The Core

New Report Provides Blueprint for Education Response to Fiscal Crisis
Despite the current economic crisis, Florida has a unique opportunity to improve its current K-12 education system by protecting policies that provide incentives for higher achievement while cutting back on those that do not contribute to performance, according to a report co-authored by three scholars at Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, and Brown University.

In the report, prepared at the request of the Florida State Board of Education, Paul E. Peterson of Harvard, Eric A. Hanushek of Stanford and Martin R. West of Brown say that the fiscal crisis should be seen as an opportunity to enhance school productivity.

To read more on the report, visit http://www.fldoe.org/news/2009/2009_03_16-2.asp.

New Census In Schools Web Site
Look for a new and improved Census in Schools Web site to be released by the end of March. The site will contain information for teachers, kids, and teens. Additionally, there will be new lesson plans and 2010 Census information for teachers, games and coloring pages for kids, and career information and fun statistics for teens. Visit www.census.gov and click on “For Teachers & Students.”

Governor Crist Invites Floridians to Review Florida’s Use of Federal Stimulus Dollars
Governor Charlie Crist unveiled the Florida Office of Economic Recovery’s Web site this month. The site, FlaRecovery.com, allows the people of Florida to review state and local government use of federal funds coming to the state as a result of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Launched in the early stages of the federal recovery effort, the FlaRecovery.com Web site will evolve as information flows down from the federal level. The Web site is a clearinghouse of all public records and documents related to the implementation of the federal stimulus dollars, as well as a one-stop resource for citizens interested in learning more about assistance made available by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Visitors to the site will be able to easily connect to information about education, unemployment compensation, workforce training, food stamps and cash assistance.

2009 Sunshine Week Essay Contest Winners Announced
Governor Crist recognized the winners of the 2009 Sunshine Week Essay Contest during a reception in honor of Sunshine Week. The essay contest invited Florida high school students to identify how Florida’s open government laws and access to public records strengthens citizens’ civil rights and liberties.

The students’ essays addressed the issue, “Describe the various public records available under Florida's open government laws and how access to these records strengthens citizens' civil rights and liberties.” The first place winner received a $3,500 scholarship, the second place winner received a $2,000 scholarship, and third place received a $1,500 scholarship. Congratulations to the following winners:

First Place: Sarah Kate Darville of Coral Springs, 12th grade, Coral Glades High School
Second Place: Mark Wichrowski of Apopka, 12th grade, Bishop Moore Catholic High School
Third Place: Lydia Mansfield of Pembroke Pines, 10th grade, West Broward High School

Seminole Community College Director Named “Hispanic Woman Who Makes the Difference”
Seminole Community College’s director of Student Success Services Mercedes Bermejo has been named a “Hispanic Woman Who Makes the Difference” by La Prensa newspaper. Ms. Bermejo, of the College’s Heathrow Campus, was recognized in the education category for her accomplishments in higher learning and her contributions to the Hispanic community.

Tallahassee Community College Awarded Roughly $1 Million In Grants
Tallahassee Community College will soon receive close to a million dollars in Workforce Development grants. The majority of the grant funding ($800,000) will be directed to manufacturing education programs. Criminal Intelligence Training and support for the Gadsden County Schools Criminal Justice Career Academy will each receive $100,000.

Chipola College Wins State Titles
The Chipola College men’s and women’s basketball teams captured both state titles in the FCCAA/Region VIII Championships on March 7. The Indians men’s team captured their fourth state title in five years with a 68-65 win over Gulf Coast Community College. The Chipola Lady Indians captured the FCCAA/Region VIII Championship with a 68-67 win over Gulf Coast Community College on March 7.

Florida Coordinated School Health Partnership Member Named Point of Light During Governor’s Fitness/Nutrition Awareness Month
Karen Pesce, a long time advocate for children’s health, was recognized by Governor Charlie Crist in March as a Point of Light in honor of Fitness/Nutrition Awareness Month. Karen’s efforts to help Florida’s children and parents adopt healthy lifestyles that embrace daily physical activity and healthy eating habits include: helping to establish the Florida Action for Healthy Kids Partnership (FLAFHKP), a public-private partnership representing education, health, fitness and nutrition. She has also served as co-chair of the Hillsborough County School Health Advisory Committee, and participated as a member of the Pinellas County School Health Advisory Committee, Partners in Obesity Prevention, Healthy Together-Tampa Bay, and the Hillsborough County Oral Health Collaborative.

In addition to her volunteer efforts, Karen is the executive director of MORE HEALTH, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing health and safety lessons to more than 1.7 million school-aged children. Funded by a collaborative effort among school districts, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and numerous community partners, MORE HEALTH, Inc. develops interactive health lessons for children and families throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Seeds of Success

Duval County Principal Named Arts Administrator of the Year
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts Principal, Jackie Cornelius has been selected as the 2009 Florida Network of Arts Administrators, Administrator of the Year.

Mrs. Cornelius received this award for her artistic vision and leadership in the field of arts education. Since 1988, she has been an integral part of Douglas Anderson’s state and national success, first serving as its art director and vice principal before being named principal in 1996. Under her leadership, Douglas Anderson has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, a National Model School and a National Leader School by the U.S. Department of Education, as well as being listed by Newsweek magazine as one of the Best Academic High Schools in the country. To read more, visit http://www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2009/03-05.asp.

Three Florida Students Win National Awards for Aspirations in Computing
Alexis Gill, a senior at Ed White High School in Jacksonville, Garima Gupta, a junior at Stanton College Prep High School in Jacksonville and Mayra Alejandra Reyes, a senior at Miami Springs Senior High in Miami Springs, recently received the 2009 National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Awards for Aspirations in Computing.

Sponsored by Bank of America and the NCWIT, the award recognizes female high school students for their computing-related achievements and interests as part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology. For the full story, visit http://www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2009/03-06.asp.

Florida Educator To Receive Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award
Ricardo V. Soria, assistant principal of Choctawahatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., has been named the 2009 recipient of the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award. Given by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Space Foundation, the award will be presented during the Opening Ceremony of the 25th National Space Symposium on March 30.

Soria was selected for his role in creating the Engineers For America program, an innovative elementary school initiative that promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics education through hands-on flight, aviation and aerospace activities.

For full details, visit http://www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2009/03-11.asp.

School Districts Honored for High Quality Systems
The Meritorious Budget Award for excellence is given by the Association of School Business Officials International to honor school districts for their high-quality preparation and issuance of a school system’s annual budget. The award is given to school systems that have met or exceeded the Meritorious Budget Award Program criteria. This year, five school districts in Florida received this honor. Congratulations to the following districts for their achievements:

The School District of Leon County, Florida
The School Board of Broward County, Florida
School Board of Brevard County
Duval County Public Schools
District School Board of Volusia County

Florida Students Win Spring Break Video Contest
Students in Florida were honored by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for their winning submissions in the 2009 “Why Not?” Spring Break video contest. Underage Generation Y’ers, from 14 to 20, were called to create 30-second videos about why they chose not to make alcohol a part of their Spring Break plans. Congratulations to the following Florida winners:

Second Place Prize Winners - Andrea Likens and Kiersten Lampe, from Deltona High School in Deltona, Fla.
Third Place Winners - Paul Murphy, Dylan Parker, Caitlyn Chrisco and Will Harvey from Wakulla High School in Wakulla, Fla.

To see the winning videos and other winners, visit http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/whynotvideos.html.

Top Speakers To Attend National Science Symposium
Twenty-one 11th and 12th grade students were selected out of approximately 80 applicants to present their research in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Colorado Springs, Co. First, second and third place winners were awarded scholarships to attend a university of his or her choice. The first and second place winners will also be given an opportunity to present their research at the Symposium, where they have a chance to compete for $20,000. The five winners will also be awarded trips to attend the NJSHS. Congratulations to the following winners:

First Place Speaker- Jonathan Wang from Oak Hall School, Alachua County
Second Place Speaker - Nadine Currie from Lake Brantley High School, Seminole County
Third Place Speaker - Mansfield Burlingame from Lake Brantley High School, Seminole County
Fourth Place Speaker- Bahar Shah from Canterbury School, Lee County
Fifth Place Speaker - William Haber from Dr. Michael M. Krop Sr. High School, Miami-Dade County

For the full story, visit http://www.fldoe.org/SuccessStories/2009/03-12-2.asp.

Volusia Student Wins National Award for Video
Sylvia Walka, a senior from Atlantic High School in Port Orange, won first place in the Future Educators Association (FEA) Inside Our Schools 2020 Challenge video-making competition, which is designed to give young people the chance to share their views on what teaching and learning will be like in the year 2020. Open to members of FEA chapters at middle schools, high schools, and colleges, the Future Educators Association Inside Our Schools 2020 Challenge provides a platform for this generation to discover the power of their opinions on the future of education, articulate their enthusiasm and concerns, and share their ideas with others around the world.

Branching Out

Second International Symposium on Assessment in Music Education
Apr. 15-17, 2009
Paramount Plaza Hotel and Suites
Gainesville, Fla.

The music education faculty of the University of Florida School of Music will host a Symposium on Assessment in Music Education from April 15-17, 2009, at the Paramount Plaza Hotel and Suites in Gainesville, Fla. This symposium will focus on identifying and exploring effective assessment frameworks, models, and designs for the assessment of PreKindergarten through 12th grade and postsecondary music students and music programs. Keynote Speakers include Dr. Eric Smith, Florida Commissioner of Education, Dr. Richard Colwell, Dr. David Elliott and Dr. Edwin Gordon. For more details, visit http://conferences.dce.ufl.edu/isame/.

Third Annual Prepárate Conference
April 23–24, 2009
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel
Orlando, Fla.

Gain effective strategies to better prepare Latino students for college success. Become part of the national agenda focused on raising the academic expectations for Latino students by registering for Prepárate, and join colleagues throughout the country for two full days of sharing, learning, and connecting. For more information, visit http://www.collegeboard.com/preparate/.

2009-2010 No Child Left Behind Technical Assistance Forum
April 28-30, 2009
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Hotel
Daytona Beach, Fla.

The 2009-2010 Florida Department of Education No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Technical Assistance Forum will be held April 28–30, 2009, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Hotel, Daytona Beach, Fla. Sponsored by the Florida Association of State and Federal Education Program Administrators and the East Coast Technical Assistance Center , the meeting will provide programmatic assistance to Local Educational Agency (LEA) program coordinators who implement federal programs and the staff responsible for entering the application into the online system for a variety of Titles I, II, III, IV, VI and X federal grant applications.

Those involved in the completion of these applications should attend the technical assistance meeting, including consolidated LEA contacts, grant writers, program contacts, etc. For more details, visit http://www.fldoe.org/NCLB/2008nclbta_site.asp.

FASD Spring Forum Focuses on Technology in Support of High Quality Professional
Development
May 4-5, 2009
Melbourne Beach, Fla.

The Spring Forum for the Florida Association for Professional Development will take place at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront, Indialantic, Fla., May 4 - 5, 2009. Individuals who develop, implement or support professional learning to increase student performance are invited to participate in this engaging program. The focus will be integrating technology as a method of enhancing delivery, implementation support and impact assessment. For more information, visit www.fasdonline.org and follow the Spring Forum links.

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