Florida Public School Choice Consortium (FPSCC) Meeting

Florida Public School Choice Consortium (FPSCC) Meeting
Magnet Schools of America Conference
Chattanooga, TN
April 29, 2008
4:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Mary Vreeland Director of Choice in Palm Beach County
       for Kathy Israelson, Director of Choice Bay County and President
Deidra Honeywell, Secretary of FPSCC
Call to Order and Introductions
Overview of Purposes and Goals

Ms. Vreeland introduced herself and Dr. Deidra Honeywell, Secretary of the organization. Ms. Vreeland is the Director of Choice Programs with the School District of Palm Beach County, FL and filling in for the FPSCC president, Kathy Israelson, who was unable to attend the meeting. Dr. Honeywell is a consultant and president of DKH Consulting Services, Inc. She was the former Grants Director of Pinellas County.

All those attending the meeting introduced themselves, told the name of their district, and position. There were representatives from Palm Beach, Broward, Brevard, Hillsborough, Lee and Duval. Also, Dr. Marty Pennington from Oklahoma attended the meeting – she is interested in starting such an organization in her state.

Ms Vreeland talked about the organization membership and fees. They range from $50 for an individual school to $500 for a district with more than 100,000 students. She mentioned such membership benefits as learning about the latest research on school choice, staying current with Florida Statutes and State Board Rules, and collaborating with colleagues from across the state. The organization meets four times a year (regionally in South, Central and North Florida) and recently sponsored an event called “Career Academies on the Hill” in Tallahassee.

Minutes from last meeting – April 15, 2008

Ms. Vreeland distributed the minutes from the April 15, 2008 North-Region Meeting in Tallahassee. There being no corrections or additions to the minutes, and they were approved as written.

Updates from Dr. Judy Stein, Treasurer of FPSCC and First President of MSA

Financial Report: Ms. Vreeland shared the Treasurer’s Report, prepared by Dr. Judy Stein, who is Treasurer of the organization. The organization has a current balance of $59,186.53 and accounts receivable of $5,000 from the recent “Academies on the Hill” conference on April 15-17, 2008.

Membership Report: Dr. Stein indicated that the membership is currently made up of Florida mentor and mentee school districts. She encouraged the membership committee to work on future plans to retain current members and grow membership. With a large enough membership base, the organization would be able to fund a part-time executive director’s position. A membership application containing the restructured membership fees was distributed to the attendees.

Legislative Report:  Dr. Stein reported that the Academies on the Hill 2nd Annual Legislative Conference was a great success on many fronts. A number of national career-tech groups were represented and attendance among Florida districts was excellent. Total conference revenues were $41,575 and $900 in sponsorship support from the Southeast Coalition of Essential Schools.

Annual State Conference: Dr. Stein reported that the 4th Annual State Conference is planned for late November 2008 in Orlando. The meeting will precede the State of Florida Charter School Conference. Visit the website at http:// www.fpscc.net for details.

FPSCC Marketing Survey

Ms. Vreeland discussed that a marketing survey will be sent to members and people on today’s sign-in sheet.

Dr. Carlo Rodriguez Champion of School Choice Award Program

Ms. Vreeland reported that a scholarship for Florida educators pursuing a master’s degree or a doctorate in school choice has been named in honor of Dr. Carol Rodriguez – former member and President–Elect of the FPSCC. He was the State of Florida School Choice Director and also had been the Charter School Operations Administrative Director for Miami-Dade County Schools. He died last June suddenly.  Awardees will receive half the cost of their degrees. Applications are due by May 30, 2008. Particulars about the award and requirements are on the FPSCC web site. www.fpscc.net

Dr. Bob Brooks, Executive Director of Magnet Schools of America, stopped by the meeting and gave the group a bit of history on MSA and Dr. Stein. He stated that Florida schools are leaders in the Magnet Schools of Distinction and Magnet Schools of Excellence awards. As the number of applications has increased – the competition is getting stronger.

Ms. Vreeland thanked everyone for coming and adjourned the meeting.

Meeting adjourned.

Respectively Submitted
Deidra K Honeywell, Secretary