Nov. 14, 2024
School Board member Carol Cook is stepping down after more than 50 years of service to Pinellas County Schools and 24 years serving on the School Board.
She was honored at the School Board meeting on Tuesday with emotional tributes from colleagues and community members.
Cook is the second longest serving School Board member in the history of the district. During her tenure, she served as chairperson six times.
Toward the end of the meeting, current School Board Chairperson Laura Hine switched seats with Cook, so Cook could close out the meeting as chair once again.
That's when Superintendent Kevin Hendrick recognized Cook with a special honor, Champion of Education.
During her tenure, Pinellas County Schools rose to an A district, and Cook garnered respect from peers on the board and colleagues across the state, he said.
"You once said when you first ran for office that you wanted to make a good school district a great school district. Well Mrs. Cook, you leave on top," said Mr. Hendrick.
Cook’s board colleagues recognized her leadership, warmth and character.
A Navy veteran, Hine praised Cook for her tact, patience, justice, firmness and charity, qualities lauded by John Paul Jones, “the father of the U.S. Navy.”
“You are leaving this district and this School Board in very strong and stable shape," said Hine, who pledged to follow her example.
Several board members praised Cook for building consensus.
"It has been an honor to work with you not only in the School Board member capacity but through the Florida School Boards Association," Board member Caprice Edmond said.
She heard of Cook's impact on leadership, board governance and how to remain "above the fray."
It's "commendable because it takes a lot to sit up here when things aren't going your way and to say what you need to say and move forward, and that's one of the things that you made clear about serving as a board member," Edmond said.
Board member Stephanie Meyer said Cook welcomed her as a new board member and always put scholars first.
“You always help us to work together to come together for a consensus and for what's best for our students,” Meyer said.
School Board member Lisa Cane called Cook the “rock of the School Board.”
“Over the last six years, I have learned a tremendous amount by your example and by all of your wisdom,” Cane said.
Board member Eileen Long noted Cook's caring and respectful nature.
"You are not just one of the most amazing School Board members I know, but you are a dear friend. You are an incredible woman inside and out, and you are so kind to everyone," Long said. "This has been the most honorable eight years serving with you."
Board member Dawn Peters echoed her colleagues' sentiments and added that Cook’s “sense of humor brings us all back to center” and keeps everyone “grounded.”
Community partners also shared their admiration.
Raegan Miller, Vice President of Advocacy for Pinellas County Council PTA, said Cook has never strayed far from her PTA roots.
During her service, Cook "has shown a dedication to our community that is both inspiring and unwavering,” Miller said. “In every role she's taken on she has brought her deep passion for education and her commitment to the wellbeing of our students and staff."
When it was Cook’s turn to speak, she turned the spotlight on others. She chose to celebrate her colleagues and all the parents, staff members, and community partners who support Pinellas County Schools.
"We have excelled, and we are currently an A district," Cook said, "because of the people in this district."
Serving the district has not been a job, she said. It has been a "passion project."
"I hope that my actions have shown everyone in this district how much I appreciate what they do and how important they are to the children."
Cook’s commitment to the children of Pinellas and Florida spans five decades. She actively supported education long before she was elected to the School Board. She first became a teacher at Eisenhower Elementary in 1973 and taught there through 1980.
She was a dedicated PTA member and leader at her child’s school. Her experience grew into districtwide leadership as president of the Pinellas County Council of PTAs. She moved on to statewide leadership as a member of the Florida PTA Board of Directors.
During her time on the board, she served the Florida School Boards Association in several positions, including Leadership Development Consultant, working with School Boards and district superintendents across the state.
Cook has received numerous honors for her leadership and advocacy. She was awarded the Maureen M. Flynn Children’s Angel Award by the Pinellas County Council of PTAs for her advocacy work on behalf of children throughout the state. In 2017, the Council of the Great City Schools selected Mrs. Cook as a finalist for the Green-Garner Award, which recognizes district leaders for outstanding leadership. Her leadership was also recognized by the Florida Music Education Association, which named her the 2020-2021 School Board Member of the Year. In April 2024, she was awarded the Juvenile Welfare Board's Dillinger-McCabe "Putting Children First" Leadership Award.
