Manatee School District celebrates two educators with 50 years of service
A round of applause for those folks recently honored by Superintendent Jason Wysong for having served the Manatee School District an incredible 50 years or more and 40 years or more.
Like Linda Carnes and Pat Barber.
Carnes is now in her 51st year as a teacher in the district. She spent 35 years at Sugg Middle, briefly retired in the summer of 2009, then resumed her career at Palmetto High, where she is in her 16th year as a Language Arts Teacher.
Barber, who started in 1974 as a Palmetto High English teacher and is presently on leave as a teacher, is the full-time president of the Manatee Education Association.
Among those with 40 years or more are Linda Agresta, Assistant Director of Academics; Carol Barcena, Adult Education Teacher, Manatee Technical College East; Edward Fobbs, Receiving Clerk, Central Distribution Warehouse; Dave Frantz, Social Studies Teacher, Golf Coach, Lakewood Ranch High; Lisa King, Senior Secretary, MTC; Willie Lowery, Lead Custodial Plant Manager, Parrish Community High; Estelle Sailes, ESE Paraprofessional, Manatee Elementary; Debra Shannon, Dean of Discipline, LRHS; Barbara Stacho, School Counselor, Williams Elementary; Bernitha Washington, Kindergarten Teacher, Tillman Elementary; Karen Washington, Kindergarten Teacher, Myakka City Elementary; and Silvia Wilson, Teacher’s Aide, Oneco Elementary.
· Big ups to LRHS alums Morgan LaMarc, Sierra Parsons, Hannah Reynolds and Danielle Wilson, who earned Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Florida.
· Well done to Michaela Puyod, recipient of an HCA Florida Blake Hospital Excellence in Nursing Scholarship. She’ll get her Associates of Science in Nursing degree from State College of Florida in December.
· And good luck to cousins Aric Cleveland and Brady Cleveland. Both honor students – Aric at Mona Jain Middle, Brady at Haile Middle – are bound for Lakewood Ranch High and Out of Door Academy, respectively, where they will pursue their scholastic careers and football.
Aric’s dad Andrew and Brady’s dad Austin are brothers and were Bayshore High wrestlers. Andrew is a personal trainer and Austin a PE teacher at Williams Elementary.
Aric’s mom Amanda, a Manatee High grad, is an RN at Doctor’s Hospital. Brady’s mom Kenzie, a Southeast grad, is a Freedom Elementary counselor.
· Shawney Arnold was promoted to OR Business Manager at Manatee Memorial Hospital.
· And Michael Forte is Employee of the Quarter at the Manatee County Tax Collector’s office. He’s been there since 2020 and works in Customer Service and Associate Development department.
Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944. X (formerly Twitter): @vinmannix.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee School District honors 2 teachers with 50 years of service
