Janet Valentine
Superintendent
Phone: (386) 437-7526
E-Mail: valentinej@flaglerschools.com

Liz Binkley
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
Phone: (386) 437-7526
E-Mail: binkleyl@flaglerschools.com

FAX: (386) 586-2641

As we begin the second semester, I can hardly believe that the school year is half over.  It seems like only yesterday that the buses were rolling out to start the first day of school.   FCAT testing is right around the corner and soon we will see the fruits of all our labors as determined by student scores and school grades.

Student achievement can certainly be measured by more than just raw test score data, but student test scores are going to soon become an even more integral part of the professional lives of educators here in Florida.  Florida is one of the few states in the country to be awarded the Federal Race to The Top grant.  Flagler County’s plan for Race to The Top has been accepted by the Florida Department of Education and we are in the beginning stages of implementation.  Long-time principal Stewart Maxcy is taking the lead role in putting the District’s plan into action.

One of the outcomes of Race to the Top is that teacher evaluations and salaries will be tied in part to the achievement of the students assigned to a teacher.  That is just one of the reasons that I am so pleased we were able to use Federal Jobs Education Funds to get our teachers and support staff back to the salary step that their contract required.  Now we have this employee compensation back in line as we move forward into a new era.

This new era will certainly have its challenges.  Florida is facing a daunting budget shortfall as we struggle to get our economy back on track, and it is unlikely that there will be any more Federal stimulus dollars to make up for the deficit.  Fortunately, we have a School Board, employees and community capable of triumphing over any adversity we might face.

There is a sign hanging in my office that I think applies to all of us as we go forth.  Its simple message states, “Because Nice Matters.”  I think we would all be well served if we were to keep that in mind in our dealing with students, the community and each other as we rise to meet the challenges of the future.

Janet Valentine
Superintendent
Flagler County Public Schools