The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
The Pinellas School Board expressed strong support Monday for launching a handful of special programs, some starting as soon as next school year.
At a workshop, the board heard proposals for:
• A middle school magnet program for gifted students.
• A program at Pinellas Park High geared to students seeking careers in emergency management.
• And a journalism program at Lakewood High.
The middle school gifted program is a response to years of lobbying from parents at Ridgecrest Elementary, a gifted magnet school in Largo and the only elementary magnet without a destination program in middle school.
Some Pinellas middle schools offer gifted programs in math and science, plus some gifted electives. But Ridgecrest parents say it's not enough to keep their students challenged, especially in language arts classes.
District officials said such a program could be in place for the 2009-10 school year. It would operate as part of an existing, still-to-be-named middle school.
The National Guard has provided nearly $900,000 in startup costs for the proposed magnet program at Pinellas Park High. District officials said the idea for the magnet grew out of a realization after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that the nation needed more emergency management professionals.
A proposal submitted to the board said it was "designed for students expressing an interest in areas related to first responders, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), homeland security, fire safety and emergency management."
Some board members, including Jane Gallucci and Linda Lerner, expressed concern about the National Guard's involvement, saying they didn't want the program to be a military recruiting tool.
But David Barnes, the district's director of work force education, said the program was proposed by the National Guard's Education, Incentives and Employment Division, not its military arm.
"The Guard has been very up front and forthcoming," Barnes said of the board members' recruiting concern. "They don't want that either."
Board members pushed for something that would back that up in writing.
The program, thought to be the first of its kind, could be ready to accept students for the 2009-10 school year. The board tentatively decided to consider approving it in November.
Also Monday, board members gave administrators the approval to push ahead with a journalism program at Lakewood High. Starting as soon as next school year, the program would offer journalism classes to all freshmen at Lakewood and allow students from two feeder schools to continue their journalism studies.
The two feeder schools are Melrose Elementary and John Hopkins Middle School, both in St. Petersburg.
[Last modified: Oct 01, 2008 05:02 PM]
Comments on this article
by Mommy
Oct 1, 2008 5:02 PM
I found out that PCSB cut funds and included YES.i questioned the ymca and they were as rude as ever.my point is that PCSB needs to consider options for students like my son. not just the gifted, journalism,etc.
by Mommy
Oct 1, 2008 5:02 PM
My son was in a program at Riviera.He did hardly any work his 1st yr there. He finally did work when enrolled in YES with the YMCA.Now he is doing nothing at JHOP.I called the Y to find out his teacher was laid off and they dont know where she is.
by Ridgecrest Mom
Oct 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Thank You GAP for the hard work and many hours put into the proposal. The meeting last night was wonderful. You are a group of people who really care about kids!
by Marty S.
Sep 30, 2008 6:52 PM
Will Galucci or Lerner ever learn that their precious little school system only exists in part due to the National Guard. "If you can read a book thank a teacher. If you can read that book in English thank a vet!"
by Sue
Sep 30, 2008 5:41 PM
The Gifted Association of Pinellas is actually the group that lobbied for the Gifted MS. GAP is a group of parents and teachers of gifted students from all areas of Pinellas County, not just Ridgecrest Elem.
by Jim
Sep 30, 2008 12:11 PM
A journalism program? With newspapers laying off workers right and left. What is the School Board thinking?
Subscribe to the Times
Click here for daily delivery
of the St. Petersburg Times.
News
