We ask Vogel about a range of vexing issues facing the school district. Those issues include the recent statewide controversy surrounding FCAT – the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, the pending statewide class size amendment, merit pay and the federal Race to the Top initiative, the proposed half cent sales tax to benefit the district, and the seemingly always present budget challenges.
Feature length – 23:16
Superintendent Bill Vogel, who is appointed to this position by a 5 person publicly elected school board, presides over a three-quarter billion dollar a year budget, a student population of 63,500 enrolled in 37 elementary schools, 12 middle schools and 9 high schools. The district employs approximately 4,450 teachers and a support staff of approximately 3,150, making the district the largest employer in Seminole County. A link to Vogel’s bio is below.
This opening week mark’s Vogel’s 7th during his tenure as Seminole’s superintendent and numbers more than 40 in his extensive career as an educator.
For this feature, this one-on-one interview lasts just under 20-minutes, though below, we have also included a link to the 70-minute extended interview from which this feature was extracted. In that interview Vogel addresses the dust-up surrounding his participation in the state’s DROP program and whether or not he’s irritated by the media treatment…the choices he has made to delay consideration of his employment contract renewal… the districts’ holding pattern in which they and many other employers in Central Florida find themselves regarding the health insurance benefit stand-off between Florida Hospital and United Health Care…the potential new FCAT graduation standards…the manner by which the district reports its adult education graduation rate…and Vogel’s view of future changes in classroom teaching in the 21st century.
Useful links to issues discussed by Dr. Vogel
- Resume of Dr. Bill Vogel
- Seminole County Public Schools
- Pearson (the FCAT testing company)
- FCAT Results (search by school and district)
- FAQ on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
- Florida Department of Education
- Florida Association of District School Superintendents
- Florida Class Size, Amendment 8 (2010)
- League of Women Voters of Florida’s Pro/Con Guide on the Amendments
- Oviedo High School’s Bio Science Program
- Half cent sales tax issue
Links to other features produced by CMF Public Media related to issues discussed by Dr. Vogel
Extended Interview & Pictures
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Dr. Bill Vogel and Stephen McKenney Steck
Extended interview (01:08:09)
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