Thomas Kennedy takes the oath of office as Vice-President of FSBA for 2020-2021.
I was honored last week to be elected as Vice-President of the Florida School Board Association (FSBA).
After a rigorous venting process, the FSBA nominating committee recommended to the full FSBA membership a slate of FSBA Executive Officers to include President-elect: Chris Patricca (Lee County), Vice President: Thomas Kennedy (Citrus County, and Treasurer: Wendy Atkinson (Charlotte County). In addition to the venting process in order to be considered as FSBA Executive Officer, you must be a currently elected School Board Member in your County.
I am so honored to have this additional opportunity to serve our students and the education community and continue to advocate for public education in the State of Florida. I want to thank all support, assistance, and encouragement the community has provided me. I especially want to thank Citrus County Education Foundation Executive Director Shanda Burdette and Superintendent Himmel for their letter of recommendation for this position.
Kennedy appointed to Vice-Chair FSBA Committee to develop Pandemic Response Reference Guide
I was honored this past week to be asked by current Florida School Board Association President Tim Weisheyer (Osceola) to serve on the FSBA Ad Hoc Committee as Vice-Chair to Chairman Chris Patricca (Lee) on the development of a School Board Pandemic Response Reference Guide for FSBA. These are unique times and as elected school board constitutional officers, Article IX, Section 4 of our Florida Constitution charges school boards with the awesome responsibility, “…operate, control, and supervise all free public schools within the school district.” It is my hope that this guide and the work of this committee will better assist school boards with the challenging and ever-changing decisions school boards will be making over the coming weeks and months.
FSBA’s press release states that, “…COVID-19 pandemic forced Florida’s school districts to react immediately to a distance learning and online instruction and support services delivery format. This created unprecedented disruption in traditional schools’ operations and will continue to demand alterations of traditional processes into the future.” FSBA continues, “…Ad Hoc Committee is created to develop a School Board Pandemic Response Reference Guide to help our members as they seek to solve problems innovatively, with new efficacy and an abundance mindset. This guide will provide questions and guidelines for boards to consider and discuss as they plan for the 2020-2021 school year.” FSBA explains how this guide will provide support to school boards in their important immediate responses to ongoing challenges, “The decisions that Florida school boards make in the coming months will help to create positive and lasting change throughout Florida’s public school system.”
Powerful words from our Lecanto Class of 2020 President Tristen King: “We cannot continue to dwell on things that we cannot control. What we do now, what we do tomorrow and what we do in life echoes in eternity.“
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Over the last week many individuals, groups, and organizations have stepped up to make this year’s celebrations for the Class of 2020 extra special, especially during these unprecedented times. One of the behind the scenes organizations that have gone above and beyond for our students once again is the Citrus County Education Foundation under the exceptional leadership of their Executive Director Shaunda Burdette. Mrs. Burdette and her outstanding team which includes the Foundation’s Associate Director Susan Frampton, the committed CCEF Board of Directors, and the Friends of the Foundation. Every year CCEF supports our graduates, but this year with the impacts of COVID-19 so impacting our graduates’ and family’s lives, CCEF went above and beyond providing extra support and resources to ensure our graduates and their families were honored and felt loved by our local education community.
We are so grateful to Mrs. Burdette and our Citrus County Education Foundation!
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Chronicle’s STAR Awards impressive and talented, like the student-athletes themselves
I want to share a very special thank you to the Citrus County Chronicle for honoring our Citrus County high school student-athletes in their annual STARS Student Athletic Recognition Awards Ceremony. Please follow this link (https://youtu.be/OHVjpq4U9Ak) to watch this exceptionally produced event.
During this unique time of COVID-19 our students and community depend on advanced thoughtful individuals and entities to step-up for our students. Thank you, Chronicle Publisher, Gerry Mulligan, for his commitment to this special event. Thank you to the many sponsors who make the awards and scholarships possible and a special thanks to all those behind the scenes who ensured that this annual event was as successful and grand as if it were in-person.
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CHS Student-artist virtually perform ‘For Just a Little While’
“For Just a Little While” by Sally Albrecht and Jay Althouse. Today would have been the Citrus High School Spring Concert where these talented individuals would have performed and we would have celebrated their musical accomplishments and honored the graduating Seniors. During this tough emotional time, these student-artists thought they still needed to give a proper farewell to the Seniors in the music department who have been apart of the Cane family. Thank you to CHS music director John Edel for another impressive virtual arrangement.
