Gov. Vetoes Teacher Merit Pay Bill
April 15, 2010
Calling it “significantly flawed,” but saying he believes in the goal, Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a highly controversial teacher merit pay bill on Thursday.
The measure was a top priority of many of his fellow Republicans in the Legislature. “This bill has deeply and negatively affected the morale of our teachers, parents and students,” Crist said. “They do not believe their voices were heard.”
Crist said he knew that his critics would say the move was politically motivated, and Crist denied that. “This thing was rushed through,” Crist said. “It has everything to do with the children of Florida.”
The legislation would link teacher salary increases to student performance on standardized exams, essentially abolishing any form of tenure. Representatives of the teachers’ union, the superintendents association and the school board association have all said they agree with the measure in concept, but its implementation could create major problems for districts around the state and cause major divisiveness between administrators and educators.
Opponents of the legislation have said repeatedly that external factors affecting students, such as socioeconomics or a bad family situation, could have major impacts on a child’s ability to perform and could hurt a teacher’s ability to earn a higher salary over time.
Pictured: Gov. Charlies Crist announces his veto of SB6, a teacher merit pay bill, at a news conference Thursday morning in Tallahassee. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.
School Bus Driver, Students Burned When Hose Bursts
April 15, 2010
A school bus driver and four students were injured when a heater or radiator hose failed on bus this morning in Oak Grove.
The bus driver was transported to Atmore Community Hospital to be treated for burns primarily to her legs. Four students received very minor burns and were evaluated by emergency personnel. The students were not transported to the hospital after the 8:45 a.m. accident.
The bus, number 18-06, was on North Highway 99 near Gobbler Road at the time of the incident. The bus driver was able to bring the bus to stop and call for help. An unknown number of Ernest Ward Middle School students were on the bus; the uninjured students were transported to school on another bus.
Students said when the hose burst, it sent hot antifreeze into the bus passenger compartment. The injured students were all near the front of the bus. Antifreeze could be seen running down the stairs of the bus and dripping onto the ground after the incident.
The parents of the injured students were all contacted by emergency personnel or Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry. Perry arrived at the scene shortly after the accident, even loaning her shoes to one of the injured students.
Atmore Ambulance, the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident. North Highway 99 was closed for about 30 minutes as victims were evaluated.
Pictured top: The driver of this bus was burned by hot antifreeze Thursday morning in Oak Grove. Pictured inset: Antifreeze can be seen running down the stairs of the bus. Pictured bottom: Emergency personnel evaluate injured students while Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry (right) calls parents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Students Send Veterans On Honor Flight (With Photo Gallery)
April 15, 2010
The World War II veterans on the sixth Emerald Coast Honor Flight were welcomed back to Pensacola last night by thousands, including members of the Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders.
The students and staff in the Escambia County School District raised $114,000 to sponsor the flight to Washington for the veterans to tour the World War II Memorial and other monuments in the nation’s capital. Almost 100 veterans were on Wednesday’s flight.
During “mail call” on the flight from Pensacola, each veteran received mail — cards and letters — from students and school staff from every school in the district.
Each school in the district raised funds for the trip, including $2,580 contributed by Ernest Ward.
For a photo gallery, click here. (Photos submitted by Ramona Fischer.)
Pictured top: Members of the Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders welcomed veterans on the sixth Emerald Coast Honor Flight back to the Pensacola airport Wednesday night. Cheerleaders pictured are: (back L-R) Lily Townson, Tamara Green, Mallory Ryan, Anna Fischer, Katelynn Calloway, Chelsea Ward Front, (front) Morgan Ward, Hannah Gibson, Mallory Wiggins and Paeton Hadley. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Textbook Losses At $1.6 Million In Three Years, $163K From North Escambia Schools
April 15, 2010
Escambia County has lost $1.6 million worth of textbooks over the last three years — including $163,284.59 at North Escambia schools.
$1.6 million is a staggering number to Jeff Bergosh, District 1 Escambia County School Board member. “Do you know how many teacher salaries that represents? We need to find a way to collect this money,” he said.
Bergosh has collected itemized school by school numbers that he plans to present to the school board today. His data shows the number of text books at each school classified as lost or damaged — 18,710 books with $1,585,940.07 in unpaid fines — and the amount of fines actually paid — just $31,029.44.
High school numbers are the worst, with fines ranging from $205,640.10 for 2,379 books at Escambia High to $109,004.11 at Tate High for 1,906 missing or damaged books. Just one high school in the county had less than $100,000 worth of fines during the three year period — Northview.
At Northview, there were 116 missing or damaged books over the three year period, with fines of $10,242.43.
“They must be doing something right at Northview,” Bergosh said.
NorthEscambia.com found that Northview has a strict plan in place to make sure textbooks are returned — and they will even go looking for their books.
“We enforce our textbook policies,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said. “It’s something that we take very seriously.”
If a student at Northview owes textbook fines, they don’t march at graduation. They still receive their diploma, Weaver said, because that cannot be withheld. But with outstanding fines, there’s no pomp and circumstance.
When a student transfers out of Northview, or quits school, they still work to collect the books. Even if that means sending the visiting teacher/social worker directly to the former student’s home in search of textbooks.
“We diligently stay after the books,” Weaver said. Most of Northview’s lost textbooks, she said, actually end up in Alabama as students transfer across the line. “There’s no district system in place that allows us to pursue the books outside of the state.”
Bergosh said he is looking to the rest of the school board for a textbook fine collection procedure — perhaps a pay to play plan.
“If you want to pay sports or take part in extracurricular activities, you need to pay your fines,” he said. “You want a transcript? You need to pay.”
“Collecting these fines needs to be a priority; we just can’t afford to lose $1.6 million every three years,” Bergosh added.
The total three-year fines at the county’s middle schools range from a low of $3,756.08 for 46 books at Ernest Ward Middle School to $74,766.29 at Warrington Middle for 884 books. At Ransom Middle School in Cantonment, there were 147 books missing or damaged during the period with fines of $33.489.05.
At the elementary level, fines totaled $4,211.29 for 149 books at Bratt, $1,263.42 for 134 books at Jim Allen and $1,318.21 for 26 books at Molino Park.
Pictured top: A set of sixth grade books from Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Bright Images: Northview Art Students’ Work
April 15, 2010
Several students from Northview High School currently have art work on exhibit in the Escambia County School District’s 52nd annual Bright Images Art Show at the J.E. Hall Center.
Several of the students also won awards for their artwork, including:
- Mallory Okahashi, 12th grade – 1st place, Sculpture
- Nathan Taylor, 12th grade & Jamichael Carson, 11th grade – honorable mention, Sculpture
- Abby Odom, 10th grade – 1st place, Beginning Art
- Megan McCann, 12th grade – 2nd place, Beginning Art
- Libby Page, 12th grade – honorable mention, Beginning Art
- Grant Bellizzi, 12th grade – honorable mention, Drawing
- Northview 2-D Design students, 9-12th grade – 3rd place, Mixed-Media
Other students with work on display include junior Katelynn Garrison and seniors Parish Kelley and Ariel Morris.
Jay Track Star Breaks Longtime School Record
April 15, 2010
Jay High Track Star Robin Blackman has broken a long-held school record in the 400 meter dash with a time of 61.75 seconds.
Blackman competes in four events, the long jump, the 4×800 meter relay, the 400 meter dash and the 4×400 meter relay. She placed first in all four events and helped to lead the Lady Royals to a first place victory in the 36th Annual Quarterback Club Invitational held at Jay High School recently.
Blackman is a junior and has advanced to state each year since seventh grade. She is the top scorer for the Royals and plans to run at Troy University.
Pictured above: Assistant Coach Stan Blackman, Robin Blackman and Coach Sonya Odom. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Register Now For Century Junior And Senior League Ball
April 15, 2010
Now is the time to register for Junior and Senior League ball for Century Little League.
Registration for ages 13-16 will be held from 5:30 until 7:30 on April 16, 19 and 20. To register, see Wes Sims on the t-ball field, or ask about registering at the concession stand. For more information, call Wes at (251) 370-0246.
Cantonment, Pensacola Men Among Four Killed In Navy T-39 Crash
April 14, 2010
A Cantonment man was among the four killed the crash of a T-39N Sabreliner near Blue Ridge, Georgia, on Monday.
Lt. Cmdr. Charles McDaniel (Ret.), 67, of Cantonment; Capt. Jason Paynter, USMC, 38, of Pensacola; 1st Lt. Shawn Nice, USMC, 26, of Levittown, Pennsylvania.; and Ens. Zachary Eckhart, 25, of Orefield, Pennsylvania, died in the training jet crash in north Georgia.
All four were assigned to Training Squadron (VT) 86, based out of Naval Air Station Pensacola. They were conducting a routine training mission at the time of the crash. The cause of the mishap is under investigation.
A memorial service is scheduled Friday for family, friends and squadron mates at the Aviation Memorial Chapel, NAS Pensacola. The memorial service is not open to the public.
Deputy Collides With Deer
April 14, 2010
An Escambia County deputy escaped injury in a collision with a deer Wednesday morning on Highway 29. Deputy David Bashore said the deer jumped out of the median and over his hood on Highway 29 south of Champion Drive. The deer smashed into the cruiser’s windshield at about 60 mph. The deer did not survive the impact. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Man Busted In Escambia, Fla. With Nearly Half Pound Of Pills
April 14, 2010
A Flomaton man has been charged with drug trafficking after being arrested in Escambia County, Fla., with just under a half pound of illegal pills.
Jason Daniel Kirk, 30, of Houston Street, Flomaton, is charged with drug trafficking. He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $100,000.
Members of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at Kirk’s room at the Value Place Extended Stay hotel on Scenic Highway in Pensacola. During the search of the room, deputies found a lock box that contained quantities of Xanax, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and hydrocodone, according to the arrest report. One bag of hydrocodone weighed in excess of 200 grams (0.44 pounds), the report stated.
The room also contained sales and inventory figures for the illicit narcotics, and the key to the safe was located on Kirk’s person, deputies said. Kirk admitted to ownership of the narcotics, according to the Sheriff’s Office report.
Kirk may face additional trafficking charges due to the quantity of narcotics recovered, according to Escambia deputies. Kirk is also the suspect in a Brewton, Ala., pharmacy burglary, according to deputies.
He was also charged with negotiating a $57.45 worthless check at the Southern Pit Stop, Inc. in Century.
Kirk is due in court on April 30.