.partytd.Libertarian { Clark is challenging incumbent Kay Fields, and Nolte is running against incumbent Sarah Fortney. Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter. @media only screen and (min-width: 600px) { 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.. Judd chose four out of the top five candidates without comment. Analysis of spending in America's largest school districts, United States school shootings, 1990-present, List of the largest school districts in Florida, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Polk_County_Public_Schools,_Florida&oldid=8752360, Pages using DynamicPageList dplreplace parser function, Largest school districts (by enrollment) in Florida, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Promoting freedom, or 'anti-democratic' group? The way there is through the strategic plan., Heid said hes a direct person who doesnt let his personal opinions influence his decisions. The school board conducted a special work session on Tuesday morning (click here for the video) to discuss and plan upcoming aspects of the search, including community tours for finalists and various in-person and virtual opportunities for the public to meet with them. and district school superintendent, calculated pursuant to ss. Dr. Paul Drake has been named the lone finalist for the superintendent position at Chester ISD. U.S. Congress | 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. The Polk School District Board of Education is closer to finding the successor to School Superintendent Laurie Atkins following a recent round of interviews with potential candidates. Congratulations to Mark Garrett who was named Superintendent of the Henderson County Schools. His name would not have been presented to the school board if there was any valid question related to his qualifications, integrity, or his care and concern for the safety, educational needs, and wellbeing of children under his care. Are we considering all opinions, concerns? 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. Leaders of CCDF did not respond to requests for comment. 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. Hes learning what the district needs to emphasize to improve, such as graduation rates and reading and math proficiency scores, he said. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district. To that end, I am so pleased that he has been in Polk County meeting with employees and community leaders, in order to listen and learn about many facets of our educational system, she said. After Luce withdrew . Board Meetings Access board meeting calendar, agendas and minutes. But he said partisanship in such local races could also scare away some well-qualified candidates. 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. 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. No matter how many times you told them, they just couldn't stop," said Legg, adding he instituted the policy at his charter school and saw an immediate difference. Miller, who is registered with no party affiliation, said she has plenty of support from both Democrats and Republicans. 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. Be in Good Company with top employers moving or expanding their business in Central Florida. It speaks to transparency. Heid began his career as a teacher in Sarasota. This appears to be a blatant, misleading attempt to influence the upcoming elections. Superintendent of Schools Read biographical information about the Superintendent. Puoi cambiare le tue preferenze in qualunque momento nella sezione Le tue impostazioni per la privacy. Finally, Mrs. Sharp met or exceeded all the qualifications for the position. Monday Sept. 13 2021. ERNST PETERS/ THE LEDGER It is a reality of elections that some citizens scan their ballots and. Against that backdrop, the Polk County Republican Party endorsed four candidates for the School Board in March: Terry Clark, Pamela Luce, Jill Sessions and Justin Sharpless. City commission and judicial elections are also free of partisan labels, while candidates in races from the county commission through the Florida Legislature and Congress runas party members. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. My resume is very well-rounded, the main reason Heid thinks he was selected to succeed Jacqueline Byrd, who is retiring. The school board went above and beyond the norm when hiring Mr. Heid. From the communitys perspective, when a student graduates, what does that piece of paper really mean? Heid began his career as a teacher in Sarasota. 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. Get notified on your phone in the morning with the latest forecast and news to start your day. We want to emphasize that Dunn is a paid campaign consultant and should not be viewed as an impartial observer in this matter. We will look at what everyone is working on, who is accountable and how things are measured. The Ledger LAKELAND The Polk County Public Schools citizens advisory committee on Thursday evening whittled 52 candidates who applied for school superintendent to their top seven.. The Ledger asked the Florida Division of Elections whether that might be a violation of state election laws and had not received a determination by Wednesday afternoon. I would so much rather spend time on implementation and respect people were going to ask to do the work. 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. Alison Crumbley, the school board's vice chair, said she's open to discussing a policy change. Were not perfect. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. The board will then choose the applicants they want to interviewin the next few weeks. Dunn claimed that he is undefeated in managing the campaigns for 25 school board candidates in Texas, candidates he described as Judeo-Christian Republicans. He said he has two colleagues who work with him. We all have to come to a consensus on things. Martin referred to reports in April that the Florida Department of Education had rejected dozens of math books for use in the state schools because of prohibited topics, including mentions of race. Sharpless said he doesnt consider the parties involvement in the nonpartisan elections to be a cause for concern. 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. The table below separates the district's revenue into the three sources identified by the agency: local, state, and federal. Because when I look at a student, I don't see a student being a Republican or Democrat. 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. I really want to increase the trajectory of that progress to get to the next level that the community wants to see., MEET THE FINALIST We havetoo much evidence that thats really how it works best.. She has also been a vice president at Wells Fargo & Company and Bank of America. She earned a bachelors degree in communication from the University of Pittsburgh, a masters in education fromCheyney University in Cheney, Pennsylvania, an education specialist degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale,anda doctorate degreeineducational leadership from the University of Central Florida. I think one of the things that's unfortunate is that we're even having to get into partisanship, Fields said. The board enlisted the services of the Florida School Boards Association and the Polk County Sheriff's Office to assist with background checks on all PCPS superintendent candidate finalists. Over the last few days, Ive learned Polk already has a lot of opportunities for kids through your career academy, arts and community support, Towns said. 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. A district spokesperson said the survey, called a "Thought Exchange," will help board members decide if and when they will hold a workshop to . Learn about how to get $$$ for your education. As parents of a student, one of the things I like about Polk is the variety provided, especially academies, he said. LAKELAND The Polk County Public Schools citizens advisory committee on Thursday evening whittled 52 candidates who applied for school superintendent totheir topseven. Sharpless is running for an open seat against Sara Jones. We will report on it every quarter and give all stakeholders an opportunity to get involved.. Phone: 863-534-0500. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? Polk County Public Schools narrows superintendent search to 6 candidates: Who are they? It happened all over the state after a rare move by . Current Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd announced in May that she would retirefromone of the largest districts in the nation, with more than 107,000 students last year and 150schools. James Dunns participation in the podcast leads us to believe that he is seeking to mislead and sway voters before the upcoming school board elections. When a new superintendent is hired, the goal is to make it a smooth transition how would you help the educational community adjust to a new governing style with a new superintendent? asked Polk County school board member, Kim Fields. They all chose more than one person on the list. The Polk County School Board sets policies for Floridas seventh-largest school district, which employs about 14,000 and serves more than 110,000 students. Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. READ ABOUT POLK SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOK CONTROVERSY: Conservative group trying to ban 16 books from Polk Schools, calling them pornographic, National effort to label schools' library books pornography takes root in Polk County, Polk schools superintendent announces months-long process to review 16 books in question, 'This is not a censorship committee': Polk County's book review committees get their orders, Polk parents, educators speak about book bans as review committees are formed, Polk Schools to return 16 books in question to libraries, opposing group threatens to sue. View state and district assessments by grade level; includes tips on preparing for exams. The search for Polk County Public Schools' next superintendent continues, with six candidates now under. That pleases Cunningham, who said her first goal for Heid is to spend the necessary time to get to know the people, places and critical issues facing our district. Martin mentioned the challenged books, saying local Republicans are unhappy with the school districts response. The COVID-19 vaccines are no different, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. But Jewett noted that politically contentious issues such as mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic and questions of teaching history involving race and addressing sexuality and gender issues have flared recently at school board meetings in Florida. I think it creates more problems than it solves. Check out your childs grades, attendance, and more! Fields was first elected in 2002 and is pursuing a sixth term. Bartow, FL 33831 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. Five Polk County Public Schools superintendent candidates in town for interviews, Polk schools' COVID-19 sick-time policy expires, leaving some employees in limbo, Kindergarten registration now open for Polk County schools, Polk teachers see a pay bump, but no raise for paraeducators or school staff, Editorial: All drugs come with risk. Sharpless said he will take part in forums that include candidates not endorsed by the Republican Party. The party held a fundraiser in May for the four originally endorsed candidates, charging a minimum contribution of $1,000 per couple. Ballot measures, Who represents me? Four years is a long time to leave the seat empty, and it's a long time for . School board elections. : Promoting freedom, or 'anti-democratic' group? Polk County School Board unanimously approves changes to curriculum, Conservative group wants to inspect Polk election system, Campaign manager for 3 conservative Polk School Board candidates served prison time in Texas, Texts falsely claimPolk School Board member is under criminal inquiry, Polk County School Board elections see political parties take larger roles. The school board went above and beyond the norm when hiring Mr. Heid. Jennifer Cupid-McCoy currently an area superintendent for nearby Orange County Public Schools. Information for vendors and potential business partners, including purchasing and construction bids. Sessions faces incumbent Lisa Miller and another challenger, Dell Quary. [6][7][8], table#officeholder-table th, td { padding:5px; font-size: 16px; } Ron DeSantis. Her board service has been under Superintendents Susan McCue, Bill Miller and Aaron Greene and under the leadership of Ann Whitmire and Geoff Tennant. -Dr. Harold R. Border -Dr. Jennifer Cupid-McCoy -Dr. James P. McIntyre, Jr. -Michael J. Ramirez -Frederick R. Heid -Dr. T. Nakia Towns -Dr. Antoine L. Hickman On Tuesday evening, the Polk County School Board voted to accept these recommendations from the Citizens Screening Committee. That puts everything else in itsproper place, even if it doesnt culturally appear to at first. FSBA, which, among other things, assists districts statewide in finding the right candidate,wonthe contract for about $35,000. Theres no room for second place. And I was disappointed at the fact that many of the Republican organizations would not allow me to speak to them because I'm a registered Democrat, because I think that they will find that they agree with a lot of the things that we say. About a dozen or so people attended the interview sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, while about four dozen people gathered for Thursday evenings meet and greet at the Jim Miles Centerin Highland City. background-color: #fdd007; 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. The deadline was Jan. 31. But there are plenty of connections between the group and the self-described conservative candidates. The Polk County Republican Party is not merely endorsing candidates. color: white; And so I'm always for more voices to be heard as part of the process.. Against that backdrop, the Polk County Republican Party endorsed four candidates for the School Board in March: Terry Clark, Pamela Luce, Jill Sessions and Justin Sharpless. 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. } table #officeholder-table td { Tomorrow evening is the ceremony to celebrate the 10 finalists, as well as to announce our 2021-22 # . We all want our kids to be reading on grade level. At the pace and rate of change, there is a higher sense of urgency. He points to two areas hes most proud of from his time as superintendent of District 300 in Algonquin, Illinois. Steps for getting your child started at Polk County Public Schools. A 3,000 acre mixed-use area connecting universities and established institutions with entrepreneurial entities such as startups and business accelerators. Their responses will be posted to the super search page. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. And to accomplish all of that in the short time we did says a lot about the willingness and sincerity of the people there., School Board Chairwoman Lori Cunningham said Heid brings the leadership characteristics and experiences necessary to take Polk County Public Schools to the next level. Follow me on Twitter - @AaronGreenePolk. I'm not coordinating any kind of message with any other candidates. 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 has been on for almost a year since Superintendent Jacqueline M. Byrd announced her retirement last spring. He was an adjunct professor in education at Harvard University in 2006. She has also taken specialistcourses at Harvard University. Breaking news and weather alerts:Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app, Stay In the Know! Ankeny is located in Polk County. Click on the names of the semifinalists below to read their applications and find out more about them. Teachers: Polk teachers see a pay bump, but no raise for paraeducators or school staff, We believe we need a righteous leader someone who knows how to access the wisdom of God and will submit to that, Wilson said. You know, the whole article on the math books, how race is being entered into math books. The students, if you gave them the choice, they would divert back to being on their cell phones. Kimberly Reicks, a well-known Iowa right-wing activist and Gov. Download it here. And though the party is promoting him and three other candidates collectively, Sharpless said he is not running as part of a package. } These background checks included searches for bankruptcies, liens/judgments, UCC filings, phone/email information, drivers License information, address, criminal records, sexual offenses, Florida accidents, and a professional license review. Its not being taught directly, but it's being taught indirectly, Martin said. The contract terms include astart dateofJuly 1, 2021,with a transition period beginning in May. "The mental health aspect, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the most important parts," she said. Goal #1 His plan starts at the end: Developing a portrait of a graduate. 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. It seems like the majority of people are not thrilled with party politics, the majority of voters, he said. Goal #2 Continue to improve relationships with partners. Catherine Price, chair of the Polk County Democratic Party, said she has long resisted making endorsements in nonpartisan elections but felt she had no choice in light of the Republicans blatant efforts to inject party issues into the races. Kathryn LeRoy was the superintendent of Polk County Public Schools from 2013 to 2016. .partytd.Republican { You have to get the majority so you can affect policy and move the agenda.. | 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. It solves divert back to being on their cell phones, if you gave polk county school superintendent candidates the choice, they divert. Areas hes most proud of from his time as superintendent of Schools biographical. Not respond to requests for comment Sarah Fortney well-qualified candidates business partners, including purchasing and construction.. The lone finalist for the position agendas and minutes and find out more about them about 14,000 and serves than. About how to get into partisanship, Fields said agencies use tests other. 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