By LINDA CHION KENNEY
School doors are open for chief executive officers who aim to influence and support the next generation of workers and community leaders, with CEOs in Schools returning to Hillsborough County next month, which marks as well the Great American Teach-In held during American Education Week.
CEOs in Schools involves Vistra Communications and the Hillsborough Education Foundation, a partnership that reportedly started with one school and one principal at Mort Elementary School in Tampa. That fateful visit had Vistra CEO Brian Butler spend a day learning about the school, shadowing then-principal Woodland Johnson, as Butler performed a wide range of duties, including teaching, planning and serving lunch to students.
Inspired by the that experience, Butler’s visit led to greater insight into “ways our community can help lift our public schools to a higher level,” as Butler challenged fellow CEOs to get involved and spend a day in Hillsborough County schools.
This year’s CEOs in Schools is set for Friday, Nov. 1.
As of Monday, Oct. 21, available schools, not yet reserved, included Dorothy C. York Innovation Academy in Apollo Beach; Dawson, Frost and Sessums elementary schools in Riverview; Thompson Elementary in Ruskin; Belmont Elementary in Sun City Center; Wimauma Elementary; and RCMA Wimauma Academy.
All told, roughly 150 CEOs are expected to spend the entire day at their reserved school, which in south Hillsborough County includes reserved intentions at Apollo Beach, Collins, Corr, Cypress Creek, Doby, Gibsonton, Ippolito, Reddick, Riverview, Ruskin, Summerfield Crossings and Summerfield elementary schools.
The aim is for students to benefit from meeting positive role models and seeing the interest of professionals in their school lives and for CEOs to see firsthand the challenges and opportunities inherent in the work to prepare the future workforce.
“Relationships between CEOs and principals can result in solutions that make our entire community better,” according to event officials. “The results are limitless.”
Meanwhile, November is ripe with opportunities for people to get a firsthand look at their schools and to celebrate the teachers who are the guiding force in classrooms. American Education Week, sponsored by the National Education Association, is Nov. 18-22. The week is held annually the week prior to the week of Thanksgiving, which this year falls on Thursday, Nov. 28.
The aim is to honor not only the classroom teacher but also the many players who have a stake in a child’s day at school, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers and administrative staff. Suggested celebration ideas include crafting cards supportive of educators and school staff and having students write an essay, “What I Would Do if I Were the School Principal,” much like the CEOs get to see firsthand Nov. 1 on their special day in local schools.
Also in November is the Great American Teach-In, founded in 1990 and scheduled for Nov. 21 this year. The aim is for parents and members of the community, during their visits to schools and classrooms, to give students information on a variety of occupations, careers, professions, certifications, hobbies and other areas of interest. Speakers choose the schools they’d like to visit from those available, with the intent as well to organize an activity, read a story or teach a class.
Hillsborough school officials seek adults ready to set a good example, with participation at all public school sites, grades K-12, including exceptional students centers and career centers. Contact the school of your choice, or contact volunteer services at volunteer.services@hcps.net/.
The overarching aim of activities in November is to bring a greater awareness to the business of schooling locally. According to the latest Impact Report for the 2023-24 school year, the Hillsborough school district is the county’s largest employer, with 23,000 employees, including some 13,000 teachers. Hillsborough is the third-largest school district in the state and the seventh-largest nationwide, with 274 schools and 78,000 students transported to school daily.
For more, visit www.hillsboroughschools.org/.