Schools
St. Petersburg College Hosts State Board Of Education Meeting
St. Petersburg College hosted the Florida State Board of Education's monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 14.
SEMINOLE, FL — St. Petersburg College hosted the Florida State Board of Education’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 14, at the Seminole Campus Conference Center.
To start the meeting, attendees heard from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who voiced his support for action items on the agenda concerning new standards for civics curriculum in public schools.
DeSantis also introduced his wife, Casey DeSantis, who spoke about the state’s mission to fight the stigma surrounding mental health and help students who are struggling with substance abuse.
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SPC President Tonjua Williams then took the podium to address the board and recount the efforts that SPC has made in offering robust workforce programs that lead to fulfilling careers. The college has been focused on re-skilling and up-skilling students and making sure that they have the resources they need to achieve economic mobility.
Workforce education is also near and dear to DeSantis, who made it a goal for Florida to be the best state in the nation for workforce development by 2030 through the state’s Get There initiative.
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St. Petersburg College student Ashlynn Wells was also honored during the meeting by Florida College System Chancellor Kathy Hebda, who awarded her the Commissioner’s Leadership Award for outstanding leadership and service as a student in the state of Florida. Wells accepted the award with her mother by her side.
Shortly after, Williams took to the podium again, this time in the capacity as vice chair of the Florida College System Council of Presidents, a role she recently took over. She gave a brief summary of initiatives on which FCS has focused, mentioning that it collectively serves more than 730,000 students and that 95 percent of state college students stay in Florida for work after graduating. Williams acknowledged the rapidly changing world and how situations like COVID-19 can have a lasting impact on a student’s education.
“The needs of the students change so often, we need to pivot as needed to meet those needs,” she said. “We have to continue to be creative, innovative, and nimble.”
This press release was produced by the St. Petersburg College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
