MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNCIL
We would like to reconstitute the Middle School Council for the 2006 – 2007 school year. The function of the council is to (1) be up-to-date in regard to legislation affecting the Middle Schools, (2) be current insofar as the trends in middle level education nationally, (3) advocate for middle level programs, procedures and stakeholder needs, and (4) serve as a stakeholder voice. At one time this was a very vibrant voice in Broward County. Over the past few years (as parents have been their children matriculate to high school) we have not been able to maintain membership. We meet one evening per month, generally at a site in the center of the county. If there is enough response to this offer contact Joel.Smith@browardschools.com, or call at 754-321-2132, we will reconvene the Middle School Council.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
At the close of this year’s legislative session, House Bill 7087 was passed. This is the comprehensive bill addressing not only the continuation of previously passed legislation but the changes to educational practice that the legislature felt should be put into place. Chancellor Cheri Yecke recently released a document expressing the Department of Education’s interpretation of the enacted legislation (A++ Explanation). Among the key legislative directives are: the replacement of the Academic Improvement Plan with the Pupil Progression Plan, the inclusion of strands addressing career exploration and a career progression plan (enhancing the plan that exists), and the allowance of team teaching. The legislation also calls for 3 years each in the following courses: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies (leaving less flexibility for electives when the career course is factored in). There is a mandate for credit recovery but no legislative direction as to how this is to be accomplished. That gives us an opportunity to impact the design of this imperative.
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS / FLORIDA LEAGUE OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS
The National Middle School Association is the voice of middle level education. You can find a significant amount of information on their website (www.nmsa.org), all specific to middle level education. They recently published Success in the Middle: A Policymaker’s Guide to Achieving Quality Middle Level Education. The document is available, in it’s entirety, on the NMSA website. The following link will take you to three abstracts: what we can expect from our National Policymakers, what we can expect from policymakers at the State level, and what we should look for at the local level (NMSA Local,State,National). The NMSA has a comprehensive bookstore, accessible from the website, with publications specific to middle level education. The Florida affiliate is the Florida League of Middle Schools www.flms.org. Broward County is part of Region VII, which includes: Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Lee, Collier, and Hendry Counties). We encourage you to join by filling out the FLMS registration form.
The 2005 – 2006 Annual conference was held on Friday, April 28, 2006. Descriptive information and pictures can be found at the Region VII Conference webpage.
The 2006 – 2007 Region VII conference will be held on Friday, March 16, 2007, at The Signature Grand, Davie, FL.
As of September 1, 2006, we are prepared to accept proposal’s for next years conference by visiting the Region VII Conference webpage.
