F.A.C.E. to FACE
F.A.C.E. BULLETIN
9/13/05
Dear Friends,
Florida School Superintendent Sends Son to Private School – What else can you say?
The Florida Times-Union, (Democrats open Cabinet post drive). Be an informed voter and vote your conscious and values. Support those candidates that support your issues. Just an FYI, this is not an endorsement of either candidate. Mrs. Alex Sink is the wife of the candidate that was run by the teacher’s union in 2002 who pledged to repeal all choice programs. Tom Lee, current Senate President, is a supporter of choice. Both have announced their candidacy for Chief Financial Officer.
Education makes strange bed fellows (Ex-education official to lead school administrators)… Mr. Warford has been a true friend of school choice. As a matter of fact, he was one of two solidly pro school choice superintendents (out of 67 in the state) and continued that support while at the DOE as Florida’s Education Chancellor. The group he now heads is radically against all choice. This ought to be interesting...
Miami Herald (Miami, schools joining in bold goals) - campaign to make public schools more attractive in the midst of growing competition from charter and private schools.
Value Added - Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest.
Thank you for Stepping Up For Students,
Michael A. Benjamin
Executive Director, F.A.C.E.
Florida Alliance for Choices in Education
Florida School Superintendent Sends Son to Private School
Some parents in Jefferson County have opted to send their children to private institutions or to other counties, but now the school system's superintendent is doing the same thing, and it's causing some folks to question that decision.
Jefferson County Superintendent Phil Barker has made a family decision to take his son out of the public school system and enroll him at Aucilla Christian Academy in Jefferson County.
It's a decision that has some tongues wagging in this rural community.
Phil Barker says, "They don't know all the details that come forth to make the decisions that we've made for my own son. I have asked them and told anyone interested in that."
Still, the move is raising eyebrows and concern about the public school system.
Ronald Slik, a concerned citizen, says, "It sends the same message that everyone thinks about the school system here, that it's not good enough for their kids to go through, and I'm sorry, that's not the way it should be."
C.P. Miller, a Jefferson County parent, says, "We have some great teachers and principals in our school system; however, it doesn't excuse the chief administrator to be exempt from having his kid in our public school system."
It’s a system that's been criticized by some for years, forcing some parents to home-school their children, but the superintendent says his decision to send his son to the academy has no bearing on the schools.
Barker says there are qualified employees in place to help all the students in the county achieve academic success. Barker says he has an open door policy and will talk to interested persons who are concerned about his decision.
Source; WCTV Eyewitness News Tallahassee
The Florida Times-Union
August 31, 2005
Democrats open Cabinet post driveAssociated Press
TAMPA -- Former bank executive Alex Sink entered the race for Chief Financial Officer on Tuesday, giving Democrats hope they can win back a voice on the state Cabinet.
Sink, who ran Bank of America's Florida operations until she retired in 2000, is a well-respected businesswoman who has until now turned down encouragement to run for office.
''This certainly would be a job that I feel that I could perform extremely well,'' said Sink, who was unsuccessfully recruited to run for Congress. In the past, she has also been encouraged to run for state Senate and U.S. Senate and was discussed as a possible running mate to Buddy McKay in his 1998 gubernatorial campaign.
Sink, 57, of Tampa, is married to Bill McBride, who beat Janet Reno to win the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002 before losing to Gov. Jeb Bush.
Right now, the three-member Cabinet is controlled by Republicans. But CFO Tom Gallagher and Attorney General Charlie Crist are leaving their positions to run for governor, and Democrats see the vacant seats as an opportunity to take back statewide political seats.
''If you look at her background in Florida, she quite frankly brings a strength that few candidates that run statewide will have,'' said Florida Democratic Party Chairman Karen Thurman, pointing to Sink's community work and professional experience.
Sink had 26 years experience in banking when she retired. As Bank of America's chief in Florida, she managed more than $40 billion in assets and supervised 9,000 employees.
Sink's announcement came the day before Senate President Tom Lee of Brandon kicks off his campaign for the Republican nomination for CFO. Three other Republican lawmakers have also opened campaign accounts for the position: Sen. Charles Clary of Destin, Rep. Randy Johnson of Winter Garden and Dennis Ross of Lakeland.
Ex-education official to lead school administrators
Jim Warford's interim appointment by the statewide association comes weeks after he quit as state K-12 chancellor.
By RON MATUS, Times Staff Writer
Published August 26, 2005
Six weeks after abruptly resigning from a top spot in Florida's education bureaucracy, former K-12 chancellor Jim Warford is assuming leadership of the statewide organization that supports school administrators.
Warford, 56, is slated to become interim executive director of the Florida Association of School Administrators, which represents 3,000 superintendents, principals and other district education leaders. He starts Sept. 1, replacing Mike Eader.
"I'm looking forward to being an advocate for the men and women leading our schools," he said.
Eader is leaving because "we needed to go in a different direction," said association president Joel Herbst, who declined to be more specific. Warford is expected to be named permanent director at some point, but no timetable has been set.
Warford resigned July 11 from his $140,000-a-year post at the Education Department. Neither he nor department officials would comment on the decision, but other signs suggested an unhappy split with Education Commissioner John Winn.
Herbst said that would not hinder Warford's effectiveness.
In any large organization "some people are thrilled by what you've done and some people don't like what you've done," he said.
"They're both devoted to the success of Florida students far and above any issues they may have had," said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who chairs the House Education Council.
A former teacher and businessman, Warford rose rapidly in Florida education circles. He was elected Marion County superintendent in 2000 before attracting the eye of Gov. Jeb Bush and being appointed chancellor in 2003. Some observers considered him a candidate for the commissioner's job that ultimately went to Winn, a longtime department insider.
As chancellor, Warford pushed a program he first tried in Marion County, which required struggling schools to closely monitor test scores and give extra help to the lowest-performing students. He also has been a strong advocate for better training of principals - a passion that is expected to be his focus at the association.
Outside the department, Warford earned a reputation for openness and a good ear, which won him respect among education constituencies that often did not like the policy decisions coming from Tallahassee.
His experience at the district level "made it easy for us to talk to him," said David Mosrie, chief executive officer of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
Warford's former position at the Education Department remains vacant.
Ron Matus can be reached at 727 893-8873 or matus@sptimes.com
© Copyright 2003 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved
EDUCATION
Miami, schools joining in bold goals
Putting aside long-standing tension, the city of Miami and Miami-Dade school district will sign a pact promising bold improvements for dozens of schools and innovative programs.
BY MATTHEW I. PINZUR
mpinzur@herald.comLocal leaders are promising innovative programs such as single-gender schools and a public boarding school for homeless students, along with a bold goal: that every school in the city of Miami, including some of Florida's most struggling campuses, will earn at least a B grade within three years.
The promises are part of a new education pact created by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Miami-Dade Superintendent Rudy Crew, a deal that also pledges to bring the city specialized career academies at Miami's Law Enforcement Building, Museum Campus and possibly at a redeveloped Orange Bowl.
Neither the city nor the district committed any new money for the pact. Leaders on both sides said they would accomplish the goals simply by working together more closely.
''Instead of everybody out on their own, it's getting people together,'' said City Manager Joe Arriola.
The deal also reaffirms the promises Crew's administration made to Miami in its five-year construction plan: six new elementary schools, a new middle and senior high, extensive restoration at Miami Senior High, replacements for three aging schools and additions at five others.
''The moon and the stars have aligned themselves correctly to do what should probably have been done a very long time ago,'' Diaz said Tuesday.
VOTE ON PACT
The School Board and City Commission are expected to vote this week on the pact, which pledges more cooperation between the two governments. Both leaders said the goals could be met without additional funding -- in many cases, they said, it is just a matter of better integrating the facilities and programs that already exist on both sides.
Diaz, for example, said he would expand his Mayor's Mentoring Initiative beyond the 11 schools it now serves, as well as volunteering dozens of city parks that have computer labs. The city also donated land it owns on Virginia Key to build a small senior high that would serve downtown Miami's nascent residential community.
''The compact is a way of expressing what we want to do together,'' Crew said.
The pledge to bring all of Miami's 48 schools up to at least a B would require strides at 30 campuses. Among those are some of the state's lowest-performing: Edison and Jackson senior highs, Edison, Charles Drew and Allapattah middles and Holmes Elementary.
Those schools have received F and D grades for years, confounding superintendents and distressing surrounding communities. They have been among Crew's top priorities since he arrived last year, and Diaz said he would share the credit or blame for the outcome.
''The danger of aiming low is that you get low,'' Crew said.
The single-gender schools and a public boarding school -- both of which would be voluntary, similar to magnet programs -- are part of Crew's campaign to make public schools more attractive amid growing competition from charter and private schools.
So are career academies, which have been a cornerstone of his plans to reinvent high school. Unlike vocational classes a generation ago, the programs focus on traditional academics -- reading, math, science -- taught through the lens of a specific theme.
The idea behind such academies, already successful in many Miami-Dade schools, are to keep teens interested in school by tailoring classes to their personal interests. The programs also integrate mentorships and internships that provide students a professional network for finding jobs or applying to college.
NEW ACADEMIES
New academies promised include law enforcement at the city's new Law Enforcement Building, sports industry at the redeveloped Orange Bowl, science and fine arts at museums on the new Museum Campus. Other programs would include building trades, international studies and healthcare.
''Kids are only successful in school if they see a light, something for their future,'' Arriola said.
Dramatically expanding career academies, however, could require a significant workforce of teachers knowledgeable in specific fields. Crew said some programs could feature team teaching -- a certified teacher working with, for example, a retired police officer or a research scientist who volunteers a few times per week.
''Having to staff programs that we think will actually engage students in a stronger way is a better problem to have than trying to create another stop-gap for disengaged students,'' said Crew spokesman Joseph Garcia.
But it could strain a system that already has about 100 vacancies and could have more if Crew follows through on his promise to fire teachers implicated in a scheme to buy bogus credits to maintain their certification.
CENTERS IN CONDOS
The pact also calls for primary learning centers -- small schools that house prekindergarten through second grade -- in at least four of the high-rise residential towers sprouting in Miami.
By placing classrooms in non-school buildings, district facilities chief Rose Diamond said, the system would ultimately save money; if students are in classrooms at museums and condo buildings, the district needs to build fewer new schools.
''There are very few things that are not compatible with schools,'' Diamond said. 'When I hear there's a new science museum . . . I ask, `Can we get 10 classrooms in there?' ''
CHANGED RELATIONS
Politically, the pact is a dramatic change from the tetchy relations the city and school district had in the past. Just a few years ago, Diaz lobbied state lawmakers for the power to seize control of schools inside the city -- a bill approved in the House but stalled in the Senate.
''Otherwise I would have been running the schools in the city of Miami today,'' Diaz said.
Diaz credited the district's unprecedented turnover since 2002: Five of the nine School Board members were newly elected in the past three years; Crew became the first outsider in modern history to lead the district; and scandals at the United Teachers of Dade prompted the powerful union's first leadership change in decades.
As the city and district join forces, Diaz said civic and business leaders would be more likely to contribute time and money. Moreover, he said the pact could be a model for other municipalities.
''The guarantees are going to put us up against the pressure,'' Crew said. ``This is not unrealistic at all.''
© 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miami.com
Value Added
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
RUSSELL SCHWEISS or CRISTAL COLE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2005 (850) 488-5394
GOVERNOR BUSH AND FIRST LADY COLUMBA BUSH INVITE FLORIDA STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIRD ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH ESSAY CONTEST
~Winning students receive full scholarships~
TALLAHASSEE- Governor Jeb Bush and First Lady Columba Bush today invited Florida’s K-12 students to participate in the third annual Florida Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest. The essay contest is the first in a month-long schedule of events planned to commemorate Florida’s Hispanic heritage. The theme of the essay contest is, “How has Florida’s Diverse Hispanic Heritage and Culture Inspired You?”
“Columba and I are proud of the Spanish and Latin-American influences which are a rich part of Florida’s culture and play a dynamic role in shaping our state,” said Governor Bush. “Hispanic Heritage month gives us the opportunity to educate Florida's students about the contributions Hispanic individuals have made to the diversity of our state’s history.”
Governor Bush is asking students to pay special tribute to the Florida’s diverse Hispanic population and their contributions to the state’s culture, economy and education. The theme for Florida’s 2005 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration is “Florida, Gateway of the Americas: Celebrating Our Diverse Hispanic Heritage.”
The contest is open to all Florida K-12 students. A panel of educators, community and business leaders from around the state will serve as judges and select the winning essays. One winner will be selected from each of the three grade-level categories, elementary (grades K-5), middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). Winners will receive a full four-year tuition scholarship to a Florida college or university of their choice, provided by annual essay contest partner Florida Prepaid College Foundation.
“From Florida's earliest days, people of Hispanic heritage and culture have played a vital role in shaping this diverse and wonderful state we live in. The Florida Prepaid College Foundation is again proud to participate in this month’s celebration as a sponsor of the Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest,” said Stanley G. Tate, Chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.
Essay Guidelines are as follows:
§ Entries must be e-mailed to essay@myflorida.com or mailed to the Executive Office of the Governor: 400 S. Monroe Street, Suite 206, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
§ Entries must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. (EST), September 16, 2005.
§ Each student may enter only one essay, no longer than 500 words.
§ Essays submitted must include: contestant's name, home address, telephone number, school the student attends, grade level and title of the essay.§ Essay must be accompanied by a parental consent form in order to be considered.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationwide and begins on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries-Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico achieved independence on September 16 and Chile on September 18. Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States since 1974, when President Gerald Ford issued a Presidential Proclamation extending Hispanic Heritage Week into a month-long observation.
“The Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus is proud to serve as a partner for this year's Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest. It is important for Florida’s children to be educated about the history and contributions of all the nationalities represented across this great state. As we prepare to celebrate the diversity of our state's Hispanic culture, it is my hope that this essay contest will encourage our youngest citizens to seek a greater knowledge of the many contributions Hispanic Americans have made in shaping our state's and nation's history,” said State Representative Bob Henriquez , Vice Chair of the Florida Hispanic Caucus.
Partners of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest include the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and the Florida Hispanic Legislative Caucus. Those interested in participating in the essay contest and obtaining more information on other Hispanic Heritage Month events should visit www.floridahispanicheritage.com <http://www.floridahispanicheritage.com> or call (850) 488-5394 for more information. Please see attached complete guideline sheet. Official Rules and Guidelines <http://www.floridahispanicheritage.com/release_form.doc> - Downloadable Word Document - 34 KB
Jessica Fernandez, Special Events Coordinator
External Affairs
Executive Office of the Governor
The Capitol, Suite 705
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Office Phone: 850-410-0501, Office Fax: 850.410.0510
Florida Alliance for Choices in Education (F.A.C.E)
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