Tampa Bay students have been losing math skills in the pandemic

Figuring out the new CDC mask guidance; Tampa sees Israel protests; Lightning win first playoff game

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Monday, May, 17, 2021 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Boy, that was some nice weekend weather. We're heating up to something a little more May-like, mostly sunny with a high of 90 and low of 68. And it's Tax Day! It was a good weekend for sports, with the defending Stanley Cup champs coming out in force in their first playoff game. But the weekend also saw protests over airstrikes in Israel and confusion over new CDC recommendations for masks. There's also a pretty big plea deal coming today for a friend of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. [JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times (2012)] The numbers show that Florida's students have been sliding in math during the pandemic After the coronavirus pandemic hit last year, Florida's educators believed that reading skills were going to suffer, mostly because of distance learning. But now that early data from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are in, it appears math is the subject where plans aren't adding up. It also looks like distance learning and quarantine are only part of the equation. Education reporter Marlene Sokol breaks down where local students are lagging behind. Help catching up: Tampa Bay schools are expecting as many as four times the usual number of students to attend summer classes to help get back up to speed, but educators don't want the experience to seem like a chore. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Momentary solution: St. Petersburg will let bars and restaurants continue to offer seating in street parking spaces on the street after COVID-19 guidelines lapsed, offering businesses temporary permits. Track the spread: Find your county, city, ZIP code or hospital. Mask or no mask: As guidelines for the fully vaccinated change, the question of whether to keep wearing a mask becomes more personal. Here’s what some around Tampa Bay are doing.  Theme parks loosen mask rules: Disney World and Universal have dropped their outdoor mask requirements. Some parks won’t require masks for the fully vaccinated at all. Publix says unmask, too: The popular grocer will no longer require fully vaccinated customers and employees wear masks, but didn’t say how it will determine if customers are vaccinated or not. Vaccine doses: See how Florida compares to other states. Daily update: Florida reported 2,482 cases and 22 deaths Sunday. Your support makes a difference The Tampa Bay Times needs your help to keep delivering top-notch journalism. Please consider subscribing or making a tax-deductible donation to the Tampa Bay Times Journalism Fund. Donate Gain unlimited access BRIGHT SPOT [Courtesy of Michael A Eaddy] Freefall Theatre returns to indoor performances St. Petersburg's Freefall Theatre has been staging some live shows with a drive-in concert series, but now they've announced they are back to performing indoors, starting with the fairy tale-centric The Rose and The Beast. AROUND THE BAY Free cookies are back: Publix is once again giving free cookies to kids, having paused the program since March 2020 due to the pandemic, a spokesperson said. Calls to end clash: Hundreds of Pro-Palestinian protestors gathered at the intersection of 56th Street and Fowler Avenue in Temple Terrace on Saturday to demand an end to Israeli airstrikes over the Gaza Strip. Pinellas tourism rebounds: Following pandemic woes, the county’s hotel occupancy rates are booming. Data suggests 2021 could be a record-setting year.  In Hillsborough, too: Even without international visitors, cruise passengers and full-occupancy conventions, Hillsborough tourism numbers show the industry is on its way back. St. Pete’s structural racism: Takeaways from a study on racial inequality commissioned by the city were presented to the City Council. The findings weren’t particularly surprising. One house sells for $16.7 million: "The Oaks," a massive Thonotosassa estate belonging to a co-founder of Lazydays RV dealerships, sold for an equally massive price to a South Florida real estate investor. Another house sells for $22.5 million: Former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter's 22,000-square-foot Davis Islands mansion is off the market, after commanding a sky-high amount (now the question is, where will renter Tom Brady move?). "Now owned by the people forever": Dunedin finalized the purchase of the 44-acre Gladys Douglas property for $10 million to make the sprawling area a new public park. Epicurean escalation: Jason Bamford, the former executive chef of Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel, said he was fired for complaining that his staff wasn't being paid overtime. Now he's suing the hotel's owners. Calls to oust CEO: Staff of the Pasco charity Veterans Alternative are urging shedding of leadership following claims of sexual harassment by the charity leader. Red tide lingers: Since Piney Point wastewater was pumped into the bay, scientists have been on high alert for algae blooms. Here’s what the latest water samples show. Thrilling career: Ruth Anderson turned her career experiences into a fictionalized book, published when she was 88. Years later, she was still working on her memoir. Kristen Hare writes about her achievements and groundbreaking life. Need a mental break? Play a game! 👾 ARCADE SOLITAIRE SUDOKU SEE ALL POLITICS Corcoran out of FSU search: Florida's education commissioner Richard Corcoran didn't make the cut as Florida State University selects a new president. Fantasy Sports, live racing and Bingo: Florida lawmakers are returning to Tallahassee this week to consider a sweeping gaming compact reached by Gov. DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe, as well as a host of updates to the state's gaming laws. Plea agreement: Former Seminole County tax collector (and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz ally) Joel Greenberg reached a deal to plead guilty in court today to six federal crimes, including sex trafficking of a child. The agreement also calls for him to cooperate with federal investigators. Ralph Turlington dies at 100: The former Florida House speaker and education commissioner pushed through the state lottery, corporate income tax and open records law.  Is inflation coming?: Inflation has reemerged as a concern as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. PolitiFact explains how big of a threat it is. Diving into local trends 📉 How is Tampa Bay's economy affecting you?  We're introducing a free, weekly newsletter this month breaking down the biggest stories in tourism, real estate, city development, retail and more. Sign up for Business by the Bay here. OPINION AND COMMENTARY Base threatened by climate change: Extreme temperatures, severe flooding and stronger, more frequent hurricanes are a danger to Tampa's, and the nation's, military infrastructure at Macdill Air Force base, says a retired Navy admiral. Sacking the hackers: The East Coast was feeling plenty of pain at the pump after a major fuel pipeline was shut down by cybercriminals. Now a Tampa cybersecurity expert gives pointers on protecting yourself from ransomware attacks. SPORTS [PHOTOGRAPHER NAME | Source] Defending champs strike first as NHL playoffs begin Nikita Kucherov, playing his first game in eight months, helps lift the Bolts over the Florida Panthers with two goals and an assist in the first round of the playoffs in Sunrise. His remarkable return made you reconsider what a comeback means, John Romano writes. (It looks like the team is enjoying plenty of fan support, too.) Rays dominate Mets: Tampa Bay used three home runs and lights-out pitching by starter Josh Fleming to defeat the New York Mets 7-1 on Sunday at the Trop. Oh, and Ji-Man Choi is back. Rowdies come out on top: The Rowdies finally faced Phoenix Rising FC and defeated them 2-1 at Al Lang Stadium Saturday, after last year's league championship was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues. Likeness law still unclear: If you're curious what college sports will look like on July 1 when Florida athletes can start making money off their name, image and likeness, you're not alone. Here's a primer on what we know, what we expect and what is still being figured out. TODAY'S TALKER [CHRIS URSO | Times] What to know about new St. Pete restaurant Sammy + Paco's The team behind Lolita's Wine Market have a new cafe and bakery in Kenwood, and it's creating a lot of buzz. Decadent avocado toasts, beet-cured salmon bagels, breakfast sandwiches and French onion soup-inspired grilled cheese sandwiches are all on the menu. See more on their pastries and dinner to-go offerings. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Joshua Gillin, Carly Thompson and Monique Welch. Did someone forward this to you? Get the DayStarter in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. 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