The Core

Governor Signs Merit Award Program Into Law
Governor Charlie Crist signed Senate Bill 1226, which created the Merit Award Program for public school teachers. The bill provides a 5 to 10-percent performance bonus to the state’s best educators.

“Florida is fortunate to have so many outstanding teachers. We must continue to recognize and reward these teachers for what matters most – student learning,” said Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg.

The Program will provide school districts with the opportunity to provide financial rewards to teachers whose efforts have resulted in positive outcomes for students. The Florida Department of Education is committed to further examining teacher compensation and exploring new avenues for rewarding our highest performing teachers, and will host the first-ever national conference dedicated to the topic of redesigning teacher compensation this May in Orlando. The conference will feature nationally renowned experts in this field. To learn more about the upcoming conference, visit www.fldoe.org/schools/nationalconference.

Florida Department of Education Employees Honored With Prudential Financial Davis Productivity Awards
Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg recently announced that the Florida Department of Education employees have been honored with 24 Prudential Financial Davis Productivity Awards. The Prudential Financial Davis Productivity Awards, sponsored by Florida TaxWatch, recognize and reward Florida government employees whose work significantly and measurably increases productivity and promotes innovation. For more details, visit http://fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_03_22.asp.

Florida Missing Children’s Day Statewide Essay Contest
The Florida Department of Education Office of Safe and Healthy Schools and the Florida Missing Children Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board are sponsoring the 2007 Florida Missing Children’s Day (FMCD). To promote awareness of this issue, the sponsors have devised an essay contest open to all fifth grade students. On Sept. 10, a special ceremony in Tallahassee will commemorate past and present missing children and recognize those citizens who work hard to bring children home safely.

Each school will select a winner from the submitted essays and will provide the winning essay to the Missing Children Information Clearinghouse Advisory Board. One essay will be selected as the statewide winner. The winner and his/her parent will be invited to Tallahassee, receive a check for $100, and a trophy. This year’s theme is, “Stay Safe on MySpace.” Students are encouraged to submit an essay before the April 30 deadline to Essay Contest Coordinator, Florida Missing Children Information Clearinghouse, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, PO Box 1489, Tallahassee, Florida 32302-1489. The essay entry may also be faxed to (850) 410-8599. Direct questions to Dawn Mikola at 1-888-356-4774 or via e-mail at mcic@fdle.state.fl.us.

Board of Education Approves Method for Calculating Kindergarten Readiness Rate Rule
The Florida State Board of Education recently approved the method for calculating the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Provider Readiness Rate. Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) data will be used to calculate the readiness rate for private and public providers participating in Florida’s VPK education program. Later this spring, parents will be able to access the rate for VPK providers at https://vpk.fldoe.org or www.dcf.state.fl.us/childcare, to make more informed decisions when choosing a program for their child. To read the full story, visit http://fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_03_20.asp.

Governor Establishes Physical Fitness Council
Governor Charlie Crist recently established the Council on Physical Fitness. Council members will develop a state plan of action to increase Floridians’ level of physical fitness through regular exercise and sound nutritional practices. The goal is to reduce within the next 10 years the number of Floridians who suffer from chronic diseases resulting from obesity. The Council will review the implementation of daily physical education courses for elementary school students (grades K-5) and the feasibility of providing similar physical education courses for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) by the year 2012. Members will evaluate the nutritional value of school lunches, availability of certified physical education teachers and the possibility of school districts maintaining independent fitness advisory panels. For more information, visit www.flgov.com/release/8743.

President Bush to Speak at Miami Dade College Commencement
President George W. Bush will speak at the Miami Dade College Commencement April 28. He is the first sitting president to ever speak at a community college graduation ceremony, and this is only the second time in history that Bush will deliver a commencement address at a community college. Approximately 1,100 Miami Dade College Kendall campus graduates will receive their degrees. For more information about Florida’s Community Colleges, view Chancellor David Armstrong’s Newsletter at www.fldoe.org/cc/Newsletter/View_Newsletter.aspx?LetterID=67.

Seeds of Success

Alachua County Student Earns National Recognition for Business Savvy
Budding businessman Juliun Kinsey has a plan for his future, and that plan is already earning him national recognition. Kinsey, a 15-year-old sophomore in Gainesville’s Loften High School Marketing Education program, is one of just 30 students worldwide to be named a Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). He was recognized for the business plan he developed for Eagle Pro Apparel, a business that will sell uniforms and other “spirit gear” to students at Loften. To view the full story, go to http://fldoe.org/successstories/2007/03-19.asp.

Florida Teacher Receives Leavey Award for Excellence In Private Enterprise Education
A William H. Turner Technical Arts High School teacher in Miami recently received the 2007 Leavey Award for Excellence In Private Enterprise Education. Cindy Thienard earned recognition by The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation for her “Ability Counts Project.” For the full story, visit http://fldoe.org/successstories/2007/03-14.asp.

Outstanding Senior Leaders In Broward County
Broward County high school seniors were recently recognized by the School Board and the Broward County Association of Student Councils (BCASC) as Outstanding Senior Leaders with scholarships valued between $500 and $1,500. Thirty-three high school seniors received the honors. Top winners Jennifer Schuster, Fort Lauderdale High School, and Brittany Stevenson, Northeast High School, received $1,500 scholarships. Read the story at http://fldoe.org/successstories/2007/03-08.asp.

Area Senior Receives Leadership Scholarship
Immokalee High School senior Pierre “Alex” Jeanty has been awarded the Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain Leadership Scholarship from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. This is Bowdoin’s top scholarship, developed to prepare scholars to take their place as leaders in their communities and in their careers. Read the full story at http://fldoe.org/successstories/2007/03-08-2.asp.

Branching Out

87th Annual AACC Convention
April 14-17, 2007
Tampa Bay, Fla.
The American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) 87th Annual Convention will be held April 14 – 17 in Tampa Bay. This year’s theme – A NEW VISION for Community Colleges, promises to bring exciting discussions about the way community colleges are perceived and what influences the community colleges can have on policy makers, the media, and others. J. David Armstrong, Jr, Chancellor of Florida’s Community College System, is a presenter at the conference. To register, or for more details, go to www2.aacc.nche.edu/annualconvention/index.asp.

21st Century Community Learning Centers
April 17-20, 2007
Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Blast from the Past 2007 Spring Conference is a 1950s-themed conference open to anyone wishing to develop, enhance, or research outstanding after-school programs for students between kindergarten and 12th grade. All educators, school administrators, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, policy-makers, academicians, researchers, and other interested individuals from around the world are welcome to participate. For more details, visit
www.afterschoolflorida.hhp.ufl.edu/2007Conference.html.

Florida Partners in Education Conference
April 18-20, 2007
Bayfront Hilton, St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Florida Department of Education and the Florida Association of Partners in Education are hosting the Florida Partners in Education Conference April 18-20, 2007, at the Bayfront Hilton in St. Petersburg, Fla. This year’s theme, “Winds of Change,” is reflective of the association’s commitment to present the most current issues in education and community involvement. All district, school and community personnel who are interested in enhancing community involvement in education are encouraged to attend. For more information or to register, visit the Florida Partners in Education Web site at www.flpie.net, or call the Bureau of Family and Community Outreach at (850) 245-0847.

2007 Juvenile Justice Education Institute and Southern Conference on Corrections
July 11-13, 2007
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, Tampa, Fla.
The Juvenile Justice Education Institute and Southern Conference on Corrections will be held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa July 11-13. The Institute will provide important information concerning transition planning, career education, and effective instructional strategies in juvenile justice education.

To register, go to http://info.fldoe.org/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-4304/jjei-att.pdf and fax the completed form to (850) 414-8357. You may also mail the form to Barbara Groves, Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program, 325 John Knox Road, Building L, Suite 102, Tallahassee, FL 32303, no later than June 20, 2007. The $85 registration fee should be made payable to the Florida Association of Alternative School Educators. Registrations received after the deadline, including onsite registration, will be $100.

For more information, contact the Department of Education Exceptional Education and Student Services Office at (850) 245-0475 or via e-mail at lisa.robinson@fldoe.org. You may also contact Barbara Groves, Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program, at (850) 414-8355 or via e-mail at beg0711@mailer.fsu.edu, or Terri Eggers, Department of Juvenile Justice via e-mail at terri.eggers@djj.state.fl.us.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to The Core, click here.
For more information on this electronic newsletter, please e-mail thecore@fldoe.org.