The Faculty

Not just a great school, but a dedicated and talented faculty.

The Academies of Excellence will seek to hire a diverse faculty composed of highly qualified teachers with enterprising spirits. We will achieve this goal by continuing our local, state, regional, national and international search to hire the finest teachers available. Teachers will need to be multi-talented having elementary school similar pedagogy, content expertise in core subject areas, technology competence as a tool for learning and teaching and contribute to the overall foreign language expertise. This may include contacting the top graduate and education programs (local through international) and publicizing openings to experienced teachers, leaders, corporate and civic organizations.

Teachers will be required to have State certification in accordance with F.S. 1002.33(12)(f). Recruitment will be made in early spring at State recruitment events, on the web, and in nearby districts and schools. Those with technology know how will be particularly well-suited for working in this school. Training will begin during pre-planning with inquiry based, collaborative, and technology training. This training will continue throughout the school year. Teachers will be given joint planning time to think through a schedule for the children they will serve. Foreign language and other critical needs area teachers will be recruited in the same manner.

Faculty at all grade levels will be trained in effective use of technology in the classroom. Teachers and students will learn to utilize technology as a natural part of learning and working. We view the technology as an ENABLER in a number of ways:

1. Help teachers organize and provide structure for effective instructional delivery of material to students.
2. Provide a means for students, parents, teachers, and administrators to interact and communicate through an online classroom management tool.
3. Facilitate and assist in the authentication, search and prioritization of the digital material available on the Internet, which in this case serves as a world wide encyclopedia.
4. Allow parents to continually monitor their child’s class assignments, homework, projects, field studies, classroom content, and other important classroom information.
5. Assist students with disabilities and speakers of other languages in mastering content through the use of assistive adaptive devices and software designed to build on their individual strengths.

All faculty members will have extensive training on the best practices in the teaching of reading using the principles that are researched based. Parents will also be provided and encouraged to participate in reading workshops in order to build the home to school partnership that must exist. The faculty and staff will receive extensive training on the effective utilization and innovative use of technology in instruction based on scientific research.