Pinellas tweaks legislative wish list

A revised draft of the Pinellas school district's 2010 legislative agenda includes a few interesting changes - all suggested by school board members at last week's workshop.

It now begins with an excerpt from Article IX of the Florida Constitution - the excerpt that says it's a "paramount duty" of the state to make "adequate provision" for "high quality" schools. That's the same language that opened the door to this new lawsuit.

It now notes in the first section that the school board has been "unable to provide pay increases for any employee groups in the past three years." (It continues to say that the board's goal is to increase teacher salaries to the national average and that the Legislature should "build a budget that allows that to happen.")

It no longer says the Legislature should consider a proposal for a constitutional revision that would make the class-size amendment more flexible, but continues to ask for "as much statutory flexibility as possible."

The board will consider the revised draft on Jan. 12.

Happy Thanksgiving week!

Maybe a week off is a bit excessive — especially considering that a two-week winter break comes less than a month afterward.

But don't forget to keep your kids at home all week, Pinellas and Hillsborough parents. No classes for your kids until next Monday. (Sorry Pasco and Hernando boys and girls. You've still got Monday and Tuesday to deal with.)

Question of the day: If you've got to work, what are you doing with your children until the holiday comes for you? Was it easy to find an alternative, particularly for Hillsborough families, who didn't get word that they had a whole week off until weeks into the school year? Let's hear it.

Pinellas names outstanding educator finalists

The list has been whittled from 22 to 14. Read the names here. Winners will be announced Jan. 20.

Lawsuit: Pinellas school buses hit me, twice

A Largo man who says he was struck by Pinellas school buses in two separate incidents three months apart is suing the Pinellas County School Board.

Matthew Magness, 24, was a passenger in a car in Clearwater when it was struck by a bus in October 2008, says a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court last week. Then, in January, he was driving a Kia in Pinellas Park when it was struck by another bus, the lawsuit says. Court records show both bus drivers were cited for accidents at those times and places.

In the first accident, Magness suffered injuries to his shoulder, neck, back, right leg and right knee, the suit says. In the second, he suffered injuries to his ribs, lungs, chest, neck and back, according to the lawsuit.

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Another view on parental (non) involvement

Thanks to being picked up by the Associated Press, this Nov. 9 St. Petersburg Times story about a parent's dinner at Melrose Elementary in St. Petersburg ran in newspapers around the state over the weekend. It prompted a reply from Gabriel Hillel, a grant writer for a Gainesville charter school.

Hillel summed up a project that school used to engage parents, which you can read in this excerpt from his e-mail. But he also floated this idea about why some parents aren't as involved as schools would like them to be:

It also is vital to get most schools -- and those who propose reading programs -- to understand how limited the capability of some parents might be because of their own educational deficits. Most schools seem to be unaware that many parents who were deprived of educational opportunity themselves are not supportive out of ignorance rather than indifference. The subtle shift of demanding that parents be held accountable for the children's performance at school lets too many school personnel shrug off their own inabilities to reach the youngsters.

(Times photo by Lara Cerri)

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Janet Clark is Pinellas' new board leader

By a 6-1 vote, Janet Clark was elected the new chairwoman of the Pinellas County School Board this morning, replacing Peggy O'Shea. Mary Brown cast the dissenting vote.

Carol Cook was elected vice chairwoman.

The positions are largely ceremonial, with the chair essentially running board meetings.

"I'm okay with it, I guess," Clark told the Gradebook when asked for her reaction. "If you're on the board long enough, you have to serve in this capacity."

Clark was elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. The chairman serves for one year.

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Pinellas' legislative wish list: more money, more class-size flexibility

The Pinellas school district wants the 2010 Legislature to restore per-pupil funding to May 2007 levels, according to a draft legislative program the School Board will discuss at Tuesday's workshop. Per-pupil funding for Pinellas was at $7,396 back then. It's at $6,908 now.

The district also wants lawmakers to provide more money for class-size reduction and to make the class-size amendment more flexible, including consideration of a constitutional revision "that lessens the cost of the class size amendment and provides local flexibility."

Just about everything on this year's draft wish list was on last year's draft wish list. One exception: Last year's draft said "the state should revisit the use of the FCAT to ensure that the results are used as diagnostic tools." This year's draft doesn't include any reference to the FCAT.

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Pinellas school district sends out two wrong messages to parents, staff

Oops. Double oops.

An employee at the Pinellas school district sent an automated phone message today to thousands of parents and staff, reminding them about a fingerprinting appointment. But there was one big problem: They don't have a fingerprinting appointment. The message, at 11:12 a.m., was only supposed to go to employees in the maintenance department, who are being re-screened as required by state law. That's oops No. 1.

Oops No. 2: A second inadvertent message went out while the district was working with Blackboard Connect - its phone message contractor - to send out a new message saying the first message should be ignored. The second message, sent about noon, was actually an old message that had something to do with purchasing cards, said district spokeswoman Andrea Zahn.

Confused yet? So were a whole bunch of parents and employees, who flooded the district's communications office with calls.

Yellow Brick Road: Pinellas falls in the middle on classroom spending

Pinellas might spend more than most of the other big districts on general administration. But its own analysis shows that when it comes to in-the-classroom spending, its numbers fall in the mid-range.

Among the 12 biggest districts in 2008-09, Pinellas ranked at either No. 5 or No. 6 on “direct instruction,” according to its latest “Yellow Brick Road” report, which was posted yesterday. The numbers are taken from other districts’ annual financial reports, so it’s based on what other districts say about themselves.

Pinellas spent 62.78 percent of its general and special revenue funds on direct instruction last year, the report says. That’s not as good as No. 1 Polk at 64.41 percent, but it’s better than No. 12 Orange at 59.65 percent.

Hillsborough (No. 9) spent 61.83 percent. Pasco (No. 10) spent 61.35 percent.

Lerner backs Hayden for state senate bid

Pinellas school board member Nina Hayden (at far left) lands some political endorsements in her bid for state senate, including from fellow board member Linda Lerner (near left).

In Pinellas administration, here's who makes the big bucks

As Tuesday's St. Petersburg Times story on Pinellas administration costs pointed out, we asked the district for two lists: 1) District employees, not counting teachers and school-level administrators, who made more than $70,000 a year last year 2) Similar employees for this year. The number of such employees dropped from 91 to 87.

Total savings: $442,271.

The first list is here. The second list is here.

Pinellas school choice application period coming up soon

Parents, the application period for Pinellas school choice programs (magnets, fundamentals, career academies) for the 2010-11 school year is just around the corner, from Jan. 9 to Jan. 29. And this year, there's a new wrinkle -- an online application process. Read all the details here.

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Times editorial: Pinellas school district still bloated

From an editorial in today's St. Petersburg Times, following Tuesday's story:

Pinellas School Board member Janet Clark is right. While the school system has made progress on paper in downsizing its administrative overhead, "it's a facade almost.'' Much of the success is the result of changing accounting techniques. The bottom line is that the administration is still bloated in an era of declining tax revenues, and the district needs to get more aggressive about becoming more efficient ...

Pinellas still ranks no better than the third-biggest spender on administration among the state's 12 biggest districts. Hillsborough, a bigger district and the eighth-largest in the country, spends less on administration per student. Pasco, a smaller district, spends the least of the top dozen districts. Meanwhile, the number of Pinellas district employees who earn more than $70,000 has dropped all the way from 91 to 87. That hardly reflects today's economic realities, where private companies and other local governments have dramatically downsized and become more efficient by necessity.

(Photo from imway2fat.wordpress.com)

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Missed the school bus?

If your kids are outside waiting for a school bus that seems really late today, they'll be waiting for quite some time.

Hernando, Hillsborough and Pasco schools are closed today in honor of Veterans Day. So tell the kids to come out from the rain and have a little R&R.

Sorry, Pinellas. You're still on. Enjoy learning.

(Times file photo)

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Pinellas politicians: We want more fundamental high schools

Say this for the fundamental school crowd: They're well connected.

St. Petersburg Mayor Elect Bill Foster (above left), Pinellas County Commissioners Ken Welch (above right) and Nancy Bostock, Dunedin Mayor Dave Eggers, Tarpon Springs Mayor Beverley Billiris and St. Petersburg City Councilmember Wengay Newton are all featured on a new handout that members of the Fundamental Schools Advocacy Network passed out at this morning's school board meeting - and all of them are saying they want more fundamental high schools in Pinellas.

Pinellas, Pasco school districts polar opposites on administrative costs

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the leanest district of all? As today's St. Petersburg Times story points out, it's not Pinellas, although Pinellas has dropped from No. 1 in top heaviness among the 12 biggest districts to No. 2 or No. 3.

The answer is Pasco.

Among the 12 biggest districts, Pasco spends the least on administration, at least by several ways of slicing and dicing. (We looked at general administration costs in the general fund and general administration costs in the general and special revenue funds combined.) Pasco is also the leanest of the biggest districts according to state calculations that factor in administrative costs at both the district and school level.

Today's story has a chart showing how Pinellas stacks up against the 11 other big districts. But for being loyal Gradebook readers, we give you a bonus: a spreadsheet that includes three other districts - Hernando, Manatee and Sarasota. Next to the big districts and other Tampa Bay districts, Hernando too looks very, very lean.

Cook: New fundamental high school will get 'serious consideration'

The debate over a new fundamental high school (high schools?) is getting real interesting real quick. Pinellas board member Carol Cook sent out this email this week, in response to emails from parents who want a new fundamental high school, pronto. Here's some of what she wrote:

Before I commit to anything I think it will be important that the Board determine the long range plans for the district. I will also need to look at the data. For example I will be asking for data from our staff including the waiting list for Osceola, where the students reside to see if there is an area more heavily represented than another, what they believe the impact of additional fundamental middle schools will have on the existing high school offerings and do we have enough of the “guaranteed seats” available to those that were promised the feeder patterns through high school. There are many more questions to be answered.
 
The Superintendent has begun to have conversations with representatives of FAN and I’m confident that we will be giving the idea of a new fundamental high school serious consideration.

FAN - the Fundamental Schools Advocacy Network - plans to have a big turnout at Tuesday's school board meeting, FAN co-chair Teresa Daiker told The Gradebook. How big? Daiker couldn't say, but the group has signed up 2,200 members since September, she said.

Swine flu shots begin Monday in Pinellas

From a district press release:

The H1N1 vaccine program is voluntary and requires a completed screening form and signed parent consent form. Vaccines will be offered at elementary, middle and high schools, as well as charter schools. Parents of elementary students are encouraged to be present when their children receive the immunization. The program is expected to be completed within a two-week period, prior to the Thanksgiving holiday break.
 
Schools have distributed parent information packets, and families were alerted through a series of automated phone calls. H1N1 vaccine information, along with the schedule of school clinics, is available on the PCS News section of the district website, www.pcsb.org. 
 
Parents who have questions or concerns about the vaccine should call the Pinellas County Health Department, 727-824-6964.  

Former Times education reporter to join Pinellas school district

The Pinellas school district has hired a former St. Petersburg Times education reporter to fill its newly created strategic communications coordinator job,

Donna Winchester, a Times education reporter for six years, left the paper today to take the position, which pays $63,483 annually. She begins Nov. 30, but left the newspaper immediately after accepting the post to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

As strategic communications coordinator, Winchester will be charged with handling "special communication and marketing projects and activities" as assigned by the superintendent.

The School Board recently approved the new position, drawing criticism from some residents and at least one board member. Janssen defended the job, saying the district needs to better market its positive image within the district and the community.

"The district is moving forward with an ambitious five-year strategic plan, and communicating key initiatives to teachers, parents and the community is important to our success," Janssen said in an e-mail to the Gradebook. "Donna’s knowledge of the district and the community will be an asset in our communication efforts."

Clark: Too soon for another fundamental high school

Fundamental school parents want a second fundamental school in place by next fall in Pinellas. And we hear rumblings that they’re going to make a concerted effort to convince the school board to start cracking. But at least one board member says it won’t happen.

Janet Clark said she’s not convinced the demand is there for another fundamental high school. “Yeah, we’ve got kids on that waiting list (at Osceola Fundamental High School),” she told The Gradebook. “But I don’t know who many are on the waiting list who are actually unhappy with where they are right now, that would really want to take a spot in a fundamental school.”

Even if there is demand, the logistics of creating a new fundamental school by next fall – or even a fundamental ninth-grade class - are huge, Clark said. And then there’s the potential disruption it would cause to students and families who, for several years now, have been forced to adapt and re-adapt to shifting school choice plans and schedule changes.

Program for hungry kids to expand in Pinellas

The Pinellas School Board has signed off on a partnership with a regional church group to provide needy students with food they can take home.

The Pack-a-Sack 4 Kids program is the brainchild of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries Suncoast, which recently started a pilot version of the program at Belleair Elementary School in Clearwater.

That program was so successful that the board decided to invite the social service agency to create partnerships at other district elementary schools. In the next few weeks, the program will be introduced at Walsingham Elementary in Largo, and more schools are expected to follow.

The program, which requires parental approval, is meant to address student performance by addressing chronic hunger.

Are Green Dot charter schools coming to Florida?

We're not sure. But company officials are meeting with Florida Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith in Orlando this week, and about 20 superintendents have been invited, including Julie Janssen in Pinellas and MaryEllen Elia in Hillsborough.

Green Dot has a reputation for turning around troubled schools in Los Angeles -- and for being friendly with teachers unions. An e-mail from Smith to superintendents said, "Through Race to the Top, there is potential to implement their turnaround model in some of Florida's lowest-performing public schools."

Representatives from the Florida Education Association will also be at the meeting.

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Pinellas names finalists, semifinalists for Support Employee of the Year

See the lists here. The winners will be announced Jan. 13.

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Editorial: Bolder vision needed to help black students in Pinellas

From editorial in today's St. Petersburg Times:

The Pinellas School Board made a legal promise in July to help accelerate the learning of black students and start closing the yawning achievement gap. But so far the schools are taking baby steps, not the bold and meaningful leaps necessary right to make a real difference. The goals are commendable, but there needs to be a stronger commitment to reach them.

The various schools' plans are meant to honor a "memo of understanding" requiring the district to carefully monitor black student performance, more equitably spend money to close achievement gaps and hold school-level officials accountable. This past summer's agreement flows from the 45-year-old lawsuit, Bradley vs. Pinellas County School Board, that desegregated Pinellas schools.

But some of the individual school plans are disappointingly vague. One school's plan promises that "technology will be utilized on a regular basis in all classrooms as well as in the computer lab." Another hopes to "create a mentoring program.'' That's not bold vision; that's making general promises to correct shortcomings.

Read the full editorial here.

A weekend interview with St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker

Earlier this week, outgoing St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker gave out his 1,001st Doorways Scholarship at an annual celebration at the Coliseum. It was the last ceremony for Baker, who has made education a key part of his platform during his nine years in office. Each year, the mayor gave out 100 to 125 Doorways Scholarships to low-income sixth graders from St. Petersburg schools. The scholarship, which is a combination of private donations and matching state funds, gives students a Florida prepaid scholarship if they maintain their grades and stay drug and crime free. The scholarship's value has ranged from $10,000 to $15,000, Baker said. The Gradebook chatted with him recently about the scholarship and education issues.

Why have you made Doorways Scholarships such a big focus in your education initiatives? 

The Pinellas Education Foundation has been doing it for a while. I was familiar with them. I really like what they do. To me, you're trying to give an incentive to kids early on. I focused on sixth graders because I've always thought that middle school is the time that kids will decide what they're going to do. Most of these kids, none of their family have gone to college. If you can tell them in sixth grade, if you maintain a "C" and stay out of trouble and can go to college ... that's amazing. I just think it's a great thing and it works. Under our program, 93 percent of the kids have graduated from high school and many are now in college.

Why should cities be involved with their schools? 

If our public schools are not great, then people will not want to move into our neighborhoods. Businesses, if our schools aren't great, won't come and open. From a city's standpoint, we want people moving into our neighborhoods and businesses providing jobs. It's important that our schools be good, and I don't think we can be on the sidelines.

A recent Times poll showed that 30 percent of registered voters think the schools are worse now than five years ago. What do you think it will take to get everyone behind the schools? 

Pinellas school district looks for help to improve image

It may be a time of budget cuts, but the Pinellas School Board plans to add a third person to its communications staff.

Why? Because the school district suffers from an image problem and could do a better job “marketing” its positive aspects, several board members said at Tuesday's meeting.

The board then approved Superintendent Julie Janssen’s recommendation to create the “strategic communications coordinator” job.

The vote passed 6-1, with board member Janet Clark dissenting. “I hate to say this, but I really think that’s part of the superintendent’s job,” she said.

Pinellas names semifinalists for best educator

The district has announced 22 semifinalists across five categories in the 2010 Outstanding Educator Program, according to this list out today. The winners will be announced Jan. 20.

Pinellas schedules bullying prevention workshops

Parents, if you're concerned about bullying - and how can you not be after reading stories like this and this - then check out one of these upcoming workshops. The Pinellas school district is holding four of them in the next month or so, with the first one Wednesday at the Title I Family Resource Center, 2499 25th St. S in St. Petersburg.

Free/reduced lunch rates skyrocket in Pinellas schools

The percentage of Pinellas students eligible for free or reduced price lunches climbed to 46.1 percent this year, up from 38.6 percent last year and 38.3 percent in 2007, according to Pinellas district data requested by the Gradebook. Maybe that's not a surprise given that the Pinellas unemployment rate has sprinted past 11 percent, but it still highlights the additional challenges that educators face this year.

You can see the 2009 figures here, and the 2008 figures here.

Here are some of the schools where the percentage of students eligible for free/reduced price lunches jumped more than 10 percent:

• Belleair Elementary: 75.28 percent to 87.64 percent

• Dixie Hollins High: 38.66 percent to 49.18 percent

• Dunedin Elementary: 62.19 percent to 76.39 percent

• Rawlings Elementary: 56.28 percent to 67.99 percent

• Sandy Lane Elementary: 82.62 percent to 93.20 percent

• Starkey Elementary: 42.88 percent to 54.31 percent

Pinellas school board approves promissory note, exam exemption change

Here's a summary of last night's Pinellas County School Board meeting, from St. Petersburg Times general assignment reporter Luis Perez:

* With no discussion, the board approved a promissory note from the Pinellas Education Foundation that spells out the repayment schedule for loans used to build the Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy at Tarpon Springs High. The note does not include about $1 million that former Superintendent Clayton Wilcox promised the foundation without telling board members.

* With no substantial discussion, the board approved a change to the exam exemption policy for high school students. The big change: Attendance is no longer a factor.

* The board also approved a $30,000 agreement with Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay to restore the Foster Grandparents program in many south Pinellas schools.

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Bully broke Pinellas student's leg, mom alleges in lawsuit

A Pinellas County woman is suing the School Board for negligence after staffers at Sawgrass Lake Elementary allegedly failed to protect her son from a well-known bully. According to the complaint, Jennifer Giroux says the other student "aggressively tackled" her son after recess on Oct. 6, 2006, leading to a broken femur. She's seeking more than $15,000 in damages.

The suit, filed Sept. 28 in Pinellas Circuit Court, says the other student was "particularly known to both students and faculty as overly aggressive" during recess and lunch. It also says Giroux's son told the school about the other kid's "animosity and aggression toward him," including on the day of the incident.

The suit is the third filed against Pinellas in a little more than a month that involve similar claims.

The cost of Wilcox's promise: $956,294.34

Clayton Wilcox's $1.5 million promise to the Pinellas Education Foundation -- which peeved School Board members because the former superintendent made it last year without their knowledge or approval -- won't cost the district that much after all.

Instead it will cost $956,294.34, which is the difference between how much the district loaned the foundation to build the Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy at Tarpon Springs High and the $3.4 million the foundation initially agreed to spend.

The issue will come up at Tuesday's board meeting, where members are expected to approve a promissory note from the foundation that spells out a loan repayment schedule through 2016. A thumbs up for the note means they'll be writing off the $956,294.34 as a contribution.

Community group: Pinellas teachers need more training with discipline programs

Faith and Action for Strength Together, the faith-based community group that makes Pinellas officials make promises in front of packed crowds, wants a new pledge from the school district: Better training for teachers in schools that are using discipline programs that FAST believes can result in fewer suspensions.

The programs - Foundations, CHAMPS and FLPBS - are being used in at least 37 Pinellas schools. But a district analysis concluded they would be more effective with more consistent training for teachers. In many cases, FLPBS and Foundations were not suported by school wide training, the analysis says. As for CHAMPS, training was optional and "the major difficult appears to that mandated CHAMPS training could be faced with resistance from teachers who do not buy-in to the intervention."

"How is a school expected to implement a program if teachers are not trained in it," FAST member and Shiloh Baptist Church deacon Lawrence Poindexter said in a press release. "It only makes sense that if a school is using a program all teachers should be trained. It should be a no-brainer."

St. Petersburg schools are improving, FCAT scores show

Many St. Petersburg residents think the city’s schools have gotten worse over the past five years, as a St. Petersburg Times poll revealed this week. But a quickie Gradebook rundown of FCAT scores shows, on the whole, that St. Petersburg schools have actually gotten better over that time period.

There are 38 traditional public schools, including magnet schools and fundamental schools (but not counting charters and alternative schools), that are either within the city limits or count a majority of St. Petersburg kids as residents.

In reading, 27 of them have raised the percentage of students scoring at grade level or above since 2005, while nine have posted declines and two have stayed flat. Believe it or not, that includes five of six St. Petersburg middle schools, with only Bay Point Middle failing to make gains.

Pinellas school district TV program nominated for an Emmy

The Pinellas school district's TV channel - WPDS-TV 14 - has been nominated for an Emmy Award. Seriously. For teen programming.

From a district press release: The program features the journey of five Pinellas County High students for a 10-day adventure as they experience Super Bowl XLIII. This special edition of PCS Journal shows the involvement of students and teachers in the biggest event of 2009 from marching bands, academics, athletics and culinary arts to the half-time show with Bruce Springsteen. Amanda Borges-Tarpon Springs High, Elana Halpren-Osceola High, Aneta Kozub-Countryside High, Sarah Myers-Seminole High and Camille York-Northeast High were the student hosts of the program.

Former Seminole High School teacher has teaching license revoked

Thomas J. Anderson - the former Seminole High teacher who allegedly encouraged a 16-year-old student to skip class, come home with him and give him a massage - won't be teaching again in Florida. The state's Education Practices Commission permanently revoked his teaching license today.

According to the state's administrative complaint, Anderson pled guilty in October 2008 to one count of interference with custody and the court withheld adjudication.

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Pinellas wants to overhaul dropout prevention

The Pinellas school district is gearing up to radically revamp its dropout prevention programs, with top district officials acknowledging today that current efforts are not working.

There are no details yet, but a committee that began meeting this week has been given wide latitude to "dream big" -- and told to keep student interest in mind.

"We need to be asking students, 'What would you like? What do you need to learn? And how can we keep you in school?' " Cathy Fleeger, the district's chief academic officer, told School Board members at a workshop today. "We need to think about the Burger King. Have it my way."

The committee, which includes school officials and representatives from community groups and other public agencies, is scheduled to issue detailed recommendations in January. In the meantime, it will survey at-risk students and recent dropouts.

Survey: St. Petersburg public schools getting worse

St. Petersburg residents are more likely to say the city's schools are getting worse instead of better, according to the results of a St. Petersburg Times poll.

The survey of 608 registered St. Petersburg voters found that 30 percent said schools were worse than five years ago, while 20 percent said they were better and 28 percent said they were about the same.

Black voters and women voters were even more pessimistic. Among black voters, 41 percent said city schools were getting worse while 23 percent said they were getting better. Among women voters, 33 percent said better and 15 percent said worse.

Respondents aren't necessarily blaming the system, though. When asked who is most responsible for the academic quality of St. Petersburg schools, 27 percent said the school board, 15 percent said teachers and principals and 11 percent said Superintendent Julie Janssen. The top vote getter? Parents and students, at 37 percent.

Respondents also gave Janssen, who was hired last fall, okay marks, with 29 percent rating her either excellent or good, compared to 11 percent who rated her either not so good or poor. Thirty-two percent rated her average and 28 percent either weren't sure or had no opinion.

Other Pinellas schools in mix for performance pay, differential pay

Teachers at Gibbs High won’t be the only ones in Pinellas who benefit from – or have to deal with – new performance pay and differential pay plans that are coming down the pipe. According to the state’s new differentiated accountability system, districts must also come up with those kinds of teacher pay plans for all D and F schools in Correct II status (among other categories that don’t apply in Pinellas, for now).

In Pinellas, that means all D high schools – Lakewood, Boca Ciega, Dixie Hollins, Dunedin, Countryside, Pinellas Park, Tarpon Springs and Largo.

A weekend interview with Teresa Daiker, co-chair of Fundamental Schools Advocacy Network

In Pinellas County schools, parents have begun clamoring for more fundamental schools. One group has formed an action committee, Fundamental Schools Advocacy Network, to advance the cause. Its first goal is to persuade the district to create a second fundamental high school to open next fall. Co-chair Teresa Daiker, the PTA president at Curtis Fundamental, spoke with reporter Jeff Solochek about the group's efforts.

Why is this group for fundamental schools now coming to the forefront?

Especially in the last year they've added and expanded our fundamental middle schools. ... There wasn't enough seats last year for all the fundamental eighth graders to get into Osceola (High). And it's only going to get worse because we've now expanded our program.

Why is it that people like the fundamental schools so much?

You know, the reason I like it, and other people as well, is it's a focus on academics and structure. And they don't have all the other distractions that other schools might have, like discipline problems. I'm not saying that other schools have strong discipline problems. I'm saying that our school has a structured environment. There's demerits and warnings and stuff like that that are given for doing the wrong things.

For example, Madeira Beach was not a fundamental school last year. It is this year. Last year, their rate of homework turn-in was 14 percent, which is pretty low. Fifty percent of those children stayed there, and they added another 50 percent. Now their homework turn-in rate -- 100 percent. I mean, that's a huge difference. That came from a teacher who taught at Madeira Beach last year and this year. Clearwater Fundamental, we had a lot of Kennedy teachers who stayed on. And there was a sign hanging in the hallway. It was hanging there all week. ... And the teachers said, That sign would have never stayed there last year. It would have been ripped down in the first day. That just speaks volumes to our kids. They're very focused on academics.

I have heard some people say it's not fair because, one, there's not enough seats for everybody, but also it's sometimes difficult for parents to commit to everything that fundamental schools require.

Our basic commitments to fundamental are that we attend a one-hour meeting eight times a year. That's usually in the evening, like 7 p.m. That's a monthly meeting. And the other requirement is that we have three conferences a year, and the teachers do work around the parents' schedules. ... I know there's not enough seats. That's because it's a popular program, just like IB programs and magnet programs. Sometimes there's not enough seats there, either. But we are expanding the program.

I think the board is supportive, mostly, of our efforts. We know it's a big job to add more fundamental schools. But I think there's a misconception about what the expectation is of fundamental parents.

Your main goal to start off is to have another high school. Is that because there are so many more middle school seats now?

Yes. Osceola's numbers are fabulous. They have made a huge difference in the past year. But if you look at south county and you look at north county -- I live in north county and it would take me 40 minutes each way to go to Osceola High School if we're lucky enough to get in. ... Osceola is a good center, but Pinellas is a big county and it's not easy to get to Osceola from either north or south county without a significant drive.

Have you heard anybody say what would be a good location?

Pinellas to consider performance pay, differential pay for teachers

The details aren't in yet, but the Pinellas school district and the Pinellas teachers union will soon be discussing plans for performance pay and differential pay for teachers - two things that Pinellas has famously resisted in the past.

"We have to come up with a way to reward people and to encourge them to work with our most needy students," Pinellas Superintendent Julie Janssen told the Gradebook today. She said she talked this morning to Marshall Ogletree, executive director of the Pinellas teachers union, and "they're ready to sit with us and design a plan."

Ogletree said initial discussions will focus on Gibbs High School, but that whatever is ultimately proposed there could be a template for other struggling schools. Ogletree said the state's new differentiated accountability system is helping to drive the discussion - it requires that districts implement performance pay and differential pay for low-performing schools - but he said the union had other motivations, too.

"It's kind of a cliche but we're trying to break the mold," he said. "We have to work on plans to close achievement gaps, no ifs, ands or buts about it."

It's 8 a.m. Do you know where your children are?

If they go to school in Pinellas, Pasco or Hernando, we sure hope they're not sitting at a bus stop or outside a locked school door.

Don't forget, parents. Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando schools are not having classes today. It's the end of the grading period, and teachers are doing report cards. If you dropped your kids off for a regular school day, GO GET THEM!

As for all you Hillsborough folks, carry on. School is in session, as usual.

(Photo from sciencejunkies.com)

Pinellas schools may save grandparents program

To save money, the Pinellas County School Board didn’t renew a $30,000 contract last year for the Foster Grandparents program, which hires low-income senior citizens to work as mentors/tutors at a dozen south Pinellas elementary schools. But the program appears poised to win a reprieve.

The board is set to consider renewal at its Oct. 27 board meeting. The shift comes after Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, the group that oversees the program, sent pleas to teachers, principals and others to help save it.

The program has its roots in President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Societyand has been in Pinellas 29 years. Last year, 30 of its seniors logged in 20,000 hours in Pinellas schools. They were paid $2.65 an hour, with the district picking up $1.41 of that.

Pinellas schools to offer swine flu vaccines

The Pinellas County Health Department will offer H1N1 flu vaccines in Pinellas public schools beginning the first week of November. Parent information packets containing details about the vaccines, a screening form and a parent consent form, will be distributed through schools the week of Oct. 19. Both the H1N1 flu shot and H1N1 flu nasal spray will be offered free to all children enrolled in public schools. For more information, click here.

Application period set for Pinellas school choice programs

Pinellas parents: The application period for magnet, fundamental and career academy programs for the 2010-2011 school year begins 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, and ends Friday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. New this year – parents will apply online using the Student Reservation System (SRS) rather than the phone system used in previous years. For more information, click here.

Pinellas approves three charter school applications

The Pinellas County School Board approved three new charter school applications today, but not without some discussion about the need for all three. One application is for a second Mavericks high school. The other two are for new K-8 Plato Academy schools.

The board must still approve charters for all three before they can become reality. If they do, Mavericks will join a growing number of Pinellas charters that cater to at-risk high school students, including two Life Skills charter schools (one each in St. Petersburg and Clearwater) and the Florida High School for Accelerated Learning - Pinellas County Campus Inc.

"My concern is taxpayer dollars are going to these schools ... and I have yet to see the efficacy or any data that tells me how many students are graduating with diplomas," said board member Janet Clark. "I'm hesitant to keep approving these charters if we don't know that they're doing what they say they're doign."

Pinellas parents pushing for new fundamental high school

A new parents group that surfaced for the first time at this morning's school board meeting has one main goal: To get the district to create more fundamental high schools, and soon.

The Fundamental Schools Advocacy Network (FAN) didn't publicly announce its plans today, but the literature it included in an information packet says it plain: Our Goal: To drive the Pinellas County School District to open additional Fundamental High Schools for the 2010/2011 school year. The district currently has one fundamental high school, Osceola High.

This is a serious effort. Pinellas County Commissioner Nancy Bostock is a member, and the group is saavy and organized enough to have already put together brochures, "fact sheets" and information packets.

Pinellas fundamental school advocate to get award

Bud Zimmer, better known as "Mr. Fundamental" for his passionate support of Pinellas' fundamental schools, will be honored at today's school board meeting by a newly formed parents group.

The Fundamental Schools Advocacy Network (FAN) is giving Zimmer its first annual "Bud Light Award" (which is what Zimmer calls the informal "Bud Light" flashlights be bestows on others) for being instrumental in establishing the first fundamental school in Pinellas in 1976 and pushing for more ever since. There are now more than 7,000 fundamental seats at nine schools. The schools stress parental involvement and are routinely among the district's top academic performers.

"Bud motivates, encourages and when necessary, prods parents, teachers, administrators and School Board members alike in his advocacy for our students and our fundamental school program," FAN member Jean Willingham said in a written statement this morning. "He is a researcher, statistician, reporter and advocate ... "

Give him another chance?

It’s not just tenured teachers who get multiple chances to correct “job deficiencies.” On Tuesday, the Pinellas School Board will consider the case of David Dees, the head plant operator at Madeira Beach Fundamental School, who has had seven write-ups in the past seven years, including four conference summaries, one directive memo, one caution and one reprimand.

Ex-Countryside High wrestler files suit against PInellas school board

A former wrestler at Countryside High has filed suit against the Pinellas school board in the wake of a hallway encounter that left him in intensive care for three days.

The complaint, filed Sept. 18 in Pinellas circuit court, says Richard Serra III was "violently attacked by another student" on Feb. 10 and suffered "bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering." It says the school board "negligently failed to provide and maintain a safe environment for its students." It says Serra is seeking more than $15,000 in damages.

According to a March St. Petersburg Times story, police reports say Serra slammed his head after he and another student "began some horseplay" and was taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg. A senior and a promising wrestler at the time, Serra was left with a broken left rib, a fractured skull, a reptured ear drum and a broken left collar bone that required surgery. The other student was suspended for 15 days.