Education

Friday, November 6, 2026

Reading gap between Black and white students spurs debate during ACPS superintendent search

Community members, parents, and teachers gathered Thursday for a panel focused on the racial literacy gap in Alachua County schools, citing a reading proficiency difference between Black and white elementary students of 42 to 47 percentage points — far above the statewide gap of roughly 29 points. The forum, hosted by the Alachua County Community Remembrance Program, came as the school board conducts its search for a new superintendent, with many attendees calling on that future leader to address the disparity. School Board Chairman Thomas Vu participated as a panelist and noted the state offers limited tools to track whether students are reading at grade level before 12th grade.

Sources: WCJB TV20

UF-led study finds Earth microbes can grow under Mars-like conditions

University of Florida researcher Adam Robinson led an experiment in which a salt-loving microorganism called Haloferax volcanii actively grew for 160 days under conditions resembling the Martian subsurface — including extremely low pressure, highly concentrated brine, and perchlorate chemicals. The findings, published November 5 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, suggest that salty liquid-water pockets theorized to exist beneath Mars’ surface could potentially support living organisms today. Researchers cautioned that the simulated environment has not been confirmed on Mars and that the results do not prove life exists there, but the study points future missions toward searching for active biology rather than only ancient traces.

Sources: UF News

In Brief

UF students feel the squeeze as costs climb for rent, food, and gas — WUFT News
Nikki Glaser’s Gator Growl contract revealed: $250K and sushi among the terms — The Gainesville Sun

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