Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 1-5-18

Features
Computer Mentors Launches Program To Help Failing Schools
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In October, the community learned that the Florida De- partment of Education gave the Hillsborough County Public School District a directive to improve seven failing schools. Officials were given three op- tions.
Officials decided to contract with an outside entity that has a demonstrated record of effec- tiveness to operate the school. The School District is in the process of meeting the direc- tive by the state to improve the grades of the schools.
The seven schools desig- nated for improvement are: Foster Elementary, Mort Ele- mentary, Oak Park Elemen- tary, Potter Elementary, Sheehy Elementary, B. T. Washington Elementary Schools and Memorial Middle School.
In an effort to provide as- sistance to the schools,
Ralph Smith, Executive Director of Computer Mentors, Inc., has launched a campaign to provide assistance to all 7 schools. “We are seeking cor- porate and community spon- sorships to purchase much-needed computers for these scho0ls that are mostly located in the urban commu- nity. The computers will be used to create computer labs or placed into classrooms to assist both students and teachers.”
He further said that Com- puter Mentors can make up to 100 computers available for the 7 schools. However, in order to accomplish that goal without cost to the schools, the organi-
RALPH SMITH
... Founder and Executive Director Computer Mentors, Inc.
zation will need financial assis- tance from the community, the business, and the private sec- tor. He is asking for a donation of $210 for each computer. The funding would eliminate the cost of refurbishing and licens- ing the School District would be required to pay.
Smith said, “I like public schools. And I believe that we, the community, must each do what we can to save our schools and at the same time make sure our children get a great education. In this in- stance, Computer Mentors has computers, and the schools need computers. We are sim- ply doing what we can to im- prove the situation.”
He is asking that the dona- tions be forwarded to Com- puter Mentors by the end of January.
Anyone interested in mak- ing a contribution can visit the website at www.computermen- tors.org, and click on the “do- nation” icon.
To learn more about the initiative, contact Smith at (813) 236-1191.
Late Tampa Community Leader Robert R. Scott On The Ballot For Name Of Hillsborough County School
Tampa Community Organ- izations and Leaders have or- ganized an initiative to advocate for the Hillsborough County School Board to name a school in honor of former ed- ucator and community pio- neer, Mr. Robert R. Scott.
Mr. Scott, a Tampa na- tive, graduated from Middle- ton Senior High School before continuing his education at Bethune-Cookman College, now Bethune-Cookman Uni- versity. He served in the U. S. Army prior to returning to the Tampa Bay Community to serve in multiple successful ca- reers, including a police offi- cer, an educator at Young Jr. High School and Meacham El- ementary School, and a Sales- man with MetLife Insurance Company.
Mr. Scott worked tire- lessly to improve the African- American Community throughout his life as a mem- ber of the Mayor’s African- American Advisory Board, a founding board member and Vice-President of the Tampa- Hillsborough Action Plan, Inc. (THAP, Inc.), a Life Member of the Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League, a member of the Civil Service Board, and a generous contributor to the United Negro College Fund,
ROBERT R. SCOTT ...Group advocates for school to be named in his honor
along with other community endeavors.
Mr. Scott’s legacy lives on through all of the organiza- tions and leaders he touched.
This initiative to have a school named after Mr. Scott is led by the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Tampa Metropolitan Chapter, and its President, Rosa McK- inzy Cambridge. NCNW also has the support of Der- rick Blue, Interim CEO and the Board of THAP, Inc. and Lakeisha R. Simms, Esq., owner and principal attorney at the Law Offices of Lakeisha R. Simms, in addition to other organizations and leaders that have sent their support directly to the School Board.
NCNW urges the Tampa Community to get involved with this proposal by emailing (http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/c ontact/?type=board), calling (813) 272-4045, faxing (813) 272-4022, and attending the School Board meeting to ask them to name the new school in honor of Mr. Robert R. Scott. The Board is meeting to vote on the school name on Tuesday, January 23rd, 2018 at 3 p.m.
Send an e-mail in sup- port of naming the North Tampa school (Cahoon El- ementary and Van Buren Middle Schools) for Mr. Robert R. Scott to school board members: Chair Sally Harris, Dist. 2 and Susan Valdes Dist. 1 at Yamil.Diaz@sdhc.k12.fl.u s; Vice Chair Tamara Shamburger Dist. 5, Melissa Shively Dist. 4 and Lynn L. Gray Dist. 7 at Michelle.Davenport@sdhc .k12.fl.us; Cindy Stewart Dist. 3 and April Griffin Dist. 6 at Tiffany.Williams @sdhc.k12.fl.us.
For more information on how you can help support this initiative, please contact Lakeisha R. Simms at 813- 510-6000 or Lakeisha@L SimmsLegal.com.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A