• For the second consecutive year and third time in four years, Broward County Public Schools earned an ‘A’ grade from the Florida Department of Education. One hundred sixty-two District schools earned ‘A’ grades (117 elementary, 36 middle and nine high schools), accounting for almost 66 percent of public schools in Broward county.

• The total number of ‘A’ schools in 2008/09 was an increase of 21 from one year ago and 39 from just two years ago. Overall, 80.5% of Broward County Public Schools earned ‘A’ or ‘B’ grades in 2008/09, compared to 74.4% last year.

• Broward County Public Schools was named a finalist for the second straight year for the Broad Prize for Urban Education. The Broad Prize is an annual $2 million award that honors the urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between low- and non-low-income students.

• BCPS was awarded $250,000 in scholarship money by the Broad Foundation for being named a finalist for the award in 2008.

• Kim Flynn, Principal at Olsen Middle School, and Priscilla Ribeiro, Assistant Principal at Cypress Bay High School, were named the 2009 ACCLAIM Award winners, the District’s Principal and Assistant Principal of the Year honorees, respectively.

• Five high schools (Atlantic Technical, Nova, Pompano Beach, Stranahan and William T. McFatter) ranked among the Best High Schools in the nation in 2009 by U.S. News & World Report.

• Ten Broward County Public Schools high schools and one charter high school were recognized among Newsweek magazine’s top high schools in the nation in 2009. The District high schools honored included Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Nova, Fort Lauderdale, Stranahan, Miramar, Cooper City, Cypress Bay, J.P. Taravella, Flanagan and Plantation. The Pembroke Pines Charter High School was also listed.

• Broward County Public Schools continues to lead the nation in the number of National Board Certified Teachers, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The District’s current total is 1,633, with more than 320 teachers achieving certification prior to the start of the 2008/09 school year.

• Broward County Public Schools earned an ‘A-‘ grade (receiving 91 out of a possible 100 points) for the quality of its school lunches, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

• Three Broward County Public Schools – William T. McFatter Technical High School, City of Pembroke Pines Charter Middle and Pompano Beach High School - were selected as 2008/09 Florida Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence by the Florida Department of Education. The program honors K-12 schools that either demonstrate academically superiority in their states or make dramatic gains in student achievement. It is the highest national honor that a school can receive.

• One hundred thirty-six schools earned the Golden School Award and 15 schools received the Silver School Award for the 2008/09 school year. These awards are presented to schools that have demonstrated community involvement through their exemplary volunteer programs.

• The Florida Department of Education also designated 66 Broward County schools as Five Star School Award recipients for 2008/09. To meet the award’s rigorous demands, each school must document 100% fulfillment of 29 criteria that require the full engagement of business partners, volunteers, students, families and the School Advisory Council in the educational process.

• For the 12th consecutive year, the District received the Meritorious Budget Award from the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International for its annual budget.

• The District received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for twelve consecutive years, representing the highest recognition earned for governmental accounting & financial reporting.

• The District earned an A1/A+ Credit Rating From Bonding Agencies, based on confidence in the leadership of the School Board & Superintendent.

• The District’s Budget Office received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the last eleven years and was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) for the twenty-fifth consecutive year.

• The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded the District the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the twelfth consecutive year.  

• The Council of the Great City Schools awarded the District the first Excellence in Financial Management Award. The award represents a significant achievement by the School Board and District administrators who support the highest standards in financial accountability and controls that are required to safeguard and protect the financial integrity of the school system.

• The South Plantation High School Solar Knights, under the direction of Allan Phipps, captured first place at the Texas Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2009.

• Two hundred eighty-four athletes from 27 Broward County Public high schools earned athletic scholarships to postsecondary institutions during the 2008/09 school year. The athletes participated in 17 different boys and girls sports. Overall, BCPS athletes received scholarships valued at more than $4.8 million.

• Dr. Earlene Smiley was honored for Outstanding Community Achievement 2008 at a Community Empowerment breakfast event in Boca Raton. Dr. Smiley was recognized for her contributions to the community and to humanity.

• The Bethune Elementary School of the Arts We Are One program received the Arts Innovation Award 2008 from the International Network of Schools for the Advancement of Arts Education, recognizing schools committed to taking innovative artistic risks. The We Are One program was developed three years ago to build a sense of unity and family at the school.

• The Florida Virtual School, the country’s first statewide Internet-based public school, named Broward Virtual School its Franchise of the Year. The recognition is based on student completion rates, promotion of school community, innovation in virtual education and quality customer service.

• Three District teachers - Silver Ridge Elementary School kindergarten teacher Gayle Moscatello, Parkside Elementary 4th grade teacher Sheree Schulson and Parkside Elementary autism teacher Corrie Lohr - were honored as recipients of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council 2008 “You Make a Difference” awards.  The Council presents the awards annually to Florida educators who use true inclusive practices in their classrooms and schools.

• The J.P. Taravella High School band was the only high school band in the state of Florida selected to participate in the inauguration parade for President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The band, led by Neil Jenkins and assistant band director Cheldon Williams, was selected to participate in the Presidential Inauguration Parade from among nearly 1,400 applications.

• The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School marching band, under the direction of John Rusnak, placed first in the Class 3A competition and won the title of Grand Champion at the 20th Annual John I. Leonard Lancer Jamboree held in Greenacres.

• The Falcon Sound Band - Flanagan High School’s marching band – was selected by Disney and ABC television network to perform in the 2008 Walt Disney World Christmas Parade.

• The Coral Glades High School Marching Band, The Jaguar Regiment, under the direction of Ingrid Larragoity, was the First Place Grand Champion of the 2008 Falcon Sound Invitational, placing first among 21 participating schools.

• The District received the Outstanding Florida Homeless Education Program award by the Florida Homeless Education Program. The award recognizes homeless education liaisons, partners, and advocates for the outstanding service they provided to children and youth experiencing homelessness during the school year.

• Dr. Joanne Harrison received the annual Florida Chapter of the March of Dimes Building Our Community education award.

• Former Grants Administration & Government Programs Director Frank Mandley was honored at the Annual National Conference of the American Association of Grant Professionals with the President’s Award from the Grant Professional Certification Institute for his work in helping to establish a formal certification examination for grant professionals in the United States.

• Florida Governor Charlie Crist honored Crystal Lake Community Middle School world languages teacher Hector Varas with the Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence in Education Award. Varas was recognized for his outstanding work with Hispanic students, their families and the community at Crystal Lake, where he has impacted the lives of over 1,500 students in the Magnet TEENS (Teenagers Education in English and Spanish) program.

• Mary Z. Angelo, a teacher at Falcon Cove Middle School, was awarded a James Madison Fellowship by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation in Washington, DC. James Madison Fellowships support further study of American History by college graduates who aspire to become teachers of American History.

• The Broward County Advisory Board for Individuals with Disabilities named adult educator Norma Molina as the 2008 Disability Awareness Award recipient for the category of Teacher of the Year. Molina teaches at Wingate Oaks Center.

• Jorge Rios, a teacher at Wingate Oaks Center, was honored as an “Unsung Hero” at the Sixth Annual Sistrunk Historical Festival Gala in May 2009.

• The Broward County Public School District received a highly competitive 2009 HP Innovations in Education grant valued at more than $265,000. The grant program helps educators address the need for raising student achievement in math and science and increase student awareness in high-tech college and career opportunities.  Stranahan High School received the HP Innovations in Education award package.

• Susan Anderson, Visual Arts teacher at J.P. Taravella High School, was named the 24th annual Broward County Arts Teacher of the Year.

• Nadeige Paulk, a teacher at Pinewood Elementary School, was named Kids Voting Broward Teacher of the Year.

• Tony Dutra, reading teacher at Hallandale Adult Community Center, was named Broward County Public Schools 2010 Teacher of the Year. A teacher for 11 years, Dutra’s goal is to be the consummate 21st Century teacher for his students.  Dutra successfully merged his passion for both ESE and technology to benefit not only his students, but also others across the District. 

• On May 19, the State Board of Education and Education Commissioner Dr. Eric J. Smith named Jannette Thompson-Irwin (Pompano Beach Middle) as the 2009 Florida School-Related Employee of the Year. Thompson-Irwin was also selected as Broward’s Non-Instructional Employee of the Year in December.

• Broward County Public Schools high school students collected 11 of the county’s 15 Silver Knight Awards in 2009. Overall, District students earned 30 of 45 Honorable Mention recognitions, claiming 41 of 60 total recognitions (68%).

• For the second consecutive year, South Plantation High students won the Fairchild Challenge, a multi-disciplinary environmental competition. They earned  $1,000 to help with the school’s future environmental projects. More than 67 schools in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties entered.

• On May 1, Fabien Cousteau, third-generation environmentalist and grandson of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, joined South Plantation High School students, parents, teachers and community leaders to celebrate the "Eco-Geeks" team's recent victory in the Lexus Eco Challenge. 

• Nine schools - Lauderdale Lakes Middle, Lauderhill Middle, LifeSkills Center, Nob Hill Elementary, Nova Blanche Forman Elementary, Nova Middle, Pinewood Elementary, Piper High School and Rickards Middle School - received 2009 Prevention Schools of Excellence awards. The awards are presented to schools for their outstanding efforts to provide effective services, supports and activities that promote positive behaviors – the development of emotional resilience skills, positive mental health and prosocial actions – while limiting and/or preventing violent behavior and drug abuse.

• Ten District high schools (Blanche Ely, Coconut Creek, Dillard, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale, Hollywood Hills, McArthur, Miramar, South Broward and Stranahan) received $5,000 in Nike product grants, as part of an overall $50,000 donation to support high school football in Broward County. The grant funds were used to purchase product to be utilized by the players on either the school’s varsity or junior varsity football team year after year.

• The United States Distance Learning Association named Gary Walton the winner of its Platinum 2009 Excellence in Distance Learning Teaching Award.  Walton, better known to his students as “Mr. G,” has over thirty years of teaching experience.  His current courses, “FCAT Math with Mr. G” and “Mr. G’s Math Marvels,” reach over 3,500 students and 170 teachers each week.

• For the second consecutive year, the 28-member Dillard Center for the Arts Jazz Ensemble finished in the top three at the prestigious Swing Central Competition presented by the Savannah Music Festival. 

• Jacqueline Hirschman, Multicultural Resource Teacher in the District’s Multicultural, ESOL and Program Services Department, received The Pola and Ludwik Brodzki Family Holocaust Public Education Award.

• Office of Prevention Programs specialists Suzanne Edgar and Tresha Fletcher were honored by Connect to Protect, an organization dedicated to protecting the heath of today’s young people. 

• Virginia Shuman Young Elementary received a Magnet Schools of America (MSA) Merit Award as a Magnet School of Excellence. The Magnet School of Excellence Award is the top award given by Magnet Schools of America and is based on a commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation, successful desegregation/diversity efforts and the consistent delivery of high quality education to students.

• South Plantation High School – an Environmental Science and Everglades Restoration Magnet School – was named a Magnet School of Distinction.

• Wilton Manors Elementary School counselor Ana Maria Leon was named one of the top 10 school counselors in America. The program, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates, and even lifesavers, for the nation’s students.

• Tonya Frost, principal at Country Isles Elementary School, was one of two principals in the state to receive the 2008 Principal Advocate for Excellence Award presented by the Florida Association for Media in Education. 

• Three District teachers – Amanda Hicks (Hollywood Hills Elem.), Mary Ellen Falvey (Indian Ridge Middle) and Brian O’ Donnell (J.P. Taravella HS) – were honored by the Florida Council as 2008 Social Studies Teachers of the Year.

• Nicole Greggs, a music teacher at Plantation Park Elementary, was named the 2008 Broward County Arts Teacher of the Year. Greggs has taught music at Plantation Park Elementary for 17 years.

• Colonel James Armstrong, the Director of Army Instruction (DAI) for Broward County Public Schools, was recognized with the DAI Gold Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership of JROTC programs and cadets throughout the District.

• Broward Education Communications Network (BECON-TV) was awarded seven AVA Awards (Audio/Visual Awards) in 2008 as recognition for the outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting, and editing of audio/visual materials and programs.  The BECON-TV program winners are Broward School Beat – Platinum; It's The Write Time – Platinum; On The Record – Platinum; Broward Teen News – Gold; CareerWatch – Gold; Crossing Cultures/Changing Lives - Honorable Mention and Sports Blitz - Honorable Mention

• District World Languages Curriculum Specialist Blanca Guerra was named the 2008 Supervisor of the Year by the Foreign Language Association for Managers in Education.

• Wilton Manors Elementary was one of 11 winners of the 2008 National School of Character Award, a prestigious honor that recognizes schools and districts for their outstanding work in character education.

• The District’s African American History Curriculum programs were judged exemplary by Florida’s Commission of Education’s Task Force on African American History.

• Gracie Diaz received the Excellence in Education Award, presented by the University Council for Educational Administration.

• School Resource Officer Richard Barber was named the 2008 Charles Bingham Award winner as Broward County’s top school resource officer. Barber is a Pembroke Pines officer who serves as SRO at Walter C. Young Resource Center.

• Margate Middle School was one of 110 public schools in the nation to receive the 2008 HP Technology for Teaching Grant. The grant is awarded to schools to transform and improve learning in the classrooms through the innovative use of technology. The school receives an awards package of HP products and a cash award for each teacher with a total value of more than $38,000.

• Nova Blanche Forman principal Chuck McCanna was named a finalist for the 2009 Florida Council of Instructional Technology Leaders Innovative Principal of the Year Award. Principals are selected based on their success in effectively integrating technology into the classroom learning environment.

• Sawgrass Springs Middle School ESE teacher Karen Baker, was honored with the Teacher of the Year Award for Developmental Disabilities, presented by Broward County Commissioners to commend people in various occupations for their outstanding work on behalf of individuals with disabilities. Baker, who has been a dedicated ESE teacher for over 27 years, instructs the Specialized Varying Exceptionality class at Sawgrass Springs.

• Broward County Public Schools was awarded the 2008 Partner of the Year Award from The Children’s Advocacy YMCA Family Center. The YMCA’s partnership with the District has produced a large number of quality after- school programs over the past 10 years, including on holidays and weekends, serving over 5,000 children in 50 locations throughout the county. Other programs associated with this partnership have provided financial assistance to young people.

• The National Association of Workshop Directors named Michael Roland, Student Activities Liaison, as the Earl Reum Award winner for the Southeastern United States.  This annual award is presented to individuals who excel in encouraging and promoting student involvement both in and out of the classroom. Roland is responsible for the design and implementation of the District’s student leadership training series, including the South Florida Leadership Training Camp and Camp Eagle. 

• Parkway Middle School of the Arts was a winner in Samsung’s fifth annual Hope for Education essay contest. Samsung’s Hope for Education Program awarded the school $61,000 in Samsung technology, Microsoft software and a DirecTV educational programming package. Parkway was one of four schools in Florida and the only one in Broward County to receive the prize.

• Broward County Public Schools is a leader in the national Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Tools for Schools arena. 

• The District’s ERP Department was named as a 2009 Elluminate Center of Excellence for using curriculum distance learning tools such as Elluminate Live in the implementation of the District-wide ERP Project. The Elluminate Center of Excellence program exists to highlight best practices and to recognize institutions that are at the leading edge of adopting Elluminate for teaching, learning and other business processes.

• The District’s Office of Prevention Programs received the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program award. The award recognizes comprehensive, school-wide programs designed to reduce and prevent bullying issues among school children and to improve peer relations at school.

• Plantation High School received a $10,000 Teach Award from Best Buy Co. Inc. for integrating interactive technology into its classroom curriculum. The grant was the largest award given by Best Buy in Florida. The Aerospace Technology and Design Program at Plantation High is a course of study that combines high-level math and science courses with practical experience in engineering and aerospace activities.

• Collins Elementary School Science teacher Ebony Harvey received the Target Field Trip Grant.  The grant money was used for a physics and science educational workshop held at Boomers.  The Boomers’ Educational Workshop was created to help students with hands-on learning. Students saw an educational demonstration on and underneath a roller coaster.  They learned physics in motion, using measurements taken during the demonstration, and then reinforced and applied the concept in the classroom.

• The State Board of Education recognized two District schools for their excellent performance on both state and federal accountability standards.  James S. Hunt Elementary, which has a student population of more than 68 percent who are economically disadvantaged, has maintained a state school grade of “A” for the last two years, while at the same time meeting stringent federal requirements known as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for more than five years. Boulevard Heights Elementary, which has a student population of more than 57 percent who are economically disadvantaged, has made significant progress in closing the achievement gap between white and minority students for the last two years, maintained a state school grade of “A” for the last two years and has met AYP requirements for two consecutive years.

• Dillard Center for the Arts (DCA) was nominated in two categories for Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks Awards. The DCA Music Department was a nominee for “Best Music Classes in South Florida” and the DCA Art Department was a nominee for “Best Art Classes in South Florida.”

• Members of Cowboy Television broadcasts, better known as CTV at Cooper City High School, took first place at the Sweet 16 event held at the annual Student Television Network’s National Convention in Orlando. The Sweet 16 event is the most anticipated high school news broadcast competition.

• Alicia Palelis, autism coach at Coral Cove Elementary, was named Educator of the Year in Autism Education through the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities of South Florida.

• Olsen Middle School’s Carlos Montoya was recognized by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush as a 2008 Excel Award recipient. Montoya was one of ten teachers in the state to make outstanding learning gains and motivate ELL students.

• Melissa Butcher, teacher at Sheridan Park Elementary, was named the Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Region V, by the Florida Department of Education.

• Pioneer Middle School principal Linda Arnold was awarded the “International Youth Crime Watch of America Marilyn Morris Lifetime Achievement Award.” Additionally, school SRO Deputy Robert Wallace was honored as the “International Youth Crime Watch of America School Resource Officer of the Year.”

 

• The Cooper City High Band received the “Otto Kraushaar” Award, an honor recognizing a school’s entire band program based on receiving straight superiors at District Marching, District Convert and State Concert competitions.

• Flanagan High School was a finalist for the Florida PTA & Florida Department of Education’s Parent Involvement Award.

• The Knot, Hollywood Hills High School’s literary magazine, received a rank of superior and was nominated for the highest award in National Council of Teachers of English Program to recognize excellence in student literacy magazines.

• The Flanagan High School World Guard finished in 1st place at the Nashville Power Regional Competition and were ranked #1 in the nation. The school’s Navy JROTC won the state championship and competed in the national championship.

• Jean Dougherty, Health Occupations Teacher at McArthur High School, was named the State of Florida SADD Advisor of the Year.

• Boulevard Heights Elementary was named a 2009 Florida Title I Distinguished School.

• Panther Run Elementary was recognized by the District for its Energy Conservation Program - “The Energizers”. The program was featured on CBS News 4 and in the Miami Herald.

• The South Broward High Girls’ Basketball Team won the 2009 Kreul Basketball Classic, held in December in Coral Springs.

• Pioneer Middle School won the county softball championship for the ninth consecutive year.

• Cooper City High School won the 2009 FHSAA Softball Championship.

• Boyd Anderson High School won the 2009 Boys Big 8 Basketball Tournament, held at Fort Lauderdale High School. The Cobras girls track and field team finished as the state runner-up.

• The Nova High School girls basketball team reached the FHSAA state championship game (Class 5A), before falling to Lake Howell (50-39) in Lakeland.

• The Stoneman Douglas High Schools girls soccer team reached the FHSAA finals, before falling to Melbourne, 3-0, in the championship game.

• The Monarch High School boys soccer team reached the FHSAA Final Four.

• The West Broward High School girls tennis team finished second in the state.

• The Stranahan High School girls flag football team reached the FHSAA Final Four.

• Doris Penn (Community School South) was named the Adult and Community Education Association of Florida’s Volunteer of the Year for her work in the ESOL program.

• Sheridan Technical Center students were the first students in the state to receive hybrid electric vehicle training. Sheridan Tech students were a part of the school’s launch of the first gaming repair technician training program in the State of Florida. The first gaming repair technician class graduates completed their program on October 23, 2008

• More than 28,000 fathers and male guardians accompanied students to schools throughout the county on the first day as part of the Million Father March campaign.  Representatives from many local community organizations joined principals and other school-based staff in handing out special stickers to those who participated in this event.

• The District built two energy-efficient schools - Elementary School “Z” in Parkland (now called Heron Heights Elementary) and Elementary School “A” in Sunrise (now called Discovery Elementary) in 2008/09. Both schools were built in keeping with the District’s objectives to build environmentally friendly facilities.

• Laura LaPerna, second grade teacher at McNab Elementary, was nominated as the 2008 Environmental Educator of the Year by the Environmental Education Council.

• James S. Hunt Elementary School was named a Florida Distinguished School Award in 2008/09.

• More than 1,200 Junior ROTC cadets from 27 District high schools participated in the 2009 Broward County JROTC Drill Team Championships at J.P. Taravella High School. The event consisted of more than 400 individual competitive performances in 17 categories. Members of the Deerfield Beach HS Marine JROTC Program took first place in the event.

• Dr. Susan Whiting, Principal of Tradewinds Elementary School, was named the Broward School District’s 2008 Environmental Administrator of the Year.

• Riverside Elementary teacher Patricia Tegtman was named the Mathematics Teacher of the Year by the Broward County Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

• Pompano Beach High School principal David Gordon was named Principal of the Year by the Florida Association of Student Councils. The unique honor was awarded by student government leaders from across the state, who voted for the award.

• Pompano Beach High School was one of 18 schools nationwide to be selected as an Apple Distinguished School – a special designation reserved for schools that achieved a 21st century vision of education using Apple technology.

• Forest Glen Middle School teacher Lisa Dossantos was named the 2009 Environmental Educator of the Year.