ORLANDO, Fla. — The new school year is underway across Central Florida, but experts say the outlook in classrooms could differ from years past. Many districts are still battling teacher vacancies in the classroom, even as kids file into class.

What You Need To Know

This school year isn't the first go-around for Lindsey Zema — who has nearly a decade of teaching under her belt.

As she picks out curriculum for her new students, she says that even though the basics of English or math don’t change, this year is going to vary from from the others because she won't be returning to the crowded hallways of a big school.

“I was just kind of tired of constantly trying to stay positive in a negative environment,” she said.

Instead, this year Zema has been hired by a family to homeschool their three children.

Over the summer, she picked up a freelance writing job from home and decided to say goodbye to working for Orange County Public Schools.

According to a National Education Association poll, 55% of teachers say they will leave the profession sooner than originally planned.

Spectrum News checked in with a few local school districts as school began. Orange County Public Schools reported having roughly 100 teacher vacancies as the school year started.

School officials in Osceola County said they have about 200 instructional openings. And Seminole County officials reported that they are still looking to fill about 60 full-time teaching positions, as well as 24 para-professional jobs.

“A lot of the reason that I think a lot of teachers leave, and myself included, has to do with morale and environment,” Zema said.

She said one of her main stressors was standardized testing scores.

Administration officials applauded or reprimanded teachers based on their student’s performance, but it was an unfair bar, she said, because each class had different kids with different test-taking abilities.

She said she hopes her new job as a homeschool teacher will allow more time for her to do other things she enjoys.

“This new job means that I will have a lot more time and flexibility to be able to take care of those things," Zema said.

So, her new classroom will be inside a suburban home, her class size will only be three kids, and while her job will still center on students, she says this new move will mean she’s looking out for herself, too.

You can log onto fldoe.org/teaching/recruitment for more information on how to request an employment application for teacher jobs across the state.

TCPalm’s exclusive investigation of Florida’s flagship program to limit nutrient pollution flowing into Lake Okeechobee is the first to show that every single rainfall runoff drainage basin around the lake with available data exceeds the state limit.

Reporting on the Basin Management Action Plans (BMAP) wasn’t simple. It required a lot of research, interviews, records requests and data analysis to uncover problems.

To understand the amount of pollution entering Lake O, reporters Sydney Czyzon, Max Chesnes and Lindsey Leake relied on water quality monitoring data tracked by the South Florida Water Management District. That data is in the SFWMD’s Environmental Reports for 2021 and 2022, in the chapters detailing water quality around Lake O.

Leake and Czyzon compared pollution amounts recorded by the SFWMD to pollution limits set by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The reporters divided concentrations for each basin by the state limit to determine all of them had exceeded the limit, not only in 2020 and 2021, but on five-year averages from 2016 through 2021. “All” means all 32 of the 41 basins around Lake O that had available data in 2020 and 2021. “Year” means a “water year,” measured from May 1-April 30.

Czyzon used contrasting data from DEP and SFWMD reports to show discrepancies. While DEP reports farmers were reducing pollution, SFWMD reports they exceeded limits. Czyzon referenced Figure 6 of DEP’s 2020 Statewide Annual Report showing Lake O exceeding its pollution reduction target to pollution loading data shared in chapters 8B of the 2021 and 2022 SFWMD reports.

Reporters also reviewed hundreds of pages of environmental reports to understand the BMAP program. This includes the Lake O chapters of the 2021 and 2022 editions of the SFWMD Environmental Report, the 2020 DEP Statewide Annual Report and the Lake Okeechobee Basin Management Action Plan.

To geographically evaluate basin and watershed locations, reporters used an online mapping application available on the SFWMD website. Reporters used the application’s layering feature to see parcels within each basin.

The state’s pollution-tracking method makes it impossible to pinpoint which among multiple parcel owners in a basin may contribute most to water contamination. However, mapping allowed TCPalm to determine that Rio Rancho Corp. was the sole parcel owner in basin S-154C.

Czyzon recreated the map for readers by using watershed boundaries that most closely matched the Lake O pollution data from the 2021 and 2022 SFWMD reports, shown in Tables 8B-6. Czyzon downloaded an existing mapping file from the SFWMD website for watersheds around Lake O, then imported that file into Google My Maps.

Czyzon was unable to exactly match the boundaries of some watersheds because SFWMD officials said they could not locate correlating mapping files to Tables 8B-6 in the reports. Due to this, watersheds not shown on TCPalm’s map include the L-61E Basin, East Beach Drainage District (Culvert 12), East Shore Drainage District and the lower and upper Kissimmee subwatersheds.

Czyzon and Chesnes used Florida’s open records law to request documents from DEP and the Department of Agricultural Services (DACS), including DEP records detailing noncompliant landowners referred to DACS for enforcement and templates of the warning letters mailed to them. The reporters also were the first to request and receive nutrient records from DACS on the amount of phosphorus being applied to the land around Lake O, nearly 2 million pounds.

DEP denied one request for the agenda and minutes of an Aug. 5, 2021, meeting between DEP and DACS to discuss nitrogen and phosphorous applications. DEP spokesperson Alexandra Kuchta said there was no agenda or meeting minutes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office emailed a prepared statement via spokesperson Jared Williams. DEP and DACS answered questions via email through spokespersons Kuchta and Erin Moffet, respectively. On-the-record interviews were conducted with:

Rio Rancho Corp. owner Juan Gaitan declined an interview during a brief phone conversation Sept. 15. Czyzon called his verified phone number five times over two months and left voicemails. Czyzon, Chesnes and photojournalist Patrick Dove went to his company’s registered address, 12390 Highway 70 West in Okeechobee, on Oct. 21, but workers said Gaitan was not there and the property was not Rio Rancho.

Czyzon and Chesnes conducted multiple interviews that were on background or off the record, meaning the information could not be included or attributed in the story.

Lindsey Leake is TCPalm's health, welfare and social justice reporter. Contact her at lindsey.leake@tcpalm.com, 772-529-5378, @NewsyLindsey on Twitter or @LindseyMLeake on Facebook.

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GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls family has uprooted their lives to temporarily relocate to Florida after a heartbreaking diagnosis of their unborn son Maverick. Lindsey Stenger talked with the family about the rollercoaster their lives have been.

Our little boy was diagnosed with CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia). This means that his diaphragm was not developed properly allowing for his abdominal organs to rise into his chest with his heart and his lungs. This means that his lungs will not be able to develop properly, maybe not at all depending on the level of severity.We were referred to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, as they are more experienced in CDH and we are not able to deliver our son here in Montana. After our visit there, we consulted with Seattle Children’s Hospital and John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. There is not the proper equipment needed to care for him when he is born.Ultimately it was decided that our baby would receive the best care at John Hopkins. Maverick will need very specialized care and it will require us to temporarily relocate to Florida, leaving behind our pets, our jobs, and our sense of normal.

There will be a "dueling pianos" fundraiser on July 23, 2022, at the Heritage Inn; click here for more information, or click here for other ways to help.

TRENDING NOW

Imagine being a newlywed excited to expand your family. After receiving the exciting news that you were pregnant you go in for a regular checkup only to get the news no mother or father wants to hear.

“ it was just a regular checkup that turned into a nightmare pretty quickly because people are telling you something is wrong with your baby and the thing that’s wrong you’ve never even heard of.” Says Wes Ryan's father of Maverick Ryan an unborn baby diagnosed with a Congenital diaphragmatic hernia or CDH. A condition where the diaphragm isn’t developing the way it should leaving abdominal organs to be able to move and crowd the organs such as the lungs and heart.

Mother Stephanie Ryan says that although this is a rare case it’s not as rare as you may think.

I thought that this was a lot rarer of a condition because I had never heard of it before, and I didn't know what CDH was. But it affects a lot more babies than you would think, the same as spina bifida.”

Rare condition or not known mother or father ever wants to hear the words “somethings wrong with the baby.”

After their diagnosis, the couple travel to hospitals in Missoula and Texas trying to find anything and everything out about this condition they could.

“ There's really no Nic-Us that are capable of handling his condition in Montana.” Said Stephanie

So, after the two did the research they settled on packing their bags and heading to John Hopkins children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg Florida.

“ After some research we really believe that we are in the best place possible for this condition, and we really want to give him the best fighting chance.” Said father Wes.

So, the two pack their bags and left basically everything behind. Their jobs, their animals, their home friends and family and their oldest daughter.

“ I obviously miss my parents and I want them to come home as quickly as possible, but I also want to make sure that my brother is as healthy as he can be.” Says 11-year-old Rylee.

And while the two are focusing on doctor's appointments their families have been busy back here in Great Falls fundraising and raising awareness.

“ It's really hard to watch your kids go through something like this because you want to just help them and you can’t.” Said Stephanie is a stepmom, Dawn Kunkle.

In hopes of alleviating some financial stress their families here have set up a Venmo account, created a benefit and Will be raffling off some big-ticket items.

The Maverick benefit will be held on July 23 at 6 PM at Heritage inn. There will be a adore piano show followed by a raffle.

“ we are really hoping that the community gives back because they have done so much for their community and they’re just so selfless.” Says Dawn.

Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - For the second day in a row, the Florida Softball team took the circle in the USF Tournament, in Tampa, and came away victorious.

Cheyenne Lindsey went 3-6 with six rbi over the course of Saturday’s double header to help the Gators (3-0) remain undefeated in the early going of the 2022 season.

In the first game of the day, Florida trailed 1-0 against the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the bottom of the 2nd, until left fielder Kendra Falby hit a 2-run home run to take the lead for good. Falby went 2-3 in the contest, including a stolen base.

The orange and blue got another round trip recorded in the stat sheet when catcher Sam Roe lifted a pitch over the wall for a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th to increase Florida’s lead to 3-1. That was her only hit of the game. She also drew a walk.

The game remained 3-1 until Florida broke it open by scoring four runs in the sixth. Lindsey tripled to right field to drive in Katie Kistler and Reagan Walsh. Shortly after that, Roe hit a sacrifice fly that brought home Lindsey, and Hannah Adams capped off the scoring barrage with an rbi triple to left center to balloon the lead to 7-1, where it would end that way.

Adams led the orange and blue with three hits in the game, while Lindsey, Falby, and Roe each had two rbi.

Elizabeth Hightower went 5 2/3 innings pitched to pick up her first win of the season. She allowed just one earned run on five hits, and recorded two strikeouts.

The second game of the afternoon pitted the sixth ranked Gators against no. 16 Michigan. The top-25 showdown was the first game facing a ranked opponent for Florida.

It was a true pitcher’s duel all the way to the top of 6th, when Cheyenne Lindsey stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and in one swing cleared them all. She hit a grand slam to give Florida a 4-0 lead.

The Gators offense was able to collect a total of six hits on the afternoon, while the Wolverines were limited to just one hit, thanks to freshman hurler, Lexie Delbrey pitching a complete game shutout.

Delbrey held the maze and blue’s offense in check all game by issuing just two walks and striking out five over 82 pitches.

Florida will wrap up the weekend by facing tournament host South Florida on Sunday, February 13 at noon.

Stirling's unique interpretation of beautifully nostalgic holiday music will be more dynamic than ever – intertwining dance, trapeze, lyra, and aerial with violin.

Today, award-winning pop-violinist Lindsey Stirling announces her new Snow Waltz tour of North America, in support of her newest album Snow Waltz, where she'll bring the holiday spirit from coast to coast. Beginning in Grand Prairie, TX on November 17th and culminating in a special show on December 23rd in Los Angeles, the 25+ run of dates sees Stirling performing in San Antonio, Orlando, Newark, Milwaukee and more.

Stirling's unique interpretation of beautifully nostalgic holiday music will be more dynamic than ever - intertwining dance, trapeze, lyra, and aerial all while delivering an impeccable violin performance. See below for Stirling's full tour routing.

Stirling's live performance is a force to be reckoned with. She's performed for more than 800,000 people on her headline tours, and her co-headlining tour with Evanescence was named one of Live Nation's best-selling amphitheater tours of 2018. The "unlikely music phenomena" (NYT) sold over 250k+ tickets on her Christmas tours and sold over 15k tickets for her live streamed Christmas special in 2021, which was seen by over 100,000 people.

Lindsey's new Christmas album Snow Waltz is out October 7th via Concord. Featuring eight classic covers and five original tracks, Snow Waltz delivers Stirling's immersive arrangements and mesmerizing melodies but with a seasonal twist, featuring songs that promise to be the perfect soundtrack for the holiday season. The album's first single "Ice Storm" is an original guitar-fueled and wildy rousing instrumental, which shines a new light on the multi-faceted musician's rock-leaning sensibilities.

The follow-up to her debut holiday album Warmer in the Winter - which earned a #1 spot on Billboard's Holiday Albums Chart, and #1 on Amazon and iTunes Holiday Album Charts - Snow Waltz emerges as a singular new entry in the holiday-music canon, once again proving Stirling's extraordinary gift as an instrumental storyteller.

Tickets for the November 28th Fort Myers date will go on sale Friday, September 16 at 10AM online at www.bbmannpah.com, call (239) 481-4849 or in person at the Box Office.

Performance Date / Time: Monday, November 28, 2022 - 8PM*

Ticket Prices: $129.50*, $99.50*, $69.50*, $54.50*, $39.50*

*All shows, dates, times and ticket prices are subject to change. Prices do not include processing fee and sales tax.

Nov 17 - Grand Prairie, TX - Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie

Nov 18 - Lubbock, TV - Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts

Nov 19 - Amarillo, TX - Amarillo Civic Center Complex

Nov 21 - Midland, TX - Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center

Nov 22 - San Antonio, TX - Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

Nov 25 - Savannah, GA - Johnny Mercer Theater

Nov 26 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts - Moran Theater

Nov 28 - Fort Myers, FL - Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW

Nov 29 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall

Nov 30 - Orlando, FL - Walt Disney Theatre at Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts

Dec 2 - North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center

Dec 3 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

Dec 5 - Hersey, PA - Hershey Theatre

Dec 6 - Albany, NY - The Palace Theatre

Dec 7 - Newark, NJ - NJPAC

Dec 9 - Mashantucket, CT - Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino

Dec 10 - Waterloo, NY - Del Lago Resort & Casino

Dec 12 - Ft Wayne, IN - Embassy Theatre

Dec 13 - Milwaukee, WI - The Riverside Theater

Dec 15 - Loveland, CO - Budweiser Events Center

Dec 16 - West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center

Dec 17 - Idaho Falls, ID - Mountain America Center

Dec 19 - Wheatland, CA - Hard Rock Live

Dec 20 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic

Dec 22 - Mesa, AZ - Ikeda Theater

Dec 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Pantages Theatre

Lindsey Stirling is an electronic violinist, dancer, and artist who has humbly become one of the 21st century's most innovative stars. Her groundbreaking vision has gained her millions of adoring fans worldwide, four Billboard chart-topping albums, and two Billboard Music Awards including Top Dance/Electronic Album for her third studio release, Brave Enough. Her holiday album, Warmer in Winter, catapulted to the #1 spot on Billboard, Amazon and iTunes Holiday Album charts upon release and lead single "Carol of the Bells" made history as the only instrumental song ever to reach the Top 10 at AC Radio. Lindsey has amassed over 13.4 million subscribers, nearly 3.5 billion views on YouTube, 3.4 million followers on Tik Tok, and over 500k user generated creations across Tik Tok and Instagram reels. In addition to this, Forbes placed her at #4 on its 2015 World's Top-Earning YouTube Stars list and her fifth-studio album, Artemis, debuted at #1 on the Dance/Electronic Album Chart.