This fourth annual fundraising event offers the community the opportunity to learn more about programs. The event will feature tentative keynote speaker Dr. Antonio Burt. Additionally, the event will include our volunteers, who will share their experiences of volunteering in our Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs. Hear how our Foster Grandparent volunteers teach children to read and how our Senior Companion volunteers save the community millions but helping the elderly remain in their own homes longer and with dignity.

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Keynote Speaker

Dr. Antonio Burt
Director of School Leadership
Pinellas Counties Schools

In August 2015, the Tampa Bay Times printed a scathing indictment of Pinellas County Schools called Failure Factories. The article claimed that for five schools in South St. Petersburg, Pinellas County School Board members abandoned integration, broke promises of more money and resources and did not intervene as the students’ test scores plummeted and staff fled.

In response to public outcry from this article series, Superintendent Michael Grego brought in Dr. Antonio Burt, the Memphis principal who gained national attention for helping to turn the academic trajectory of one of Tennessee’s worst-performing schools.

Dr Burt’s accomplishments speak for themselves:

• Achieved Reward School status for 2013 & 2014. (Top 5% of state)
• In two years came off of the priority list from the state
• Managed and instructionally led 40 classroom teachers and oversaw 560 students
• Facilitated a 15.7% proficiency/advanced gain in 2013-2014 in Math
• Facilitated a 28.7% proficiency/advanced gain in 2013-2014 in Science
• Facilitated a 6.2% proficiency/advanced gain in 2013-2014 in R/LA
• Facilitated a 91% proficiency/advanced rate in Social Studies
• Facilitated a 20.2% proficiency/advanced gain in 2012-2013 in Math
• Facilitated a 26% proficiency/advanced gain in 2012-2013 in Science
• Facilitated a 6.6% proficiency/advanced gain in 2012-2013 in R/LA
• Conducted 178 classroom observations a year
• Analyzed student, teacher, and school data daily
• Planned and hosted Literacy, Math, Science, and Parent meetings
• Conducted PLC, data, instructional plan, and leadership meetings
• Cluster leader for the I Zone schools
• Implemented Responsive Classrooms in grades Pre-K to 6th grade
• Facilitated weekly PLC meetings and data meetings
• Developed and presented Compstat reports to Regional Supt. and Director
• Financially managed a $300,914.00 Title I Budget, Financially managed a $39,981.22 Site Based-Budget
• Financially managed a $538,268.00 SIG Grant Award

We are honored to have Dr. Burt speaking at our Pinellas County Bridging Generations Luncheon on April 21, 2016. As the newly created Director of School Leadership, Dr. Burt will bring his innovative approach to education to intervene in what have been called the worst schools in Florida.