Headline News: Education

OCPS Names Five Finalists For The
2010 Florida Teacher Of The Year 
   ORANGE COUNTY - Orange County Public Schools has selected five teachers as finalists for the 2010 Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced during the OCPS Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony on February 26, 2009 at the Coronado Springs Resort Hotel.
     This year the finalists are:
John Barnett, Stonewall Jackson Middle School is a math teacher and has been teaching for seven years since leaving and accounting career. His interests go beyond math as he also founded the school’s weightlifting club, coaches the Battle of the Books club and teaches a night class at Valencia Community College.
Ada Berrios, Oakshire Elementary School has been teaching kindergarten for all nine years of her education career. She is a two time Teacher of the Year at Oakshire Elementary. Mrs. Berrios is also the school’s PTA Vice President, Partners in Education Coordinator and the Kindergarten Team Leader.
     Ann Moy, Dr. Phillips Elementary School is a kindergarten teacher and has been in the teaching profession for 30 years continuing to grow professionally. She accomplished her National Board Certification in 2000, is certified in English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and is currently working on her doctorate degree.
     Stewart Parker, Winter Park 9th Grade Center is a geography/history teacher and has been teaching for seven years. He is the current OCPS Social Studies Teacher of the Year and last year Mr. Parker’s class had the highest Advanced Placement scores in the district.
     Melissa Reiker, Apopka High School has been an English teacher for five years. She began her career in education at Apopka High and in her short time there has made a big influence. She was voted English Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2005.
     The teacher selected as the OCPS Teacher of the Year will then go on to the 2010 Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year event to be held in July 2009. This program recognizes and honors the contributions of outstanding classroom teachers who have demonstrated a superior capacity to inspire a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities. The Florida Teacher of the Year receives an award check of $2,500 from the Department of Education and serves as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education. In this role, she or he serves as a goodwill ambassador representing the Department of Education and teachers throughout the state. The Teacher of the Year may conduct workshops, address fellow teachers, parents, business and community leaders at conferences and meetings, and talk to student groups about careers in education. 

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Bright Futures Scholarships
Boost SCC Enrollment
     SANFORD - The number of Seminole Community College students with Bright Futures Medallion-level scholarships has almost doubled in the last three years, rising from 744 in 2005 to more than 1,400 this fall.
     This enrollment surge is the result of legislation in 2006 that allowed the Medallion scholarships to pay 100 percent of tuition at the state’s 28 community colleges. Previously, the Medallion program, which is funded by the Florida Lottery, paid 75 percent of tuition, whether a student attended a two-year college or a four-year state university.
     “Realizing the strain on the higher education system in Florida, the Legislature created an incentive for students to come to a community college and then transfer as a junior,” says SCC Financial Aid Director Bob Lynn. Once they transfer to four-year schools, their Medallion scholarships continue to pay 75 percent of their tuition.
The amount of Bright Futures dollars coming to SCC grew from $1.4 million in 2006 to $1.8 million in 2007, Lynn says.   “The figures for this year won’t be available until spring, but it’s anticipated that the figure will exceed $2 million.”
     To qualify for a Medallion-level scholarship, students must achieve a 3.0 GPA and a score of 970 on the SAT. Students quickly saw the advantage of getting their Associate in Arts degree paid for at 100 percent, Lynn says.  “Recipients of Bright Futures scholarships don’t need to borrow as much - if anything - to make ends meet,” he notes. In addition, he says, students who qualify for need-based assistance can augment their Bright Futures scholarship money.
     “Bright Futures pays for tuition only, based on academic achievement,” he says. “We have many students who are Bright Futures recipients who are receiving Pell Grants, the federal need-based grant, and a new grant put in place two years ago called the Academic Competitiveness Grant. We also have institutional scholarships through SCC to assist Bright Futures students.”
Lauren Supersano, of Oviedo, jumped at the chance to have 100 percent of her tuition paid for.
     “If I didn’t have the scholarship, I wouldn’t be in college right now,” says Supersano, 19. Her dad’s long illness and medical bills meant “there was no money for me to go to school.”
     In addition to her Bright Futures scholarship, Supersano has taken advantage of scholarships available to her as a student in the Art & Phyllis Grindle Honors Institute. She will graduate in 2009 owing no money for her first two years of college.
     Students apply for Bright Futures awards during their senior year of high school before graduation. Applications for the scholarships are available through the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 888.827.2004 or through the Florida Department of Education.
     Bright Futures scholarships, which may be affected by Florida’s budget constraints, are just one of the factors propelling growth at SCC. The College is one of the fastest-growing two-year schools in the country, according to a study released this month by Community College Week.
     Based on its 9.4 percent increase in enrollment between Fall 2006 and Fall 2007, SCC is ranked No. 11 among community colleges with enrollments of 10,000 or higher.  For more information about Bright Futures and other financial aid, please visit www.scc-fl.edu/futurestudents.