What does it take to transform a child’s life? In the case of first-graders who struggle the most with reading and writing, it takes well-trained trained teachers, generous donors and school district leaders willing to invest in solutions. Here in Sarasota County, through an initiative called Reading Recovery, this potent combination is not only improving students’ lives, it’s also changing their families, teachers and the entire school district for the better.

Reading Recovery is an intensive, short-term literacy program that involves daily, one-on-one tutoring by highly trained teachers for the poorest-performing first graders. (First grade is key, because that’s when most children are learning to read. By third grade, they are reading to learn.) It’s also proven to be most effective when made available to all students who need it and used as a supplement to good teaching in the classroom.

Reading Recovery was introduced to our school district two years ago by philanthropists Keith and Linda Monda. They knew from experience elsewhere (and decades of rigorous evaluation data) that this early intervention works in helping low-achieving students quickly catch up their peers, and that those gains stick.

Sandee Coward, one of our district’s first Reading Recovery teachers, recently shared an example of that success in action at Atwater Elementary School in North Port: “One of my students told me, ‘Ms. Coward, I remember when I was in kindergarten how much I hated to read. I didn’t like when I had to sit and do the words. It didn’t make sense. Now I can’t wait to get books in the Media Center, and I know the answers to the questions. Reading is cool!’”

What a difference a year can make. Or, more precisely, 12 to 20 weeks, for that’s how long students typically spend in Reading Recovery. As soon as a student achieves grade-level reading, the lessons are discontinued and another student enters the curriculum. It’s that fast and effective.

Even better news is that our 10 Sarasota County elementary schools where Reading Recovery was available last year are performing 11 percent higher than the national average (an 86-percent success rate versus the national average of 75 percent).

This school year, thanks to the long-term commitment of the School Board and a generous grant from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation to accelerate implementation, all 23 elementary schools in our district have Reading Recovery teachers on staff. That’s what excites me most about this growing initiative: the promise of systemic change on which it is delivering. Ms. Coward says Reading Recovery has transformed more than just her students. It is also impacting their families, her and other teachers, and the school district itself.

Another Atwater teacher, Julie Sardo, had this to add: “The students tell me how they are reading to their families at night. Many have stories about reading to extended family over the phone and how proud their family is of them. Most of all, they are proud of themselves and feel like they are a part of their class instead of that ‘low group kid’ who doesn’t fit in.

“I have also talked with many of their parents who are amazed at the progress their children have made,” she continued. “They tell me how their children are attempting to read everything from cereal boxes to road signs just because they can. The students are noticing print everywhere.”

Yes, reading is cool! And transformational. As is the success that comes from co-investing with good partners in a proven solution that helps those in our community who need it most.

Mark Pritchett is president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. 

The government hamster wheel. It is a phrase I came up with when I started serving on government boards. I also used it while I served in office. It is the perfect description of the abyss a person or applicant falls into when they get involved in government processes.

Getting onto the hamster wheel comes from many paths but is always originates from a decision to put you there. It could be an indecisive government employee who is afraid to make an administrative decision because they fear for their job or the publicity. It could be an employee who has an agenda and decides that no decision will make the world right. It could be an employee who is overworked and puts you on the wheel because they can’t handle your issue right now. Or it could be an employee who decides that they will wait you out, that you will grow tired of running on the wheel and quit.

Some of the decisions to put you there are unfair to government employees when they are doing the job of three people or were promoted without the needed experience because of a short bench. Other decisions are purposeful and violate policy established by the policymakers. In all cases, they result in the citizen, the hamster, expending unnecessary energy, time and money to get nowhere with no decision and finality. Instead of being told “no,” they are held there spinning endlessly without a way to get off the wheel by themselves; only the government can stop the wheel.

Imagine a citizen requests a permit to do something on their property. A government employee decides he needs to see the property and, to your surprise, brings 12 other employees with him. They check out the property and announce they need to all meet together to discuss the issue. You really aren’t entirely clear as to what that issue is. 

Weeks go by and you call, you leave a message and get a call back days later. Good news! A meeting is scheduled in a few weeks. You call back in a few weeks and leave a message. They call days later and tell you they did not have enough time to finish their discussion, they will let you know when another meeting happens. 

You call and leave a message a few weeks later, again. A second meeting is now scheduled. You call after that meeting and leave a message. They finally call you back, they have questions, they need to meet with you on the property. They will get dates to you. 

And it goes on and on and on without end, without a decision, without any way to get off the wheel. 

Sadly, we have grown to accept this from our governments. Few have the time or the thick pocketbooks to make an attempt to get off the wheel. This, unfortunately, is a part of government culture and it affects citizens and businesses alike. It hurts our government employees, too, and the good ones leave because the hamster wheel culture is tough to accept.

Improving government culture is an adopted Argus initiative. We will be analyzing government culture in the months and years to come and seeking to improve efficiency and service to our community. We look forward to bringing solutions to our community and ending the culture of the government hamster wheel. 

Christine Robinson is executive director for The Argus Foundation. 

The easiest decision of my presidency was to partner with the University of Florida to bring Gator Engineering at SCF to our Venice campus. From the moment discussions began about the possibility of a partnership between State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota and the University of Florida, I knew it was the right thing for our college and our region.

Gator Engineering at SCF provides a clear pathway for students from our region to be accepted to the University of Florida’s prestigious Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. For three semesters, they will receive high-level instruction at SCF that will prepare them to finish their degree at UF and go forward in their careers as both Manatees and Gators.

The University of Florida is unable to admit all the qualified students who apply to its engineering program each year. Ten students who met UF’s requirements accepted the opportunity to attend SCF and participate in the Gator Engineering program.

Students in the first Gator Engineering at SCF class, recruited from a six-county region that includes Manatee and Sarasota counties, will begin their college careers this month on our Venice Campus. SCF’s state-college environment provides these students with smaller class sizes, direct engagement with our professors, and a very affordable tuition rate. Assuming they complete all their requirements satisfactorily, they will move on to the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering in Gainesville for their fourth semester, reverse transfer their credits to be awarded an Associate of Arts degree from SCF, and then continue to work toward their bachelor’s degree at UF.

We officially opened the Gator Den on our Venice Campus Aug. 17. Thanks to our partners at the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, our Gator Engineering at SCF students have their own space to congregate and study and an advisor dedicated to helping them navigate this two-institution program.

The aspect of this program that really excites me is the ability for these students to maintain their ties to our region through internships and the relationships they build with our local companies. For years, local employers have asked me to help bring an engineering program and interns to this area. Gator Engineering brings the talent to their doorstep.

We lose so many talented students from our area—when they leave for a state university, they often do not return to pursue their professional career. With our partners at the Innovation Station these students will be able to find local opportunities and bring their skills back to our region after they finish with UF in Gainesville.

Gator Engineering at SCF is just one example of the partnerships SCF can be part of with our state universities. I am open to any partnership that leads to the higher education opportunities that our community needs.

Gator Engineering at SCF gives high-performing students from our region an affordable first-step toward an engineering degree at UF. For our employers, it provides a pool of qualified candidates for internships and future employment. This is a solid win for our community and a program to which I could not say “yes” to fast enough.

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. 

Planning has officially kicked-off on this year's Key to the Cure event hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue on October 12th. To date, this event has raised more than $1,300,000 to further breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer research as well as related projects in the Sarasota/Manatee community. All proceeds from the event are earmarked for Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Cancer Care programs and continue to benefit the prevention and treatment of women’s cancers. This year’s Party with a Purpose event will serve as the social season kick-off party and will feature food, beverages, entertainment, shopping and an exclusive chance drawing that is sure to engage, excite and empower. 

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation

The Official Mascot of the 2017 World Rowing Championships, Scully, will fly over to Sarasota Memorial Hospital to put a smile on the faces of children in the hospital’s pediatric unit and meet the emergency medicine physicians and nurses overseeing the medical needs of thousands of athletes, volunteers and spectators at the 2017 World Rowing Championships on August 22. As the Official Health Care Provider of the 2017 World Rowing Championships, SMH has assembled an experienced emergency care team to establish and operate a medical village at Nathan Benderson Park and provide top notch care to the 1,200 athletes, 2,000 volunteers and 40,000 spectators traveling from 70 different countries to witness and participate in the milestone event. With its 829-bed flagship hospital and trauma center, new rehabilitation pavilion and comprehensive network of urgent care and outpatient centers, SMH has a longstanding commitment to deliver the most advanced care to people across the region. 

Sarasota Memorial Hospital

Children First Vice President of Operations Jennifer Ourednik and Vice President of Programs Kathleen Sullivan were honored by becoming UCLA Head Start Management Fellows. The two were chosen to participate in the highly selective 12–day, intensive leadership and management development training session at UCLA Anderson School of Business, which they completed in August. Thanks to the program, they have strengthened their leadership and management skills and gained important knowledge in the areas of strategic and financial planning, tools that will enhance programs at Children First, the exclusive Head Start and Early Head Start provider in Sarasota County. Children First ranks in the top 1% of Head Start programs nationwide as a Program of Excellence. 

Children First

Three of Sarasota’s lead cultural organizations are joining forces this Labor Day weekend to present the first-ever Family Day Celebration. Combining arts exploration, education, and workshops, this special event provides youth and adults alike with a free and fun-filled day of arts and educational programs for the whole family. Participants can make their on-stage debuts with Florida Studio Theatre, go on an interactive safari with Selby Gardens, and discover their opera voices with Sarasota Opera.“We are so excited to partner with Selby Gardens and Sarasota Opera on this special family day event,” said Caroline Kaiser, Director of Children’s Theatre at Florida Studio Theatre. “Family Day will take experiencing downtown Sarasota to a new level with families participating in hands-on activities and games offered by all three organizations. In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, it is refreshing to just take an hour or two to spend time together as a family and, make lasting memories. ”

Florida Studio Theatre

The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) was recognized with leading awards at FPRA’s 79th annual conference at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. CWC-FPRA won the coveted Chapter of the Year award, in recognition of its financial health, strong retention and new member attraction rates, media coverage, and its leadership within the community and the industry. It also received the Promoting the Profession & FPRA award for the promotion of its programs and chapter member achievements through the media and creating awareness about FPRA throughout our community. During the conference gala event, chapter members were presented with six Golden Image Awards for excellence in public relations programming. Winners of these prestigious awards competition demonstrate the very best examples of innovation, planning and design.“CWC-FPRA enjoyed an extremely strong year in leadership, programming, recognition, and membership. We’re thrilled to be recognized at the state level with these important honors,” said chapter president Mischa Kirby, APR. “We have worked hard to build a strong foundation so that we can be a strong chapter for years to come.” 

Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association

On September 9, the Sarasota Opera House will open its doors for the 4th annual Taste of Downtown Food & Wine Festival benefiting the Sarasota Youth Opera. In its three-year history, Taste of Downtown has raised more than $50,000 to support what is currently the most comprehensive youth opera program in the United States. Attendees will be invited to enjoy culinary treats, fine wines, and craft beers provided by some of Sarasota's most popular eateries and lounges spread amongst the unique setting of the historic Sarasota Opera House. Tickets are $65 per person.  

Sarasota Opera