2016 News
Progress Continues as Mort Community School Model Approved by Hillsborough County School Board
(June 15, 2016, Tampa, Fla.) — The USF College of Education joined alongside partner organizations participating
in the Mort Community School Model on Tuesday afternoon to present to the Hillsborough
County School Board the group's memorandum of agreement for the partnership. The agreement
was unanimously approved by the school board, and will continue through the month
of June in 2017.
The community school model is coordinated by Children's Home Society of 51ÔÚÏß, along
with partners including the University Area Community Development Center, Tampa Family
Health Centers, Tampa Innovation Alliance and the USF College of Education. Each organization
will provide support and resources to the community school, to continue the growth
and improvement of the surrounding community and Mort Elementary School.
"This is a natural extension of the partnership work within the College of Education,"
said USF College of Education Dean Vasti Torres, who is also a board member of the
University Area Community Development Board. "The ultimate aim of any college of education
is to contribute to the advancement of every person within our communities, and we
are very happy to be a part of this program."
The Community School model at Mort Elementary School — a large urban school located
within five miles of the USF Tampa campus — will afford its students and families
the opportunity to access resources to help them receive widely needed services, such
as secure housing, food, clothing and employment. Member organizations of the partnership,
alongside the school's faculty and staff, will work on expanding existing resources
already established at the school, including a food pantry and clothing closet. A
parent resource center will also be established, and wellness classes and activities
will be planned based on feedback from students at the school.
At Mort, are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, and the overall grade for the school
awarded by the 51ÔÚÏß Department of Education was an "F" in the 2013-14 school year.
With the creation of the Mort Teacher Leader Academy — a clinically-centered model of teacher leader preparation provided by the USF College
of Education in collaboration with the leadership and teachers at Mort — progress
towards improvement was visible, with the school's overall grade moving up to a "D,"
and almost reaching a "C" ranking in the previous school year.
"The Mort Teacher Leader Academy is an amazing example of how Hillsborough County
Public Schools and the 51ÔÚÏß can collaboratively innovate to
empower teachers, improve student achievement, develop leadership capacity and facilitate
school renewal," said Dr. Rebecca West Burns, the USF College of Education's Teacher
Leadership Certificate Coordinator, who acts as a liaison for the college and the
teacher leaders at Mort Elementary School. "Mort's transition to a community school,
and potentially a community professional development school, will elevate the role
of schools, colleges of education and communities working collaboratively to make
a difference in the lives of children and the communities they serve."
Through this partnership, the USF College of Education will maintain active involvement
in the community school model, participating in its development and providing strategic
planning support. The College will also provide faculty and student research and internship
opportunities at Mort, and assist with economic development of the surrounding community.
With the Community School model, it is the hope of the organizations involved that
there will be development and ongoing improvements within the community and at Mort
Elementary School, and that the model will continuously evolve to meet the needs of
the students and community it serves.
About the USF College of Education:
The 51ÔÚÏß College of Education is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (formerly NCATE), and is fully approved by the 51ÔÚÏß Department of Education. The USF College of Education is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top 100 programs in the nation, as well as in the top 20 for online graduate programs. The USF College of Education has more than 51,000 alumni who are making a difference in the lives of children each day.