New Program Teams
Broward Principals with
Business Executives

Executive Partner and bank executive Philip McNally reads to a 1st grade class as Principal Dr. Patricia Dixon looks on.

The Broward County Public School District, the Broward Alliance and The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce have launched a new initiative aimed at improving schools. The Executive Partnerships Program, launched in January, teams each participating business leader with a Broward school principal. Business executives share their knowledge of business planning, benchmarking, strategic planning and other business management strategies with principals, who then use that knowledge to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their schools. Members of District Advisory Council and PTA serve on each team to ensure meaningful parent involvement.

Business executives and principals are encouraged to communicate and visit each other's worksite regularly and attend meetings and special events together. In addition, the entire group of participants meets quarterly to share best practices.

Although the program is relatively new, more than a dozen business executives have already been paired with principals. To date, most of the schools involved are Superintendent's Schools, the lowest performing schools in the district.

Schools are not the only benefactor of this innovative program. The entire community benefits from improved schools and business leaders secure a better-educated and better-prepared future workforce.

The success of a pre-existing partnership between the principal at Dillard Elementary and the president of RBC Centura Bank served as a model for the Executive Partnerships Program. Principal Dr. Patricia Dixon and bank executive Philip McNally joined forces nearly three years ago, resulting in the revitalization of the school's PTA; the securing of books for a summer reading program; and living assistance for the families of some disadvantaged students who attend the school. Principal Dixon now holds a seat on RBC Centura's Advisory Board where she shares her thoughts as an educator.

The ultimate goal of the Executive Partnerships Program is to partner a business executive with each of Broward's 251 public schools and centers. Many more senior level business leaders are needed, but listed below are the Executive Partners who have taken the lead in this important program.


EXECUTIVE PARTNERS
Ms. Margarita Castellon
Bell South
Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. Middle

Ms. Ginny Miller
Miller Construction
Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. Middle

Mr. Matt Grundwerg
City Furniture
Boyd Anderson High

Mr. Michael Flately
Communities in Schools
Broward Estates Elementary

Mr. J.T. Tarlton
Broward Alliance
Deerfield Beach High

Mr. Phil McNally
RBC Bank
Dillard Elementary

Mr. Alan Levy
Broward Workshop
Dillard High

Mr. Ray Williams
Legendary Services Corporation
Flanagan High

Mr. Bob Legg
Miller Legg & Associates
Hallandale High

Mr. Chris Pollack
The Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce
Lauderdale Manors Elementary

Ms. Jo Moscowitz
Citrix Systems Incorporated
Lauderhill Middle

Mr. Marvin Klasfeld
KPR Incorporated
Martin Luther King Elementary

Mr. Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers Associates
North Side Elementary

Ashmore Media Center a
Valuable Resource

Dan Cochran, Associate Superintendent, donates Harry Wong’s First Days of School to Caroline Penland, teacher resource specialist, for use in the Ashmore Media Center.

Need a different strategy for implementing change in your school or handling that special discipline problem? Maybe you'd like some quality time with such renowned authors as Harry Wong or Warren Bennis? Find out the resources that other district employees like Dan Cochran, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, are discovering at the Ashmore Media Center. Dan even donated a Harry Wong book entitled "First Days of School" to the center, having met the acclaimed motivational speaker at an educational conference in Las Vegas.

Located next to Training Room #4 at the Davie Road Human Resources Development offices (3531 Davie Road, Davie), the center serves as a staff development media center that provides materials to help improve performance, instructional, leadership and motivational skills for all District employees. Parents of Broward County School students are invited to check out various books that address such parenting issues as bullying, bipolar disorders, girl wars and moody children.

The center contains a collection of videos and books with categories ranging from beginning teacher, bus discipline and leadership to teaching strategies, classroom techniques and staff development. Materials may be checked out via E-mail or phone and can be returned through interdepartmental mail.

The center also houses a design center that contains all of the materials you might need to develop staff training programs on such topics as icebreakers, energizers and team-building. There's even a meeting area that can accommodate 15 people.

To learn more about the Ashmore Media Center, call 754-321-5058 or E-mail
(HRD.Ashmore.Media@browardschools.com). You can also view a complete listing of categories at
(www.broward.k12.fl.us/hrd/ashmore/
ashmoretitles.htm).

Examples of Books Available
Death by Meeting
What Happy People Know
Principals and Student Achievement
Test Better, Teach Better
The Threads of Reading
Seven Steps to Help Your Child Worry Less
Designing Rubrics for Mathematics

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Stay Informed

The 411 is published four times each year and is a great way to stay informed about what's happening in the school district, but it's not the only way. Stay up-to-date!

• Check "District Announcements" on CAB whenever a red flag appears next to the icon.

• Read the News & Views newsletter on CAB. A new issue is posted every other Wednesday. Just click on "Employee Newsletter" in District Announcements.

• Watch the video version of News & Views on BECON television, which is carried by cable TV providers throughout Broward County.

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