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6/26/06 St. Petersburg Schools Make the Grade
St.
Petersburg
schools received great news recently when the Florida Department of
Education released the 2005-2006 school grades. 62% of St. Petersburg’s
schools received a grade of “A” or “B,” up from 45% four years ago.
Additionally, 100% of city elementary and middle schools received a grade
of “C” or better.
The
school grades, which take into account both achievement and learning gains,
reflect the efforts of students, teachers, and community volunteers working
to make St. Petersburg schools excel.
Since assuming
office, Mayor Rick Baker has stepped outside the traditional role of city
government to advocate for quality education and has encouraged the
community to work to support schools. The education program became one of
the five cornerstones of his administration. Through the "Mayor's
Mentors & More" initiative, Mayor Baker and the city have:
·
Raised
$1.42 million, matched dollar for dollar by the state, for college
scholarships for 400 sixth grade low income students.
·
Recruited
mentors for these students by offering city employees paid time to mentor
students in public schools.
·
Raised
funds from the community to provide 112 students with scholarships for
tuition and supplies to the city's vocational technical center.
·
Recruited
approximately 70 corporate partners - at least one for each of the 46
public schools in St. Petersburg.
·
Created
the model "A + Housing Program" as an incentive to recruit and
retain teachers, whereby teachers may qualify for up to $18,000 in
assistance to buy a home in St. Petersburg.
·
Incorporated
"character building" in all city youth programs.
For more information on the city’s
commitment to education, click here
For individual school grades, click here
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