Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 3-17-17

Local
School Officials:
Progress Is Being Made At Failing School, But Support Needed
MS. TAMARA SHAMBURGER School Board, District 5 Representative
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last week, an article in the daily newspaper highlighted the problems that continue to plague one of the Black com- munity’s oldest elementary schools, Potter Elementary School.
The negative article has led the School Board member rep- resenting District 5, and the Hillsborough County School District Superintendent to say the school has not been ignored and plans are in the process of turning the school around.
Ms. Tamara Sham- burger, School Board repre- sentative for District 5 said, “Unfortunately in the urban core of Hillsborough County, we have an excessive number of low-performing schools and Potter remains one of our high- est needs schools. As one of many schools in the district on a turnaround plan with the state, it's time to really get in there and completely change how we're doing things, from the top down.
“We need to make sure we have only the most highly effec- tive teachers in the classrooms.
“If we don't make it a prior- ity to put our best assets where we have the most to gain, the kids lose.
There must be parent and community commitment and a unified plan. “We must take control of the behavioral issues in the classrooms while simul- taneously working to increase student achievement. One can't be done without the other,” Ms. Shamburger said.
“Potter, the same as the other low performing schools, is a very urgent priority. In order to achieve the results we want, we simply have to do things differently.
Wrap-around services are one way, according to Ms. Shamburger. This includes family engagement, parent leadership and adult education
JEFF EAKINS Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public School District
programs; Extended learning opportunities and youth devel- opment; Physical, dental and mental health programs and social services that students and their families may not be able to receive otherwise.
“It also includes after- school, mentoring and tutoring programs; and most impor- tantly, early childhood devel- opment, including sufficient access to VPK, School Readi- ness and Head Start pro- grams,” she said.
Jeff Eakins, Hillsborough County School District Super- intendent said, the article didn’t depict the changes that have taken place at Potter.
“The article sent the wrong message about what’s really happening and the teachers she (Marlene Sokol) spoke with are all gone from the school. In any situation, behavior must be under control before the stu- dents can begin learning. If you were to visit the school now, you won’t see that type of be- havior today. The students are enjoying learning and that takes time.
“It will take a little while to get the grades up to get us where we want to be’
Superintendent Eakins
also said he is pleased with the progress that Ms. Melanie Hill has made as the new prin- cipal. “I am extremely proud of the turnaround process. We have incredible leadership that really understands the con- cepts.”
He further said he was not alarmed by the number of teachers who left the school. “When I became a principal, I had 25 teachers who left.”
Superintendent Eakins
said the most important ingre- dients to turn the school around are support for the principal from the community. “If we can get members of the community to come out and meet the principal, that would send a powerful message to the students.”
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A