For the second consecutive year, State Farm supports Florida’s student initiatives
At a meeting of the State Board of Education today, State Farm awarded a $50,000 grant to the Florida Education Foundation. Half of the grant will fund the Florida Reads Best initiative, and half will fund the Dr. Brian Dassler Leadership Academy, formerly known as the Commissioner’s Leadership Academy. This year’s award represents continued funding to initiatives that have enjoyed long-term support from State Farm.
State Farm has funded the participation of 353 school leaders in the Dr. Brian Dassler Leadership Academy, a program designed to improve the capabilities of school leaders in evaluating classroom instruction and in coaching teachers toward continuous improvement. This year’s grant will fund another class of school-based leaders in this program.
In Florida Reads Best, the State Farm grant has convened reading leaders from many Florida school districts, early learning organizations, universities and community organizations to plan strategies for reading improvement. Among those strategies is the creation of teacher professional development on reading instructional practices with a strong evidence of success.
This year’s grant will continue the professional development work of that team and seek to connect additional community partners to the system of developing high-achieving readers.
“We are incredibly grateful for State Farm’s continued partnership with the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Education Foundation as we continue working toward our goal of Florida being the best place in the world to receive an education,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart. “State Farm’s work with education in our state has a common theme, student achievement, and we look forward to celebrating improved outcomes as a result of this generous contribution for Florida’s students.”
“State Farm’s goal is to help build safer, stronger and better educated communities,” said Jose Soto, State Farm Community Affairs Specialist. “The work that the Foundation and the Florida Department of Education are doing to improve student achievement is well worth the investment, and we are delighted to contribute to their success.”
About the Florida Education Foundation
The Florida Education Foundation serves as the direct support organization for the Florida Department of Education. As a valued partner to public education, the Foundation’s mission is to invest in high achievement for every student to contribute to Florida’s globally competitive workforce. More information about the Foundation can be found at Florida Education Foundation.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.
