BROWARD'S SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS HONORED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE GREAT CITY SCHOOLS

Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Till is the recipient of this year's prestigious Richard R. Green Award, considered the nation's highest urban education honor. The annual award is presented to an educator by the Washington, D.C. based Council of the Great City Schools in recognition of exceptional contributions to urban schools and students. Dr. Till received the award at the council's conference held in Chicago.

The award was established as a tribute to the late Dr. Richard R. Green, former chancellor of New York City Public Schools and superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, who was a highly respected educational leader who served and supported the needs of the nation's urban school children.

Criteria used in selecting recipients of the award include:
• Outstanding support of and service to urban schoolchildren;
• Development of a special service or program in support of urban school needs;
• Ongoing significant contributions to urban education through advocacy or programs;
• Inspiration and motivation of others to contribute to success of urban school students;
• Positive influence on program development, staff or human development, community support and/or student achievement.

Dr. Till earned his Bachelor's degree in mathematics/economics (1969) and a Master's degree in curriculum and instruction (1973) from San Diego State University.   He went on to get his doctorate from the University of Southern California in 1980.

Along with caring for Broward's more than 271,000 K-12 students, Dr. Till is involved in a number of community activities, including sharing the mentoring of a high school student with his wife, Barbara. 

Holiday Safety Tips 2003

We want everyone to have a happy and safe holiday season, so we encourage all Broward County Public Schools employees to follow these safety tips to ensure the safety of your classroom, office and home:

Fresh Trees
• Choose a tree that's not shedding needles
• Trim its trunk at an angle, at least one to two inches
• Water it daily
• Secure it in a large, deep, non-tip stand
• Remove it from your office/classroom by
Friday December 19th, 2003

Artificial Trees
• Make sure it has a flame retardant or flame resistive label
• Secure it in a non-tip stand
• Don't put any electrical lights on metal trees

Trees and Decorations
• Locate them away from all exits and sources of heat (minimum 3 foot clearance)
• Make sure all lights are labeled by a testing laboratory (i.e. UL, FM)
• Replace any worn light sets (those with splices and loose connections)
• Do not overload outlets and don't use plastic adapters
• Do not use flexible cords or extension cords
• Use only approved multiple outlet extensions (those where the adapter is equipped with an integral over-current device that has a total rating      of no more than 15 amperes)
• Do not use a metal ladder when working around electricity; use a wooden or fiberglass ladder
• Do not use candles or any open flames
• Unplug everything before you leave school/office each day
• Use only flame retardant or non-combustible materials for decorations
• Decorations cannot cover more than 20% of the wall space in the interior corridors
• Do not staple wires to any surface and use appropriate wire holders