Superintendent's Message
Welcome to the Charlotte County Public Schools website! Our vision of "Student Success!" remains clear and focused. We are determined to bring all students to a high level of academic achievement and we will continue to be highly successful as a district if we truly work together. Our designation as a "High Performing District" by the Florida Legislature six years in a row is a result of the extraordinary efforts of all of our employees, students and parents.
I thank my predecessor, Dr. Dave Gayler, for his outstanding leadership during the 8 1/2 years he served as superintendent. While Dr. Gayler was superintendent, the district recovered from Hurricane Charley and weathered the worst economic crisis since the great depression. Amazingly, the level of student achievement consistently increased year after year during these very difficult times.
Additionally, I thank Mrs. Sue Sifrit who retired in November after serving 16 wonderful years on the Charlotte County School Board. She provided strong, compassionate leadership to the school board and district employees while staying focused on improved student learning. Sue will be missed.
Indicators of student learning including FCAT, SAT, ACT, and Advance Placement exams continue to rise. Other indicators such as the performance of the bottom 25th percentile in the reading FCAT show slow growth or remain the same. These areas of stagnant growth are the target of renewed effort and focused analysis.
Two of our schools, Lemon Bay High School and Meadow Park Elementary School, are being re-built which brings to eight the number of schools that have been rebuilt since 2004 when Hurricane Charley devastated our county. If you have not done so, please consider visiting one of our newly rebuilt schools and enjoy the dynamic and engaging learning environment you will experience inside.
Using the"7 Habits of Highly Effective People " as the backbone of our cultural development has allowed us to use a shared, common language. It has helped us to "be proactive" while we "begin with the end in mind" and "put first things first." Together, we "think win-win" and "seek first to understand then to be understood" which creates the possibility of creating "synergistic" solutions to complex problems. All of these efforts are held together by our practice of continually "sharpening the saw" which helps us maintain balance in our lives and keeps us renewed. The 7 Habits will continue as the core of our culture.
As I begin my service in the Charlotte County Public Schools, my top priorities are to see student learning increase, lead with passion and humility, and communicate regularly and with transparency. This is an extraordinary school system than can and will serve this community, state, and nation as a leading district in educational reform.
Doug Whittaker
Doug_Whittaker@ccps.k12.fl.us
Margie Smith
Executive Secretary to the Superintendent
941.255.0808 ext. 3093
Margie_Smith@ccps.k12.fl.us