State of Our Schools Breakfast: ‘Educators are Heroes’

It was a morning of superlatives at this breakfast of champions when local school and business officials honored heroic teachers and staff for their extraordinary successes educating Lee County students during the pandemic.

On Friday, The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools in partnership with The School District of Lee County, hosted their 30th Annual Partners in Education – State of Our Schools event at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater.

Themed "Educators are Heroes," the breakfast recognized not just educators and school employees but community and business partners whose individual and collective efforts has ensured student success and safety during COVID-19. More than 200 people attended the live event which in itself was no small feat given its virtual nature last year.

Foundation President and CEO, Marshall Bower emceed the event as a caped crusader in keeping with the everyday heroes motif. Early on, he and Foundation Chair Harlan Parrish recognized several attending individuals, educators, school board members, sponsors and contributing partners. The foundation's Business Partners of the Year were B&I Contractors and Wawa along with Community Partners of the Year Lee Health and United Way.

At the heart of Bower's talk was how local teachers and partners have weathered and transcended catastrophic obstacles to education whether Hurricane Irma or a pandemic.

"My hat is off -- if I had one -- to all of you educators in the room," Bower said. "Our educators stepped up to the plate. We stayed open and we educated our students."

The Foundation, a charitable nonprofit, has since 1986 worked with the school district on enhancing and enriching Lee County public education. Its bellwether Golden Apple Teacher Recognition program developed more than 30 years ago is now used throughout the country, Bower said. The foundation supports teachers and students through fundraising, scholarships, grants, partnerships, mentoring, advocacy, Education Resource Center and school supplies.

"Our students come from very low- income families," Lulu Nicholson said. She is a parent involvement specialist and volunteer coordinator at Sunshine Elementary School in Lehigh Acres.

"The foundation helps fund our school and helps with extras, she said. "These business and community partners are amazing in their contributions of time, money and knowledge."

"Without them we can't run our schools," Nicholson said.

Later, Lee County School District Superintendent Gregory Adkins delivered the state of our schools address: a pandemic year report card that graded the district’s plans, programs and successes as it progresses toward becoming an "A+ school district."

"We led this nation in reopening schools for fall," Adkins said. "Our student success is nothing less than stellar."

About 83 % of students attend in person classes. Students continue to set record graduation rates: 88.5 % of the 2020 class graduated on time, an almost 5% jump over the previous year and highest district jump in 15 years. Also, state-designated underachieving schools dropped 23 to zero from 2016 to 2020.

Due to unprecedented growth in a district which serves more than 95,000 K-12 students, the superintendent praised the 2018 passage of the half cent sales tax referendum that presently has collected more than $163 million in tax revenue with dollars dedicated to building, adding onto or performing major campus renovations at more than 20 locations over the next 10 years. Further, all district schools will benefit from modernization, increased technology and security improvements through these tax dollars. In August, new Gateway High School and Lehigh Acres Middle School will open. Also the district is starting a process to rebuild Franklin Park Elementary School as a United Way community partnership, Adkins said.

The school district has partnered with Florida Gulf Coast University in the Innovative School program which will provide student education as well as house a research training facility for future teachers. Further, the district has responded to the need for skilled workers by adding more high school career academies along with plans for technical college expansions. Earlier this year, NursingProcess.org ranked Cape Coral Technical College's Practical Nursing Program as first in the state and ninth in the Southeast.

The district is expanding its preK program, including the James Stephens Pre-K Center. The Young Five program helps students who might socially and emotionally benefit from an extra year, he said. Other recent programs include Parent University which engages parents; Back on Track for high schools students to make up lost credits; Connect with LEE (Live Education Expert) that offers students virtual homework assistance; and other programs that provide students and families additional social and emotional support. The school district, in partnership with the SKY Family YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs of Lee County, also is planning to have summer student programs at seven district locations, he said.

Finally, the superintendent, who is retiring, spoke about the honor and joy he has experienced during his 33 years of district service, including middle school science teacher, assistant principal and principal, district administrator in Academic Services and Operations, chief of Human Resources and superintendent for five and half years. He thanked all those who are helping realize the dream of making Lee County a world class school system.

"The commitment of our staff, community members and business partners to the children is absolutely immeasurable," Adkins said. "The successes that we have collectively celebrated are some of my proudest moments."

"From the bottom of my heart," he said, "I thank you and God bless you."