Dr. Michael A. Grego received the 2019 Florida Music Education Association’s Superintendent of the Year Award during the FMEA Professional Development Conference at the Tampa Bay Convention Center in January 2019.

The award is presented to the Florida school district superintendent who is not a professional music educator but has displayed ardent support of the district’s school music programs. This award recognizes leadership, excellence in encouragement and promotion of music education in Florida schools.

At the Awards Breakfast, FMEA also recognized Katherine Reynard of John M. Sexton Elementary School with the 2019 Music Education Service Award.

This award is given to music educators who have been active in music education for 25 years or more. Reynard has been a music educator for 31 years.

Thurgood Marshall Fundamental and Clearwater Fundamental middle schools received the Music Enrollment Award for demonstrating high enrollment in music courses.

For more, see here.

. . .

Pinellas County Schools Graduation Rate Climbs to Highest in History

Pinellas County Schools 2017-18 high school graduation rate rose 3.1 percentage points to 86 percent, representing the highest graduation rate in district history.

The graduation rate among African American students increased a landmark 6.9 percentage points to 76.2 percent.  The efforts of the district’s comprehensive Bridging the Gap plan are significant and represent a focused commitment to accelerate the African American graduation rate, resulting in a 19.8 percentage point increase since 2012-13.

Pinellas County Schools has eliminated the graduation gap between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students. In the past year, the graduation rate among Hispanic students rose 3.7 percentage points to 85 percent, which matches the state.

Since 2012-13, the Pinellas graduation rate for Hispanic students has increased 22.4 percentage points.

For more, see here.

ACE Pinellas Committee

Lisa Lehmann (Chair)
PCS, Arts Integration Specialist
Ajori Spencer
PCS, PreK-12 Performing Arts Specialist
Jonathan Ogle
PCS, Pre-K-12 Visual Arts Specialist
Meghan Alfaro
PCS, Performing Arts Staff Developer
Karen Haraminac
PCS, Pinellas County Arts Education Association ~ President
Amber Turcott
PCS, Pinellas County Music Education Association ~ President
Jeanne Reynolds
Florida Music Education Association, Government Relations PCS, PreK-12 Performing Arts Specialist, Retired
Sue Castleman
League of Women Voters PCS, PreK-12 Visual Arts Specialist, Retired
Linda Lerner
Retired PCS School Board Member
Steve Beatty
Crosslin Technologies, Chief Executive Officer
Kimberly G. Jackson, esq.
Institute for Strategic Policy Solution, Executive Director (ISPS at SPC) Community and Parent Advocate
Maria Cantonis
Clearwater Arts Alliance, Board of Directors
Susan Bezter
The Florida Orchestra, Development Committee Chair
Michelle Painter
Florida Orchestra, Education and Community Engagement Director
Maria Athanasulis
Retired PCS Music Educator
Karen Dietz
Imagine Museum, Guest Services
Peter Tush
The Dalí Museum, Senior Curator
Sumaya Ayad
The Dalí Museum, School Programs Manager
Julie Henry-Matus
The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, Director of Education and Public Programs
Nate Hettinger
The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Executive Director
Terry Marks
St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, Chief Executive Officer
Kimberlynn Martin
Director of Education and Engagement, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

ACE is Supported by: