CEO Message

Florida's Future is Powered by Public Schools

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."

— Confucius

Continuing the AI Discussion from FADSS Fall Conference –

AI EDU: From Pilot to Practice

At FADSS Fall Conference, Danny Mateo, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation & Advancement at Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) shared the strides that their districts have made in the integration of AI. This event is a continuation of that learning, and will focus on AI for both instructional and operational use cases grounded in the use of Gemini. We are grateful to Danny and his team for leading this unique learning session.

This day of exploration will be held at the new Orange Technical College – East Campus, 11550 Lokanotosa Trail, Orlando, 32817 on Thursday March 12.

The day will consist of an opening keynote, followed by a series of deep-dive, hands-on-rotations that will unlock unprecedented efficiency, precision, and creativity in your district. The five rotations are:

• Master the Gemini Canvas: From Lesson to Learning
• See teachers create engaging games and instructional materials instantly.
• Learn to rapidly adjust the tone and complexity of communications—from stern disciplinary emails to empathetic parent newsletters—all without manual rewrites.
• Unleash NotebookLM: Leadership Intelligence on Demand
• Turn your district documents, policies, and reports into instant, actionable insights.
• Transform curriculum, standards, and student data into instructional plans grounded in your source materials and use it as a compliance "HR" safety net for all your handbooks.
• Craft Gems for Differentiation: Precision Support for All Learners
• Explore how to use structured Gemini Gems to standardize guided learning experiences and differentiate instruction for every learner, including ESE and ELL students.
• Build personalized tutors that use Socratic dialogue to guide students to self-regulated learning or create custom bots that standardize classroom observation and evaluation tasks.
• Command Gemini Deep Research & Veo: Evidence to Story
• Synthesize complex data for strategic intelligence, conduct competitive analysis, and vet vendors using deep research.
• Transform your findings into compelling visual narratives using Veo, eliminating the "Wall of Text" updates and replacing them with instant, no-filming-required media.
• Boost Parent Power-Up: Communication That Builds Trust
• Discover critical communication strategies and leverage PowerUp Cards to forge stronger family partnerships at the classroom and school level.

Superintendents are encouraged to attend and bring a few members of their team, or designate appropriate staff to attend. Lunch will be provided by students from the culinary program at the nearby University High School, and there will be an opportunity to tour the Technical College which was officially opened in October 2025.  

Registration

Registration went out on January 23 and closes on February 13. Please note the event date on the registration email was subsequently updated to the current date. Once you register, you will receive the link to the hotel room block at the beautiful Celeste Hotel.

We extend our sincere thanks to Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) Superintendent Dr. Vazquez and the OCPS team for their support and partnership in making this training possible.

If you have any questions, or need the registration link resent, please contact Katrina Figgett. We look forward to seeing you there!

Chief Executive Officer Leadership Development Program (CEOLDP) Cohort 2026!

Last week, 21 superintendents completed their Phase 1 training for CEOLDP at Eckerd College, and in two weeks will embark on their year long journey to achieve CEOLDP certification.

Though the weather in St. Petersburg was cooler than normal for the time of year, it was still much better than it was up in North Florida, so there were many superintendents (as well as myself) who enjoyed the opportunity to thaw out! As is usual at these trainings all involved expressed their appreciation for the quality of the learning environment, and specifically for the time spent with their peers and personal coach. There was much laughter, and a few tears, but it was a true growth experience for all.



Now the hard work begins as Phase 2 starts and  superintendents engage with designing and implementing their Learning Project to address the improvement needs of their districts, focusing on student outcomes. We look forward to hearing about their completed projects in the years to come.

HMH Executive Leadership Workshops

FADSS Platinum Parter HMH will host a series of executive leader workshops in Florida focused on Clarity in Complexity: A Framework for Coherence, Alignment, and Sustained Impact.

Leaders will explore a practical approach to assessing alignment, implementation quality, and impact across district initiatives, blending professional judgment with key performance indicators.

Florida district leaders will share how disciplined decisions, focused priorities, and strategic investments have helped sustain — and often accelerate — strong student outcomes. Participants will leave with a repeatable, adaptable process to strengthen clarity and long-term progress in their systems.

The event welcomes superintendents, assistant superintendents, and other district executive leaders. Districts are encouraged to bring teams to make the most of this learning and networking opportunity.

Dates and location of the three workshops are:

Tallahassee: Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. ET

Howey-In-The-Hills: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. ET

Sarasota: Thursday, March 5, 2026 | 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. ET

You can find more information and registration links to each event via this link. 

ICYMI

To honor the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding, the Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida invite all Florida students in grades K-12 to participate in the America250FL art and essay contests. The essay and art contests provide an opportunity for students to pause and reflect on our nation’s past and honor Florida’s contributions to America. Students should submit an original artwork or essay with the theme, “Celebrating Florida’s Contributions to America” by Monday, March 16.

About the Student Art Contest

The America250FL art contest is open to all Kindergarten through grade five students in Florida. Each student should submit an original, two-dimensional artwork based on this year’s theme. Six winners will be selected, and each winner will receive a 2-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

For more information click HERE.