and now I’m just, you know, I’m scared for them,” said Anna Fusco, the Broward Teachers Union president. In a lawsuit filed against the district to stop the teachers from going back, the union called the move reckless.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – More than a thousand Broward County teachers who have been working from home during the pandemic were to return to the physical classroom on Monday morning, days after the Broward Teachers Union filed a lawsuit to try and stop the move. The suit was filed by the BTU when the school district announced it would no longer accommodate 1,700 teachers who were working from home because of underlying conditions or concerns about exposure to COVID-19. On Friday, Superintendent Robert Runcie said the district has been working for weeks on extending accommodations to teachers. Broward School District Superintendent Robert Runcie said the district expects up to 50 percent of students to return to the classroom in the second semester which starts Monday. “I don’t believe the everyday operation of every school needs 100 percent of teachers on campus,” Fusco said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie calls it a balance of three realities: Concern for teachers’ health, making sure failing students get ahead academically, and limiting virus spread in schools. But the topic that’s top of mind is a lawsuit filed by the Broward Teachers’ Union. President Anna Fusco held a press conference Thursday, where she announced BTU filed suit against Broward Schools in response to a decision by the district to end an agreement. The agreement covered special work-from-home accommodations for teachers and support staff with serious medical conditions. Both the district and the union agree on one thing: that teachers should be at the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Time is running out for hundreds of teachers in Broward County. Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco held a press conference Thursday , where she announced BTU filed a lawsuit against Broward Schools in response to a decision by the Broward School District to end the special work-from-home accommodations for teachers and support staff with serious medical conditions. I would say they’re probably safer than going to the grocery store or to the mall,” Broward Superintendent Robert Runcie said. Parents whose children are in Broward County School District are still able to choose between online learning or having them go back to school in the classroom. Citing no clear-cut plan by the school district, Fusco said time is running out.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Monday marked the return to school in Broward County after winter break, and online learning was disrupted by technical difficulties. To start with the technical issues, the county’s public school district sent a note to parents Monday morning that read:“Broward County Public Schools is experiencing intermittent district-wide internet access issues impacting all cloud-based workloads including Teams, Office 365, VPN and SharePoint. Broward County Public Schools implemented a hybrid learning model in early October in which students can be present in the classroom if they choose, or decide to continue with virtual instruction amid the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers worry about virus spreadAs coronavirus positivity rates keep elevating concern, the return of thousands of students back to the physical classroom has teachers worried. Ron DeSantis has been adamant about bringing students back to the classroom, saying spread in schools is minimal.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A total of 23 public schools in Broward County transitioned to online learning Tuesday due to flooding and power issues left behind by Tropical Storm Eta. Sky 10 flew over Apollo Middle School in Hollywood Tuesday morning, which was one of the schools affected by flooding. Broward County Public Schools officials said families at all impacted schools have been notified, most of whom were notified on Monday. School officials, however, admitted that some parents were notified as late as Tuesday morning, forcing them to look for last-minute child care. Below is a list of all Broward County public schools that are only doing online learning on Tuesday and the rationale for each campus closing:

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Joining This Week in South Florida are Karla Hernandez-Mats, who represents United Teachers of Dade, Anna Fusco heads the Broward Teachers Union, past president of the Miami-Dade Parent Teacher Association Joe Gebara, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Broward State Attorney candidate Gregg Rossman, FIU professor of politics Kathryn DePalo-Gould and Barry University political science professor Sean Forman. The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Superintendent Robert Runcie said Friday afternoon that he was proud of the way public schools reopened to about 12,500 students in Broward County. Runcie said the district’s ability to continue to keep the schools open will depend on how parents and guardians are protecting their children from coronavirus infections. “Do those health and wellness checks in the morning,” Runcie said in a message to parents. “Please be cognizant of the interaction your child is having out in the community.”The next round of students will arrive at Broward public schools on Tuesday and Thursday. Runcie said the return of the students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st and 2nd grade was a success.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Broward County School Board voted unanimously on Thursday to start the gradual reopening of schoolhouses on Oct. 9. School Board members decided not to reopen schoolhouses on Monday, as Miami-Dade County Public Schools is planning on doing. Before the vote, Broward County Superintendent Robert Runcie told school board members there was a significant amount of funding on the table if they didn’t start the staggered reopenening on Oct. 9. The union had opposed the originally planned Oct. 14 reopening day. BTU President Anna Fusco said teachers were asking school board members not to cave to political pressure coming from Gov.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – After the Miami-Dade County School Board decided to begin reopening schoolhouses on Oct. 5, the Broward County School Board will be meeting on Thursday morning to consider doing the same. Broward School Board Chair Donna Korn said Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie shared Corcoran’s request with school board members. Broward County Teachers Union President Anna Fusco said many teachers and administrators don’t feel ready to come back to schools so soon. She also said she believes the school board will do what is right for Broward County. Parents of Broward County public school students can submit public comments before the Thursday morning meeting by submitting this form.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – It’s the first time in months that the Broward County School Board meets in person. Pre-K through 1st grade, grades six and nine, as well as ESE students, would return in clusters on Oct. 14, 15 and 16. Runcie’s comments can be seen in the video below:Runcie 9/22 WATCH LIVE: Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie discusses return to school plan. Patricia Good, the school board member that represents District 2, told Runcie that he needs to deal with external pressures to reopen. Lori Alhadeff, a school board member who represents District 4, was concerned about the strategies that are being implemented to avoid crowding in the hallways between classes and during recess.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel Powell, Broward Teachers Union president Anna Fusco, United Teachers of Dade president Karla Hernandez-Matz, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Burnadette Norris-Weeks join This Week in South Florida. The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Students, teachers and school staff could soon be back inside their respective school buildings. The school boards in Broward and Miami-Dade counties will take up that very issue in the coming days. Both counties are targeting early October for a return to in-person learning, which is just a couple of weeks away. Some of the most significant voices in the debate are the leaders of the teachers unions. Broward Teachers Union president Anna Fusco and United Teachers of Dade president Karla Hernandez-Mats joined This Week in South Florida to discuss with hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – United Teachers of Dade and the Broward Teachers Union representatives accused state and school district authorities on Wednesday of negligence and recklessness for rushing to reopen schools without investing in the implementation of safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic. But according to Miami-Dade School District officials, no matter when schools reopen, a July 6 executive order guaranteed funding for the fall semester. Daisy Gonzalez-Diego, a spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Public Schools, said the district is following national and state health guidance to ensure that schools are sanitized and well maintained. Broward County Public Schools' office of communication released a statement saying the health and safety of students and staff is the district’s main priority. The union representatives remain skeptical and they are asking teachers and staff to use “#SafeSchoolsSFL” on social media to highlight safety issues.

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Family, friends and colleagues of a beloved elementary school teacher are hoping for a miracle for Stefanie Miller. But at Memorial West, where Miller is being treated, the hospital is not one that was selected by the federal government or Gilead to give her the drug. Memorial West was not one of the hospitals chosen by the federal government or Gilead. Memorial Regional in Hollywood, is one of them, but not Memorial West. Miller, a second-grade teacher at Fox Trail Elementary in Davie, was working from her hospital bed up until recently.

PLANTATION, Fla. – Dozens of Broward Teachers Union members met on Tuesday at Plantation High School to demand a raise. They wore blue T-Shirts and carried signs: “How can we put students first if you put teachers last?” and “We teach the future. Let that sink in.”The teachers are asking the Broward County School Board for a 5% raise. Anna Fusco, the BTU president, said upper management and district personnel are passing around the responsibility of responding to their demands. They made their presence known during a Tuesday afternoon School Board Hearing.