##VIDEO ID:j23QK0RVe80## CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? GOOD MORNING. WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. WE'RE DOING A QUICK MIKE CHECK FOR OUR MEDIA FRIENDS. >> GOOD MORNING. EVERYTHING GETS VERY QUIET. WE'RE ALMOST READY, SO YOU CAN TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES. >> WELCOME EVERYONE THIS MORNING. GOOD TO GO? ALL RIGHT. >> HI. I'M JACKSON BUNKER. I'M A SIXTH GRADER AT PRE-K THROUGH 8. ONE THING I'M MOST EXCITED FOR IS THE NEW MEDIA CENTER WITH ALL NEW BOOKS, 11,000 TO BE EXACT. NOW, NOW, HERE IS OUR AMAZING PRINCIPAL, MR. SCOTT WEAVER. [ APPLAUSE ] >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JACKSON. I'M SCOTT WEAVER, PRINCIPAL OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL. WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE MANY MONTHS AGO, I KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE AN INCREDIBLE SCHOOL. NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS DID I THINK IT WOULD BE THIS BEAUTIFUL. I MEAN, EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SCHOOL IS INCREDIBLE, FROM THE MEDIA CENTER TO OUR MUSICAL PROGRAM, THE MUSICAL SUITES, OUR SOCCER FIELD OUT BACK, ARTIFICIAL TURF, GYMNASIUM, EVERYTHING. THANK YOU, SCHOOL BOARD. THANK YOU ALL DISTRICT DIVISIONS FOR MAKING FOR MAKING THIS FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. CREATIVE CONTRACTORS, LONG AND ASSOCIATES. THIS SCHOOL WILL BE AN INCREDIBLE PLACE FOR YEARS TO COME. IT'S GOING TO SERVE ALL THE KIDS, OF COURSE, THAT KIDS, OF COURSE, THAT APPLY THROUGH THE LOTTERY. AND ARE ADMITTED INTO THE SCHOOL, BUT IT WILL BE BEAUTIFUL AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED ON DAY ONE. SO WE EXPECT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO BE IN THEIR TO BE IN THEIR SEATS ON DAY ONE SO WE CAN DELIVER ALL OF OUR PROCEDURES AND THEN BEGIN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION ON DAY ONE, AT THE END OF DAY ONE, AFTER WE GET THROUGH ALL THE PROCEDURES. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. AS OF YESTERDAY, WE HAVE ENROLLED ABOUT 1,050 STUDENTS, OF COURSE, THROUGH THE LOTTERY. WE ALSO HAVE AT THIS CURRENT MOMENT, 639 STUDENTS ON A WAITING LIST OR A WAITING POOL. SO DEFINITELY THE COMMUNITY HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS. WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS. MY STAFF, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. OUR STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING NONSTOP ALL SUMMER, MANY HOURS, CALLING ME UP ON THE WEEKEND, CAN YOU OPEN THE SCHOOL ON THE WEEKEND? SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO MY THANK YOU TO MY PTSA, OUR FOUNDATION, OUR DADS CLUB, OUR MOMS CLUB. YOUR EFFORTS HAVE NOT GONE UNNOTICED. OUR SCHOOL WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITHOUT ALL OF YOU. SO THANK YOU. I CAN'T WAIT. WE HAVE OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DAY. AND THANK YOU, STUDENTS. ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE FIRST DAY? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE SCHOOL BOARD VICE-CHAIR JESSICA VAUGHN. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Jessica Vaughn: GOOD MORNING! FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO THE 2025 SCHOOL YEAR. WE ARE SO HAPPY AND EXCITED TO BRING OUR STUDENTS BACK FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR. WE'RE ALSO EXTREMELY HAPPY TO BE HERE AT HERE AT KEN ADAM HERE AT KEN ADAM K-8. THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL. IT HAS BEEN MY HONOR TO BE THE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR THIS YEAR. AS I REPRESENT THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE SUCCESSES THIS YEAR SUCCESSES THIS YEAR AND, MOST OF ALL, BEING STRONGER TOGETHER. IT IS MY HONOR RIGHT NOW TO INTRODUCE OUR SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Van Ayres: THEY ASKED ME EARLIER IF KNOWING ME WOULD HELP WITH THE GRADES. THAT WAS JACKSON. I CANNOT TELL YOU, THIS IS LIKE THE MOST EXCITING TIME OF THE YEAR, RIGHT, AS WE START THE BEGINNING OF BEGINNING OF SCHOOL. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM TO BE SUPERINTENDENT OF THIS PHENOMENAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M HUMBLED EVERY DAY TO WORK WITH SUCH AWESOME PROFESSIONALS EVERY SINGLE DAY. BEFORE I GET STARTED, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY. I'LL START WITH BOARD MEMBER NADIA COMBS. [ APPLAUSE ] BOARD MEMBER LYNN GRAY. [ APPLAUSE ] BOARD MEMBER DR. STACY HAHN. [ APPLAUSE ] BOARD MEMBER PATTI RENDON. [ APPLAUSE ] AND BOARD MEMBER HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON. [ APPLAUSE ] HOW ABOUT THOSE STUDENT PERFORMERS THIS MORNING? AMAZING, RIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR STUDENT PERFORMERS FROM PLANT HIGH SCHOOL. 11th GRADERS JAKE GEIGER, CHARLES GNASH, AND SENIORS MAYA DeSHONG AND ERIC DELIEUO. THE ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR, STEVE BOZART. [ APPLAUSE ] I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK ALL THE ADUM STUDENTS THAT ARE HERE TODAY ESCORTING US TO THE MEDIA CENTER AND TO JACKSON, THANK YOU, BUDDY, FOR PROVIDING US THE WELCOME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU, SIR. GREAT JOB. IT IS SO HARD TO BELIEVE -- I TALKED TO PEOPLE AND PEOPLE FEEL LIKE -- SOME SAY IT'S BEEN A LONG SUMMER, SOME A SHORT SUMMER. BUT HERE WE ARE FOUR DAYS, WE ARE FOUR DAYS AWAY FROM THE START OF SCHOOL. THE FIRST TIME -- DAYS AWAY FROM THE START OF SCHOOL. FIRST TIME WE'RE STARTING SCHOOL ON A MONDAY IN QUITE A LONG TIME. WE ARE, AS VICE-CHAIR MENTIONED, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. I CANNOT WAIT TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM WE STARTED LAST SCHOOL YEAR. ALL THE HARD WORK OF OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS, PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, CULMINATED WITH THE RECENT RELEASE OF OUR SCHOOL GRADES. LET ME HIGHLIGHT THOSE A MINUTE. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IN JUST ONE YEAR -- ONE YEAR -- WE MOVED FROM 33 D AND F GRADED SCHOOLS TO CURRENTLY WE HAVE 8 Ds AND NO SCHOOLS GRADED AS AN F. [ APPLAUSE ] WE HAVE 217 GRADED SCHOOLS AND OF THOSE 54 OF OUR SCHOOLS IMPROVED ONE LETTER GRADE. ALMOST A QUARTER IMPROVED ONE LETTER GRADE. FOUR SCHOOLS IMPROVED TWO LETTER GRADES. SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK OF A WAY -- LET'S SUMMARIZE THIS, RIGHT? LAST YEAR, AS WE SAT HERE, WE SAT AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND 84% OF OUR SCHOOLS, GRADED SCHOOLS WERE GRADED A, B OR C. 84%. I SIT HERE TODAY, WE SIT HERE FROM ALL THE WORK WE'VE DONE TOGETHER -- STRONGER TOGETHER -- WE CURRENTLY SIT IN WE CURRENTLY SIT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 96.5% OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE GRADED EITHER A, B OR C. GRADED EITHER A, B OR C. TREMENDOUS WORK IN ONE YEAR FROM OUR ENTIRE STAFF. [ APPLAUSE ] THIS IS REMARKABLE WORK. I'M SO PROUD OF OUR SCHOOLS. THE STATE RAISED THE BAR, AND WE MET THE CHALLENGE. SO I WANTED TO BRING UP ONE OF OUR PRINCIPALS WHO MET THE BAR. I'D LIKE TO ASK JENNIFER I'D LIKE TO ASK JENNIFER DAMES TO COME UP. SHE IS THE PRINCIPAL OF POTTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. JENNIFER AND HER TEAM MOVED THEIR SCHOOL TWO LETTER GRADES FROM AN F TO A C. JENNIFER, PLEASE COME UP AND SHARE HOW YOUR TEAM MOVED THE NEEDLE FOR EVERY STUDENT. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AT POTTER ELEMENTARY, WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF TEAMWORK AND DEDICATION, THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I AM INCREDIBLY I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT IN JUST ONE YEAR WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MOVED FROM AN F TO A C. THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT OF OUR EXCEPTIONAL STAFF, THE UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF OUR PARENTS, AND THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE BUILT WITH THE COMMUNITY. OUR JOURNEY WASN'T EASY, BUT WE FOCUSED ON SETTING THOSE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OURSELVES. WE FOSTERED A POSITIVE WE FOSTERED A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND A POSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT THAT EMPHASIZES EXCELLENCE WITH NO EXCUSES. OUR TEACHERS IMPLEMENTED INNOVATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES, PROVIDED PERSONALIZED SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGED A GROWTH MINDSET IN EVERY SINGLE STUDENT. WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THIS MOMENTUM. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ENSURING THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT AT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT AT POTTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECEIVES A QUALITY EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. AND TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. [ APPLAUSE ] >> THANK YOU, PRINCIPAL DAMES. READING AND PROFICIENCY ARE TOP PRIORITIES IN THIS DISTRICT. THIS PAST YEAR WE IMPLEMENTED YOU FLY, A LITERACY INITIATIVE CREATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, AND WE ARE FLORIDA, AND WE ARE SEEING ABSOLUTELY TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN JUST ONE YEAR. WE HAD 14 SCHOOLS THAT HAD DOUBLE-DIGIT GAINS IN PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS. THIS YEAR, THE STATE ADDED, REMEMBER I MENTIONED EARLIER, STATE ADDED A NEW BAR, ADDED A NEW CELL FOR THIRD GRADE PROFICIENCY. I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE IN ONE YEAR, THIRD GRADE PROFICIENCY, WE HAD A 5% JUMP IN ONE YEAR IN THIRD GRADE PROFICIENCY. [ APPLAUSE ] A MISSION FOR THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY OF ALL OF OUR PRIMARY GRADES, PRIMARY GRADES K-3, AND INCREASING THE MARK, HITTING THE MARK IN PROFICIENCY. AND WE WILL NOT REST, WE WILL NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL WE HAVE 100% OF OUR STUDENTS APPRECIATIVE IN GRADE 3. AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO ASK SARAH GARCIA, FORMER PRINCIPAL SHAW ELEMENTARY, THAT THEIR SCHOOL ALSO MOVED TWO LETTER GRADES FROM AN F TO A C. SHE IS NOW OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION, TO COME SHARE ABOUT OUR LITERACY EFFORTS AND HOW WE EXPECT THEY WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR OUR STUDENTS. SARAH? [ APPLAUSE ] >> GOOD MORNING. WE ARE THRILLED TO BE HERE TODAY TO SHARE SOME EXCITING NEWS ABOUT LITERACY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AS VAN MENTIONED, OUR THIRD GRADE PROFICIENCY RATES INCREASED BY 5% LAST SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE DEDICATION AND HARD WORK OF OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. WE'RE EAGER TO SEE THOSE RATES CONTINUE TO CLIMB THIS YEAR AS WE BEGIN OUR SECOND YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION WITH YOU FLY FOUNDATION, WHICH IS A CURRICULUM THAT IS GROUNDED IN THE SCIENCE OF READING. OUR TEACHERS ARE FULLY OUR TEACHERS ARE FULLY EMBRACING THIS APPROACH, AND WE'RE GETTING GREAT RESULTS. THIS YEAR WE'LL BE INTRODUCING NEW BOOKS INTO ALL OF OUR CLASSROOM LIBRARIES TO ALLOW OUR STUDENTS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE THESE SKILLS AND STRATEGIES WITH A VARIETY OF TEXT. WE'RE ALSO EXCITED TO ROLL OUT A NEW INITIATIVE CALLED HILLSBOROUGH READS, WHICH PROMOTES A LOVE OF LITERACY, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. OUR THEME THIS YEAR IS GET CAUGHT READING. SO WE'RE SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HIGHLIGHT SCHOOL LEADERS SCHOOL LEADERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS THEY PROMOTE MEMBERS AS THEY PROMOTE READING IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES AND MODEL HOW ADULTS READ EVERY DAY IN THEIR LIVES. THESE INITIATIVES WILL CONTINUE TO POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR LITERACY RATES AND PREPARE OUR STUDENTS. OUR GOAL IS FOR ALL THIRD GRADE STUDENTS TO READ AT GRADE LEVEL BY THE END OF THE YEAR BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A KEEPER FROM ITS INDICATOR, NOT ONLY FOR THEIR LITERACY SUCCESS, BUT FUTURE GRADUATION RATES. WE WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU TOO WILL GET CAUGHT READING THIS YEAR. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, SARAH. I'M I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE WHAT DR. STACY HAHN WOULD REFER TO AS HER PASSION PROJECT, A VISION SHE FIRST HAD THREE YEARS AGO. THIS YEAR, FINALLY, WE HAVE OUR NEW LITERACY AND OUTREACH BUS, HER NAME IS PAGE, LAST NAME TURNER. PAGE TURNER. PAGE WILL BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY PROVIDING BOOKS AND FREE RESOURCES TO STUDENTS. IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE, PAGE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE AND SHE'S WAITING OUT IN THE PARKING LOT RIGHT NOW. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUMP ON BOARD AFTER WE ARE DONE HERE FOR A QUICK TOUR WITH TARA, OUR COORDINATOR. DR. HAHN, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR VISION BEHIND THE LITERACY BUS AND FINALLY BROUGHT IT TO FRUITION. I THINK IT IS ITS SECOND OUTING. HAD A PRE-K KINDERGARTEN FAIR LAST WEEK AND NOW IT IS THE SECOND TIME OUR LITERACY -- YES, THANK YOU. DEFINITELY MAKE IT OUTSIDE AND SEE PAGE. WE'VE ALSO HAD GREAT SUCCESS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH OUR ACCELERATED PROGRAMS. I WANT EVERYONE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND TAKE THIS SLIDE AND TAKE THIS SLIDE IN. WE SAW AN 8% INCREASE. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT AP EXAMS AND THE DIFFICULTY AND ALL THE HARD WORK, AND CREDIT IS GAINED IN AP NOT THROUGH THE GRADE IN THE CLASSROOM BUT PASSING THAT AP EXAM. WE SAW AN 8% WE SAW AN 8% INCREASE IN THE PAST AP EXAMS WITH OVER 28,000 EXAMS TAKEN. THIS 8% INCREASE IS THE LARGEST IN OUR DISTRICT'S RECENT HISTORY. CAMBRIDGE. WE ALL THOUGHT THAT WITH THE BRINGING OF CAMBRIDGE ON TO ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES THAT WE WOULD SEE MAYBE A REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF AP EXAMS TAKEN. WE SAW AN INCREASE IN AP EXAMS TAKEN, ANOTHER 1,000 EXAMS TAKEN IN ADVANCE PLACEMENT AND THAT PASS RATE WENT UP BY 8%. SO WITH CAMBRIDGE, OUR CAMBRIDGE ACE EXAMS, WE'LL SEE RESULTS ON AUGUST THE AUGUST THE 13th. I ALSO WANT TO KNOWLEDGE IN OUR ACCELERATED PROGRAMS, WE HAVE FIVE IB SCHOOLS. ALL OF FIVE IB HIGH SCHOOLS WITH IB PROGRAMS, THEY ALL SAW INCREASES IN THE DIPLOMA RATES. KING HIGH SCHOOL, CONGRATS TO KING, SAW A 14% INCREASE IN THEIR PASS RATE IN IB, AND STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL HAD A 100% IB DIPLOMA RATE. CONGRATS TO ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. [ APPLAUSE ] WHAT WE PROVIDE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY POOLS AND OUR HIGH SCHOOLS FOR ACCELERATED OPTIONS IS TRULY, TRULY UNMATCHED. UNMATCHED WHAT WE PROVIDE AND THE RESULTS THAT WE'VE HAD TO SHOW FOR IT THIS YEAR TRULY INCREDIBLE. IT IS LED BY LEONARD BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT. I WOULD LIKE GISELE TO COME UP HERE AND SHARE HOW THESE AND OTHER ACCELERATED OPPORTUNITIES ARE HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND PREPARING THEM TO GRADUATE ON TIME. GISELE. >> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. WE CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE DEDICATED TEACHERS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE DOING THE WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND ARE PROVIDED EVERY SUPPORT THEY NEED TO EXCEL. WHILE ALL 28 OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS CURRENTLY PROVIDE CAMBRIDGE ACE COURSES, IN THIS NEW SCHOOL YEAR, 13 OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS WILL NOW OFFER ENOUGH ACE COURSES SO THAT MORE STUDENTS ON THEIR CAMPUS ARE ABLE TO EARN THE CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA. IN OUR IB PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE STUDENTS A WORLD-RENOWNED INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WITH ALONSO GRADUATING ITS FIRST SENIOR CLASS AND HILLSBOROUGH KING STRAWBERRY CREST AND ROBINSON ALL INCREASING THEIR DIPLOMA PASS RATES. IN IN TOTAL, 448 SENIORS EARNED THEIR IB DIPLOMA RIGHT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. [ APPLAUSE ] IN OUR ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO THRIVE GIVING STUDENTS THE ACCESS TO COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSE WORK THAT WILL PREPARE THEM FOR POST SECONDARY SUCCESS. AND THE DISTRICT'S FOUR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES, LEONARD, ARMWOOD, SPOTO AND LETO, ARE CONTINUING TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF MANY STUDENTS' LIVES. THIS PAST THIS PAST SPRING, 237 SENIORS EARNED THEIR ASSOCIATE IN ARTS DEGREE THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE. NOT ONLY NOT ONLY ELEVATING THESE STUDENTS ACADEMICALLY BUT CHANGING THE FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR SO MANY OF OUR FAMILIES RIGHT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT OUR GRADUATING CLASS OF 2024 BEGAN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL JOURNEY DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. THESE STUDENTS ARE WALKING ACROSS ACROSS THE GRADUATION STAGE HILLSBOROUGH STRONG AND CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING GREAT THINGS. WE ARE COMMITTED HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO BUILDING RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PATHWAYS FOR OUR STUDENTS, BEGINNING IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THE EXPANSION OF PROGRAMS SUCH AS CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY TO NINE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THROUGH THE EXTENSIVE MAGNET AND CHOICE OPTIONS WE HAVE SUCH AS THE IB PRIMARY AND MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAM, THE COMBINATION OF WHICH WILL START TAKING SHAPE RIGHT HERE AT ADUM K-8. THANK YOU AGAIN, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES FOR ALLOWING ME TO HIGHLIGHT THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Van Ayres: LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT TECHNOLOGY. I WANT TO SHARE AN UPDATE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE BEEN WISELY UTILIZING OUR ESSER DOLLARS. MANY TEACHERS ARE COMING BACK TO THE CLASSROOM TO THE CLASSROOM TO FIND THESE WONDERFUL INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS. WE'VE STANDARDIZED OUR CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION. WE MOVED A ONE-TO-ONE DEVICE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, ADDED THESE NEW LINE WHITEBOARDS AND AUDIO ENHANCEMENT SYSTEMS. THE INSTALLATION OF AUDIO ENHANCEMENT WILL PROVIDE SOUND AMPLIFICATION TO ENHANCE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION. IN ADDITION, PARENTS WITH THE TRANSITION TO SYNERGY, WE HAVE OUR NEW SYNERGY PLATFORM THIS YEAR, PARENT VIEW -- THIS IS BIG -- PARENT VIEW, YOU WILL HAVE REAL-TIME ACCESS, PARENTS, TO INCLUDE YOUR STUDENTS' ATTENDANCE, COURSE SCHEDULE AND ASSESSMENT DATA. WITH THE MOVE TO THE UPDATED PLATFORM, THE SAME ACCESS TO INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS AS WELL. THIS IS BIG FOR OUR DISTRICT. STILL HAVE STILL HAVE CANVAS BUT ADDITIONAL PARENT VIEW AND STUDENT VIEW THROUGH SYNERGY. BIG FOR OUR DISTRICT AND ANOTHER TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION THAT WILL BE NEW FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. OUR DISTRICT IS DOING A BIG ATTENDANCE PUSH THIS YEAR. WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT ATTENDANCE, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING IN SCHOOL, RIGHT? WE HAVE PHENOMENAL TEACHERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, IF THERE ARE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL, DOESN'T MATTER HOW GREAT OUR TEACHERS ARE, RIGHT? WE CALLED IN THE HEAVY HITTERS TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT. LET'S WATCH THIS VIDEO CREATED BY OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM. M >> I'M SUPERINTENDENT VAN AYRES. ATTENDANCE IS A PRIORITY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHOW UP AND BE A SUCCESS. THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS MONDAY, AUGUST 12th. SEE YOU THERE. >>Van Ayres: PRETTY NEAT, RIGHT? I'M A BASEBALL FAN. I LIKE TO KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK WITH ATTENDANCE. GREAT JOB. GOT THE APPROVAL. ALL GOOD. WE LAUNCHED AN ATTENDANCE CAMPAIGN, EVERY DAY MATTERS. SIMPLE, EVERY DAY MATTERS. IT'S ABOUT CONSISTENCY AND BEING IN SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY. ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IS A HUGE ISSUE ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVELS. ALL GRADE LEVELS. CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM DEFINED AS MISSING 10% OF SCHOOL OR ABOUT TWO DAYS A MONTH. IF OUR STUDENTS ARE MISSING MORE THAN TWO DAYS A MONTH THAT IS DEFINED AS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM. WE NEED OUR STUDENTS IN SCHOOL BEGINNING ON THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, MONDAY, AUGUST 12th. I'D LIKE TO ASK I'D LIKE TO ASK DR. CLAYTON NIGHLAND, OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND YEAR AND STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALIST TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE WHEN OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT ARE NOT IN CLASS. [ APPLAUSE ] >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT AYRES. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TEACHING S.T.E.M. HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. EVERY YEAR I PRESENT MY STUDENTS WITH FOUR SECRETS TO SUCCESS. THESE SECRETS, WHICH ACTUALLY AREN'T REALLY SECRETS, KIND OF THE JOKE, LAY A FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS IN MY CLASSROOM. I EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO TELL THEM THAT IF THEY SIMPLY DO THESE FOUR THINGS, THEY WILL EARN A C OR HIGHER. GUARANTEED. I CONSIDER THESE SECRETS TO BE SO SO IMPORTANT THEY ARE LITERALLY WRITTEN SMACK-DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF MY CLASSROOM WALL FOR EVERY STUDENT TO SEE. THE MOST IMPORTANT SECRET HAS ALWAYS BEEN, NUMBER ALWAYS BEEN, NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS ATTEND CLASS AND ARRIVE ON TIME. I LOST MY SPOT THERE. I WON'T EVEN MENTION WHAT THE OTHER OTHER THREE SECRETS ARE BECAUSE THEY MEAN NOTHING IF NUMBER ONE IS NOT HAPPENING. ATTEND CLASS AND ARRIVE ON TIME. AFTER COVID, I SAW A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN ATTENDANCE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, THE SURPRISE, THE CORRESPONDING LINE IN ACADEMIC -- BECAUSE WHEN STUDENTS ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL IN MY CLASSROOM, IT'S REALLY A MATTER OF INTELLECT OR ABILITY. ALMOST ALWAYS ATTENDANCE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE STUDENT HAS THE TEACHER OF THE HAS THE TEACHER OF THE UNIVERSE, THAT MEANS NOTHING IF THEY ARE NOT IN THE CLASSROOM. TODAY, I WANT TO HELP CHAMPION OUR DISTRICT'S MESSAGE THAT EVERY DAY MATTERS, THAT OUR STUDENTS MUST ATTEND CLASS AND ARRIVE ON TIME. SECRET TO SUCCESS NUMBER ONE. AND THAT WE ARE TOGETHER. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >>Van Ayres: THANK YOU, AGAIN, DR. NYLUND. [CELL PHONE RINGING] WAS THAT YOUR PHONE? [ LAUGHTER ] THAT'S PRETTY DISTRACTING, RIGHT? THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT TOPIC. CELL PHONES. THEY ARE A HUGE DISTRACTION IN THE CLASSROOM. LAST MONTH, OUR SCHOOL BOARD -- [AUDIO CHOPPY] -- APPROVED A NEW POLICY THAT CELL PHONE AND DIGITAL DEVICE POLICY. IT'S QUITE SIMPLE. ELEMENTARY ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, NO PHONE YET. I LIKE THAT, GOOD. KEEP IT THAT WAY. ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN ONLY HAVE THEIR PHONES BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL UNLESS A TEACHER ASKS THEM TO USE IT FOR COURSE WORK. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN HAVE THEIR PHONES BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL AND AT LUNCH. OF COURSE, IF THEIR TEACHERS ASK THEM TO USE IT FOR CLASS WORK. MY MESSAGE IS SIMPLE, OUR BOARD'S MESSAGE IS SIMPLE. DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY, UNLESS DIRECTED BY A TEACHER, KEEP THE PHONES AWAY, EITHER KEEP THE PHONES AWAY, EITHER OFF OR IN AIRPLANE MODE. THAT'S OUR CELL PHONE POLICY. SO THIS YEAR, WE ARE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND BUS OFFICE AND BUS PATROL TO KEEP STUDENTS SAFE AS THEY ENTER AND EXIT OUR SCHOOL BUSES. WE TRANSPORT 78,000 STUDENTS PER DAY, AND JUST TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN THEIR BUSIEST MONTH OF MARCH TRANSPORT ABOUT 80,000 A DAY. WE TRANSPORT 78,000 STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. OUR ENTIRE FLEET OF BUSES -- THAT'S EVERY ONE -- WILL HAVE A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT CAMERA TO DETECT VEHICLES THAT ILLEGALLY PASS A BUS WHILE THE STOP ARM IS DEPLOYED AND RED LIGHTS ARE FLASHING. SOUNDS GOOD, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW A VIDEO, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY DURING OUR PILOT PROGRAM. THIS IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'LL STOP A MINUTE AND SHOW YOU EXAMPLES. THAT'S THE SCARY THAT'S THE SCARY ONE. THOSE ARE, AGAIN, THOSE ARE RIGHT THERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DURING COUNTY DURING OUR PILOT PROGRAM. JUST JUST LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES, STOPPED, KEPT GOING AS WE WERE LETTING STUDENTS OFF. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. OUR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SCHOOL BUSES ARE ILLEGALLY PASSED ON AVERAGE THREE TIMES A BUS PER DAY. THERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES. THREE TIMES PER BUS PER DAY. THIS INITIATIVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS ABOUT CHANGING BEHAVIOR. WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR BUS ROUTES SAFER FOR OUR CHILDREN. SO WE'LL BEGIN OUR 30-DAY PILOT PROGRAM BEGINNING ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 30 DAYS. AFTER THAT, DRIVERS WILL BE TICKETED USING THE SAME TECHNOLOGY. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR VACANCIES. WE'VE DONE GREAT WORK RECRUITING AND RETAINING STAFF OVER THE SUMMER. GOING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE HIRED -- HERE IS THE POSITIVE -- WE WE HIRED 150 MORE BUS DRIVERS THAN THIS TIME LAST YEAR. SO THAT DESERVES AN APPLAUSE. [ APPLAUSE ] WITH THAT SAID, WE STILL WITH THAT SAID, WE STILL HAVE 118 SCHOOL BUS DRIVER 118 SCHOOL BUS DRIVER VACANCIES. OUR STUDENTS MUST BE ABLE TO GET TO SCHOOL ON TIME BY HAVING BUS DRIVERS FOR EVERY ROUTE. SO WE'RE DOING MUCH BETTER. WE STILL HAVE WORK TO WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO, BUT SHOULD SEE DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENTS THAT RIDE A BUS COMING TO SCHOOL ON TIME. 400 CLASSROOM TEACHER VACANCIES. OUR STUDENTS MUST HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY TEACHER IN EVERY CLASSROOM. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATION TO JOIN OUR TEAM. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY SO MUCH TO BE EXCITED ABOUT FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. WE ARE THRILLED WITH OUR MOMENTUM AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING ON MONDAY, AUGUST 12. REMEMBER, EVERY DAY MATTERS. AS I CONCLUDE THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, WE ARE ALL IN THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY SO EXCITED ABOUT THE FIRST DAY, MONDAY AUGUST 12. YOU CAN SENSE THE EXCITEMENT. EVERYWHERE I GO THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE EXCITEMENT AND ENERGY IS UNMATCHED. I JUST WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO THANK ALL THE TREMENDOUS SUCCESS WE'VE HAD, OUR SCHOOL BOARD HAS PUSHED THAT DIRECTION IN OUR PLAN OF THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TREMENDOUS SUCCESS AND CONTINUE TO GET BETTER AND BETTER EVERY DAY. AS THIS CONCLUDES, ONCE AGAIN, PAGE IS OUTSIDE. EVERYONE, IF YOU ARE HERE, YOU HAVE TO GO SEE PAGE. INVITE YOU DOWN THERE TO SEE PAGE LITERACY BUS AS YOU LEAVE. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESS CONFERENCE. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]