Jay Waagmeester

Jay Waagmeester

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Jay is the education reporter for the Florida Phoenix. He previously covered Iowa politics and the 2024 Iowa caucuses for the Iowa Capital Dispatch and also served as the academics editor for the Iowa State Daily where he reported on higher education policy and trends. Jay studied journalism and marketing at Iowa State University and is based in Tallahassee.

Isaias is now a ‘major’ hurricane barreling toward northern Gulf Coast
Florida

Isaias is now a ‘major’ hurricane barreling toward northern Gulf Coast

11:54am ET
Jay Waagmeester
Note: We will update this story as the situation develops. PENSACOLA — Isaias is now a Category 3 hurricane, a designation that puts it in the category of “major” hurricanes. The National Hurricane Center reports sustained winds of 120 mph...
Florida taking next step against Instagram after rejecting nationwide settlement
Florida

Florida taking next step against Instagram after rejecting nationwide settlement

Oct 08, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
Florida’s attorney general is asking Facebook and Instagram to tighten their platforms to deny access to its “addictive features” for children, as the state pressed it legal battle against the tech giant Meta. The motion for temporary injunction is part...
Florida government gearing up for Tropical Storm Isaias
Florida

Florida government gearing up for Hurricane Isaias

Oct 07, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
This story has been updated to reflect that Tropical Storm Isaias has been updated to a hurricane and its trajectory. Tropical Storm Isaias was upgraded to a hurricane late Wednesday night with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the National...
DeSantis’ commerce secretary approved as Pensacola State College president
Florida

DeSantis’ commerce secretary approved as Pensacola State College president

Sep 22, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
Former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis and sitting Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly will take over as president of Pensacola State College next month — months before the two-term governor exits office. Pensacola State College trustees voted...
Most Florida universities fell in national rankings, per U.S. News & World Report
Florida

Most Florida universities fell in national rankings, per U.S. News & World Report

Sep 22, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
Of the eight Florida universities recognized nationally, five dropped in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual national rankings. Two universities climbed and one stayed steady. Florida’s two top-25 public universities, University of Florida and Florida State University, each dropped...
Administrative judge sides with teacher punished for Charlie Kirk Facebook post
Florida

Administrative judge sides with teacher punished for Charlie Kirk Facebook post

Sep 21, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
The state should drop charges, including an allegation of gross immorality, against a Duval County teacher who posted about Charlie Kirk after he was killed, an administrative law judge has recommended. The decision came last week, addressing charges against Hope...
Florida bar exam passage rate drops by more than 3%
Florida

Florida Bar exam passage rate drops by more than 3 percentage points

Sep 18, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
Those pursuing admission to the Florida Bar were less successful this year than last. The summer 2026 exam was taken by 2,250 first-timers. Of that cohort, 75.2% passed, or 1,693. That passage rate represents a decrease from summer 2025, when...
State colleges, preK-12 schools must implement AI guardrails before July
Florida

State colleges, preK-12 schools must implement AI guardrails before July

Sep 16, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
The body regulating Florida public schools and state colleges Wednesday approved what the Florida Department of Education calls “one of the most comprehensive, parent-centered AI frameworks in the country.” The State Board of Education policies require public school districts and...
Florida professors fear being targeted or cancelled, faculty review shows
Florida

Florida professors fear being targeted or cancelled, faculty review shows

Sep 14, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
Florida university professors fear their students are spying on them and lament elimination of DEI from general education courses and canceled research grants. Such were concerns expressed among more than 250 Florida faculty members surveyed about higher education policy in...
DeSantis administration misses legislative deadline gets more money for immigration anyway
Florida

DeSantis administration misses legislative deadline, gets more money for immigration anyway

Sep 11, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
As Ron DeSantis’ turn as governor nears its end, a legislative spending committee voted along partisan lines Friday to approve budget amendments allowing the two-term governor to pay for his crackdown on immigration. The Joint Legislative Budget Commission approved a...
Florida university speech ranks above national average, damaged by incidents
Florida

Florida university speech ranks above national average, damaged by incidents

Sep 10, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
Florida universities deserve a “D” for their free expression policies and attitudes, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression announced in its annual 2027 College Free Speech Rankings. The nationwide average is a D-, an improvement from last year’s F...
TikTok wants state’s suit dismissed, responds to state ban on minor social media use
Florida

TikTok wants state’s suit dismissed, responds to state ban on minor social media use

Sep 10, 2026
Jay Waagmeester
TikTok wants to scroll past Florida’s claim it isn’t complying with the state’s social media ban for minors, seeking to dismiss a lawsuit Attorney General James Uthmeier brought earlier this summer. The state’s suit must be dismissed because the 2024...