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Your Voice In Education Reform Symposium

	"Your Voice In Education Reform Symposium" Highlights Current Issues in Education and Sparks Debate
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - On April 12, 2011, at the Everglades BBQ Company in Tropicana Field, the Pinellas Education Foundation, Voice of Florida Business in Education, and the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations hosted the “Your Voice in Education Reform Symposium.” Approximately 100 corporate and community leaders of Tampa Bay heard from local and state leaders on educational reform issues. It was a lively event, sponsored by the Tampa Bay Rays, that sparked healthy debate and viewpoints from all sides of the issues. Chair and CEO of WRScompass Kathleen Shanahan gave a keynote presentation on the state of Florida’s education system and even drilled down to show how Pinellas County stacked up against state figures. While it was encouraging to see how far the state has come in a 10 year period (from 48 to 5th in the nation), some of the figures for Pinellas County still fall far behind state numbers, specifically as it relates to the math and reading level of minorities. In addition, attendees were polled on five questions that generated much debate between the audience and panel members which included John Kirtley, Chairman of Step Up For Students; Liza McFadden, President of Volunteer USA Foundation; Ernest Hooper, Columnist at the St. Petersburg Times; Tracy Staley, 2011 Pinellas County Teacher of the Year; and Sean Barth, Controller at Andreyev Engineering. Questions included some controversial topics such as vouchers and how best to fund education programs. The driving force behind the symposium was Executive Chairman of Sembler Company and Chairman of the Pinellas Education Foundation Craig Sher. He was pleased with the event and hopes this will be the first of many forums. “It’s imperative to have these forums because the educational landscape is continually changing, and the complex issues facing our current system need to be clearly articulated,” stated Sher. “It’s also important to showcase all viewpoints of the issues in order to create an ongoing dialogue that will help promote change.” About The Pinellas Education Foundation The Pinellas Education Foundation is an independent, non-governmental not-for-profit established in 1986.  The Foundation’s mission is to provide enhanced educational opportunities for students and educators in Pinellas County Public Schools. Well known Pinellas Education Foundation programs include: Enterprise Village, Finance Park, Doorways Scholarships and Teacher Classroom Grants About The Voice of Florida Business in Education The Voice of Florida Business in Education is comprised of more than 1,100 local business and community leaders throughout the state who are deeply involved in improving public education as board members of local education foundations. It provides a unique voice in Florida public education by bringing together a business perspective with an understanding of how to lead innovation in public education. About the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations The Consortium of Florida Education Foundations represents 55 local education foundations and their more than 1,100 board members. Collectively, these school district-wide education foundations raise more than $40 million annually for a variety of initiatives in support of students, teachers, and public schools. Information is available at www.cfef.net.