SCHOOL SHOUT
Shouting Loud & Proud about Hillsborough Schools!
IN THIS EDITION...
College scholarships available for all ages!
Students step onto the Hamilton stage
IS ARMING TEACHERS THE ANSWER? THE HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOL BOARD SAYS NO.
To serve and protect.
That is the motto for law enforcement agencies across the country. Should it also be the motto for teachers?
The idea of arming teachers in the classroom is a hotly contested debate—one that has been brought center-stage since the tragedy in Parkland more than a year ago. Now, a Florida Senate panel has advanced a school security package that would change the existing Guardian program to begin allowing teachers to be armed.
The Hillsborough County School Board reacted quickly to the panel’s decision.
At its regularly scheduled board meeting on February 19, 2019, Board Member Lynn Gray read a resolution against arming teachers.
Read more HERE
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Nature's Classroom Open House - March 30, 9am-2pm - $10 parking, cash only
- School Choice window - March 27 - April 5
- Spring Break - March 18 - 22
- Non-student day - March 25
- Report cards available - Elem - April 9, Middle - April 10, High - April 11
- Parent Academy webinars https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/docs/00/00/23/98/Parent_Academy_Spring_Catalog.pdf
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Future of STEM Scholarship
College Scholarship for Kindergarteners
Many Other Scholarships Available!
THE MONEY'S COMING IN - AND THE BIDS ARE GOING OUT
Keeping you updated on how YOUR tax dollars are being spent in our schools.
The first revenue check from the Education Referendum’s half-penny sales tax should arrive at our school district THIS WEEK! But make no mistake, we’ve already been putting the pieces in place to deliver on our #HalfPennyPromise. Here’s the latest.
For the most part, the steps so far are hardly headline-grabbing. It’s the behind-the-scenes work necessary before major projects can get started.
Our district’s Planning & Construction Department is reviewing bids from contractors to determine timelines and who will be assigned to each project. Those details will be shared at the next Citizen Oversight Committee meeting on March 15.
Each month, the Citizen Oversight Committee meets to review the dozens of projects in the planning stages. Former USF President Betty Castor serves as chair, with Sheriff Chad Chronister as vice chair. You will be able to track project updates yourself on the Citizen Oversight Committee website.
Design professionals and construction companies have been selected for 21 schools set to receive an air conditioning overhaul or replacement this summer. Crews won’t begin replacing the systems until over the summer when campuses are relatively empty. Replacing an entire air conditioning system is a HUGE job—in many cases the entire ceiling has to be taken apart—so you can see why it’s a good idea NOT to have people in the building at the time.
But dozens of other projects will begin well before summer. Once funding starts to come in, crews will start many projects that can be tackled while school is in session, including painting, security and fire safety upgrades, playground equipment installation and more.
As that happens in the coming weeks, you will hear updates from your school through email, social media and more. Thank you for your support—this investment of more than $131 million each year would not be possible without you.
STUDENTS' TALENTS ON FULL DISPLAY AT HAMILTON!
"I never got to experience ANYTHING like this!"
More than 2,400 students and school chaperones throughout the Tampa Bay Area were in “the room where it happens” as the Gilder Lehrman Institute brought the Hamilton Education Program to Tampa’s Straz Center for the Performing Arts on March 7.
The Hamilton Education Program, one of several history education programs offered by the Gilder Lehman Institute of American History, provides students in Title I high schools with the opportunity to engage in a special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s Founding Fathers.
Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller said, “Our goal is to ensure students have a shot to see Hamilton and use its words, music and staging to further their understanding and enjoyment of American history, music, and drama.”
Read more HERE
Guest author Shannon Schoenrock is a fifth grade English/Language Arts teacher at Kenly Elementary School.
It’s kind of homey in my classroom and that’s my goal, especially as a reading teacher. Students lay around everywhere and make themselves comfortable. They feel like they’re entering their home.
I’ve been at Kenly 22 years. I love the kids. I love the community around here. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
They need me, and I know this is my calling. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and what I feel like I need to do.
We’re a family in here. We respect each other. It’s a safe zone. I wouldn’t want to work for anybody that I know didn’t respect me and love me – and they feel that and know that, because I tell them that and I show them that. It’s returned, and it turns into this amazing atmosphere in the room, too. They respect each other.
Read more HERE
Too many medals to count for this Riverview High athlete!
Mom's advice, a sense of humor & humility: Our Teacher of the Year
What EXACTLY does a principal do all day?
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT
Dear Hillsborough County Public Schools families,
I’d like to take a moment to talk to you about the national teacher shortage that has been weighing heavily on all school districts. In Hillsborough County, we feel it most in our highest-needs schools. One of our top priorities is making sure the excellent teacher your child sees on their first day in August, is the same one who is there in May.
That’s the goal behind Spark, our teacher incentives effort, which you can learn more about here. Spark will help us fill positions in our highest-needs Achievement Schools—and fill those positions early. This will positively impact all our district’s schools by adding a level of consistency, which is crucial to providing a learning environment where our students can thrive.
Our top priority is preparing students for life—and we believe this is a significant step toward that goal.
I hope you and your family have a relaxing Spring Break!
Jeff Eakins, Superintendent
Website: hillsboroughschools.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HillsboroughSch/
Twitter: @jeff_eakins
A MESSAGE FROM SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRWOMAN TAMARA SHAMBURGER
This month, our district will receive its first income from the half-penny sales tax voters approved in November. Thank you for standing up and investing in our students. This revenue will help us catch up on many years’ worth of overdue maintenance and make numerous important security and technology upgrades.
As you may know, this money cannot be used to increase teacher pay or fund many of our other classroom needs. Overall, Florida is still 44th out of the 50 states in education funding—more than $4,000 per student below the national average.
Your School Board members will be traveling to Tallahassee for the next two months to work with lawmakers and urge them to devote more of our state’s financial resources to its most important cause: students.
As a School Board, we have determined four key areas where we believe a reasonably small change at the state level would have a major impact on our students and communities. Here are the areas and our specific requests for lawmakers:
Issue: Keeping Students and Communities Safe and Healthy
Requested action: Increase per-student funding in the security and mental health categories of the state budget, to make sure we can maintain the required number of security officers and increase the number of needed mental health workers.
Issue: Prioritizing Workforce Education
Requested action: Allow Industry Certifications to be part of an alternative pathway to a standard diploma.
Issue: Investing in Students and Schools
Requested action: Restore the school district’s funding for maintenance and construction to its pre-recession level of 2.0 mills.
Issue: Hiring Experienced Educators
Requested action: Increase flexible funding, for areas like teacher pay, by raising the funding source called the “Base Student Allocation” by 3%.
If you’d like to find out more, please check out the one-page handout that explains these issues. And if you’d like to get involved, please contact your school’s PTA today and tell them you’re willing to help. Thank you for the opportunity to serve our students.
Tamara P. Shamburger, Hillsborough County School Board Chair
Website: hillsboroughschools.org
Twitter: @T_Shamburger