Complete set of (anonymous) comments by students from grades 6 to 12 in response to a sex education survey by the Flagler County school district. Comments are provided here unedited and uncensored.
flagler county schools
Sex Education In Flagler County Schools: Parents’ Comments
Complete set of (anonymous) comments by parents of Flagler County school students in school in response to a sex education survey by the Flagler County school district. Comments are provided here unedited and uncensored.
Sex Education In Flagler County Schools: Community Members’ Comments
Complete set of (anonymous) comments by residents who have no children in school in response to a sex education survey by the Flagler County school district. Comments are provided here unedited and uncensored.
As the School District Agonizes Over Cuts, Imagine Prepares to Almost Double in Size
Imagine School at Town Center is expanding to accommodate 910 students even as the rest of the district’s enrollment stalls and its budgets are being slashed. A video report of Imagine’s expansion plans.
How Grim Are State School Spending Cuts? Try 7 to 10% Per Student, Layoffs to Follow
Florida House and Senate proposals would cut from $447 to $473 per student, or close to 7 percent, a little less than Gov. Rick Scott’s proposal to slash per-student spending by $680 in addition to recent reductions.
Digital Video Awards’ 73 Contestants Spotlight School District’s Click on Technology
Computer-generated art, podcasts, digital photography and more: A complete list of contestants and winners from the second annual Flagler Digital Media Awards, held Friday at the Flagler Auditorium.
Throngs Voice Opposition as School Board Endorses Cuts With Sweeping Consequences
The board voted 4-1 to approve recommended cuts that would reduce middle and high school days by one period, among other cuts totaling $3.5 million. The proposal must be approved by employee unions before it goes into effect.
State of Education Forum in Flagler: Anxiety and Advocacy as District Braces for Shock
If the state of education in Flagler County is strong, it won’t stay that way if state policy continues on its budget-slashing course, advocates and school officials told a large crowd at an education forum Thursday evening.
Severe, $3.5 Million in School Cuts on the Way: 40 Teachers, Shorter Days, Shorter Calendar
The Flagler County School Board agreed to the cuts today, the result of federal stimulus aid running out and Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed cuts to the education budget. Many of the cuts must be negotiated with the unions.
Scout’s Up: Mockingbird‘s Real Stars Take the Auditorium Stage Thursday for 3-Day Run
The controversies over, cast members of the Flagler Palm Coast High School Drama Club production of “To Kill a Mockingbird” talk about their roles in the show at the Flagler Auditorium Feb. 24-26.
A First for Matanzas High School: Rebecca Wight a National Merit Finalist
Matanzas High School senior Rebecca Wight is one of 15,000 finalists across the United States, a little more than half of whom will be selected for an award in march.
Decaffeinate This: Imagine’s Ivana Moore Repeats as District Spelling Bee Champion
Eighteen champion spellers from eight Flagler County Schools battled over 48 words at the annual spelling been competition, with Ivana Moore, Sandra Defalco and Olivia Taylor taking first, second and third place.
Home Show Melodies: Throngs and Benefits At Annual Commerce and Civic Fair
Some 300 businesses, civic, political, cultural and educational organization gathered for the 23rd Flagler Home & Lifestyle Show at FPC this weekend. Watch the photo gallery.
From Biggest Flirt (E. Bartley) to Most Likely to Succeed (Kaci Ellis): FPC’s Oscar Night
FCAT results and teacher of the year awards give way to the real student Oscars at FPC: a complete list of the winners and nominees, and an image gallery of the show.
Belle Terre’s Agatha Lee and Maggie Carcagente Are the Year’s Top Teacher and Employee
It’s Belle Terre Elementary’s year: Agatha Lee is a second grade teacher there, and Maggie Carcagente is a special education paraprofessional. Their district victory gave Belle Terre a sweep this year.
On Point: “Tonight They’re All Stars”: A Preview of the Teacher of the Year Gala
In this week’s On Point, Charlotte Marten’s recap if main headlines is followed by a special report on tonight’s celebration of teachers and employees at the Flagler Auditorium.
Youth Orchestra’s “Gift of Music” Concert Kicks Off Auditorium’s Holiday Extravaganza Tonight
Close to 300 students in the Flagler Youth Orchestra take to the stage at the Flagler Auditorium for their 16th major concert in six years, their second under the direction of Caren Umbarger.
It’s On: FPC Will Stage To Kill a Mockingbird At the Flagler Auditorium Feb. 24-26
FPC Principal Jacob Oliva and Drama Director Ed Koczergo finalized plans for staging Mockingbird over four performances as part of Black History Month, with many innovative stage elements to be incorporated into the production.
Graduation Rates: FPC Falls to 83.5%, Matanzas Soars to 90.4%, Both Beat State’s 79%
It’s Matanzas High School’s best graduation rate to date, helping the district increase its overall graduation rate by either state or federal standards.
Delbrugge’s Letter to Flagler, Part II: How Egypt Compares And What Matters Most
The former school superintendent reflects on life in Egypt by deflating myths about the difference between private and public schools, comparing his in Egypt with Flagler’s school district, and speaking about what matters most in life.
Bill Delbrugge’s Letter to Flagler, Part I: America’s Place In the World–And Yours
In the first of two parts, Delbrugge recaps life in Egypt, America’s image abroad, and all the things Americans take for granted–but shouldn’t, including the importance of local government and civic engagement.
As Superintendent and School Board Now Urge Play’s Revival, Focus Shifts to Drama Teacher
Scripts of the Mockingbird controversy are being furiously re-written as the school district shifts to backing the play, but vague accusations and ugly slanders are now being directed at the Ed Koczergo, the drama teacher.
Tale of Two Recommendations: Valentine “Completely” Supports Staging of Mockingbird
The appeals committee’s original recommendation was re-written to more clearly reflect Mockingbird as an “appropriate” play to be staged by Flagler County school students.
Mockingbird‘s Fate Still Hanging as Appeals Panel, Endorsing the Work, Punts on the Play
A majority of the committee clearly wanted the play staged. But it’s recommendation goes no further than declaring Mockingbird “appropriate” for instruction–a matter never in doubt.
Live Recap: Mockingbird Appeals Committee’s Minute-By-Minute Deliberations
The nine-member appeals committee, meeting this morning at Matanzas High School, will recommend a fate for “To Kill a Mockingbird”–whether FPC’s students will stage it or not, and how. It’s up to Superintedent Valentine to make the final decision.
In Her Own Words, Please: A Friend of
Harper Lee’s Pleads the Case Against Censors
Jack Cowardin, the St. Augustine novelist, has been corresponding with Harper Lee for years. His take on the controversy over the staging of the play by FPC’s Drama Club: Let it go on unmolested by political correctness.
The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Letter to Janet Valentine
“We urge you to encourage student creativity and civic engagement, and to teach students the skills to discuss opposing views respectfully,” the NCAC writes. “We urge you to allow the students to perform the play.”
National Coalition Against Censorship Urges Valentine To Reverse Mockingbird Decision
The strongly-worded letter from a coalition representing 50 organizations of actors, writers, educators and clerics calls on Superintendent Valentine to enrich the conversation on race and culture, not restrict it.
Mockingbird Appeals Committee’s Challenge: Loyalty to “Protocol” vs. Free Expression
Interviews with appeals committee members reveal a divide between instinctive revulsion of censorship and hesitancy over second-guessing a principal’s decision even as the facts of the case continue to be muddled by unspecified generalities.
Shapiro: In the End, It’s the Profanity of Censorship Against the Sacredness of Learning
In a column on the Mockingbird controversy at FPC, Rabbi Merill Shapiro argues that whatever the merits of administrative issues, “the profanity of censorship,” in the end, “has no place in our community.”
Uniforms in Flagler Schools? Data Show Dress-Code Violations To Be a Negligible Issue
The dress code in Flagler schools remains a hotter topic of discussion, especially on the school board, than it is a problem, especially in schools. Yet the arrival of a new school board member may prompt more talk of uniforms.
Before School Censors: When Mockingbird‘s Harper Lee Spoke Proudly of Flagler County
In 2002, Harper Lee addressed Flagler County proudly when her book was the centerpiece of county-wide events. The school district’s censoring of the play this month contrasts sharply with that progressive history.
Citing Vague Fears, School District Suppresses Stage Production of To Kill a Mockingbird
Students and faculty had no issues with the production’s use of the word “nigger,” as in the book and the movie. A Palm Coast city councilman and other unnamed “community members” did, leading FPC Principal and Superintendent Janet Valentine to censor the play.
Education Foundation’s 20th Anniversary: Video and Photo Gallery
Watch a video celebrating 20 years of the Flagler County Education Foundation, and a vanity photo gallery of the evening’s celebrations at the Hammock Duns Club. In color, too.
Singing Its Signal Achievements, Flagler Education Foundation Celebrates 20 Years
The gala dinner at the Hammock Dunes Club drew a sold-out audience of 175, and was highlighted by testimonials about the foundation’s works and rousing performances by Amy Fulmer’s Formality Ensemble.
At Indian Trails, a Visa to Middleworld By Way of 2012’s Maya Calendar Rubbish
The Jaguar Stones trilogy authors Jon and Pamela Voelkel brought their live spectacle, humor and accurate history to some 90 Indian Trails Middle School students, setting a calendar’s record straight along the way.
To Counter Bullying, Flagler Sheriff Is Giving Away 3,000 Internet Monitoring Programs
The free programs enable parents to keep track of their child’s internet activity and exposure, from chats to bullying, though the cyberbullying problem may be overstated.
Vote Early, Vote Often: Make Your Voice Heard for Art Programs and FPC’s Junia Louis-Pierre
Junia Louis-Pierre’s graffiti drawing of foreclosure and eviction is in the running for a $5,000 award for FPC’s art department and a $1,000 scholarship for Junia. But you must vote.
Launching 6th Season, Flagler Youth Orchestra Calls on All Students 3rd Grade and Up
The Flagler Youth Orchestra begins its sixth season, with an open house at the Indian Trails Middle School cafeteria at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Students 3rd grade and up are welcome.
Flagler Student Is Jailed After Setting Off A “Bottle Bomb” at a Bus Stop
18-year-old Giuseppe Verdone Jr. set off the “bottle bomb” at Bird of Paradise and Biscayne Drive while waiting for a bus to Pathways, the district’s school for problem students.
For First Time in Memory, Flagler School Enrollment Stalls; No Budget Cuts Foreseen Yet
The 240 additional students the Flagler school district expected this fall haven’t materialized, resulting in a projected loss of $1.62 million in state funding.
School’s Back. So Are Walking Children in a Town Short of Sidewalks. Watch Where You Drive.
Two years ago, 270 children younger than 14 were killed while walking by a road. School’s resumption calls for care, especially in Palm Coast, where sidewalks are lacking.
Scoring 7, FPC’s Rowan Littlefield Didn’t Just Conquer the World. He Conquered Pigdom.
Littlefield’s perfect 7 in his IB biology exam, scored on a global standard, marks the first 7 for any Flagler County student in any of the IB’s science disciplines.
Bill Delbrugge in Egypt: Beyond the Camel, A Discovery of Challenges and Serenity
In his first interview since leaving Flagler County in July, former Superintendent Bill Delbrugge describes his new old world in Egypt–the challenges, the revelations, the peace of it all.
Veteran Problem Solver Ryan McDermott Joins School Board as Student Representative
Never shy, McDermott, a 17-year-old senior at Flagler Palm Coast High School, will represent the district’s 13,000 students on the board.
“Back 2 School Jam”‘s Free Backpacks, Supplies and Shots Draws Thousands at FPC
In addition to free school supplies, the annual jam provided free bike helmets to those hardy students willing to sit through immunization shots.
Flagler District Scores an A for 3rd Year in a Row as 3 Schools Maintain A, 3 Drop Back
Belle Terre Elementary, Buddy Taylor and Indian Trails middle repeat their A rating. High School scores will be released in late fall.
United Healthcare Pledges 75-Day Extension for Flagler Clients Despite Hospital Dispute
United Healthcare’s pledge lessens thousands of Flagler residents’ anxiety over getting care at Florida Hospital Flagler, but only temporarily.
Merchants of Greed: How Florida Hospital and United Healthcare Bargain Over Your Body
On Aug. 15, half a million central Floridians, and thousands in Flagler County covered by United Healthcare, including children on medicaid, will be denied insured coverage at Florida Hospital’s facilities, including Florida Hospital Flagler.
Where Spin Meets Bull: Florida Hospital’s Lars Houmann on the Dispute With United Healthcare
A three-and-a-half minute video by the Florida Hospital CEO is a window into the company’s deception and disingenuity.