Sarasota-Manatee teachers receive scholarships for USF Sarasota-Manatee leadership program
The University of South Florida Foundation has received more than $250,000 from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation to provide full scholarships to 14 K-12 teachers from the Sarasota and Manatee school districts who are beginning graduate work in educational leadership at the College of Education at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
The pilot project, known as Project T2L3: Transforming Teaching and Learning Locally through Leadership, is designed to equip promising teachers in the two districts to serve as teacher-leaders and administrators capable of supporting the needs of their students, especially those with special learning needs.
Teachers who complete the five-semester, 36-credit-hour program will earn a master’s degree in educational leadership and a graduate certificate in exceptional student education, said Brianne Reck, an associate professor in the College of Education. The cohort includes eight teachers from Sarasota County and seven from Manatee County who were selected by their districts and the College of Education.
Members of the cohort gathered on campus for the first time on Aug. 24 for introductions to their classmates and for lessons and other principles that will guide their work.
“It let me know how grand our community is,” said Candice Woodworth, a fifth-grade teacher at Barbara Harvey Elementary School in Manatee County. “Sometimes teachers don’t always feel that we are supported, but there are people in our community who want to back us. That’s what we teach our students.”
Brandy McCormack, a first-grade teacher at Ashton Elementary School in Sarasota, started her 17th year as a teacher this fall. “To be able to do this with the scholarship and not have to worry is huge,” McCormack said.
The goal of Project T2L3, Reck said, is to prepare the teachers to better address the needs of an increasingly diverse student body in the districts and to support high-quality teachers. “This unique collaboration brings together both local districts and addresses their leadership development needs,” Reck said.
Focus on retaining talent
Supporting education efforts in Sarasota and beyond is a major focus for the Barancik Foundation.
“We are excited to partner with USF Sarasota-Manatee ,” said John Annis, senior vice president at the Barancik Foundation. “Recruiting, retaining and recognizing great teachers is critical for student success.”
The new cohort is the latest effort by the College of Education to work with local school districts to help them prepare and retain exemplary talent.
“Improving the quality of school leadership in the local public schools is a passion for the College of Education,” Campus Dean Cheryl Ellerbrock said. “It is wonderful to have a community partner like the Barancik Foundation support this new cohort of aspiring school administrators and teacher leaders as they work to not only advance their careers but better serve their schools and their students.”
Other College of Education programs addressing the chronic teacher shortage in the area include Project Parasol, which is preparing paraprofessionals for teaching positions; the college’s work at two Community Partnership Schools in Bradenton; and the Grow Your Own Teacher Leadership Academy. For more information, visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu.
“Preparing responsive future school-based leaders is one of the major priorities for the College of Education,” USF Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook said. “We are grateful for the Barancik Foundation’s support as our faculty, along with our partners in the school districts, start this unique program to improve the leadership in our local schools.”
Submitted by Marc Masferrer
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Teachers gain scholarships for USF Sarasota-Manatee leadership program
