Archive for News & Updates

FL Senate and House separately say ‘wages yes, bonuses no’

Posted on January 31st, 2020 by

FL Senate and House separately say ‘wages yes, bonuses no’

Very encouraged by Florida Legislature education budget proposals

On Monday this week, the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee released their proposed education budget, and then on Wednesday the Florida House Appropriations Subcommittee released their version of the education budget for the 2020 Legislative session.

While there are differences between these initial budgets there are several common themes. The biggest has to do with following Gov. DeSantis’s request to increase teachers’ base salaries. The other is that both the Senate and House proposed budgets that focus on increasing teacher annual salaries, rather than offering teacher bonuses. Bonuses that have often tied to students’ state assessment test scores and/or schools’ grades that are also tied to students’ state assessment test scores.

While each chamber’s plans have specific positives and differences, I applaud both chambers for understanding the importance of salaries increases for teachers. Much of the differences and specifics are still to be worked out, and I would expect some issues to even have to be conferenced before we have a final budget. 

We need to thank Gov. DeSantis for setting the tone, and state leaders in both chambers for working very hard to try and help increase salaries for teachers, provide flexibility, and recognize that each district has different needs.  

For details of the two chamber’s budget versions follow this link to a good side-by-side comparison from the Florida School Board Association: https://fsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Summary-Comparison-January-2020-1.pdf 

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Phil Royal EMT Program

Posted on January 28th, 2020 by

Phil Royal EMT Program

at the CRHS Academy of Health Careers

Citrus County School board members unanimously voted on the new name just a few minutes ago, alongside CRHS Principal Dr. Linda Connors, April Royal and Phil and April”s daughter Brelyn.

It is official! Today the Citrus County School Board unanimously approved officially naming the new EMT program at Crystal River High School to be the “Phil Royal EMT Program at the CRHS Academy of Health Careers”.

What brought this about was something that was shared to me by a special individual. Shortly after I was first elected to office, the leader of our Law Enforcement Academy at the time, Phil Royal, talked to me about the need and his hope that someday the CRHS’s Health Academy’s Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) program could improve to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program. Over the years I helped encourage us to explore the possibility, but there were many obstacles.

This past year we tried again and with Superintendent Himmel, her team, District Post-Secondary Coordinator Debra Stanley, and CRHS Principal Dr. Connors, CRHS Head Guidance Counselor Trudee Mason, CF Associate Professor Rodney McGinnes, along with the College of Central Florida.  This was not an easy task and I am so thankful for the commitment of all involved to make this a reality.

April Royal holds a photo of new Royal EMT Program instructor Wendy Barton who as a former EMT student herself of Phil Royal’s.

As a result of this team, two weeks ago, 10 students began the Royal EMT Program. The students will complete their training before the end of this school year and will then take the National EMS Certification. If they successfully pass the certification, and after high school graduation, these students will be EMT Certified. I am so grateful to Superintendent Sandra “Sam” Himmel and our Citrus County School Board for supporting this great program.

What also makes this all even more special is that when we were working with CF EMS Professor McGinnes in developing the program we learned that he had worked with Phil Royal in the EMT training program. The CF EMT instructor he chose for CRHS was none other than, Wendy Barton, a former EMT student of Phil Royal’s.  The perfect person to help our EMT students not only be prepared for the work they will be doing but someone that learned from Phil Royal himself how to be a model EMT.

Lastly, I want to thank April Royal for allowing us to use Phil’s name for the program and for her support of this program!

For more information about the Phil Royal EMT Program at the CRHS Academy of Health Careers visit: https://crh.citrusschools.org/clubs_organizations/academy_of_health_careers

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Anniversary of Shuttle Challenger Tragedy

Posted on January 28th, 2020 by

Anniversary of Shuttle Challenger Tragedy

Teachers are always teaching

Today is the anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.  For my generation, the Space Shuttle launches were very defining. During my youth, we ranged from the excitement of the first shuttle launch to routine launches to tragedy.  Nearly all these events we watched in school classrooms with my teachers.

On January 28, 1986, the NASA Space Shuttle orbiter undertook mission STS-51-L and the tenth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members: five NASA astronauts, one payload specialist, and a civilian school teacher, Christa McAuliffe.

Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Teacher

Many of us likely remember where we were when we learned of the event. I can well remember being on a school bus coming back from a field trip listening to our Walkman radios when we started hearing breaking news about the tragedy. As we got back and began walking in our high school every TV available was tuned into the horrible event. Classrooms were solemnly quiet listening to the newscasters. I went to my science class and my teacher said something, as we watched the news that profoundly stuck with me for all these years about the passion teachers, have for learning and teaching their students. Our teacher was asked by a student, “Ms. Sand

Ms. Sandra Bent, Greater Boston Academy science teacher

Ms. Bent, seeing what happened to the shuttle, if you were asked to go on a mission next week would you?” I was a little surprised that without any hesitation she replied, “absolutely”! Ms. Bent went on to explain that she would want the opportunity to learn all and come back and share with us that knowledge. She said that Ms. Christa McAuliffe well understood those risks, but she was willing to for her students and their learning.

Over the years as we learn more about what I happened I have from time to time I have asked teachers that same question asked of Ms. Bent in 1986, perhaps not surprising is I hear different versions of the same answer. Each has said they would go, even knowing the risk because they are teachers, and learning and sharing are who they are.

God bless the crew and family of Space Shuttle Challenger/STS-51-L;

Francis R. Scobee, Commander

Michael J. Smith, Pilot

Ronald McNair, Mission Specialist

Ellison Onizuka, Mission Specialist

Judith Resnik, Mission Specialist

Gregory Jarvis, Payload Specialist

Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Teacher

(Portions of this column used information found at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster)

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Opening Day of Florida’s 2020 Legislative Session

Posted on January 14th, 2020 by

Florida LegislatureOpening Day of Florida’s 2020 Legislative Session

Today is the opening day for the 2020 Florida Legislative Session. Praying for a positive Session for public education, our teachers, our staff and our students.

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SB 1088: Teacher Salary Enhancement bill passes unanimously out of its first committee

Posted on January 13th, 2020 by

SB 1088: Teacher Salary Enhancement bill passes unanimously out of its first committee

(c) The Florida Channel

Well done to the Florida Senate Education Committee who voted unanimously to advance SB 1088: Teacher Salary Enhancement by State Senator Manny Diaz Jr.​ out of its first committee.

Pleased that during debate, Senators on both sides of the aisle expressed support for Governor Ron DeSantis​ and the legislature for being serious about improving Florida teachers’ salaries. Several Senators expressed hope that the bill is improved to include all educators.

Was further pleased with bill sponsor Senator Diaz’s closing comments where he stated that the bill needed to, “respect local collective bargaining process which is in our State’s constitution”, and where he went on to say the bill needs to also, “be equitable to districts cost of living differential”.

As the Senators express this bill is just beginning to be developed and has a long way to go still. Senator Diaz explained it will likely be a late approval due to its majorly impacted by the budget.

Watch the entire meeting at http://www.flsenate.gov/media/VideoPlayer?EventID=2443575804_2020011024&Redirect=true

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Carl Hansen former school board member

Posted on January 7th, 2020 by

Carl Hansen

Citrus loses former school board member

At Marine Science Center with Mr. Hansen and former school board member, Pat Deutschman.

Over this past holiday season, Citrus County lost another one of its special individuals when it lost former Citrus County School Board member Carl Hansen. Mr. Hansen served on the Citrus County School Board from 1996-2000 and was Chairman from 1997-98. While Mr. Hansen’s professional life extends far beyond his time on the Citrus County School Board, for me he will always be best known as the Honorable Carl Hansen, Citrus County School Board member.

Mr. Hansen and I both attended Crystal River United Methodist Church and I was familiar with his personal and professional accomplishments.  I sought him out prior to my being elected to the school board to learn about how to best serve our students and community. During one of our meetings, he walked me step-by-step through the responsibilities, challenges, rewards, and even his own expectations of being a school board member. I remember drinking in all that he shared and realizing that whatever I thought I knew, I had much still to learn. I recall him asking me a lot of questions about why I was running for office and about what I hoped to accomplish.  Mr. Hansen ended our meeting by asking, “Who do I write your campaign contribution check out to?”  I was taken aback because while I knew donations were part of the process, I had not expected that my very first campaign donation would be from Carl Hansen.  That and his donations of his time, wisdom, and experience are a special connection I will always have with him.

Many months later when I was honored to be elected as a school board member, Mr. Hansen and I met again. This time he began the meeting by saying he had some gifts for me. Mr. Hansen began to place on the table several special neckties and lapel pins he had worn as a school board member. If you knew Mr. Hansen, you won’t be surprised to learn that he had a special story to go along with each one of those gifts. One of the pins he gave me simply states “CHILDREN FIRST”. He took special care to remind me how vital it was as a school board member that each and every decision I made should always put children first. That pin has been on my school board lanyard since the day I was elected. I wear that lanyard into every classroom I visit; doing so makes me feel like Mr. Hansen is with me. I regularly wear Mr. Hansen’s neckties in honor of him at school board meetings and wore one of his ties the day of his memorial service.

While others will do a far better job sharing about Mr. Hansen’s amazing life and accomplishments,  I wanted to take a few minutes to share my personal connection with Mr. Hansen as a school board member and to let you know the love he had for the children of Citrus County Schools. That love may be best evidenced in three of his children who serve as teachers and leaders in our school system: Earnie Olsen, coordinator of the Marine Science Center; Debra Dumas, district teacher; and Donna Olsen, music teacher at Homosassa Elementary.

Thank you, Mr. Hansen, for being a friend of the Citrus County School District, a guide to me, and a warrior for public education.

To learn more about Mr. Carl Hansen visit https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chronicleonline/obituary.aspx?n=carl-thomas-hansen&pid=194879197

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