Ken Racioppi

MCREC V. Chair / Legis Lead

This is a summary we used for a recent REC meeting, again student performance is affected by a multiple factors so the DOE 2025 data is one dimension of student innate skills.   However, the data provides insight to the symptoms that many of the County student skills are lagging.

We focused on third grade since education experts (not me) indicated this grade is a key marker for future success as students transition from learning to read to learning to learn.  Below is a “snip-it” copy of the summary for the meeting / I have also provided a ppt of the charts of state data (2025 DOE) we used to further our discussion of ways the REC could support our schools.

All the data taken directly from the DOE website excel tables for Marion County, just plotted the table into graphs of Level 1 and Level 2 student test data percentages, obviously there are many students on and above grade level across the County.

Feel free to contact Brigitte Smith or Len Racioppi  if there are any questions.

Lady networking luncheon was a great success. Pictures with two people standing are door prize pictures and people sitting are business people attending the luncheon. The attendee’s sit at different tables so they can learn more about each other’s businesses.

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Saving Lives Through Enforcement and Education: Florida Department of Transportation and Partners Launch 8^th-Annual Operation Southern Slow Down

Creating lasting changes in driver behavior through enhanced  enforcement and education

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is proud to announce the launch of Florida’s annual Operation Southern Slow Down campaign, which begins July 14. Through this campaign, FDOT aims to reduce the risk of speed-related crashes by leveraging the use of enhanced enforcement of speed limits and public safety messaging about the dangers of speeding. In partnership with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) and its division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), FDOT’s Operation Southern Slow Down efforts are part of a broader initiative involving its counterpart transportation and law enforcement organizations in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

“Florida’s transportation system is meticulously engineered to maximize safety – it’s woven into every design plan, every education campaign, and every traffic safety law enforced by our law enforcement partners. Operation Southern Slow Down is a strong example of how each of these facets works together to create safer roadways,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “We encourage communities to join our efforts in creating a safer transportation future by recognizing the risks of unsafe driving behaviors, like speeding.xxxxxx Continue reading →