Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 2-2-16

Feature Op Ed From Supt. Jeff Eakins
Insurance Executive Retires After 50 Years In Industry
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
After graduating from Middleton High School in 1960, a young Tampa woman was ready to enter the em- ployment arena. So, when she was offered a position by a local insurance agent, she readily accepted.
Ms. Almatine Clemons Williams re- members, “Mr. Kilbride (of A. F. Kilbride Insurance), was selling insurance in the Black community and he of- fered me a job. I was just looking for a job and ended up staying because I liked it.”
Now, fifty years later, Ms. Williams officially retired on January 1, 2016. She is leaving behind the legacy of being one of the first Black secretaries hired in the Tampa Bay Area.
As time passed, the office relocated from Nebraska and Henderson Avenue to down- town. By that time, she had been promoted to Senior Un- derwriter in Automobile In- surance.
ALMATINE CLEMONS WILLIAMS Retired After 50 Years Of Service
Ms. Williams continued working for the firm and ex- panding her knowledge. But, in 1974, she left Tampa and moved to Miami, where she continued practicing her craft as an insurance agent.
When she returned to Tampa ten years later, Ms. Williams brought with her the additional experience she had gathered in the ever- changing industry and was welcomed back at Kilbride Insurance Company.
During the years, Ms. Williams remained with the
company as it expanded to include 5 locations, even training Mr. Kilbride’s daughter and others along with way.
“Strategies that worked for me all of these years was to always provide a full spec- trum of insurance service for all clients. I provided person- alized, professional, and friendly service.
“People don’t buy insur- ance because they under- stand the product, they buy it because they believe we un- derstand them. If you ask the right questions and listen at- tentively, your client will tell you what his needs are,” she said.
She feels the insurance industry is a good career choice because people will al- ways need insurance.
A Tampa native, Ms. Williams is a member of New Mount Zion M. B. Church. She is the daughter of the late Woodrow and Almatine Clemons and the mother of Pastor Rod- ney B. Williams and Ms. Thomica Davis-Adams.
Students Benefit From Community Involvement
BY JEFF EAKINS Superintendent, Hillsborough County
Public Schools
As the Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools, I am here to serve all students in the district. We remain inclusive and re- spectful to students from every background.
Our student population is diverse in their needs. The funds allocated to the district by the local, state, and federal government are simply not enough to meet all of our students’ and fam- ilies’ needs. We rely on com- munity organizations, including business, non- profit, and faith-based groups to support our stu- dents through mentoring, organizing supply drives, and donating basic needs.
The School Board and I enter into these partner- ships giving clear direction to the partners, our princi- pals, and our employees while also understanding our students’ rights. There have been questions and concerns recently about some of the partnerships and organizations that sup- port our students, especially those that are faith-based.
The federal Equal Access Act (EAA), passed by Con- gress in 1984 allows second- ary students equal access to schools during non-instruc- tional time. This means stu- dents have the right to start a club at their school as long as: (1) it is initiated by stu- dents, (2) attendance is vol- untary, (3) no agent or employee of the District will promote, lead, or partici- pate in the meeting, and (4) adult members of an organ- ization affiliated with the club cannot direct, control, or regularly attend meet- ings.
The students are allowed to meet before school, dur- ing lunch, or after school. It is important to note, when we open the doors to one or- ganization on our campus, we must allow equal access to others.
In addition, partners who wish to mentor our stu- dents or want to come on our campuses to provide do- nations must agree to guide- lines and assurances before engaging with our schools. We have created a Commu- nity Partnership Coordina- tor’s Guide that defines what is and what is not al- lowed. All providers must agree to ensure that the in- struction and content of the supplemental services are secular, neutral, and non- ideological. Our school ad- ministrators and coordinators monitor what is happening on their cam-
puses.
We are highly aware and
we respect the constitu- tional separation of church and state as well as the pur- pose of the Equal Access Act. The School Board has policies in place that pro- hibit the endorsement of any religion. As the Superin- tendent, I expect and re- quire that all employees of the district strictly adhere to these policies. When a con- cern is brought to our atten- tion, we immediately look into the issue to protect our students’ rights and safe- guard the processes we have in place.
We are now reviewing all of our partnerships in the district to ensure they are following our policies and guidelines when they come into our schools while also ensuring all clubs are truly student-led.
We are working hard every day in this district to prepare students for life. Developing successful stu- dents has as much to do with their academics as it does with overall citizen- ship.
I have challenged all em- ployees of the district to flip the traditional top-down leadership style and put stu- dents and families first. I have been personally moved to see how the community has embraced this concept and applied their resources to support this vision.
I have had the opportu- nity to discuss this time and again at community meet- ings, business functions, and with the local chambers of commerce. Regardless of the audience, my message has remained constant and clear: a strong student-cen- tered school culture is guided by eight principles, which include mission and vision, procedures and rou- tines, promoting and mod- eling great character, service learning, student leadership, conflict resolu- tion, mentoring, and a school-based behavior man- agement plan.
Granting non-discrimi- nating access does not con- stitute endorsement of a group’s ideology. Acts of charity, compassion, and partnership from responsi- ble business, nonprofit, and faith-based community groups are essential. All partnerships that unbias- edly serve our schools and students are welcome, needed, and appreciated. As Superintendent of Schools, I want to personally thank all of our partners who step up every day and unselfishly come to support our stu- dents. We are fortunate to have you in Hillsborough County Public Schools.
PAGE 4 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2016