John Dick, Monroe County School Board member, joined Good Morning Keys this morning on KeysTalk 96.9/102.7FM to talk about our schools.
The school year started out incredibly well.
Dick said, “I’m very satisfied with how things have started this year. As we originally reported we had the least amount of open positions that we’ve ever had to start a school year, I think it was six, and they had a couple of prospects that were coming in within a day or two. So that was very good. We’re moving along. We had our final budget hearing the other day last week, and so now we have a better handle on the funding that we’re getting with the situation from the feds shutting down certain things, we didn’t know what we’d get. The only thing that is still open, that we do have concerns is if we have a hurricane, how much will FEMA be helpful? There’s a lot of talk on that, whether it’s going to be shut down or cut back, or whatever. So we want to make sure we build up our fund balance. We want to be prepared. And so that’s something we’re going to continue on doing, is building our fund balance. But all in all, we’re satisfied with the funding that we’re going to have, we’ll be able to move forward and provide another good school year, and hopefully we will maintain an A and move up to be as Mr. Tierney said, he wants to make us the number one district in the state of Florida.”
What would need to happen to make Monroe County School District the number one district in the state of Florida?
Dick said, “The letter grade is determined by there’s a formula of a whole bunch of things that you have to accomplish. There actually is a number. They total up with a number and if you get certain numbers, you’re in an A rating. Then there’s a scale that goes into B, C and D. So since there is a number, if you can get the highest number, then you would be listed as the number one district in the state of Florida. So we are in the A rating. I think we were really about number 20. Now there’s a bunch of numbers where it’s close. But it’s the goal, and I’m glad to see that as a goal, and we’re going to work towards it. So what happens, of course, is each of the schools, we have schools that are A rated and B rated. So you would think that most of the schools need to move up to B/A rating, because it’s all part of the formula, but we need to improve graduation rates, we need to improve test scores. We need to definitely improve the scores for the lower quartile. That’s one of the things that carries a little extra weight when you move up the lower quartile and move them up. So that’s all important, and we’re on top of it, and our goal is to move that number forward.”
The school district had a number of 9/11 commemorations last week.
Dick said, “It was well commemorated in Monroe County, up and down the Keys, all the schools. You can go online at the school district website or in the school district Facebook pages and see some of it. I know Coral Shores, they had the students up in the balconies, and they had presenters down below. They had first responders, the fire, the police, the ambulance people, and the place was decked out with the flags and the ribbons, all the schools up and down the Keys had commemorations and yes, Marathon had that one, they do it on the football field on Friday night, where they have the flags all around the field to commemorate every person that died on 9/11. The amount of patriotism coming out of Monroe County Schools is second to none. I’m very, very satisfied. Monroe County had veterans going on the Honor Flight to Washington. What happened there is they wanted to have a little commemoration for them heading out and timing was real touchy issue with this one, because they had to get up into Fort Lauderdale. Everything was set on a time schedule. So what happened is there was going to be a meeting where all the people from the Keys, the veterans from the Keys, they really wanted to see kids come out. But of course, the timing of it to bring students over there is a little touchy and tough. So what happened is, the bus, then, with all the veterans on it went over first to Coral Shores High School, and the students came out there, and they were on that walkway and they were celebrating and cheering for the veterans. They had the flags and the students were out there, a whole bunch of students, maybe a couple of hundred of them. And then they bus circled around and went over to PKS, and those little children there, the whole school was out screaming and yelling for the veterans. It really was a big deal. And I tell you, the veterans on the bus, some of them were in tears. I can’t thank Monroe County students, the schools, the staff for their patriotic show to veterans, as they do it all year long.”
Dick was also honored as well.
He said, “For me, it was my grandson. It was a great time to be with him. And I really enjoyed it. We got to see, actually, we got to see one memorial I hadn’t seen, because the last time I was there was a while ago, and they didn’t have the World War II Memorial. So I got to see that. It was very, very nice. I did get an etching or two from the Vietnam War, people that I was aware of, and actually one of them was my best friend in grammar school. It was great to go up there with my grandson.”
Patriotism is so important in the district.
Dick confirmed, “It’s very important. I cringe when I hear places not being patriotic. And look, I grew up in New York City. I mean, of course, that was way back when, and they were extremely patriotic in the schools, we always sang patriotic songs. It was a big deal. Unfortunately, I doubt that that’s happening in New York City anymore. I hope I’m wrong in that statement, but I don’t think I am, but it was a big deal. Of course, most of all, when I grew up, most of the parents of students had served in World War II, so it was a big time for patriotism. I’m thankful to see the resurgence of it in the United States again now, but down here, it’s full blast, big time in patriotism in Monroe County School District. I appreciate the community. This Monroe County community is just a great community, and the support they give to our schools is fantastic. I’m talking every community, Key West to Key Largo, big time support of our school district. And we are very grateful and very thankful for it. We’re going to continue and we’re going to move forward.”
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