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Nine ‘Purple Star Schools’ Designated In Escambia County
November 17, 2022
Nine schools in Escambia County have been recognized as Purple Star Schools by the Florida Department of Education for their support of children of military families
The schools are:
- Bailey Middle
- Beulah Academy of Science
- Blue Angels Elementary
- Escambia High School
- Global Learning Academy
- Jim Allen Elementary
- N.B. Cook Elementary
- Pine Meadow Elementary
- West Florida High
Additionally, the DOE will work with Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties to create a first of its kind teacher leadership program at Purple Star schools to both help veterans earn their teaching certification and help other teachers learn how to best serve military families. This program will allow Purple Star schools to fill teaching positions and help qualified teachers receive their certification more quickly.
“Purple Star schools have the tools and knowledgeable faculty needed to help children of military families succeed regardless of the obstacles they face,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We also recognize that no one can better relate to these children than those who have served, which is why we are encouraging our veterans to teach at these schools and across the state.”
“We are so proud of our relationship with our area military bases, and welcome the opportunity to continue to work closely with them to support our military families,” stated ECPS Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith. “This recognition validates the efforts of our schools as they seek to meet the needs of our local military community.”
Purple Star campuses must meet certain requirements designed to support the unique needs of military children and their families as they transition into a new school and navigate a new community. Those requirements include:
- Designating a faculty member as the military liaison to directly support families;
- Updating the school website with resources for military students and families;
- Offering a student-led transition program to assist military students in acclimating into a school;
- Expanding staff professional development training opportunities on issues relating to military students; and
- Reserving controlled, open enrollment seats for military-connected students to utilize to ensure school choice opportunities are available to them, regardless of the time of year their military transfer takes place.
The Purple Star teacher leadership program builds on legislation signed earlier this year to allow veterans with four years of military experience and an associate’s degree to obtain a 5-year temporary teaching certificate while they work towards earning a bachelor’s degree.
Through the program, schools in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Escambia, and Walton counties will actively recruit veterans to become teachers and then help them earn their certification directly from the school, without having to experience any delays from DOE. The program will also connect veterans with opportunities to finish their schooling at nearby colleges, getting veterans experience in the classroom and partnering veterans with mentor-teachers.
Comments
3 Responses to “Nine ‘Purple Star Schools’ Designated In Escambia County”
Purple star schools made extra efforts to provide ways to integrate military families into our community. When military members choose duty stations you can bet they are looking at the quality of schools in the area of assignment. Why did those schools receive the designation? Because they worked extra hard,did extra things. Why are they top schools- for the same reasons and likely parental support levels are high. Many veterans have already been instructors during their military careers. Having a passion for teaching, they choose to pursue the field in civilian life afterwards. They are often successful. They have made sacrifices that are not able to be equated by monetary value. You might be surprised how many of your current peers are veterans already.
I think the Purple Star schools are a great idea. But I think most schools would be much better off and the shortage of teachers would resolve a great deal if we supported teachers in every way we can and brought discipline back to schools. The teachers should not have to put up with the absolutely out of control students…. and parents.(this goes for the poor bus drivers too). A lot of parents have it in their heads that their child can never do no wrong and it’s just a teacher picking on the child. Honey….teachers don’t have time nor desire to “pick’ on your child. (I’m not saying there is not the rare bad teacher, because I know personally they do exist but it’s not the norm.) It’s gotten ridiculous what they have to put up with and the workload they have.Teachers (especially of older kids) shouldn’t have to worry about whether they will be assaulted that day, whether or not there will be daily arguments about putting phones away in class, whether if they try any type of discipline or the child is failing due to lack of trying and lack of parental support at home, that the parents are gonna come to the school and act a fool. We have become way too permissive of a society as far as bad behavior is concerned and what is tolerated with no consequences and look where we are. School shootings, assaults on teachers and students, teachers leaving in mass, no bus drivers etc., not nearly enough counselors for students that are having issues. STOP tolerating bad behavior. Hold students AND parents accountable. The folks that are obtaining a quick certificate to teach should be placed in schools as an asst teacher for at least 1-2yrs to support the main class teacher with workload and to learn some techniques in class room mgt. You don’t just walk into a classroom and think you can start teaching because there is sooooo much more to it than that.
Once again, as misdirected as I think this program is and as much as I think this is a slap in the face of teachers who have spent money and time on hard-earned degrees and valid teaching experience, NEEDED RESOURCES ARE BEING SENT TO THE WRONG SCHOOLS. The schools chosen prove that this program is misguided because all but one school is a top-grade school. What about OJ Semmes, Weis, Navy Point, Montclair, Oak Crest–don’t they deserve help, too? I have veterans in my family, and I have a deep respect for all those who have served—but none of them need to be teachers just because they served. What a disservice to all parties.