The Core

State Board of Education Chooses Next Commissioner of Education
The State Board of Education (SBE) voted unanimously to select Dr. Eric J. Smith as the Florida Commissioner of Education. The SBE made its decision following a second round of in-depth interviews with the three finalists in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 8.

Prior to Dr. Smith being named as Commissioner, he was Senior Vice President for College Readiness for the College Board. In this position, he organized a new division to focus on a strategy to assist school districts in improving their high school graduates’ enrollment and completion rates in higher education. From 2002-2006, Dr. Smith was the Superintendent for Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, Md.

Top Employers Honored At Disability Employment Awareness Celebration
In recognition of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Department of Education’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), The Able Trust and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities recognized businesses committed to hiring people with disabilities. The Disability Employment Awareness Celebration was held in Tallahassee on October 9, and included an Information Fair with various businesses and disability providers explaining the different kinds of services available. For more information on this celebration, visit www.fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_10_02.asp.

Seminole People of Florida: Survival and Success
A new exhibit, Seminole People of Florida: Survival and Success will be on display beginning Nov. 15, 2007, at the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, Fla. The exhibit, on display through June 1, 2008, was created in the spirit of admiration for a group of people who have not only survived but have overcome extreme adversity through the years. The Seminole people have adapted to a changing world with remarkable success while sustaining many of their traditions.

The exhibit provides a glimpse into Seminole history, culture, and artistic traditions from the mid-1850s to the present, with particular focus on the rich material culture that the Seminoles created and sustained during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

For more information, call (850) 245-6400 or go to www.museumoffloridahistory.com.

Florida Education Foundation Announces Reward For All Florida Public School Personnel
Universal Orlando® Resort, in partnership with the Florida Education Foundation, is offering Florida Public School Personnel tickets to Universal Studios Florida® and Universal’s Islands of Adventures® from now through Dec. 23, 2007.

All public school employees in Florida, from Pre-Kindergarten – 12th grade, can complete the form and print their one-day, two-park coupons online at www.floridaeducationfoundation.org. When presenting your coupons, a photo I.D. and proof of employment are needed at the front gate ticket window of either Universal Studios Florida® or Universal’s Islands of Adventure®. Proof of employment can be in the form of a valid Florida public school-issued photo ID badge, a recent Florida school paycheck stub which includes your name and the name of the employing school/district, or an approved public school employment letter.

Individuals may take up to six guests with them at a discounted ticket price. Additionally, each person will have an opportunity to extend their thrills by purchasing discounted tickets to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights® on select event nights through Nov. 3, 2007.

The Florida Education Foundation is a not for profit charitable corporation established to support Pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 public schools. The Foundation will receive a portion of the guest tickets sales to be used for teacher recruitment and to support educational programs and initiatives in Florida.

Florida’s Community Colleges are Top Producers of Nation’s Associate’s Degrees for Fifth Year in a Row
For the fifth consecutive year, Florida’s community colleges rank as the nation’s most successful producers of Associate degrees. According to Community College Week’s annual report for 2007 conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, community colleges in Florida continue to lead America’s more than 1,200 community colleges in a number of Associate degree categories. Degrees awarded during the 2005-06 academic year were compiled for the 2007 Top 100 report through the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Set’s Completion Survey (IPEDS). For more information, visit www.fldoe.org/news/2007/2007_10_12.asp.

Niceville High School Students Study Science in Africa
Students from Niceville High School in Okaloosa County spent part of their summer in Africa tracking the presence of macro and micro organisms living along coastal areas around the globe over the next 50 years. For more information, click here.

Seeds of Success

Lake Mary Teacher Named Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year
Terry Porter, a Wellness and Physical Education teacher at Markham Woods Middle School in Lake Mary has been named Teacher of the Year in Florida in the 12th annual Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club State Teacher of the Year program. Porter was honored at a special surprise ceremony at the Lake Mary Sam’s Club, and in his honor, the school received a $10,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. For more on the story, visit www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2007/10-10.asp.

Orange County Public School Teachers Honored as PRISM Winners
Three Orange County Public School teachers have been honored as regional winners of the PRISM Outstanding Teacher Award, recognizing their excellence as educators. Rick Ellenburg from Camelot Elementary, Susan Leeds from Howard Middle, and Betty Vail from Olympia High were each awarded a check for $500.

Ellenburg, the 2008 Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year, was also recognized as the Best Science Educator. He was awarded $5,000 for this distinction.

Seminole County Public School Teachers Honored as PRISM Winners
Three Seminole County Public School teachers have been honored as regional winners of the PRISM Outstanding Teacher Award, recognizing their excellence as educators. Mary Timmerman from Sterling Park Elementary, Kathleen Moreno from Jackson Heights Middle, and Bill Yucuis from Lyman High were each awarded a check for $500.

Brevard Public Schools Science Teachers Honored as PRISM Winners
Two Brevard Public School teachers have been honored as regional winners of the PRISM Outstanding Teacher Award, recognizing their excellence as science educators. Nancy Rehwoldt, a sixth grade teacher at Surfside Elementary School, and Guytri Still, a teacher at McNair Magnet Middle School, received two of three regional awards. The teachers each received $2,500 cash and $2,500 in scholarship money to attend science conferences.

Branching Out

Summit on Transition for Youth with Disabilities
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2007
Peabody Hotel
Orlando, Fla.

Florida Partners in Transition (PIT) is sponsoring a Summit on Transition for Youth with Disabilities Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2007, at the Peabody Hotel, Orlando, Fla. The 2007 Summit is the third sponsored by PIT and will build on the previous Summit during which 26 teams met to increase interagency collaboration. The goal of the Summit is to assist local districts with building cross-agency Local Leadership Teams focused on improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Funded primarily through the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC), travel scholarships will be available for all approved team members. For more information, contact Sandy Stevens at (850) 656-8848 or via e-mail at sandy.stevens@mgmtresources.org.

2007 Florida Charter School Conference
Dec. 3-4, 2007
Hilton, located in the Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Fla.

The 2007 Florida Charter School Conference will take place Dec. 3-4, 2007, at the Hilton located in the Walt Disney World Resort. This year's theme "Charters: A Choice for Excellence," will focus on leadership and the pursuit of excellence. The program is designed to provide information needed to continue offering a high-quality educational choice for Florida's students and parents. If you are interested in the success of charter schools and the options they give students in Florida, you should attend. Sessions are targeted at authorizers, administrators, educators and charter school stakeholders. Register by Nov. 12, 2007, to receive the discounted rate.

Individuals are invited to submit an application to present a one-hour session at the Florida Charter School Conference. Forms must be completed by Oct. 24, 2007, at www.charterschoolconference.com/presentation_1.php. For more information on this conference, visit www.charterschoolconference.com.

2008 Effective Strategies Institute
Jan. 15-18, 2008
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort
Daytona Beach, Fla.

The 2008 Effective Strategies Institute will be held Jan. 15-18, 2008, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Institute is sponsored by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC), the Florida Department of Education, 21st Century Community Learning Centers of Florida, the University of Florida, Communities in Schools of Florida, Inc., and the Florida Association of Alternative School Educators.

The Institute will feature three nationally renowned keynote speakers, including Dr. Krystal Kuykendall and U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Consuelo Kickbush. There will be more than 60 workshops representing district, state, and national research-based instructional strategies and best practices in dropout prevention and Exceptional Student Educational programs.

District administrators, teachers, student services personnel, and program coordinators who provide services to students at risk of not graduating from high school are encouraged to attend.

To register and submit proposals for presentation, please visit the National Dropout Prevention Center Web site at www.dropoutprevention.org/ndpcdefault.htm, and click on “2008 Effective Strategies Institute.” The registration fee is $195.00 before Dec. 21, 2007. After that date, the registration fee will be $225.00. Institute attendees are encouraged to make room reservations at the host hotel by Dec. 31, 2007, to obtain the conference rate of $134.00 per night.

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