2011… 2012

As 2011 comes to a close I thought it important to pause and reflect on so much that has taken place in our school district over the last year.  Many have expressed that the Florida Public Schools System saw more changes in 2011 than it had in all of the past 10 years.  While I am not sure if that is completely correct, it sure has felt that way.

This year provided some of the most challenging changes in public education as a result of state legislature passed and signed into law by Governor Scott.  The one of two changes that are often discussed include SB736, perhaps incorrectly named “The Students Success Act”.  This law creates a new teacher’s merit pay system which directly ties educator’s pay to high stakes tests, including the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, commonly known as the FCAT.  While some of the goals of SB736 were to mirror several initiatives that were already being developed as a result of Florida’s “Race to the Top” (RttT) grant.   Fortunately RttT was proving states and districts a 4 year phase in of the initiatives, SB736 basically gave districts 4 months.  Thankfully Citrus County Schools were well on their way in the RttT development process and Citrus achieved implementation of what was required in SB736.  One of my concerns in SB736 is that it has nearly done away with “due process” for many new teachers and makes the termination process, not just more streamlined, but down right easy.  This could have negative effects for any wrongful terminations which previous laws and statute provided protection of an employees rights.  Even legislators who voted for SB736 have expressed that before it is fully implemented in 2014 changes are needed in the law.  SB736, in part, is likely to be re-addressed in the 2013 legislative session.  The other major change was the new 3-percent pension employee contribution now required for all participants in the Florida Retirement System. For almost 40 years FRS had been entirely employer-paid  for all local and state government employees including teachers, police, fire and others. This was one of the benefits for choosing a modest life in “civil service”. During high income years many of these same employees did not see large increases in their wages, much less a “cost of living adjustment” like those in the private sector received, but that was understood because it was balanced with the 100% retirement contribution. This year all government agencies were allowed to use that 3%, which used to go to FRS (from the employees) to fund the general operations.  Now lawsuits have been filed and concerns are that the law may be found unconstitutional and that local and state agencies will have to find a way to pay back that 3% for this year’s budget and another 3% for next year’s budget. While I think there may be valid reason that the law will, and perhaps should be, found unconstitutional this could have new devastating impacts to agencies and local governments’ budgets.

Now for the positive!

I feel so blessed that my family lives in Citrus County and that my children attend our great public schools.  Our middle school son told us recently, “Mom and Dad I LOVE school, I love my teachers!”  Our 3rd grade daughter was so upset recently when she was sick and needed to stay home from school because she was going to miss being at school learning.  Could we, as parents, ask for much more?

Citrus County had all of its Elementary and Middle Schools awarded an “A” rating .by the Florida Department of Education. In addition Citrus, as a district, again received the highly coveted ‘High Performing District’ from Florida DOE.  Citrus County is the only district in Florida to be awarded as a ‘High Performing District’ six years in a row and the only district among all ‘High Performing’ districts in those six years to see increases in student performance each year during that same period.

2012

As we begin 2012 I have concerns, but I also have hope and excitement.  I enjoy looking at life from “the glass is half full” prospective but I am also a realist and I accept that “the glass is not completely full” either.  While the challenges are very real, we can and will, in Citrus County Schools, continue to provide “Great learning, meeting students’ individual needs and preparing students to be successful in school and beyond.”

I ask that you continue to pray for our students, our school leaders, our school board, and myself as we begin a great 2012!!

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Recap of Regular Board Meeting Dec. 13,-011

About twice a year, by a board member rotation, each board member is responsible for the meeting opening exercises.  December was my turn and I wanted to arrange for something that was about the Holiday season and that was a little entertainment gift to the other Board Members, Executive team, staff and guests.  I arranged for the Citrus High School Girls Barbershop Quartet “So Divine” featuring Ashlyn Gibbs, Lead; Christi Black, Tenor; Jamee Billings, Baritone; Mary Jane Onsager, Bass.  They to preform two holiday songs.  They were amazing!

Click video above to watch

Gerry Mulligan, Publisher of the Citrus County Chronicle and Chief Volunteer Officer introduced the new Executive Director of the Citrus County YMCA, Joanna Castle.  The “Y” currently offers after school and summer programs in Citrus County and a major Capital project is currently underway to build a permanent state of the art YMCA in Lecanto on property next to property recently purchased by CCSB for a future elementary school.

The Board also gave recognition to the winner of the Art Outside the Box Contest from the 40th Festival of the Arts celebration, which was the Citrus High School.  Citrus County High School Students decorated Citrus County Chronicle newspaper boxes that were throughout the festival. The boxes will now be placed throughout the county to vend daily papers and for the community to enjoy. (Click here to read Chronicle Story)

The last recognition at this meeting was of Nathan P. Lovestrand, a Citrus High School student from Troop 415, for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.  Nathan completed an award winning community service project, building a roost for up to 10,000 bats at Fort Cooper State Park.

The Board approved a number of items at the meeting including but not limited to a salary step increase, a top of the scale bonus based on contract days for CCEA Instructional, Support, Professional and Technical Staff for the 2011-2012 school year.  The Substitute Salary Schedule will reflect a small increase in the daily rate. “Change Orders” for Phase II of the Crystal River High School Project. The purchase of Dell computers for Testing and Data Services.

Lastly the Board was asked to approve the 2012-2013 School Calendar.  Due to a pending decision regarding the testing window requirement for the 2012-2013 by the Florida Department of Education , the Board “Tabled” the issue until the January 10^th, 2012 Board meeting in hopes of hearing from DOE.

The next School Board meeting is a Regular School Board meeting at 3:00pm on January 10^th, 2012.

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CHS Media Field Trip

One of my favorite parts of my job is the many different activities I get to do with our students.  Yesterday was another example.  One of my longstanding friends, Tim Stuart, is the media specialist at Citrus High School.  He asked me to chaperone an annual field trip that he was taking some of the Seniors on.  This trip was going to the Barnes & Noble Book Store in Ocala.  Now while I enjoy going to the book store and looking through the books and magazines this trip, as was explained to me, was going to be work mixed in with some fun.  Mr. Stuart put out an offer to seniors at CHS to go on the trip to help him purchase new books for the school’s media center.  Media Centers often have resources to purchase materials through a mixture of budgeted funds, donations and fund raising.  Throughout the year when a CHS student asks for a book that the media center doesn’t have, or a book or book series that the student would like the media center to have, Mr. Stuart asks the student to submit to title/request on a digital request form he created using Google Docs.   When we arrived at B&N Mr. Stuart provided each student with a printed list of the books they were responsible for locating and to bring them back to him for review.  Mr. Stuart brought his laptop and as the students would bring him the books he would review them, double verify using his laptop, to make sure that CHS does not already have them and also checking on any reviews or feedback that has been written about the book.  As the morning went on the pile of books grew and grew.  The students were also provided an opportunity once they had completed finding and bring Mr. Stuart their assigned books to search for other books that they felt would be of interest to other students.  The students represent a broad cross-section of the student body and so did the student’s personal book suggestions.  Students brought up books ranging from Sci-fi, classic stories to vegan diets and other topics for healthy living.

After leaving Barnes and Nobel we had just enough time to have a quick lunch at Moe’s and get the students back to CHS before dismissal.

I have to share with you once again how impressed I am with our county’s young people.  When I am with high school students, and seniors in particular, one of the first questions those in education will often ask them is, “what are your plans for the future”?  Their answers often tell lots about their interests, backgrounds and their future plans.  I love this opportunity of learning about each of them and obtaining a little insight into their lives.  These students all had some plan for next year.  One was going to FSU to study Marine Biology, another was planning to study business at College of Central Florida because they want to open a Bakery in Citrus County and felt in order to be successful they should have a background in business education.  Another is going to be a Nurse Practitioner, another a Counselor and one would like to become an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) to help pay for their college expenses. Others weren’t sure exactly what profession they would like to take up but would begin by taking basic courses by attending a Florida College.

These young people represent Citrus County and will eventually become our future leaders. Today’s students often have greater challenges to endure than what we had to face at their ages.  Please encourage them,  support them, help them.  An old high school friend of mine recently reminded me of a quote by W. H. Auden, “We are here on Earth to do good to others. What the others are here for, I don’t know.”

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