Marlene Sokol, Times Staff Writer
Marlene Sokol has worked at the Times as a reporter, editor and columnist since 1988. After launching North of Tampa in 1996, she served first as its editor and later as a general assignment reporter specializing in the suburbs. She now covers education in Hillsborough County.
Phone: (813) 226-3356
Email: sokol@tampabay.com
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King is new principal of Steinbrenner High School
05/21/13 BlogKelly King is the new principal of Steinbrenner High School.
The Hillsborough County School Board appointed King, now assistant principal for curriculum at Steinbrenner, to replace Brenda Grasso. Grasso was promoted recently to area director.
King joined the school district in 2001.
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Help buy books for a low-income school
05/21/13 BlogGradebook received this request from the media director at Sligh Middle Magnet School, a long-struggling school in a lower-income neighborhood in north Tampa.
The director, Joshua Newhouse, is trying to raise funds through a website to enhance the book collection at his school. They hope to raise $3,000 by May 30 and have made little progress so far.
Writes Newhouse:
"Our students are so hungry for good books, and thirsty for knowledge that it is very frustrating that too often we do not always have the books they want, whether it is poetry, popular biographies, urban realistic fiction, animal books, graphic novels and manga, and especially frustrating given our student body, books by strong African-American authors and featuring strong African-American characters. Many of our students' homes do not contain many or any books and there is no local neighborhood library or bookstore for them to be able to easily get to. The school media center needs to be a haven for them to find books to connect with, to improve their achievement, and to create life-long readers."
They are working with an organization called Follett Library Resources. Donations are tax-deductible.
You'll find more information here.... -
Hillsborough will launch ESE focus groups
05/17/13 BlogThe Hillsborough County school district will conduct focus groups this summer about exceptional student education, the district's new ESE chief told an advisory council on Friday.Principals and assistant principals, ...Candy Olson will leave Hillsborough School Board in 2014
05/14/13K12TAMPA — After 20 years on the Hillsborough County School Board, Candy Olson is stepping down when her term ends in 2014.
"As I look at myself and the work I do, I couldn't commit to putting the same level of energy, passion and patience into it for five and a half more years," Olson said Tuesday.
At 65, Olson said she does not intend to retire, and age is not a factor.
"But after 20 years, it's time," she said. "I've done similar work for 20 years."...
Hillsborough schools security chief talks about best hires, Sandy Hook
05/11/13K12Before Dec. 14, David Friedberg would have said the Hillsborough County School District was doing all it should to protect its 200,000 students and 25,000 employees. But attitudes changed after the school shootings in Newtown, Conn., and Friedberg's was no exception. Now, the district's chief security officer is among those who want an armed and trained first responder at every school. It's not just about mad gunmen, he said, emphasizing that such occurrences are extremely rare. Schools face other sensitive and volatile issues, from custody battles to natural disasters and medical emergencies. Here's some of what Friedberg told the Tampa Bay Times....
Gov. Rick Scott brings Teacher Pay Raise Pep Rally Tour to Tampa
05/10/13K12TAMPA — Gov. Rick Scott wrapped up a weeklong Teacher Pay Raise Pep Rally Tour with a visit Friday to Alexander Elementary School.
Serenaded by the Pierce Middle School band, Scott encouraged students at the Town 'N Country elementary school to strive to be governor one day.
They can meet heads of state and order pizza whenever they want to, he joked. "But you have to study really hard to get there."...
Weekend interview: Hillsborough Schools Security Chief David Friedberg
05/10/13 BlogIf you asked David Friedberg before Dec. 14, he probably would have told you the Hillsborough County school district was doing all it should to protect its 200,000 students and 25,000 employees. But attitudes changed after Newtown, and Friedberg’s was no exception.
Now the district’s chief security officer is among those who want to see an armed and trained first-responder at every school. It’s not just about mad gunmen, he said, emphasizing such occurrences are extremely rare. But schools face other sensitive and volatile issues, from custody battles to natural disasters and medical emergencies. Friedberg and his staff prevent bad things from happening and if they are doing their job right, the rest of us never hear about them. Here’s some of what he had to say during a recent interview with Gradebook....
Hillsborough School Board frets about new Common Core standards
05/07/13K12TAMPA — Common Core is the rage of the education world. But on the Hillsborough County School Board, it's a bit of a tough sell.
At a workshop Tuesday, all seven board members expressed reservations about the movement, which seeks to strengthen instruction and make learning standards more consistent across states.
Especially vocal was Doretha Edgecomb, an educator for nearly half a century who has seen countless trends come and go....
Hillsborough district will support grant application to hire school-based deputies
05/07/13K12TAMPA — It's been a moving target since Dec. 14: What is the best way to keep the Hillsborough County public schools safe, and who should pay for those efforts?
A possible answer appeared Tuesday in the form of a letter from Sheriff David Gee. Join me, he suggested, in applying for federal money to hire 24 school-based deputies.
The School Board voted unanimously to go for the grant....
Federal grant could put more sheriff's deputies in schools
05/07/13 BlogThe Hillsborough County School Board just voted unanimously to pursue a federal grant that would help pay the cost of putting 24 school resource deputies in elementary schools. This came about at the suggestion of Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee. Details are not all clear, but this could answer some of the security questions that have existed since the Sandy Hook shootings in December. Read more tomorrow in the Tampa Bay Times....
Principals tell consultant: Keep the guards in our schools
05/06/13 BlogArmed guards in elementary schools?
The Hillsborough County School Board was not sold on the idea when superintendent MaryEllen Elia floated it in January.
But the board did approve the hiring of security consultant Michael Dorn, who conducted a survey of 21 elementary principals who have guards. And guess what? Most of them are strongly in favor of the practice, saying it makes their schools safer and helps them deal with myriad problems, from adults with mental health problems to the stress that comes from nearby crimes.
Find the survey results here. District officials, meanwhile, are continuing to discuss their security options....
Hillsborough officials optimistic in report to Gates Foundation
05/04/13K12TAMPA — The latest report from the Hillsborough County school district to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation presents a mixed, but mostly positive assessment of the district's $200 million teaching reform effort.
Academic rigor, measured by everything from state test scores to National Merit Scholar awards, is on the rise, according to the 68-page document. New teacher retention has increased from 72 to 94 percent. A grant-funded administrative training program called Principal Pipeline is complementing the increased teacher training....
Hillsborough School Board takes on discipline of minorities
04/30/13K12TAMPA — The students who gathered for interviews at Middleton High School on a Saturday included some tough kids and some not-so-tough, all African-American and male.
Their answers surprised the panel of Hillsborough County school district officials, as well as School Board member Doretha Edgecomb, who attended the event. More than a third had positive role models. Half described strong parental support....
Plant High senior has artwork in national competition
04/29/13 BlogThe artwork of a Plant High School senior will be on display at the U.S. Capitol during the Annual Congressional Art Competition on June 26.
Hansel Rivera is the winner of the U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor’s Congressional Choice Award. She congratulated Rivera personally during a visit to the south Tampa high school.
Rivera’s artwork will remain on display one year and automatically entered into the national congressional art competition, according to a statement from Castor's office.
Rivera has studied art throughout his four years at Plant. His winning entry was a portrait of his deceased grandfather, Rumaldo, in black and white charcoals. He plans to study business administration in college....
Hillsborough School Board opens up on employee discipline
04/23/13K12TAMPA — Reversing a vote from earlier this month, the Hillsborough County School Board decided Tuesday to go back to publicly posting the names of employees who face suspension or dismissal.
They will also include brief descriptions of allegations against the employees and disclaimers that tell due process rights.
While noting the importance of compassion, member Candy Olson said: "I also think that parents and people in the community have a right to know if someone is charged with a felony or whatever it is. I think it would be helpful for people to realize that we have 25,000 employes and maybe 100 a year who do something so bad, we say we want to suspend you without pay."...
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