Mentor Monthly - June 2021

June 2021

Join us in congratulating the 2021

MENTOR OF THE YEAR

Dr. Anthony Pizzo

How did you become involved with mentoring through the Hillsborough Education Foundation?

My volunteering for mentoring through the Hillsborough Education Foundation was prompted by the recommendation of my childhood friend, Alex Rodriguez, M.D., also a longtime TSIC mentor. We had reconnected in 2013 when he sent me condolences upon the passing of my mother. He related his rewarding experience as a mentor and with his encouragement I was motivated to take part.

What has been the most rewarding part of mentoring?

It has been observing my mentee’s perseverance despite the many obstacles he has faced during his high school career. Navigating these obstacles as a team has formed a bond between us and hopefully has given him a model to find success in the future.

What do you believe is the key to being a quality mentor?

I believe the key to being a quality mentor is being a good listener. It is also helpful to be positive especially when your mentee may be facing challenges.

When you are not working with students, how do you prefer to spend your free time?

Being retired, I spend time with my family and in fitness activities including tennis and weightlifting, as well as boating and hunting with friends. I also continue to pursue my lifelong interest in history with a book club and my own personal reading.

What do you hope your mentee(s) will learn from you?

I hope my mentee will take from me a willingness to sacrifice for attainment of his goals through delayed gratification and perseverance which will help ensure his success in the future. I learned these hard lessons in my many years of surgical training and hope I have relayed these to him.

SUMMER PLANS

TSIC and mentoring slows down in the summer. Our TSIC team will be taking some much needed time off in June to rest and recharge.

We are working on plans to do a few in-person community service events in July for students & mentors. We’ll update you all as soon as possible!

School is almost out for summer! While many students, teachers and families get ready for a break, at Hillsborough Education Foundation, we will be busy kicking off our Supply Drive Season in preparation for the 2021-2022 school year.

Every year, from June 1st-September 30th, HEF partners with the community to collect school supplies for students and we need you more than ever to join us in this effort!

With such a challenging year, we are deeply concerned how we will continue to #EraseTheNeed for our most vulnerable students in Hillsborough County. During the pandemic, with more students learning from home and not being able to share supplies, we have depleted our stock in our Teaching Tools Resource Center. Compounding the problem, with more employees working remotely this past year, fewer companies held in-person supply drives, resulting in an even greater shortage. We anticipate spending eight times what we normally budget to help replenish these essential supplies to ensure students have the tools they need for academic success.

Please contact Laura Grucza, Resource Development Manager, at (813) 574-0274 or lgrucza@educationfoundation.com to learn more about setting up your supply drive today!

TAKE STOCK APP

The Take Stock App will be brought down for summer maintenance and enhancement updates on Sunday, June 20th and be unavailable for usage.

The Take Stock App will be live again for use on Monday, August 2, 2021.

Social Media Senior Spotlight

We are incredibly proud of our graduating seniors. As they wrap up their high school careers, they’ll be graduating with a Florida Prepaid Scholarship and are making BIG plans for the future.

To celebrate the seniors' accomplishment, HEF has been highlighting them on social media. Make sure to follow HEF on your favorite social media platforms, to spot your mentee! Feel free to share the post as well!

You can find HEF on Facebook @educationfoundation and on Instagram & Twitter @hillsedufnd

Governor Ron DeSantis Announces More Than $765 Million in Record Funding for Teachers

Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by teachers, school principals, and superintendents in Baker County, Sarasota County, and Okaloosa County to announce a total of $765 million in funding to support Florida’s teachers. These investments include $550 million to continue elevating minimum teacher salaries, as well as $215 million to provide all of Florida’s eligible public school principals and teachers with $1,000 disaster relief payments.

Governor DeSantis worked with the Florida Legislature to fight for continued funding to support Florida’s teachers through the Florida Leads budget, and for the $550 million to continue to raise minimum teacher salaries represents an additional $50 million over last year’s historic $500 million investment. Over the past year, the minimum pay for Florida’s teachers increased by an average of $6,000 from $40,000 to $46,000. Overall, 68 of Florida’s 74 school districts (92 percent) now have a starting salary of $40,000 or higher. To read more, click here.

Source: Florida Department of Education

2021 Florida Legislative Session Recap

The 2021 regular legislative session adjourned promptly on April 30. After an unpredictable year, where higher education budget cuts seemed imminent, in the end, thanks to additional state revenues and federal relief funds, the Legislature made minimal cuts and passed an unprecedented $101.5 billion state budget. This includes appropriating more than $6 billion of federal pandemic relief funds to state projects.

Of the 3,140 bills filed this session, 275 passed, including major education policy bills focused on early learning, school choice expansion, and higher education and workforce reform. While the Senate’s earlier proposal to align financial aid and scholarships to in-demand fields was met with strong opposition, the legislature passed several policies to increase access to short-term credentials and incentivize students to enter in-demand fields. To read more, click here.

Source: Florida College Access Network