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amarettodiamore

Beach Comber
Jun 26, 2011
16
4
It is time for South Walton parents to kick it in gear and get involved in their schools. Parents from Bay, Butler, Seaside, Emerald Coast, and SWHS need to get together and work on a plan for what is important and necessary for our students in SoWal. I don't know how to make this happen- but it needs to happen. Immediately.

The next school board meeting is July 11th @ 4 p.m.. I'm willing to help kick it into gear and host a parents meeting at the Hammock Bay Lake Club this Saturday, July 9th lets say starting around 2 p.m. If you're able to attend send me a personal message or add to this post, that way I know around how many persons to reserve the Lake Club for. Your questions, ideas and support are greatly welcomed.

Parents, the teachers from these schools need your help!
 
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Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Our South Walton schools do need our help and all need to work together, but it is much broader than the teacher rehires at Bay. We need an organization- like some sort of South Walton School Association, with clear goals and objectives about how to make sure our voices are heard and our needs are understood- and for our parents to have more say in the direction and future of our schools. While there have been some instances where parents have been successful in making changes, the overall atmosphere in SoWal is always the feeling of having to battle and struggle for changes and trying to make the school system stretch to accommodate our high expectations that we have brought in from other school systems around the country.

The teacher issue at Bay and how it was handled was very unfortunate IMO, but it is not the only issue that needs our attention down here. Next week's school board meeting is a budget workshop, so if people are interested in where the money goes and can get there during work hours, then the drive to DeFunk is worth their time. In the meantime, maybe the PTOs at each school can be contacting each other about some sort of association- I will speak to Bay's PTO president today. There is no reason why our schools can't be known at least regionally for their excellence and academic strengths- we certainly have the parents living here who expect no less.
 

momof2kids

Beach Fanatic
May 17, 2007
797
115
Santa Rosa Beach
The next school board meeting is July 11th @ 4 p.m.. I'm willing to help kick it into gear and host a parents meeting at the Hammock Bay Lake Club this Saturday, July 9th lets say starting around 2 p.m. If you're able to attend send me a personal message or add to this post, that way I know around how many persons to reserve the Lake Club for. Your questions, ideas and support are greatly welcomed.

Parents, the teachers from these schools need your help!


Thank you for offering to get the meeting going. I am willing to get involved, but driving 331N on a Saturday afternoon makes me cringe... and unfortunately we have plans for Saturday. When the next meeting is set please let us know. Maybe a weeknight? Wed or Thurs night 6pm? This might give parents in SRB time to get out of work & get up there. Or if we have a space available down here - library? or another pool house?

Thanks so much!
 
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amarettodiamore

Beach Comber
Jun 26, 2011
16
4
Jdarg, I hear you loud and clear. We've got to get more involved in what is happening in this school system. If you can ask those PTO presidents to come that would be great!

Momof2kids, I have reserved to meeting room at the Coastal Branch Library for tomorrow night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. I going to ask the teachers in this posting to attend, and well see.

I hope to see many parents there and we can start Jdarg's great idea of starting the South Walton School Association.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Wow- y'all work fast! I am not certain that I can attend on such a short notice- maybe pick a date out a week or two, get some discussion going in the meantime? I don't know how many people we can get on Friday night as well----
 

Zebraspots

Beach Fanatic
May 15, 2008
840
247
Santa Rosa Beach
I think it is great you want to do this, but why another group? In most schools what you describe is done by the School Board and the PTO or PTA. Would reforming those work better?
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
It would be a parents and teachers representing all of the schools in South Walton in communicating our needs to the district and the county as a whole. And for now just an idea I threw out! I think there should be lots of discussion to really flesh out all the options.

At the school level, I would like to see each school have a site based decision making council (what they were called in KY). Each school was "run" by the principal, several teachers, and several parents who served 1 year terms. Everything from curriculum to testing to conduct codes were worked on at the school level. The parent reps then reported at PTO meetings on status of issues and concerns.
 

newby

Beach Crab
Apr 22, 2009
3
2
Hey Jdarg...I believe the SIT accomplishes most of that at Bay. I think all of these are strong, ambitious and good ideas. I also think that the focus needs to be within each school becoming a powerful force of parents and teachers...and then maybe expand into a SW School Assoc with representatives from each individual school meeting monthly sharing ideas and implementing change.

All politics are local...so I think its good for all parents and teachers to SHOW UP! They need to show up at their individual school meetings, they need to show up at Board meetings and hold the administration accountable. No excuses!!! This needs to happen strongly in each south walton school not just when a crisis happens...there needs to be consisitency...bc by the time the crisis hits its too late.

The time is now and we must act strongly and in HUGE numbers. I know for a fact numbers cause extreme worry and pressure on the administration and its important we start really doing this. With the census it is also imperitive we express what kind of heart in numbers we have down here and fight for what we need...real representation! I look forward to working closely with you at Bay this year stirring some pots :)
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
I have never heard much about or from our SIT at Bay. Who is on it? Do they make reports to the PTO? How deep is the involvement? Our SBDM was a major force and very visible in the school and school community.
 

amarettodiamore

Beach Comber
Jun 26, 2011
16
4
SIT at Bay

The Bay SIT this past year was comprised of a chair person (teacher), the principal, guidance counselor, grade level chairs, and parent representatives. The team creates a School Improvement Plan to address areas of needed improvement. Then throughout the year they monitor the action plans and goals to see if they are being met. The SIT doesn't report directly to the PTO, but there are parent representatives on the team to relay the information and to provide input. The SIT doesn't have authority over the school or decisions. The principal has sole authority.
 
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