July 19, 2021
Teachers new to the district are participating in Embrace Pinellas, a week-long event that introduces them to Pinellas County Schools. Superintendent Michael Grego addressed the new teachers Monday and encouraged them to take advantage all that the district has to offer. There are 255 teachers registered for the event which is being held at Pinellas Park High School.
This week, the attendees will participate in a variety of workshops to include ethics training, Marzano overview, and the PCS Digital Ecosystem. They will also visit the schools where they are assigned to teach. For the first time, all the teachers will receive their district issued laptop so that they can continue to familiarize themselves with the PCS system and began planning and preparing.
“This orientation is critical for teachers who are new to the district,” said Mark Narkier, the director of Professional Development. “They will get familiarized with our instructional expectation, discipline structure and technology.”
Dylan Floyd is “super excited” to start his job as a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School. He graduated from Osceola Fundamental High School in 2018 and Florida State University. This is his first teaching job.
“I’ve been waiting for this since my freshman year in high school,” Floyd said. “I was taking AP History and I knew then that this is what I wanted to do. Besides, I’m the oldest of six children so I’ll feel right at home in a classroom.”
Floyd is now experiencing education from a teacher’s perspective.
“Now, I’m seeing it from the other side and it’s super interesting,” Floyd said. “And I’m super excited.”
Superintendent Michael Grego shakes the hand and has a conversation with a new teacher.
Dylan Floyd, a new teacher and Osceola Fundamental High graduate, looks through the teaching packet.
Board member Laura Hine has a conversation with a new teacher.
Val Walker from the Office of Professional Standards discusses ethics with new teachers.
Shaune Ferguson with the district's Talent Acquisition Team checks in a new teacher.
