CEO Message

Florida school districts are fortunate to have a well-prepared cadre of dedicated superintendents leading Florida’s public school system. Likewise, FADSS is fortunate to have a Board of Directors that provides steady and thoughtful leadership for our association.

The following individuals that comprise FADSS’ board of directors are highly respected leaders in the education realm, and I am privileged to work with such a stellar group of educators. They have dedicated their life’s work to ensuring the integrity of Florida’s public education system, and I look forward to their leadership as we continue to face the challenges and changes in public education.

Officers

Tim Forson, President, Superintendent, St. Johns County School District

Robert “Bobby” Pearce, President-Elect, Superintendent, Wakulla County School District

Dr. Jose Dotres, Vice-President, Superintendent, Miami-Dade School District

Russell Hughes, Secretary, Superintendent, Walton County School District

Diane Kornegay, Treasurer, Superintendent, Lake County School District

Area Directors

AREA I: Joe Taylor, Superintendent, Washington County School District

(Bay, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington)

AREA II: Ted Roush, Superintendent, Suwannee County School District

(Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla)

AREA III: Lex Carswell, Superintendent, Columbia County School District

(Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, St. Johns and Union)

AREA IV: Dr. Diane Gullett, Superintendent, Marion County School District

(Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Indian River, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, St. Lucie, Seminole, Sumter, Volusia)

AREA V: Fred Heid, Superintendent, Polk County School District

(Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Okeechobee, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota)

AREA VI: Mike Swindle, Superintendent, Hendry County School District

(Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee, Martin, Monroe)

AREA VII: Mike Burke, Superintendent, Palm Beach County School District

(Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach)

At-Large Directors

Dr. Karen Barber

Superintendent, Santa Rosa County School District

Marcus Chambers

Superintendent, Okaloosa County School District

Robby Edwards

Superintendent, Lafayette County School District

Kevin Hendrick

Superintendent, Pinellas County School District

Dr. Brenda Longshore

Superintendent, Highlands County School District 

Dr. Maria Vazquez

Superintendent, Orange County School District

Past Presidents

Sherrie Raulerson, | 2023 - 2024  

Superintendent, Baker County School District

Sandra “Sam” Himmel | 2021 - 2022  

Superintendent, Citrus County School District

Kurt Browning, President | 2019 - 2020

Superintendent, Pasco County School District

Richard Shirley | 2018 - 2019

Superintendent, Sumter County School District

As the newly installed president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS), what are your priorities for the association?

Being a voice for public schools in Florida and offering a sense of support for all superintendents. There are many superintendents that are new to the position and need to know they are not alone and that as a group we can accomplish great things.  We need to be the strongest voice for public education in Florida.

You have 45 years of experience in the education realm holding various leadership roles throughout your career including Deputy Superintendent for Operations before being appointed St. Johns County Schools Superintendent in 2016. Recognizing that the role of a district school superintendent is a very difficult, challenging, and stressful job – what is the motivating factor (s) that inspires you to continue to serve as the educational leader in your district?

I think serving as Superintendent is an incredible honor. I am motivated by the fact that even if it’s in a small way, I can help make the lives of children better today and in the future. Spending a few minutes with a student motivates me every day.

What do you feel is the most pressing issue facing public education as a whole?

The most pressing issue to me is trust. It is a condition of our society where people do not know what to believe and therefore choose to doubt the work of teachers and schools.  In my observations, the teams of educators and staff members are among the most selfless and caring people in our communities. They should be trusted and respected for choosing to devote themselves to children.

As one of only two districts to date that have consecutively held the grade of A since 2010, and currently ranks 1^st in Reading (3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th 9^th and 10^th), Math (3^rd, 4^th, and 8^th), Science (5^th), and 1^st in EOC exams in Algebra 1, Biology 1, Civics, and US History (tied), what specific initiatives/programs do you attribute to this continued success?

I think for St. Johns, the development of systems that are sustainable has been key.  We operate by the acronym FAST - Focus, Alignment, Support, and Together. For us we keep the FOCUS on students and what the data tells us about needs.  We then work to ALIGN resources to achieve our goals and SUPPORT staff through professional learning. Lastly, we commit to rowing TOGETHER in the same direction. We have been a fast-growing district for more than 15 years and depend on systems and a way of work that gets results. We also benefit from the arrival of new families that value education and support our schools.

Recognizing that the demands upon public schools have increased to address the societal issues that ultimately land at the doorstep of our public schools. In your 8 years as a superintendent, what are 2-3 key pieces of advice that you would share with your colleagues that have enabled you to stay focused on the primary goal of educating students while still addressing the societal issues that impact the whole child.

Don’t react to every challenge or adversarial situation.  In today’s world people will have opinions I cannot change; therefore, I listen and respect the voice of others but stay focused on our mission. If I react, I will ultimately be exhausted by the noise and be taken off the path that best serves children.

What is your proudest accomplishment as a superintendent and what do you want your legacy to be?

I am proud to have been able to take our school district through some very challenging times. Beginning in 2018, with the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida, we worked hard to provide families with a sense of safety and security in our schools while improving our facilities through improved protocols and safety features. The years of the pandemic were coupled with a divisive political environment that made it difficult for school boards and superintendents across the state. I feel that the consistency of our Board and our team allowed us to never steer away from serving students to the best of our ability. Through all of this we continued to build and open new schools and maintain high levels of performance for all staff and students.

Any additional comments & thoughts you would like to share?

Anyone who chooses to teach, support, or lead schools should be lifted up in our communities. As we all know, their work has long lasting impacts on the community.

On August 1, 2024, the Putnam County School District (PCSD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Space Florida, the state’s aerospace finance and development authority. PCSD will begin implementing the Space Florida program this fall. The program aims to connect students with high-demand credentials and skills necessary to work in the aerospace industry; credentials that may not have been traditionally associated with the aerospace industry. 

PCSD Superintendent Dr. Rick Surrency shared the following, “Our District continues to be on the cutting edge of STEM pathways for our students. Aerospace is one of the fastest growing industries in Florida, and this partnership gives our students even more options when selecting a high-need/high-wage career that matches their interests.”



Dr. Surrency expressed gratitude for Mark Litten and Jini Robbins from the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, who joined PCSD for the MOU signing. “We value their partnership greatly. By working closely with our local leaders, we align our programs with the specific needs of Putnam County, and their support will undoubtedly enhance the opportunities available to our students.”

In collaboration with industry leaders, the Florida Department of Education, the Florida Department of Commerce, the REACH Office (Reimagining Education and Career Help), and CareerSource Florida, the Space Florida Academy Program will focus on reframing aerospace job characterization by focusing on the following target areas to meet current and future industry demand:

• Aviation/Aerospace
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Construction
• Cybersecurity/IT
• Logistics
• Semiconductors 

“The Space Florida Academy Program offers a new trajectory for students to explore careers in aerospace by breaking down legacy perceptions of what an aerospace career requires,” said Rob Long, president and CEO, Space Florida. “By bringing industry together with education, the program helps highlight these opportunities and ascertains what is truly needed now, and in the future, to meet workforce demands.” 

“The Space Florida Academy Program represents a pivotal step in ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills and credentials needed to thrive in the aerospace industry,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Space Florida Board Chair. “By collaborating with industry leaders and educational institutions, we are creating a pathway for Florida’s students to pursue high-demand careers and secure our state’s position as a global leader in aerospace innovation.” 

Nearly every high school in Florida offers some level of credential and certificate programs identified as desirable by the aerospace industry. Rebranding these courses as part of the Space Florida Academy Program further highlights a pathway to potential well-paid employment with a high school diploma. View a current list of aerospace industry demand credentials and skills HERE.

The following counties participated in the MOU signing ceremony: Baker, Brevard, Charlotte, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Hamilton, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Martin, Marion, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Osceola, Orange, Palm Beach, PK Yonge, Putnam, St. Lucie, Santa Rosa, and Suwannee. 

For more information about the Space Florida Academy Program, please visit www.spaceflorida.gov/workforce-initiatives. 

DOE Rules Update

By Brian Moore, FADSS General Counsel

Every year, the Legislature gives school districts new laws with new requirements to implement. Fortunately, this last year, the legislative focus was on lessening the load on public schools so that they can innovate and compete more freely with the other taxpayer-funded school options. However, districts also have to implement new and amended rules from the State Board of Education (SBE), which can be adopted throughout the year. With all the new laws passed in recent years, the SBE and Department of Education (DOE) have had to adopt hundreds of new or amended rules. Hopefully, the number of new rules will start to decrease with the lightened legislative load, but the DOE often still has to implement changes in the law by amending its rules.

Toward that end, the SBE met in Orlando in July and will meet again on August 21^st in Okaloosa County to adopt as many as 35 new or amended rules that could affect school district operations. Often, these rule amendments are simple and straight-forward responses to a change in the law. For example, in July, the SBE amended Rule 6A-6.0531 – Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence (RAISE). Legislation in 2024 amended the law to allow for the program to include after-school tutoring and stipends for the tutors. The SBE amended Rule 6A-6.0531 to reflect those changes.

Sometimes, even when the SBE has to adopt a brand new rule, it does not create much of a burden on districts and may even help districts complete required tasks. During the last legislative session, the Legislature enacted a bill creating the Florida Seal of Fine Arts Program for certain high school graduates. The new law spelled out most of the steps graduates must complete to obtain this new seal on their diplomas. On August 21^st, the SBE will adopt Rule 6A-1.09952 – Requirements for the Florida Seal of Fine Arts. The DOE has created some forms to assist district personnel in tracking student progress toward the Fine Arts Seal and evaluating student portfolios, where applicable. Thus, even though there is a brand new rule being adopted, it should not impose any new regulatory burdens on districts beyond what was already required by the new law.

Finally, to help keep track of the SBE and DOE’s rulemaking, the DOE maintains a website, which underwent some helpful upgrades this summer. As before, when you visit the DOE’s “Rules under Review” website, you can see all the rules currently in the adoption or amendment process. For example, you can see that the SBE plans to adopt the new CAPE Industry Certification Funding List in Rule 6A-6.0576 at the August 21^st meeting in Okaloosa. However, the website has been upgraded to let you see prior rule adoptions as well. There is a button to “View Rules with Final Action.” This takes you a list of all prior adoptions of new and amended SBE rules going back to 2008, including the dates they were approved by the SBE and links to the notices of proposed rulemaking that were published for them. As a result, you can now track the changes that have been made to Rule 6A-1.0018 – School Safety Requirements and Monitoring – since its first adoption on June 10, 2021, through its seventh amendment, which was approved on May 29, 2024.

In short, new laws come every year and usually take effect on July 1^st, but new or amended rules can be adopted at any time of the year. Those new rules have the same force and effect as the new laws, so school districts need to visit the DOE’s Rules under Review website often and participate in the rulemaking process as much as possible.

Just Over a Month to FADSS Fall Conference

By Katrina Figgett, FADSS Director of Training

We are very much looking forward to seeing everyone in Orlando on September 25^th. when we kick-off FADSS 2024 Fall Leadership Conference. As a reminder, this conference is open to both superintendents and one member of their leadership team, and the last day for registration is September 2^nd.

As always, the Fall Leadership Conference will provide plenty of time for networking and peer group discussions, as well as the opportunity to hear from experts in the areas of AI, labor relations, school safety, and cyber security. We will also hear about more innovative practices in our Florida districts. 

FADSS will also be hosting our Business Partner Showcase which will provide opportunities to learn about the excellent services and products these companies provide for our school districts.



If you have any questions regarding conference programming, please contact Katrina Figgett at kfiggett@fadss.org; for questions regarding the registration portal, please contact Renae at rwallace@fadss.org.

Safe travels and we look forward to seeing everyone in Orlando!