Title
School and Community Relations Committee Meeting of October 14, 2008
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[The meeting was called to order by Chair Korge at 5:30 pm. A quorum requirement was met by 6 PM.
Excused Absence: Pat Kiel asked for an excused absence. Vice-Chairperson Joan Reitsma made a motion to accept the excused absence. Motion was seconded by Member Andrew Yagoda. Motion passed unanimously.
Vacant Positions: Secretary Garcia informed the committee that Lili Diaz had resigned after serving approximately nine years. Mr. Daniel Atlas will replace Lili Diaz’ vacancy; however an official letter is needed from Ponce de Leon Middle School in order to notify the City Commission of such change.
Minutes: The September 22, 2008 minutes were deferred due to the computer system being upgraded and the secretary could not access her files. Minutes were deferred to the November 2008 meeting.
Education Compact: Since the change that Assistant City Manager Donna Lubin is in charge of the project, no meeting has been set as of yet. Discussion ensued regarding that other public schools within the city limits should not be forgotten. This topic should be taken back to the Education Compact for them to address this issue.
Traffic: Discussion ensued regarding the traffic that took place when President George W. Bush visited the City of Coral Gables and ate at Havanna Harry’s. Both school officials stated that all traffic ran very smoothly due to the efforts of the Coral Gables Police Department.
FCAT Retake: The 11th and 12th graders from Coral Gables High School will soon retake the FCAT. Approximately 688 students will retake the exam. Also at Ponce De Leon School, training camps have been set up for those who need to retake the exam. Saturdays are dedicated for instruction as well as after school programs taking place. For those students who scored low, they were encouraged to attend camps.
New School Director: The new Superintendent for the Miami Dade School Board is Alberto Carvalho. Mr. Alberto Carvalho is an 18-year veteran of the school district and selected for the top position during a 5-3 vote on September 12. It was mentioned that he seems to be a very proactive leader addressing the critical issues that the school board is immediately facing.
Red Ribbon Breakfast: This will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2008 beginning at 7:30 am at the Youth Center celebrating this years 2008 Red Ribbon Campaign.
Tutoring Program: Acosta Farms are paying for the teachers who are tutoring Ponce de Leon Middle Schools students on Tuesdays and Thursdays which is a great assistance due to the budget constraints.
Coral Gables High School Homecoming: Homecoming is already taking place at the school. The dance will be on November 13 after the football game.
Coral Gables High School Curriculum: The curriculum at the school is slightly being modified especially the International Baccalaureate Program due to the increase of students in the program.
Police Issues: The Youth Resource Unit is dealing and resolving many D.C.F. cases that were assigned to the Coral Gables Police Department. Also detectives have been attending the Magtag meetings on a regular basis which deal with gang issues and activities.
City Commission Update: None
City Projects Update: None
Next Meeting Dates: The SCRC will meet again on Monday, November 17, 2008 at 5:30 PM.]