FLVS Staff
FLVS Student Drafted by the Boston Red Sox
By Suzan Kurdak on June 17th, 2019
Jake Herbert is more than your average Spring 2019 gradate—this FLVS homeschool alum was drafted by the Boston Red Sox this month! The 18-year-old Polk county resident said, “To be drafted by the Boston Red Sox is a dream come true. It is the greatest achievement of my life so far.” Continue reading
Meet an Economics Teacher at FLVS
By Guest Blogger on September 29th, 2017
Ever thought about taking Economics online with Florida Virtual School? If not, you’re missing out!
In this Q&A, Mr. Tidd shares why he loves teaching Economics with Financial Literacy at FLVS. Learn more in his interview and course intro video below!
Rock On: Expert Advice from Two Master Teachers
By Rose Rodriguez on July 20th, 2017
Every time I look back at my career as a teacher, I realize how far I have come.
What I find truly astounding is that what made the most impact in my practice was not learned in the resounding hallways of my Alma Mater or the momentous conference rooms of the many in-service training sessions I’ve completed, but interacting and networking with my peers. Sometimes I will get the best idea from asking a question or brainstorming in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) session.
And just like a movie flashback, I am back at the topic for this blog!
I wanted to ask some questions to our teachers that everyone else also asks. It was difficult to single out one or two teachers, because here at FLVS I feel that I am teaching in the middle of a rock festival and every teacher I know is a rock star!
To narrow it down, I reached out to two of our Teacher of the Year nominees, Amsler Burns and Kellie Shellenberger. Continue reading
FLVS…How Does Your Garden Grow?
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on June 13th, 2017
Have you ever stopped to think just how FLVS finds such incredible leaders to drive instruction and promote online education? These talented individuals do not always just appear. Many are educated through carefully developed professional opportunities.
In April 2017, a new professional development program was launched by the executive team to provide faculty and staff the chance to engage in hands-on leadership experiences.
The Aspiring Leaders Program is an intensive, 10-month cohort-based institute that will take state-certified educational leaders from within FLVS and provide in-depth exposure throughout the many departments across the organization. Participants will learn alongside mentors in the areas of human resources, finance, curriculum, and more!
FLVS Instructional Leader Gisela Delgado is a very strong advocate for empowering her team of more than 50 instructors in her schoolhouse. Continue reading
Professional Learning at FLVS in 2017
By Mary Mitchell on April 19th, 2017
At FLVS, our growing and learning continues daily! Learning isn’t just something our students do each and every day – our teachers do too.
Our professional learning team is an incredible group of educators who work tirelessly to help our teachers grow and learn so they can all reach their students effectively.
There are all kinds of exciting initiatives rooted in the Professional Learning team that we’re focused on in 2017.
We have amazing team members who benefit our teachers and staff with their commitment to providing stellar professional learning opportunities across our district.
Here are a few of the exciting learning opportunities we have for our teachers and staff to keep growing and learning: Continue reading
Meet the Team Blog Series
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on December 28th, 2016
Have you ever thought about becoming an FLVS instructor? Or wondered what it’s like to be a lead teacher or principal at a virtual school?
Maybe you want to know more about the different staff members that support our instructional team. From counselors to learning coaches to curriculum specialists, our team has some amazing talent!
To celebrate the 2016-17 school year, we have been sharing posts all semester long featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Everyone on our team is passionate about delivering a high-quality, technology-based education that provides the skills and knowledge students need for success. Want to learn more? Browse the following posts to meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS.
Let us know who else you would like to see featured in the comments below! Continue reading
Meet our College Recruiting and Diversity Staffing Specialist
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on November 29th, 2016
We are celebrating the 2016-17 school year with a blog series featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS!
Did you know that FLVS has a college internship program that draws in students from all over the state of Florida who are looking to become virtual educators? Well, we do!
The College Recruiting and Diversity Staffing Coordinator serves as the guru for the FLVS Intern program, all college recruiting, and assists with diversity recruiting efforts. The Coordinator identifies and targets colleges and their teacher-prep programs, and organizations to improve the diversity of FLVS recruiting pipeline. The Coordinator also develops and leads a strategic instructional internship program designed to grow FLVS talent into the digital future.
The FLVS guru who leads this program has made a name for herself over the years. Dawn Towle is known for her rapier wit and brilliant smile. In past years, she has performed at the FLVS Talent Show demonstrating her penchant for stand-up comedy that is inspired by her love of education.
It is my honor to introduce you Dawn Towle, College Recruiting and Diversity Staffing Specialist. Continue reading
Meet an FLVS Academic Integrity Manager
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on November 16th, 2016
We are celebrating the 2016-17 school year with a blog series featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS!
Do you know what the word “integrity” means? It means to be honest and to have honor.
At FLVS, integrity means everything. We instill the importance of academic integrity throughout a student’s time in our courses. Students and parents review our academic integrity policy upon registering for courses, teachers talk about integrity with families in the Welcome Call, and students are reminded of being honorable with most every point of contact during the course.
The position of FLVS Academic Integrity (AI) Manager is one immersed in the search for truth and the tenacity for teaching integrity to students in a meaningful manner.
Here’s the job description for an AI Manager at FLVS:
The Academic Integrity Manager manages the Academic Integrity program at FLVS. The Academic Integrity Manager communicates academic integrity policies and procedures to be implemented by FLVS instructional staff. Continue reading
Meet an FLVS Curriculum Specialist
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on November 7th, 2016
We are celebrating the 2016-17 school year with a blog series featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS!
Did you know that FLVS develops our own curriculum for courses?
The Curriculum Innovation Department works from concept to course delivery to provide an exemplary academic experience. The role of a curriculum specialist is to collaborate with his/her project team to create course content that aligns with the state standards and also engages the learner.
Christina Steele has been with FLVS for eight years and has had the opportunity to work in a variety of roles. Coming on board as an Earth Space Science instructor, she eventually took this expertise and became a literacy coach for several years. Therefore, moving to the Curriculum Department was a seamless move, as she uses her expansive literacy and science knowledge to support rigorous content for a variety of FLVS courses.
It is my honor to introduce you to Christina Steele. Continue reading
Meet the FLVS Full Time Director of Instruction
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on October 27th, 2016
We are celebrating the 2016-17 school year with a blog series featuring FLVS faculty and staff. Meet the creative and dedicated individuals who make every day a great day at FLVS!
Did a parent or teacher ever share with you the old saying “hard work pays off?” Well, it does. Just ask FLVS Full Time Director of Instruction, Katie Santana.
Katie has more than 10 years of experience in the field of education. She joined FLVS as a high school instructor and she has always been committed to ensuring the success of all students. As an Assistant Principal with FLVS Full Time, she strengthened her leadership skills and supported instructors with excellence.
Noticed for her progressive leadership style and friendly nature (she has the best laugh!), Katie was promoted to Principal of FLVS Full Time where she led the school to success earning high scores in state evaluations. Her hard work and strong desire to see all students learn culminated in January 2016 when she was promoted to FLVS Full Time Director of Instruction. Continue reading