It is important to take this year’s assessments seriously as they do count!

Posted on April 11th, 2021 by

It is important to take this year’s assessments seriously as they do count!

Wishing all our students the best of luck as they begin their state assessment on Monday.  It is important that students try their best when taking these state assessments. They do count and they are important in helping us know what our students have learned and how we can continue to meet their needs.

As I read social media this weekend, I am concerned that there is some misunderstanding regarding the recent Executive Order No. 2 by FL-DOE Commissioner Richard Corcoran. Please know I am so pleased and grateful for the executive order.

E0-02 gives school districts some additional options for this year’s graduating seniors who have not passed the state assessments required for graduation. E0-02 gives some very limited options that can be considered on a case-by-case basis for seniors. Seniors must still meet state graduation requirements. All other students’ state assessments are being given as in any typical school year.

Please encourage your students to do their best as they take these assessments. As one educator shared with their students before their assessments, “Show what you know and relax. It’s a celebration of knowledge.”

  • Read more about Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran Executive Order No. 2 at FL-DOE: https://bit.ly/3a14KAq

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Bless our school counselors

Posted on March 5th, 2021 by

Bless our school counselors

Every day in our schools and our district there are extraordinary and special people that give so heartfully to make our students’ lives better.

This past week there is a special group of individuals that we must lift up for the work that they are doing, it is that of our school counselors, crisis team workers, and administrative leaders, who have been on the front lines of meeting our students’ safety and mental health needs. I am not sure people really can appreciate and understand the work these people do to care for our students and their families. These people are meeting with students, their families, they are visiting students’ homes, speaking with other counselors, and working with anyone they can to ensure that our students are safe and cared for. I encourage you to reach out to these special people and let them know how much you appreciate what they do.

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Career and Technical Education Month in Florida

Posted on February 14th, 2021 by

Career and Technical Education Month in Florida

…make Florida number one in the nation for workforce education by 2030

Florida Governor DeSantis signed a proclamation last week celebrating February 2021 as Career and Technical Education Month in Florida. In the proclamation, Governor DeSantis echoes his pledge to make Florida number one In the nation for workforce education by 2030.  I encourage you to read the Governor’s proclamation (CLICK HERE TO READ), as gives additional specifics of what the state of Florida is doing in its commitment to career and technical education.

Citrus County Schools has been a leader in CTE program offering to our high school students. Citrus Schools offers over 150 separate CTE courses, covering approx. 90 industry certifications, that connect to 33 different Program of Study Pathways are available to our high school students at one or more of our three high schools and through dual enrollment at WTC.  (In addition to these opportunities, the College of Central Florida also offers dual enrollment CTE options at their campuses.)

Here is a list of just some of those industry certifications our students receive:

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) – State of Florida

Biotechnician Assistant Credentialed (BACE) – University of Florida

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – College of Central Florida/State of Florida

Agricultural Technician – Florida Farm Bureau

ServSafe – National Restaurant Association

ProStart National Certificate of Achievement (COA) – National Restaurant Association

App-Mechanical Drafting – American Design Drafting Association

Prof-Mechanical Drafting – American Design Drafting Association

App-Architectural Drafting – American Design Drafting Association

Prof-Architectural Drafting – American Design Drafting Association

Adobe Dreamweaver – Adobe

Adobe PhotoShop – Adobe

MS Office Specialist – Microsoft

MS Office Master – Microsoft

Quick Books – Intuit

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Tom Brady, more than a great athlete, a great leader!

Posted on February 8th, 2021 by

Tom Brady, more than a great athlete, a great leader!

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” – Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. President

Tom Brady victory at the NFL Super Bowl LV

Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV!!

I am a big Tom Brady a.k.a. the G.O.A.T. (“Greatest of all time”) fan, and I have been for many years. I am from New England originally and Tom Brady was a 199th round draft pick by the New England Patriots, who went on to as a team won SIX Super Bowl Championships. Add to that last night’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV win, Brady now has a league record SEVEN Super Bowl wins.

A year ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the season with 7 wins and 9 losses, and the previous two seasons they finished both with 5 wins and 11 losses.  I do not think anyone would have thought that either Tampa Bay would be Super Bowl Champions or that Tom Brady would be playing in the Super Bowl on that winning team.

What was different for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020 season to go in one year from 7 wins and 9 losses in 2019, to in 2020 have 11 wins and 5 losses, and on to be Super Bowl Champions? With the same head coach, and largely the same team. But this year you had a G.O.A.T. named Brady and his sidekick Gronk.

Bucs tight end Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski and QG Tom Brady at the end of Super Bowl LV

While I hated to see Brady leave the Patriot’s franchise there was no other team, I would have wanted him to play for than my second favorite team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What an extra bonus to have former Patriot’s tight end Rob Gronkowski (“Gronk”) come out of retirement to join his former QB Brady in Tampa Bay.

Tom Brady before the snap at Super Bowl LV

Let set the records straight, the Tampa Bay team was already a talented group of athletes and coaches before Brady got on the team. Sure, there were some changes that were made but these were accomplished athletes. No question Tom Brady can throw the football, but those skills alone do not win a Super Bowl Championship.  What you began to hear from Bucs players (and what many of we long-term Brady fans already knew) was that Brady was not just a quarterback, he was another coach on the field. The young players were learning from him, the older players respected him. The team’s confidence grew with each game, even the losses. Brady is a great QB, perhaps the best in NFL history, but he is far more. Tom Brady is a great leader.

Bucs Head Coach Bruce Arians

Great leaders know it is not about them, it is about the team. Great leaders whether in business, military, politics, education, sports, or in life, help their teammates to believe that they can do more and go farther! They believe in their team and their team believes in themselves. That was most evident from the beginning of the 2021 Super Bowl game to the end. Tampa Bay played with confidence and with purpose. The result? They won the game by an impressive 22 points! The opposing team (don’t remember their name…) never made one touchdown.

While I have been speaking about Tom Brady, he was by far not the only leader on the Bucs team. Many other leaders contributed to the Bucs Leadership Team. Most notably this year is the Bucs Head Coach Bruce Arians, and Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles

Leaders are critical to success! What this Tampa Bay Buccaneers season has demonstrated are that great skills and talent, combined with great leadership are essential to have successful outcomes. Successful outcomes do not happen by accident.

 

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!! And thank you Tom “the G.O.A.T.” Brady!

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National School Counseling Week

Posted on February 3rd, 2021 by

National School Counseling Week

Honoring those that counsel our students’ academic life and future

This week is National School Counseling Week. The American School Counselor Association website explains that this week “highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.”

School Counselors are truly the most amazing people. The work they do is so broad and all-consuming. From elementary years, through middle school, and throughout high school, our School Counselors often will know their student’s needs as well as anyone. They are educators, counselors, students’-advocate, “in-school parent”, and much more.

Most cannot realize the vast amount of time they work on behalf of their students. There are never enough hours in the day for them to care for their students. Like so many educators they work late into the evenings nearly every workday, are at school early the next day, work over the weekends, come in weeks before the school year begins, and working weeks after the school year ends. Much of that well over their salaried day.

During these challenging COVID times, School Counselors have been the front line of supporting the academic planning and schedules to meet our students’ many individual needs and situations.

As much as I thought I did, I do not think my wife and I fully appreciated my own student’s School Counselors until their senior year of high school. During the months ahead of graduation School Counselors are ensuring students are on track to graduation, finding alternative graduation options for some, helping students with college or career planning, helping with applications, verifying and re-verifying, sending out reports, letters, and transcripts.

Crystal River High School Trudee Mason, School Guidance Counselor

I have had the honor of working with many School Counselors in different student situations. They are the most caring and compassionate and knowledgeable persons.

I want to take a moment to personally thank our daughter’s Guidance Counselor Ms. Trudee Mason who is nothing less than extraordinary. She intentionally makes it apparent that she is a partner in our children’s academic life.  We are so grateful to her!

We honor and thank you Ms. Mason and all the School Counselors in Citrus County Schools and beyond.

 

 

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AFPF-FL National School Choice Week LIVE finale event featured CRHS Biomedical and EMT Program

Posted on January 31st, 2021 by

AFPF-FL National School Choice Week LIVE finale event featured CRHS Biomedical and EMT Program

To round out celebrating AFPF-FL National School Choice Week, on Saturday, January 30, Citrus County Schools was asked to participate in the AFPF-FL National School Choice Week LIVE finale event. I was asked to lead a panel segment about the Crystal River High School Academy of Health Career’s BioMedical program and the Phil Royal EMT program. I was joined by Academy BioMedical instructor Ms. Danielle Doherty Koch, College of Central Florida Professor of Emergency Medical Services Rodney McGinnes, and BioMedical and EMT student/senior Ethan Vincent.

We all were most excited to share about these programs, their rigor, the valuable training, and certifications these unique programs offer. We also want to thank our program partners especially the College of Central and their Emergency Medical Services division who provide our onsite high school campus national EMT certification program.

Thank you to Americans for Prosperity Foundation Florida and Lee Dury for the opportunity to include us in the finale and a segment earlier in the week.  I also want to thank the Florida School Board Association for participating in the AFPF-FL National School Choice Week and for other school board members and educators that share about their local choice programs and schools.

Watch the Facebook video by click on the link. Our segment begins at the 2:10.15 mark – https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=442154956823714&ref=watch_permalink&t=7818   

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