January 2009 Update

Jan. 5, 2009

Council President and Executive Director, Dr. Elaine Liftin, was invited to serve on a national group which is tasked with developing core beliefs to serve as the foundation for a Highly Accomplished Educational Leader Certification Program. The newly formed Core Proposition Validation Working Group, which Dr. Liftin joins, is sponsored by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  The first meeting is in January in Washington D.C.

Results from two studies of Council programs reinforce the impact of leadership development on achievement and school improvement. The Post PASS© Study found that PASS positively impacts student achievement after the model ends, and under a new Principal. Over the three year PASS model, leadership behaviors become ingrained in program Principals and are applied at new assignments.  The Florida Leadership Academy© Historian Project followed 18 teams—Principal, AP and Teacher—who attended a Council Academy.  At the Academy, teams developed leadership plans to implement at their schools.  The study found that Academy plan implementation and applied Academy learning helped performance improve significantly. 

The Council welcomes its newest school, North Dade Middle, and Principal Lowell Crawford, to the PASS family.  The Miami Gardens school brings the number of PASS models statewide to 80. This PASS is sponsored by Charles Ridley, the Executive Director of the Community Crusade Against Drugs.

The Just Elementary staff collected over 260 Thanksgiving baskets for their students and their families, which they delivered prior to the holiday. Just Elementary is a PASS school located in a severely disadvantaged neighborhood and has 600 students.  The program was coordinated by teacher Jodie Metz, in partnership with Publix Supermarkets to provide a memorable holiday for the families. The Patel Foundation for Global Understanding sponsors the Just PASS model.  Barry Preusch, VP of JP Morgan Chase Bank, is the CEO mentor and Tricia McManus is the Principal.

MCM Corp. recently donated $4,000 to the yearbook account at Westland Hialeah Sr. High.  Fernando Munilla, an MCM Corp. owner, supports special projects at the school.  Westland is an Executive PASS© school, partnered by Dr. Cindy Miles of Miami-Dade College, Hialeah Campus.  MCM also sponsors two Executive PASS models at South Miami Middle and Ronald Reagan Sr. High, which Boots Richards coordinates for the Council.

Council Board Member Karen Fryd was recently honored as a Woman of Valor by the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Miami Sector.  She was lauded for her work on behalf of underprivileged children and education.

Mark your calendar.  The Annual PASS Meeting is slated for April 15 in Tampa. The Council thanks WEDU CEO Dick Lobo for sponsoring the event at his station’s studio. Mr. Lobo is the PASS CEO at Leto High in Tampa. Raymond James Financial is the statewide PASS sponsor. The next Council Board Meeting will be telephonic and held on January 21, at 10:00 a.m.

A complete, printable version of the Update is available for download below.