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February 2012 Update

February 2012

January 2012 Update

January 2012

Happy New Year!

As a New Year begins, we want to thank all of our partners—businesses, philanthropists, districts, schools, the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Council of 100, Florida TaxWatch, the Florida Legislature and everyone who helped to make 2011 such a meaningful and productive year for educational improvement through Council programs in Florida.

December 2011 Update

Happy Holidays from the Council

 December 12, 2011

2011 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award Winner Announced:
Enid Valdez, Principal of Piper High School in Broward County, was named the winner of the 2011 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award, with its accompanying prize of $10,000. Under her leadership, the percentage of students graduating rose from 61% to 87%, the number of Advanced Placement courses offered to students rose from four to 12, and a Dual Enrollment program where students receive college credit for courses taken, was initiated. Ms. Valdez is a participant in the PASS© program, with her CEO, Jordan Zimmerman, of Zimmerman Advertising.

November 2011 Update

November 16, 2011

Partnership News:

  • Students from Holmes and Crestview Elementary Schools, in Miami-Dade, were treated to a “Day of Taste” at Jungle Island sponsored by the American Institute of Wine and Food, with support from Whole Foods and FIU’s Culinary School.  Days of Taste® inspires children to learn about food, discover how ingredients taste, and how they become part of our lives, from farm to table. After an overview, students and staffs toured Jungle Island and were treated to a 'tasting' of freshly prepared snacks, juices, and a healthy, lunch.  Event Director Phyllis Festinger was delighted and stated the program's mission is to teach young students the importance of living a healthy life and making wise food choices.  Sabrina Montilla is principal at Crestview and the CEO is Beau Parrillo.  Atunya Walker is principal at Holmes where Jeffrey Miller and Karen Fryd are the CEOs.  Dr. Patricia Dixon is the PASS© Coordinator.
  • Jeannie Floyd, principal at Lauderhill Middle and Susan Leigh-Leon, principal at Coral Springs High in Broward hosted their feeder-pattern schools to a “Day of Partnerships”.  Each school invited all their partners, potential partners, and representatives from municipalities to speak with the principals and share examples of how they can be supportive.  Dr. Patricia Dixon, Executive PASS© Coordinator, shared the importance of active involvement of the principal and the value of having the support from the business community.  Marcia Barry-Smith is the CEO at Lauderhill and Regina Juszczak is the CEO at Coral Springs.  Both CEOs are from BankAtlantic.
  • Students and parents from Holmes Elementary were treated to an exciting afternoon by NBA Players Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat and Keon Dooling of the New Jersey Nets.  The players, through their non-profit foundations, joined together to talk with the students about setting goals in life and the importance of hard work, as well as steps to follow their dreams. This memorable afternoon was enjoyed by all.
  • Welcome new Executive PASS partnerships:  Gratigny Elementary — Principal Dr. Aaron Enteen, partner Richard Rome of Lightspeed Tech;  Holmes Elementary — Principal Atunya Walker, partner Karen Fryd of South Florida Youth Foundation;  North Miami Senior — Principal Michael Lewis, partner Dao Jun Hauptman of John Hancock Financial Network; Colonial Drive Elementary — Principal Lilia Chappotin, partner Diane Hickman of Learning for Life; Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy — Principal Jose Enriquez Jr., partner Malou Harrison of Miami Dade College - North Campus; Miami Edison Middle — Principal Keith Anderson, partner Bernard Cottle of Integrated Learning Trust; Miami Edison Senior — Provost Dr. Pablo Ortiz, partner Henry Petithomme of Youth Power Movement; North County Elementary — Principal Melissa Mesa, partner Noah Kahn of John Hancock Financial Network; Pine Villa Elementary — Principal Dr. Latonia Harris, partner Danny Alonso of John Hancock Financial Network.

October 2011 Update

October 7, 2011

Statewide Conversation — a Tremendous Success:

In partnership with the Florida Department of Education, CEPA-TaxWatch and funded by JPMorgan Chase, the Council for Educational Change sponsored a statewide conversation regarding the current “hot topic” of implementing results-based, high performance principal standards in Florida. With the passage of Senate Bill 736, performance based pay became a reality in the state. While few would disagree on the importance of this legislation, implementation is a difficult problem confronting the 67 school districts, with the probability of 72 different plans being submitted to the FLDOE.

September 2011 Update

September 9, 2011

Attention Principal Leaders!

You could be the winner of the 9th Annual 2011 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award with a cash prize of $10,000. If you are a Principal who is currently or has formerly participated in any Council program/activity, you may be eligible. Visit www.changeeducation.org for details and complete your application today.

August 2011 Update

August 5, 2011

Champions of Education:

You too can… Donate Now!
Have you visited our website recently? If you have, then you already know that we have partnered with PayPal to accept donations directly on the Council for Educational Change website. If you have not seen our website lately, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. So, the next time you’re on the internet, please visit us at www.changeeducation.org and click the “Donate Now” link and make a donation to support our mission…

Our most sincere appreciation to the Council for Educational Change’s Difference Makers in Education: E. Pace Barnes, Richard Baron & Associates, Sybiel B. Berkman Foundation, Richard and Billy F. Birnie, the Irving and Joan M. Bolotin Fund, Joan and Vincent Carosella, Tom Cerra, Mel and Iris Chasen, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dalton, Paula Friedland, the Robert & Mary Graham Family Fund, Barbara Havenick, Edward F. and Carole H. Iwanicki, Norman Jaffe, Evelyn A. Lunsford, Gene Marshall, Leonard Miller, the Mark & Nedra Oren Family Fund, the Patricia & Emanuel Papper Foundation, Linda Potash, Carolyn Rosen Miller Family Fund, the Silbiger Family Foundation, Stanley Tate, and the Wien Family Fund.

 

July 2011 Update

July 11, 2011

Florida Leadership Academy:
The ninth annual Florida Leadership Academy had a Best Practices and Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) focus. It was sponsored by the Council in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education, from June 19 – 22 at the Embassy Suites - USF in Tampa. Approximately 250 people attended sessions conducted by educators who have successfully improved student achievement at their schools. Teams including the principal, assistant principal, and lead teachers developed action plans which will be implemented during the 2011 – 2012 school year. District administrators also attended to provide support. Special thanks to our corporate sponsors: Akerman Senterfitt, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Carnival Cruise Lines, Etraffic Solutions, Inc., Publix Super Markets Charities, as well as our exhibiting sponsors; Acaletics, American Reading Company, Curriculum Advantage – Classworks, ExploreLearning – Gizmos, Great Books, PASCO – SPARKscience, Pearson Digital, Write Score, and Voyager.

June 2011 Update

June 8, 2011

Doing Great Things:

  • Council for Educational Change President and Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Liftin has been appointed to the State of Florida’s Race to the Top Teacher and Leader Preparation Committee. The group is charged with revising the current Florida Principal Leadership Standards to fully align with the research. The committee consists of postsecondary representatives, teachers, principals, district administrators, and school board members.

May 2011 Update

May 11, 2011

And the Winner Is . . .

  • Each year Miami-Dade County Public Schools recognizes its outstanding community partners. The theme this year was 'The Gift of Time'. This theme could not have been more appropriate because it clearly defines what these partners do each day... so unselfishly... providing of themselves... the true essence of TIME. Two of our PASS© Partners were announced as finalists in the School-wide division for this distinguished recognition: Dr. Gerald Glass, PASS Partner at Bunche Park Elementary, and Jeffrey Miller, PASS Partner at Hialeah Elementary.  Representing Dr. Glass was Francisco Zangerolame and Freddy Royero represented Mr. Miller. The overall 2011 WINNER was Automated Health Care Solutions...Dr. Gerald Glass! Congratulations Dr. Glass!!  These two CEOs thoroughly involve the employees at their companies in their respective schools.

April 2011 Update

April 8, 2011

Extraordinary!

  • President Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush visited Miami Central Senior High School to celebrate the school’s academic turnaround. Previously, the school had been one of the state’s lowest performing schools, but for this year has earned a grade of “C” on Florida’s accountability measures. Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said “We need to make sure that every child in Miami-Dade is ready for the global economy of the 21st century.”  Miami Central’s Principal, Rennina Turner is a participant in the Council’s Executive PASS© program. She is partnered with William Clark of the Miami Central Alumni Association Inc., and Julio Llanes of BankAtlantic. The foundation of the school’s turnaround efforts began with 2008 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award winner, Doug Rodriguez. Board Member Jeffrey Miller attended, representing the Council.

March 2011 Update

March 4, 2011

Wonderful News:

  • The Council for Educational Change has received $50,000 from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. These funds will be used to promote a statewide awareness of the National Standards for High Performing Principals. State leaders will be encouraged to recognize principals for their outstanding performance, as it is felt that those who successfully implement these standards will demonstrate school improvement and academic gains for students.

February 2011 Update

February 7, 2011

PASS© and Executive PASS©:

  • The Council is proud to announce that the PASS partnership between Village Academy and the Kobacker Foundation will continue.  The CEO is David Pollay, the principal is Guarn Sims, and the coach is Dave Goldstein.

January 2011 Update

Happy New Year!

As a New Year begins, we want to thank all of our partners—businesses, philanthropists, districts, schools, the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Council of 100, the Florida Legislature and everyone who helped to make 2010 such a meaningful and productive year for educational improvement through Council programs in Florida. 

December 2010 Update

December 6, 2010

The 2010 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award Winner is...
Todd R. Simpson

Todd R. Simpson, Principal of Reynolds Lane Elementary School in Duval County was awarded the $10,000 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award. The award is presented annually to an outstanding Florida school principal selected from a list of nominees from throughout the state. It recognizes exemplary school leadership in three areas: student achievement, parent/community involvement, and empowering school-based leadership.
Under Mr. Simpson’s leadership, Reynolds Lane, a school serving a student population where 87% of the students receive free/reduced lunch, has moved from an FCAT letter grade of “C” to a repeating “A.” He has attributed his success, in part, to a review of the school’s vision and mission.

November 2010 Update

November 5, 2010

Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award Finalists

The three Gold Medallion Finalists for this year’s award are: Roxana D. Herrera, Palm Springs Elementary in Miami-Dade; Dr. David K. Moore, Miami Southridge Senior High in Miami-Dade; and Todd R. Simpson, Reynolds Lane Elementary in Duval County. These three outstanding school leaders will be honored at the annual Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award luncheon on November 16th at the home of Sue Miller. The winner will receive $10,000 for personal use, and the runners up will each receive $5,000. Good luck to each of our finalists.

October 2010 Update

October 8, 2010

Wonderful News:

  • The Council for Educational Change has received a two year grant from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to be used to develop a “curriculum” to assist principals assigned to schools with challenging student populations. Successful business and education leaders will be partnering with principals in 13 schools in Miami-Dade County to improve student achievement by bringing proven business strategies to school situations. Orientation sessions have already been held, and the strategic planning session will be held on Oct. 16th.

Summer 2010 Update

September 3, 2010

Really Exciting News!

  • Council President and Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Liftin, has been selected to be the Florida Liaison for the National Performance Based Assessment Pilot for “Accomplished” Principals. Her appointment by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Committee was approved by Governor Charlie Crist. Over the next year, high performing principal candidates in Florida, along with their peer principals in 18 other states, will participate in an online assessment pilot. Their performance will be documented using the assessment tool that aligns with the nationally approved Standards for Accomplished Principals. These standards represent a professional consensus of the practices of outstanding school leaders and were drafted by a committee of some of the premier educators in the nation; Dr. Liftin was a member of this committee as well.

July 2010 Update

Congratulations to:

  • Howard Weiner of Palmetto Senior High was named Miami-Dade Principal of the Year, and Gilberto Bonce of South Miami Senior High was the runner up. Both Howard and Gilberto are participants in the Council’s Executive PASS© program and Gilberto was a 2009 Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award Gold Medallion finalist.

June 2010 Update

June 11, 2010

Networking Sessions:

  • On April 29, Crestview Elementary School and their gracious CEO, Beau Parrillo of United Automobile Insurance Company hosted the annual South Florida PASS© networking session. All of the partnerships shared their incredible stories. Participants included all of the PASS principals, PASS CEOs, and the PASS coaches in South Florida, as well as the new CEC Board Chairman, Gene Marshall and Board members Karen Fryd, Jeffrey Miller, and Steve Wasserman. At the meeting, South Florida PASS Coordinator, Pat Dixon, surprised Carolina Naveiras, Principal of Hialeah Elementary, with the news that Board member Jeffrey Miller was extending his partnership with the school.

May 2010 Update

May 7, 2010

Congratulations to these Award Winners:

  • Sulphur Springs Elementary in Tampa was named Florida’s Elementary Reading Leadership Team of the Year after improving from an “F” grade in 2008 to a “B” in 2009. Principal Dr. Christi Chandler Buell, a Leonard Miller Principal Leadership Award Gold Medallion finalist in 2009, and the district’s Elementary Reading Supervisor made the surprise announcement. Only one school is recognized with the annual award from Just Read! Florida. Other members of the Reading Team include: Emily Deitzer, Laura Johnson, Donna Calderoni, Sharon Stewart, Cathy Tirpak, Julie Sekulits, and Lynn Rogers.

April 2010 Update

April 9, 2010

2010 FCAT and SAT Are Over!

Students and teachers alike are delighted that FCAT testing is over. However, before the test, everyone celebrated the fact that the students were prepared and ready to go. Events at schools included:

March 2010 Update

March 12, 2010

Kudos Go Out To:

  • Each year the Tampa Business Community inducts new members into the Tampa Bay Hall of Fame. This year, three of the six inductees are participants in the Council’s PASS© Program. Congratulations to Dick Lobo, President and CEO of WEDU-Channel 3, and Dr. Kiran Patel and Dr. Pallavi Patel, founders of the Patel Foundation for Global Understanding.

February 2010 Update

February 5, 2010

Wow! That’s Fantastic!

  • James H. Bright Elementary in Miami-Dade County has been identified as a Florida Title 1 Distinguished School for 2008 – 2009. Florida has 1,391 Title 1 schools, but this recognition was awarded to only 17 in the state. This puts Bright in the top 1.2% of the Title 1 schools in Florida. Congratulations to Maritza Garcia, Principal, PASS© CEO Eleonel Lorenzo, of Waste Services, Inc., Dr. Pat Dixon, PASS Coach, and the entire staff for implementing Leonard Miller’s mission, “If every child can get a quality education, every child can succeed.”