Access 4.12.2007

I don't think my son's future is in mathematics	Access
	Edition #133, April 12, 2007
"The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on / And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood." William Shakespeare             Next School Board Meeting is at 5:30 on April 24th.	Thanks and a tip of the hat to Board Member Amy Kneessy for making the selection of site #6 the unanimous choice for Brevard's newest secondary school. Site #6, located at the west end of Malabar Road, is closest to the student population; reduces the number of students to be displaced; will relieve overcrowding at Bayside, Palm Bay and Melbourne High Schools; and will mitigate traffic impact. The frosting on the cake is that the District still owns site #1 at the southern end of the county as growth warrants yet another school.   Pre-registration for kindergarten for the 2007-2008 school year is being held at all Brevard County elementary schools April 16 - 20, 2007.  Children entering kindergarten for the first time must comply with Florida Statute 1003.21 regarding age, which states a child must be five years old on or before September 1, 2007.   Brevard Public Schools' comprehensive Summer Opportunities for Acceleration and Remediation (SOAR) program is once again taking flight. The program is designed as a unique way for students in grades K-12 to get ahead in their studies during the summer months, or participate in necessary remediation. This year, all schools offering summer classes will provide at least one fee-free enrichment course. Transportation will be provided for students attending for remedial or credit make-up who live more than two miles from the site. Food services and childcare will also be offered. The SOAR informational booklet can be accessed from www.brevardschools.org . Click on the SOAR icon on the lower left corner.   "(Gov.) Crist called for a return of daily PE classes, starting with students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Change won't come overnight. In Hillsborough, elementary school students take physical education twice a week. In middle school, it's an elective. High school students need a single credit in fitness and health. Crist has proposed spending $1.2-million next year to promote health and nutrition. He isn't interested in hearing excuses about money. "It's nominal," he said of the expense. "How much is it costing us, and more importantly our young people, not to be encouraging them?"" (St. Petersburg Times, Mar 27)   Ms. Kershaw and I joined other School Board Members from across the State in meeting with our legislators March 28-29 to discuss issues critical to public education including: - As they weigh tax reform, hold public education harmless; seek stable revenues; and quantify the exact cost to municipal and county governments so the impact to services can be quantified. (The Florida School Boards Association, the League of Cities, and the Florida Association of Counties are united on these goals.) - Respect the Constitutional authority of school boards by allowing them to set school calendars and authorize charter schools. - Correct the Florida Inventory of School House data base to accurately reflect the legislatively mandated use of classrooms. - Support Rep. Poppell's bill that would allow school district's to pay insurance from their capital funds.   The school budget for 2007-08 will likely result in a 3% increase in bargainable funds for Florida schools.   Meanwhile, the Legislature is moving forward with $540M in tax incentives to professional sports teams in Florida. But $545M in new cash will come from local property taxpayers. (Orlando Sentinel) I hope you enjoy the games – professional sports and professional politics.   Students and parents seeking an earlier start to public school in the fall failed Tuesday as a House panel sided with the tourism industry and voted to leave current law unchanged. The decision leaves intact a law passed last year that no school district can start classes earlier than 14 days before Labor Day, or Aug. 20. Critics of a uniform statewide starting date say each school board should have the power to set its own calendar, but powerful forces fought to preserve the status quo, which itself is only a year old. They included theme parks, hotels and restaurants worried that a shorter summer will cost them profits from family vacations and part of their labor force of teenage summer workers. Students said the two-weeks-before-Labor-Day rule leaves too little time to prepare for exams such as the FCAT or advance placement courses that provide college credits for high school students. Leading the push for an earlier start date was Rep. Dick Kravitz, a Jacksonville Republican who said a "one size fits all" school calendar is wrong in a diverse state with 67 school districts. (St. Petersburg Times)     Let's End Social Promotion for Everyone   Governor Charlie Crist has signed Senate Bill 1226 that will create the Merit Award Program for public school teachers, providing five-percent to 10-percent performance bonuses to the state's best educators.  Governor Crist was joined for the signing ceremony by House Speaker Marco Rubio, Senate President Ken Pruitt and bill sponsors Senator Don Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach) and Representative Joe Pickens (R-Palatka) along with other legislators. In comments earlier in the day, Rep. Pickens shared a story about a new teacher that I will paraphrase. The eager new teacher met with her Principal to discuss job expectations. She asked "if I work hard, motivate my students, tutor those who need it and achieve academic excellence, can I expect to earn more?" "No" the Principal replied. "If I show my fellow teachers better ways to reach children so the school as a whole performs better, can I earn more?" she asked. The Principal replied, sadly "no, the only way you can earn more is to grow older." Rep. Pickens then asked his audience "what other profession performs this way?" As parents and stakeholders, we are counting on Rep. Pickens and the legislature to end the social promotion of everyone.     What does the Jolly Green Giant wear when he dresses up? A three-pea suit.   Larry E. Hughes Parent, Citizen LarryHughes@ourflorida.info (321) 724-4203   No public resources were used in the creation or transmission of this email.   Please distribute to friends or neighbors who are interested in Public Schools. If they would like to subscribe, please send an email to LarryHughes@OurFlorida.info with the word "subscribe" in the Subject line. If you do not wish to receive this information, please reply with the word "unsubscribe" in the Subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you.