10BB AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE SUN SENTINEL FRIDAY , DECEMBER 16 , 2016
Broward County Public Schools Ensuring Equity in Educa�onal Access
By : Robert W . Runcie
Robert W . Runcie , Superintendent
Now more than ever , we need a posi�ve vision of educa�on with real choices and be�er outcomes , today and for genera�ons to come . As the late civil rights ac�vist and South African president Nelson Mandela said , “ Educa�on is the most
THE BAUGH REPORT
By : Germaine Smith-Baugh , Ed . D .
Dr . Germaine Smith-Baugh President and CEO Urban League of Broward County
In the past three years , the rate of African American without health insurance has dropped by nearly 50 percent , according to the U . S . Department of Health and Human Services . That amounted to powerful weapon which you can use to change the world .” Indeed , the purpose of educa�on is to develop persons who are able to look at the world cri�cally , examine structures of his or her society , and muster the courage to change things for the be�er . This is why in Broward County , we strive to “ educate today ’ s students to succeed in tomorrow ’ s world ,” and is in fact , the most important work we do as a community and a na�on .
Broward County Public Schools ( BCPS ) is a leader in high-quality educa�on choices . The District offers a rich por�olio of choices – over 100 magnet and innova�ve programs . More than 40,000 students are enrolled in magnet programs including computer technology , interna�onal affairs , entrepreneurship , communica�ons and broadcast arts , Montessori , pre-law and public affairs , performing and visual arts to name a few .
The District also offers the largest and most compe��ve Speech & Debate program in the country . More than 12,000 students in 90 schools par�cipate in this program . We offer Speech & Debate in every high school and middle school .
about three million adults gaining medical coverage -- many for the first �me in many years .
Those are astounding figures . They are largely the result of the Affordable Care Act ( ACA , or Obamacare as it has come to be known ). More specifically , key ACA provisions paved the way for the coverage , including : Medicaid expansion ; crea�on of the Health Insurance Marketplace ; changes in private insurance that allow young adults to stay on their parents ’ health insurance plans ; and requiring plans to cover people with pre-exis�ng health condi�ons .
Again , these are all great accomplishments . But the fact remains that , right now , close to 20 percent of African-Americans popula�on na�onwide remains uninsured , many of them living in the Southeast , including Florida . In all , the number of uninsured Americans stood at 28.5 million in 2015 . Many African-Americans and other uninsured people cite the high cost of insurance as the main reason they lack coverage , according to the Kaiser Family Founda�on . Other reasons are that many people do not
Addi�onally , students now have access to computer science courses in all high schools .
I encourage you to explore all that our schools have to offer . As a reminder , the school choice applica�on window is open for magnet , Nova and reassignments now through February 8 , 2017 . Visit www . browardschools . com / schoolchoice to learn more .
To ensure equity in access to safe and modern schools in every community , the District is making progress implemen�ng the SMART capital bond program ( the $ 800 million General Obliga�on Bond ). 772 school facility projects are in various phases of procurement , design and construc�on . This represents an overall investment of $ 515 million as of November 30 , 2016 . We are also inves�ng in music , the arts and athle�cs . The technology component of the SMART program is making great progress . At the end of October 2016 , 55,000 devices had been delivered to 133 schools , represen�ng a $ 52 million investment . I am proud of the work we ’ re doing and there is much more to come in 2017 . The SMART program
Importance of Suppor�ng Health Care Reforms
have access to coverage through a job , and some people , par�cularly poor adults in states that did not expand Medicaid ( including Florida ), remain ineligible for financial assistance for coverage .
We need to do be�er in ge�ng many more people covered . The ACA , as we know , needs some fixes , and I hope there ’ s enough poli�cal will to make the necessary adjustments to add more people . I hope the progress started will con�nue .
The consequences of not having health insurance are severe . Na�onwide , the number of preventable deaths due to lack of insurance is about 48,000 a year , based on the American Journal of Public Health studies . Furthermore , other studies found that the uninsured are less likely than those with insurance to receive preven�ve care and services for major health condi- �ons and chronic diseases .
In Broward County , we know the dire implica�ons of what happens when people are sick and can ’ t get medical treatment . Our last State of Black Broward : Health Report ( which was produced by Sunshine Health ) found troubling data about the health of our residents . One major finding : remains on track to be completed within five to seven years , as originally promised .
Improved student outcomes reflect the impact of our choice programs and capital investments . The District achieved its highest gradua�on rate in six years . BCPS third grade reading scores ( English Language Arts ), an important benchmark for long-term academic success , are the highest among the five largest districts in the state . The District ’ s pass rate for Advanced Placement ( AP ) college level courses is the highest in 10 years . Finally , BCPS has become a na�onally recognized leader in elimina�ng the school-to-prison pipeline . Changes to our discipline prac�ces have resulted in a 65 % reduc�on in student-related arrests over the past four years .
Every child has the right to a high-quality educa�on and an engaging learning environment . We must invest in our public schools and teachers to make certain that , regardless of the income or level of educa�on a�ained by their parents , every child has access to an equitable , high-quality public school . This is the way to truly make America great .
chronic diseases such as diabetes , stroke and respiratory illnesses affect the minority community at significantly higher rates than other popula�ons .
The Urban League of Broward County is addressing these challenges . We have provided access to vital health care resources for families , which include helping adults navigate the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and by connec�ng close to 300 pregnant women to safe and reliable prenatal care each year . Yet , we can only do so much .
The ACA has helped many people get access to quality health care , and so we need to make sure it survives the rough seas that it has entered . By combining our local resources with the con�nued expansion of the ACA , we can expand health services for all residents , level dispari�es in the healthcare system , and address chronic illnesses that have plagued our community for so long .
The Baughtom Line is this : We need to keep supporting our nation ’ s health care reforms , which have helped millions of people access medical care , some for the first time in many years .