Organization and Programs
Dr. Paul Zimmerman was unanimously approved to the Council Board at its Feb. 15 telephonic Board meeting. Dr. Zimmerman is a leading area physician and the CEO of Practice Partners Inc., located in Miramar. Practice Partners Inc. is a physician owned leader in enterprise business applications providing management solutions, IT information and solutions, and asset purchasing for medical practices. Dr. Zimmerman is a Miami resident and is on the Global Advisory Board for Spirituality for Kids.
Governor Jeb Bush has recommended $ 1.5 million for the Council’s statewide PASS program in his budget released on Feb.1. The recommended allocation is an increase of $580,000 over last year’s funding level. The Council wants to thank the Governor, the Council Board and PASS partners who advocated for PASS funding. The next step is legislative approval. This funding will help the Council to scale-up the program to serve more schools. There are 55 current and alum PASS models and programs. PASS is partnered by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), the FC100, and sponsored by corporate and philanthropic leaders.
At the Feb. 15 Council Board Meeting, Dee Merrill, Wachovia Foundation Senior Vice President, was a special guest. She shared the Foundation’s vision to improve student achievement through teacher leadership. The Council is part of the Foundation’s national Teachers and Teaching Initiative with a program that retains and develops new teachers by pairing them with veteran teacher mentors and offering other online and in person development activities. The Foundation has allocated $785,000 for the Council program. In its second year, the program reported an 87% retention rate for participants.
Two Council Program Principals recently received special recognitions. Sharon Lee, Principal of Ethel F. Beckford/Richmond Elementary in Miami, is the Region Center V Principal of the Year. She is a PASS partner with KirkLandon who funds the model at her school. Valerie Smith Wanza, a graduate of the Council’s ASAP© program which prepares aspiring Principals, was a finalist in the Broward Schools Principal of the Year Award, after serving as Principal of the Lanier-James Education Center for only three years.
The Council congratulates two outstanding Teacher Leaders who earned Teacher of the Year recognitions in their districts. The first is Lynn Carrier from Gulfstream Elementary in Miami-Dade, a Council PASS school. The other teacher honoree is Brian Dassler from Stranahan High School in Broward, a Council/Annenberg school. Mr. Dassler participated in the Council’s SP SnapShot™ program. SP SnapShot is a student performance data assessment and analysis tool used, or in use by, more than 5,000 teachers statewide. We wish them luck in the competition to be the Florida State Teacher of the Year.
On Feb. 17, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker and Hialeah Mayor Julio Robiano met with Council Chair Steve Saiontz, Council Board member Jeffrey Miller, and Council Executive Director Dr. Elaine Liftin, to consider funding more PASS schools in Hialeah. Presently the Council, the St. Petersburg Mayor’s Office, and the Pinellas district are implementing a Municipal PASS model serving 7 schools. Jeffrey Miller, the PASS CEO of Hialeah Elementary, and Hialeah Principal Carolina Naveiras, shared their PASS activities that have helped raise the school grade. The Council is also exploring the possibility of implementing more Municipal PASS programs.
Scaling-up its s
Lynne Wines, President & CEO of Commercial Banking for Colonial Bank's South Florida Region , and a Council Board member will lead the Council’s Evaluation activities as Chair of that Committee. Ms. Wines recently met with some of the Council’s independent evaluation team members, including the University of Miami and FAU. All Council activities are evaluated for their impact on student achievement and program efficacy. Colonial Bank is also a sponsor of Council programs and activities including the Florida Assistant Principal Leadership Forums, the Florida School Report, and the publication and dissemination of this UPDATE.
Council for Educational Change Florida Leadership Academy ( FLA) …now in its 4th year!
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Every Superintendent will be offered a scholarship for a three person team to attend the Academies. Scholarship/registration information will be sent to Districts shortly. Other team registration — possible scholarships and paid attendance -- will also be accepted from Districts and Schools, based on availability. If you are interested in attending an Academy, please contact the Council, Ray Dunn, 954.727.9909.
Academies sponsored by FLDOE’s DELTA School Leadership Development Program, www.deltaschoolleaders.org
Additional support for Academies provided by Council corporate sponsors: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, Washington Mutual, and JPMorgan Treasury Services.
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FLA I June 25 - 30: Strategies for Strengthening Instructional Leadership
FLA II July 16 - 21: Change Leadership for Effective Learning Communities
both to be held in Tampa , Embassy Suites, adjacent to USF
Unique Features and Information
- Statewide, weeklong LEADERSHIP development event
- 3 person teams—Principal, Assistant Principal, Teacher Leader
- Scholarships available for teams
- Interactive presentations from national experts in education and leadership
- Unique skills and strategies for leading change in school, faculty, and student performance
- Sessions on success strategies for Reading and Mathematics
- Working with data at the school and classroom level to improve student achievement
- Creation of a personal leadership plan to synergize change leadership and teamwork back at school
- Information about the opportunities and resources offered through DELTA, www.deltaschoolleaders.org
Participants Self-Assessment & Results
On the first day of the Academy, participants self-assessed their skill level in the following:
- 1. Cultivating Leadership
- 2. Building Relationships
- 3. Working with Data
- 4. Participating in a Learning Model
- 5. Effective Teaching Strategies
- 6. Accessing Online Tools
- 7. Practicing Decision-Making Strategies
- 8. Essential Traits of Successful Leader
On the last day, they reported a 61% increase in skill levels, directly related to their experience.
“The Council’s Florida Leadership Academy is the most powerful academy I have ever attended during my 30 years as an educator.” -Dr. Patricia Dixon, Broward County |
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