By: Debra Jacobs, President and CEO of The Patterson Foundation

Think of an educator who has made a difference in your life, and you’ll quickly recall the value of a vibrant school system and the quality people who help its students thrive.

In Sarasota, we are fortunate to have just that.

At The Patterson Foundation, we are honored to partner with Sarasota County Schools on several initiatives, including one that provides one-time emergency assistance to students in need and another that connects teachers and students to our diverse community cultural and science assets.

Recently, the school district decided it will participate in an efficiency and effectiveness review initiated and funded by several Sarasota community organizations.

Committed to our partnership with Sarasota County Schools, The Patterson Foundation is supporting the school district in the following ways:

1.    The Patterson Foundation will provide resources to Sarasota County Schools to offset incremental time and additional manpower the school district will need to provide information for the assessment and to assure the already budget-conscious district will not have to provide unfunded additional resources to undergo this review.

2.    The Patterson Foundation is also providing resources for Wilma Hamilton, a national education consultant and former Sarasota County Schools superintendent, to serve as liaison between the school district and the assessment consultant to help the school district assure quality information requested of them. In addition, Carlene Judge, former executive director of research assessment and evaluation for Sarasota County Schools is lending her expertise.

We support efforts to improve and uplift our community, including the community-wide vision and aspiration for K-12 public schools and how to make it a reality. Our support enables the school district to optimize its participation in ensuring a high-quality education for all of Sarasota’s students.