polk county school superintendent candidates
It was really important to me that we honor the work that they put in.. He then served as bureau chief for School Improvement and lead for the states Differentiated Accountability (DA) project, often helping low-performing schools. Martin said the Republican Party had endorsed individual School Board candidates in the past but never a full slate. Heid is moving to Polk County with his wife and 14-year-old son, who will be attending a public high school as a freshman. Goal #3: Ensure there is a culture thats positive and focused on improvement in which everyone feels valued. Neither report revealed anything of concern. Whoever is chosen will oversee the seventh largest district in Florida with at least 105,000 students and 13,000 employees, including 7,000 teachers. The contractwould be for three years,with a salary range of $215,000to$275,000,plus competitive benefits. Library Media Services offers a number of services and programs to aid students, school library staff, teachers, faculty, district office staff and members of the community. The panel then approvedaddingtwo more people to the list: Michael Ramirez currently deputy superintendent of schoolsof Denver Public Schools. Antoine HickmanCurrently the chief of student support initiatives and recovery for Broward County Public Schools, providingthe strategic management and coordination ofcommunity resources forthe nations sixth largest school district. Heid has served as superintendent of the Community Unit School District in Algonquin, Illinois, since 2014. He holds a bachelors degree in administrative systems management from Norfolk State University, amasters in special education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and doctorate in educational policy, planning and leadership from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He has completed coursework for a doctorate in educational administration from Capella University and is working on a doctorate in leadership in educational administration from Aurora University. People of all political parties have children in our schools. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, sponsored an unsuccessful bill in this years session to make school board races partisan. 22, 2021 The search for Polk County's new superintendent is almost over. Secondly, the story and podcast allege that Lindsay Sharp was hired improperly by Mr. Heid and that she fails to meet eligibility requirements for the role of PCPS Senior Director of Digital Learning and Innovation. It seems like the majority of people are not thrilled with party politics, the majority of voters, he said. I have worked with Superintendent Heid since his hiring and I find him to be a man of integrity with an extraordinarily strong work ethic, and a professional committed to the safety and security of our children, including my own grandchildren. Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514. Dear Polk County Parents and Guardians, Spring Break is a great time to get your child caught up on or AHEAD of all Iowa required and recommended vaccines. When candidates werent being interviewedWednesday and Thursday, they were being driven around thesprawling county to see school sites, other popular spots everything fromfromLake Mirror to LEGOLAND along with booming areas like Davenport, which has two new school buildings going up. LAKELAND Following two-hour interviews witheachof the five candidates for school superintendent, tours of Polk County, a livevirtualquestion and answer session, breakfasts, as well as lunches and dinnerswith prominent Polk citizens, it is now time for the Polk County SchoolBoard to offer a job to a candidate the majority of them agree upon. In November, FSBA held a series of meetings with the public to determine the qualities they wanted. Many of the finalists said Polk County is an impressive place to land not only for the educational values the district already has, but also for the community. Updated: 6:20 PM EDT March 29, 2021 BARTOW, Fla. It comes down to six. 100% remote. Clicca su Gestisci impostazioni per maggiori informazioni e per gestire le tue scelte. Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Weve invested a lot so far. He is a United States Navy veteran. The committee picked 15 semifinalists last week and then Thursday night refined the list againby nearly halfwhen the panel of 36 peoplevotedfor their top picks. I see students, family and staff as my primary obligation. The district, managed by an appointed superintendent, has a budget of $2.25 billion. and district school superintendent, calculated pursuant to ss. Polk County School Board elections:Campaign manager for 3 conservative Polk School Board candidates served prison time in Texas, Text message campaign:Texts falsely claimPolk School Board member is under criminal inquiry, Florida Gov.
padding-left: 10px !important; The presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules: No Board action shall be taken on requests made during public discussion unless the Board declares the matter to be an emergency in accordance with current law. The School Board recognizes the value to school governance of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on school matters of community interest. READ: Outstanding educators in Hillsborough County get surprise visit from superintendent, "It has definitely grown over the years as the use of [cell phones] has grown," Crumbley said. She holds a bachelors degree in engineering and a masters in business administration from Duke University, a second masters ineducational leadership fromthe Borad Center for the Management of School Systems in Los Angeles,and adoctoratein educational leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University. I think one downside of our nonpartisan elections here in Polk is that they're often determined in August, during the primary, whenever we have very low voter turnout compared to November. background-color: #fdd007; 1725 Bartow Road Lakeland, FL 33801Telephone: (863) 937-4430Fax: (863) 937-5340, Sign up to receive email updates on project announcements, doing business here, finding talent and more in Polk County. Information for vendors and potential business partners, including purchasing and construction bids. Being collaborative, were able to avoid the noise., He knows there are things he can just do without spending a lot of time on them, but he prefers to get input on the front end, explaining and building support for an idea. CCDFs podcast recently featured an interview with James Dunn, who serves as campaign manager for Clark, Nolte and Sessions. "I believe continuity on the board is critical at this time," she says. In April 2021, Frederick Heid was unanimously selected by the Polk County School Board to become the new superintendent of Polk County Public Schools. In these politically polarized times, though, the races for the Polk County School Board are increasingly resembling typical partisan elections. Fortney, a longtime teacher, is running for a second term in District 3. We have a template that Ive patented internally on how you win elections, Dunn said in the interview. The board will then choose the applicants they want to interviewin the next few weeks. They all chose more than one person on the list. The School Board then set about to start the processof hiring an expert to help them with selecting the new Polk Schools leader. The search for Polk County Public Schools' next superintendent . Martin said they are party functions and not debates or open candidate forums. Border and Towns received the most votes, with 31 apiece. Public policy. If you have an issue or a question, take the time to call me. Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger. People have the right to support the candidate that best aligns with what they feel is best for them, she said by text message when asked about partisanship. Previously, he was the chief academic officer for Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville and a bureau chief for school improvement for Region 1 for the Florida Department of Education. Conservatives have to win. A primary election was scheduled for August 23, 2022. School Superintendent Frederick Heid oversaw that process, and School Board members were not directly involved. A volunteer committee of citizens identified these seven candidates as their top recommendations. You have to get the majority so you can affect policy and move the agenda.. District Office:1915 South Floral Ave., Bartow, FL 33830, 2022 Polk County Public Schools | Equity & Compliance | About | Sitemap. Opinion: Editorial: All drugs come with risk. text-align: center; Sign up to receive messages from your school. Theres no room for second place. The opportunity to engage and champion our students to rejoin this amazing community and lead this school district as your next superintendent of schools., The school board will decide on Tuesday April 27th who will be Polk County Public Schools next superintendent. color: white; The gunman had been a special education student at the school and Hickman told the investigation committee that the young man did not receive services like he should have according to his individual education plan. Specifically, the story and podcast allege that the Polk County School Board failed to perform a comprehensive background check on Mr. Heid before hiring him as superintendent. #LeadershipMatters #NCSSA. With the current strategic plan sunsetting, Heid said he plans to provide a timeline in July to start a comprehensive approach to establish four to six primary goal areas like effective use of resources that will form the basis of a new plan. Hes learning what the district needs to emphasize to improve, such as graduation rates and reading and math proficiency scores, he said. We are supporting candidates that will put children and their families first and be respectful of all members of our community.. The Polk County Republican Party endorsed candidates in all four races early in the campaign and has been promoting them in various ways, including by holding candidate functions closed to their rivals. Steps for getting your child started at Polk County Public Schools. His campaign wouldnt say whether additional endorsements are coming. They want their cell phones, don't get me wrong. A district spokesperson said the survey, called a "Thought Exchange," will help board members decide if and when they will hold a workshop to . | Heid said he is already listening and learning to find out where the district is currently and what it must do to continue moving forward. Kathryn LeRoy was the superintendent of Polk County Public Schools from 2013 to 2016. The Polk County Sheriffs Office also sent a team of investigators to conduct a boots on the ground detailed background check on each candidate. The consensus of the board was to move forward with the seven candidates that were presented to us by the Citizens Screening Committee, said Cunningham. School board members, helped by a volunteer committee in identifying the candidates, voted unanimously to consider seven people. The opportunity to be heard need not occur at the same meeting at which the Board takes official action on the proposition if the opportunity occurs at a meeting that is during the decision-making process and is within reasonable proximity in time before the meeting at which the Board takes the official action. Learn about the history of Polk County Public Schools and the mission that is guiding it into the future. padding-right: 10px !important; .partytd.Gray { Here is the full statement released by Polk County Public Schools: On Friday (July 8), a blog post and podcast were published regarding the Polk County School Boards hiring of Frederick Heid as superintendent. Learn the measures were taking to operate more efficiently. Meet the finalists for Polk County Teacher and School-Related Employee of the Year, Polk Superintendent Byrd confirms she's retiring in February, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Polk County Public Schools narrows superintendent search to 6 candidates: Who are they? Learn about the wide variety of school options Polk County Public Schools offers for students of all ages. [6][7][8], table#officeholder-table th, td { padding:5px; font-size: 16px; } Heid previously held the title of chief academic officer at Duval County Public Schools, bureau chief school improvement at the Florida Department of Education and principal positions at Orange County Public Schools, according to his resume. View state and district assessments by grade level; includes tips on preparing for exams. Jacqueline M. Byrd was the superintendent of Polk County Public Schools from 2016 to 2021. They're students, and we represent all of them, no matter what their familys party affiliation is., She added: I think the whole situation in our country has really impacted us more than we realize on a local and state level. During his tenure, the district established full-day kindergarten classes, a path for high school students to earn their associate of arts degree and the DREAM (Dedicated Reinforcement, Engagement, and Motivation) Academy, which provides support to at-risk first through fifth graders. Previously, she was the chief of staff for the Clark County School System in Las Vegas, the nations fifth largest school district. The four candidates have also received donations from leaders of the Winter Haven 9-12 Project, another conservative group. @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { Judd chose four out of the top five candidates without comment. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. We will report on it every quarter and give all stakeholders an opportunity to get involved.. Polk County School Board members do not oversee the selection of textbooks,though they vote to approve the materials used in schools. Im incredibly proud of the work we did in District 300, he said. "I do know that we have some problems that we are really trying to prevent from happening or from getting worse.". He holds a bachelors degree in secondary education from Southeastern University and a masters in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. "The mental health aspect, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the most important parts," she said. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk public schools statement on hiring Frederick Heid, Lindsay Sharp, Newly hired Polk County Schools employee is defendant in Illinois lawsuit, Polk public schools statement on hiring Frederick Heid, Lindsay Sharp. Can we attract new business because we have a quality workforce and a pathway for them?, As Polk continues to grow, supplying an adequate workforce, from line workers to executives, is the biggest challenge, he said. He did not respond to further interview requests. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County School Board elections see political parties take larger roles. Any allegation that he is anything less than a highly principled and capable leader has been shown to be without merit by our background investigation. I would like to express once again my sincere appreciation to each committee member for taking time out of your busy schedules to assist our board in this fashion, said School Board Chairman Lori Cunningham. For purposes of the policy, a proposition is an item before the Board for a vote, and includes, but is not necessarily limited to, all items on the agenda noted as unfinished business, consent, and nonconsent. In headlines on the profiles, it labels Sessions and Sharpless as conservative Republican candidates. Sex education: Polk County School Board unanimously approves changes to curriculum, More on CCDF: Conservative group wants to inspect Polk election system. In this leadership role, he oversees one of the 30 largest school districts in the United States and the seventh-largest in Florida serving more than 110,000 students (pre-K through 12th grade). I love this community and appreciate the great works thats happened in Polk County over the last several years; really excited to partner with the board to provide a great education to our students for the future, McIntyre said. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Its not being taught directly, but it's being taught indirectly, Martin said. Elections are held on a staggered basis in the November general election. If you're already a subscriber, thank you! Check out your childs grades, attendance, and more! Board chair Megan Harding also confirmed to FOX 13 she'd be in favor of discussing a possible policy change. I think it creates more problems than it solves. PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - The Pasco County school district began sending out a survey Wednesday to principals, teachers, parents and students asking for feedback regarding the use of cell phones in schools, as district leaders consider banning the devices. Insights into Polk County's demographic & market data, target sectors, and top employers. From a parents perspective, do kids get quality educational opportunities? . PUBLISHED 5:47 PM ET Apr. P.O. Sharpless, a professor at Warner University, has reported a contribution from Kevin Respress, a CCDF board member. His mother also lives with the family. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Previously, he was director of the office of school performance and accountability for Broward County Public Schoolsand served as a designee on the districts recovery team responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the districts recovery and commemoration efforts following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) - A school board member in Polk County lost narrowly to a first-time candidate with the backing of Gov. Race and math shouldn't have anything to do with each other.. DeSantis also recently released endorsements for 10 candidates in school board races none from Polk County. table #officeholder-table td { I am driven by students, without excuses, without barriers. Her board service has been under Superintendents Susan McCue, Bill Miller and Aaron Greene and under the leadership of Ann Whitmire and Geoff Tennant. I don't ask staff and students party affiliation. During the Polk County Board of Education's scheduled meeting on Feb. 13 at Stearns Education Center, The Stuart and Margaret L. Forbes Foundation and the Ann L. Turner [] He has a hands-on servant leadership style and recognizes the importance of developing a culture of honesty and trust by timely communication with all internal and external stakeholders.. : Promoting freedom, or 'anti-democratic' group? Seven candidates are moving forward as semifinalists for the next superintendent of Polk County Public Schools! This comes after John Legg, a candidate for Pasco Schools superintendent and co-founder of Dayspring Academy charter school, urged the school board to consider banning cell phones at all times during the school day. Were at a period of time in our country where we have to take control, assert control. Who is the CCDF? After that, he moved to Orange County to serve as an assistant principal, then principal. He has not endorsed any other School Board candidates, his office said. Updated: 5:05 PM EDT April 26, 2021. The background check revealed nothing that would preclude her as a candidate. | How to run for office | Finally, Mrs. Sharp met or exceeded all the qualifications for the position. [11], From 1993 to 2013, the Polk County school district had an average of $673,190,857 in revenue and $686,407,476 in expenditures, according to the United States Census Bureau's survey of school system finances. Dunn acknowledged that the elections are nonpartisan but said the Republican Party recognizes the qualities of the three candidates for whom he works Clark, Nolte and Sessions. Are we helping to fulfill that promise? At Tuesday nights meeting, school board members voted unanimously to keep seven candidates in the running for the position. Thats everyone not just the district, but school leaders, the union.. Most importantly for me, its about a family atmosphere, Borders said. Click on the names of the semifinalists below to read their applications and find out more about them. (Voting is done county-wide, though board members must live in geographic districts for the election.) She said following Thursday evenings meet and greet that her top three choices areBorder, Towns,andRamirez. The district retired $14,543,000 of its debt and issued $29,241,238 in new debt each year on average.[12]. The School Boards vote will come at Tuesday nights meeting, which starts at 5 p.m. at the Jim Miles Center in Highland City. Heid has been working with Byrd in Polk County during the transition. } But the engagement of the students being together has significantly increased.". FSBA, which, among other things, assists districts statewide in finding the right candidate,wonthe contract for about $35,000. Allegation: The Polk County School Board failed to conduct a proper background check on Mr. Heid as a candidate prior to hiring him as superintendent. Its salary ranges from $215,000 to $275,000, plus competitive benefits. Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger. Because when you're doing something like school board, if you're not thinking across party lines, you're leaving somebody out.. She said she and a group of people have been praying about this decision. Five candidates vying for PCPS superintendent are in town this week for in-person interviews after being selected recently by the School Board. State and local courts | Download it here. The semifinalists will be asked to submit written/video responses to a series of questions. Four years is a long time to leave the seat empty, and it's a long time for . Cities | Miller, who is registered with no party affiliation, said she has plenty of support from both Democrats and Republicans. Federal courts | I really do.. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Sharpless said he does not have a professional campaign manager. There are a lot of people involved, and they have a sincere commitment to children. Clark and Sessions each listed payments of $7,500 to Dunn in their campaign expenditures for June. This policy does not prohibit the Board from maintaining orderly conduct or proper decorum in a public meeting. More: Meet the finalists for Polk County Teacher and School-Related Employee of the Year. I'm not coordinating any kind of message with any other candidates. During a private meeting with supporters at an Eagle Lake restaurant in April, the Republican governor blasted unnamed school board members he said were fighting against the values of parents., That has to end this year, DeSantis said. .partytd.Green { It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district. The Lakeland Ledger reports the next superintendent's three-year contract will have a start date of July 1, 2021, with a transition period in May. The vote on the superintendent selection is the final item on the. Martin also cited the whole concept of social engineering, suggesting that Polk County schools are devoting more attention to social issues than to the basics of education. Contributors to the Democratic-endorsed candidates include Price and her predecessor, Kathie Sutherland, and current and former leaders of the Polk Education Association, the teachers union. She was previously assistant commissioner for data and research with the Tennessee Department of Education. Cunningham said her next goal for Heid is to launch a Strategic Planning Retreat to set goals that are measurable and aligned with resources and accountability. Monday Sept. 13 2021. A proposition may also include a vote on a motion to rescind or to amend action previously taken. That puts everything else in itsproper place, even if it doesnt culturally appear to at first. He has served as Superintendent of the McDowell County Schools for 9 years. Fields was first elected in 2002 and is pursuing a sixth term. Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached atkmoore@theledger.comor 863-802-7514. As parents of a student, one of the things I like about Polk is the variety provided, especially academies, he said. School Board Chair: Mr. Mike Ashworth. PCPS and Mr. Heid have always been open to responding to media and community requests for information and comment. He holds a bachelors, masters anddoctoratein educational leadership from the University of Central Florida. Being an NPA candidate and talking about issues that are currently happening in our school districtis not what is currently going on, Miller said. He served on a panel that investigated the causes and failures of the school system and law enforcement leading up to the shooting that left 14 students and three staff members dead. Clark, reached by phone, referreda reporter to Dunn, his campaign manager. This was a sentiment echoed by finalist Harold Borders. How do we continue to improve? Heid said, adding that he wants to learn what the communitys overall satisfaction is with Polk County schools, beyond grades. Hickman has also been a principal, school special education liaison, counselor and teacher in Norfolk, and a mental health technician for Norfolk Community Hospital in Virginia. Byrdssuccessor is scheduled to be selected at the April 27board meeting. CDC relaxes guidelines for wearing masks outdoors, Turnout low as Johnson & Johnson vaccine returns in Florida, Biden to sign $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers, Investigation: Derek Chauvin held a teenager down prone for 17 minutes, Former Bucs, FSU linebacker Geno Hayes dies at 33, Pandemic creates a plethora of mental health jobs, Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter. Is Novavax Safer Than Mrna,
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