MARCH 9, 2007
Executive PASS© is taking off throughout the state with new chapters in Hillsborough and Hialeah, under development, in addition to existing and planned models in Miami-Dade. The
Hillsborough Executive PASS schools and partners include: B.T. Washington Elementary, SEGA GameWorks; Mort Elementary, Humana; Mintz Elementary, JPMorgan
Chase; Edison Elementary, Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel; Robles Elementary, Tampa Sports Authority; Roland Park School K-8, WFTS/ABC
Channel 28; Hillsborough Senior High, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce; and Graham Elementary, Stadium Toyota. JPMorgan Chase sponsors
the Executive PASS partnership statewide. Ralph Hewitt is the Hillsborough Executive PASS coordinator. Future UPDATES will feature information about new partnerships in Hialeah, in
cooperation with Mayor Julio Robaina’s office and in Miami Dade, in cooperation with Mayor Many Diaz’s office. The participating districts are also vital partners, led
by the Superintendents: Mary Ellen Elia, Hillsborough and Rudy Crew in Miami-Dade.
Here are some upcoming Council events of interest:
- Council telephonic Board Meeting: March 21, 10:00 a.m., for Board members, invited guests
- Launch of the Holmes Elementary PASS©: April 16, at Holmes Elementary in Miami-Dade (information below)
- Council Annual PASS Meeting: May 15th, for Board members, PASS teams and invited guests
Both meetings are hosted by Scott Curtis and Raymond James Financial. Mr. Curtis is a Sr. Vice President of Raymond
James and a Council Board member. The meetings will be held at the Hilton of St. Petersburg/Carillon Park.
- Wachovia Teachers & Teaching Initiative Workshops: April 14 in Tampa and April 21 in Miami, for program participants
On April 16th, a community-wide celebration will launch the Holmes Elementary PASS in Miami, sponsored by Weeks Gas CEO Jeffrey Miller, a Council
Board member. Mr.
Miller is working with Principal Dahlia Gonzalez and Education Coach Dr. Pat Dixon. State Board of Education Chair and Council Board Member T.
Willard Fair will be a special guest. He is also the President & CEO of the Urban League of Greater Miami. Mr. Miller will be honored for his educational contributions
at the Florida Department of Education Commissioner’s Business Recognition Awards event in Orlando on April 19th.
Some 300 Assistant Principals will participate in one of four upcoming Assistant Principal Leadership Forums sponsored by the Florida Department of Education William C. Golden
Professional Development Program for School Leaders and conducted by the Council. In addition to interactive sessions, the participants benefit from the onsite and follow-up
guidance of special mentors. These mentors are successful retired or currently practicing educators, including individuals from the FLDOE’s Professional Partners network. The
Forums are now in their third year. The dates and locations for the Forums are: Tampa, April 11-12; Miami, April 18-19; Panama City, April 25-26; and Jacksonville, May 2-3. They
are generously sponsored by the Miller Family Foundation, Publix Super Markets Charities and The Haskell Company.
We would like to recognize our newest PASS partners: Boyd Anderson High, Steve Wasserman; Gibbs High, All Children’s Hospital; Lakewood High, Terra
Construction Inc.; Palm Lakes Elementary, Leon Medical Center; S.A. Hull Elementary, Mr. & Mrs. Russell Newton Jr.; USF Patel Charter School
and Just Elementary, Patel Foundation for Global Understanding. The Council would also like to thank our newest donors for their generosity and support: The
Robert & Mary Graham Family Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Tad Foote II, Mr. Jeffrey Miller, The Haskell Company, Kraft Construction, Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP,
Mr. Elliott Stern, and the Southern Wine & Spirits Charitable Foundation.
On Feb. 21, Council President and Executive Director Dr. Elaine Liftin was a special presenter at the Hope Foundation’s National Institute—Failure is Not
an Option, in Orlando. Some 100 participants—educators and business and community leaders--attended Dr. Liftin’s interactive session on Building Sustainable Leadership. Dr.
Liftin is the coauthor, with Dr. John Hansen, of two books on educational leadership and school improvement: Leadership for Continuous School Improvement and School Restructuring: A
Practitioner’s Guide. The Council team is currently working on a book, under Dr. Liftin’s leadership, about successful business involvement and practices in educational
partnership, including the PASS model.
COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL CHANGE—THINK TANK
An important part of the Council for Educational Change’s mission is to engage in Think Tank activities.
We interact with government, business and educational decision-makers on school improvement and leadership issues on a regular basis. We also hold conversations with educational
practitioners to find out what they need, the challenges they face and their good ideas to improve education and the professional development of school leaders.
Information-sharing is a customary Think Tank activity. Council staff and consultants constantly review websites, periodicals and publications for thought-provoking and practical
information. Through this current and future UPDATES, we would like to share some information sources with our readers.
Some Recent Council Think Tank Activities:
- Developed a partnership with Florida TaxWatch, Center for Educational Accountability and Performance
- Development of online Florida Principal Leadership Standards Inventory
- Input on education for 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future book; hosted “Idearaiser” for this project
- Produced the Progress Energy Guide to Leadership Academies in Florida
- Writing a book about business-education partnership, highlighting PASS, to be released in November
Note: Council Board Member Bob Moss directs the organization’s Think Tank efforts
Below are some sites and links to articles that we offer as recommended viewing and reading:
www.educationweek.org: Education Week has an article on Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama’s background in education through the Annenberg
Challenge in Chicago. The Council was formerly an Annenberg Challenge site. It also contains brief information about the other candidates education backgrounds. You must register
at the site (free), to read articles.
http://www.uschamber.org: This is the US Chamber of Commerce website. Go to the Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) to find out
how corporate America is helping improve the quality of life in the US, including education. You can sign up for their newsletter,
the Corporate Citizen, by using this link.
www.edtrust.org: This is the Education Trust website. It has information and research about closing the achievement gaps that separate low-income
students and students of color from others, which is the focus of the organization. Click on Reports and Publications to read their research and opinion. One interesting study
on teachers and their impact on achievement published on this site is Good Teaching
Matters.
www.floridaschoolleaders.org: This
is the FLDOE’s William Cecil Golden Professional Development Program for School Leaders website. It has professional development information, resources and opportunities for
school-based educators. The Council is a Golden program partner.
www.myflorida.com: for highlight information about Governor Crist’s budget recommendations, including education priorities, you can
read Governor Crist Recommends Budget for 2007-08. This information is provided by Governor Crist’s office. To access Florida
legislative information, click here.
www.ncea.org: if you are interested in the best practices of high performing schools around the country, including a Florida study of high schools undertaken by the Council for Educational Change, check out the NCEA/Just for the Kids Best Practices Study. The Council study was conducted by Dr. John Moore and explores 10 schools. The site also posts comparative school performance data.
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