FREE-NEFEC Newsletter for November 2024

Foundation for Rural Education Excellence

Supporting Academic Achievement in

Rural Northeast Florida Communities

November 2024 Newsletter

The Foundation for Rural Education Excellence, a registered 501 (C)(3) organization, was founded in 1998 to facilitate philanthropic support for rural school districts of the North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC): Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Nassau, Putnam, Suwannee, and Union Counties as well as Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind and PK Yonge Developmental Research School. Working collaboratively, our mission is to enhance academic success and career opportunities for rural students in northeast Florida.

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Communications & Branding Network

NEFEC's first Communications & Branding Network meeting brought together district and school communicators from 11 member districts to share insights, collaborate around best practices, and explore strategies to elevate engagement. The kickoff session set the foundation for a journey of learning, support, and growth. Thank you to all communicators who joined the meeting.

FDLRS-NEFEC Host Staffing Specialists

FDLRS-NEFEC recently welcomed 35 staffing specialists for a Staffing Specialist Network meeting in Bradford County. The event began with an insightful presentation from Mr. Dusty Sims, Lead State Executive Director for the Bureau of School Improvement (BSI), and Mrs. Joey Nice, Director of Alternative Education for BSI, who shared valuable information on federal accountability under ESSA and school grades. A big thank you to the FDLRS-NEFEC HRD team for their hard work and dedication in making this event a success.

School Leaders Network

Administrators from NEFEC districts recently gathered for the second session of the School Leader Network. Former Columbia principal, Lisa Lee, led an engaging professional learning session focused on "Instructional Leadership: Unlocking Your Leadership Potential." Participants explored real-world scenarios using Bolman and Deal's Four Frame model of leadership, fostering rich discussions and idea-sharing on various educational topics.

The group is collectively reading "The Power of Positive Leadership" by Jon Gordon, which complements their learning journey. To wrap up the day, educational leaders crafted elevator speeches to effectively communicate their leadership messages. This network will continue to meet multiple times throughout the 2025 school year, providing ongoing support and development for school leaders.