Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 11-13-15 Edition

Superintendent Responds To Article About Gates Funds
On Veterans’ Day President Lays Wreath And Tells Vets More Needs To Be Done
As an educator, I have always worked to choose words that would make the biggest impact in my class- room and in my school. As a teacher, I wanted to en- sure my words would cele- brate my students’ successes and challenge them to strive for more. As a principal, I chose words intended to help my staff grow and meet the needs of our students. So it was disheartening to see a re- cent headline that read Hillsborough schools to dismantle Gates-funded system that cost millions to develop. By using the word dismantle it is evi- dent to me that some have misinterpreted our dis- trict’s vision of ensuring every decision we make is with our students’ future in mind.
It is simple. After 7 years with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the funding portion of the Gates grant, as planned, is coming to an end. From the beginning, we understood this work involved continuous as- sessment for improve- ment. Our district remains committed to applying the most effective components of the current model and modifying other parts in order to create an even stronger system of support for all instructional staff. This plan will in turn cre- ate the strongest class- room for students.
I want to make it clear, we are not abandoning, dismantling, or shelving our support system for our instructional staff. What we are doing is capitalizing on what we’ve learned. We will continue to utilize the knowledge gained by the peer evaluators and men- tors and we will benefit from their strengths. Teachers have expressed they truly value timely feedback and support from their colleagues, which only advances teacher ef- fectiveness. So our goal will be to position our teacher experts to better allow them to provide that authentic feedback and support.
There are clear benefits from our partnership that will remain with our dis- trict. The grant provided the opportunity to work with experts in the field and enabled our own
teachers to create a com- mon definition of effective teaching. Our teachers de- veloped a set of tools which clearly defines effective teaching and practices for a variety of instructional roles. This framework, our evaluation rubric, has pro- vided a common language that will foster profes- sional growth moving for- ward.
Another clear success that has come from this partnership is the develop- ment of our mentor pro- gram. Educators who are brand new to the teaching profession in Hillsborough County have fully released mentors that provide qual- ity, consistent feedback to them. After completing the two year program, many of these new teachers show evaluation scores that are on par with veteran teach- ers. The benefits are so clear to our School Board, leaders across the district, teachers, and me that we would never want to shelve this program. In fact, it is our priority to offer a men- tor relationship to more of our teachers who need it the most.
Our goal now is to take the value that our peers and mentors brought to their roles, make any nec- essary modifications, and create a system that can be sustained over time. I have asked a committee, con- sisting of teachers, peer evaluators, mentors, school leaders, district staff, union leaders, and others to review the cur- rent evaluation system. The committee will also develop possible models of support which meet the professional development needs of all 16,000 instruc- tional personnel in HCPS, and create classrooms and schools where all students thrive.
In Hillsborough County, we continue to live out our vision by prepar- ing students for life. One of our strategic priorities is to increase our graduation rate. As we see that in- crease over time, we will know we have put our ef- forts in the right place. We will never shelve, disman- tle, or abandon those ef- forts.
JEFF EAKINS Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public Schools
On Veterans Day, President Obama said America needs to go beyond words of thanks and parades and do more to help a new generation of veterans get on with their lives after serving their country.
The sun shined bright during the Nov. 11 ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Flags fluttered and leaves floated to the ground in the autumn breeze.
Service members from the U. S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard stood silent in immaculate dress uniforms. Old veterans in the crowd saluted as a bugler played "Taps."
"To all our veterans here today, to veterans across America -- whether you served on beaches of Europe, the jungles of Asia, the deserts of the Middle East; whether you served here at home or overseas in wartime or in peace -- you are part of an unbroken chain of patriots who have served this country with honor," the President said.
"On these sacred grounds, where generations of Americans have come to rest, we remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Today we gather once more to salute every patriot who has ever proudly worn the uniform of the United States of America."
President Obama recognized and thanked veter- ans of World War II, as this year marks the 70th an- niversary of the victory in Europe and the Pacific.
President Barack Obama lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, at Arlington National Cemetery in Ar- lington, Va. during Veterans Day ceremonies.
But it's not enough to honor such sacrifices on one day a year, he said.
"Today in big cities and small towns across our country there will be ceremonies around flag poles, pa- rades down Main Street to properly express our grati- tude ... but our tributes will ring hollow if we stop there," he said. "This day is not only about gratitude for what they have done for us, it is also a reminder of all that they still have to give to our nation and our duty to them."
LGBT Magazine Names President ‘Ally Of The Year’
Pres. Barack Obama's
stance on LGBT issues has landed him on the cover of OUT magazine's OUT100 issue as "Ally of the Year."
Pres. Obama said his mother's teachings that "every person was of equal worth" in- spired his interest in focusing on LGBT rights during his ad- ministration, and thanked his openly gay Occidental profes- sor and eventual friend, Dr. Lawrence Goldyn, for di- rectly influencing the way he continues to think about all of these issues.
"He went out of his way to advise lesbian, gay and trans- gender students... and keep in mind, this was 1978,” Pres. Obama told the magazine. "That took a lot of courage, a lot of confidences in who you are and what you stand for."
President
cover of OUT magazine.
Pres. Obama Bars Federal Contractors
From LGBT Discrimination
During Pres. Obama's 2008 campaign, he said he did not support same-sex marriage, a stance which he reiterated on various occasions until 2012, despite indicating he supported it in 1996 when he was a state Senate candidate.
During an interview on ABC in 2012, the President came out in support of the right of same-sex couples to marry.
"I had hesitated on gay mar- riage, in part, because I thought civil unions would be suffi- cient," Pres. Obama told ABC's Robin Roberts, "I was sensitive to the fact that -- for a lot of people -- that the word marriage is something that pro- vokes very powerful traditions and religious beliefs."
there had been a remarkable "attitude shift -- in hearts and minds -- across America" even before the Supreme Court deci- sion that the right to marry should be granted to LGBT, cit- ing the generational difference he sees with his own daughters and their friends.
The President said he knew
Appeals Court Keeps Block On
President’s Immigration Executive Action
A federal appeals court has rejected Pres. Barack Obama's effort to move for- ward with a series of executive actions he announced last year seeking to give quasi-legal status and work permits to millions of undocumented immigrants.
The 2-1 ruling Monday from the New Orleans-based 5th Cir- cuit is a defeat for the Obama administration, but one that may have come just in the nick of time to give the Supreme Court the chance to revive Obama's attempt to make it easier for many immigrants who entered the U. S. illegally to live and work here.
The timing of the appeals court's decision had become of increasing concern to the Obama administration and im- migrant rights' groups in recent weeks.
Pres. Obama's latest round of executive actions has been on hold since February, and delay in the issuance of the appeals court's ruling was raising doubt
about whether the Supreme Court would have an opportu- nity to resolve the case in time to allow Pres. Obama to move forward with the programs be- fore leaving office.
The release of the 5th Circuit decision Monday appears to
allow the Supreme Court enough time to take up the dispute this term, if the justices choose to wade into the issue. A favorable Supreme Court ruling would permit the administration to im- plement the executive actions next summer.
Obama on
Letter To Editor Presidential News
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