FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
John L. Winn
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ
PHOEBE RAULERSON
KATHLEEN SHANAHAN
LINDA K. TAYLOR
September 8, 2006
M E M O R A N D U M
TO:
District School Superintendents
FROM:
Evan B. Lefsky, Ph.D.
SUBJECT:
Families Building Better Readers (FBBR) and Mysteries in the Middle Training
You may be familiar with the highly regarded training program for parents entitled Families
Building Better Readers (FBRR), which provides simple, research-based activities for parents to
engage their children in learning. We are pleased that Volunteer Florida Foundation (VFF), in
collaboration with Just Read, Florida!, will be managing the program this year with a goal of
reaching at least 250,000 parents.
Volunteer Florida expects to reach as many parents as possible by training and deploying a
network of master and field trainers. Since Families Building Better Readers was developed
with state funds and is under the direction of the Just Read, Florida! Office within the
Department of Education, the program belongs to the state education system. Consequently,
we
want to ensure that no school district or educator in the state will be charged a fee by any
FBBR trainer to present the program
. Volunteer Florida will take requests from districts to
schedule parent workshops via e-mail directed to shae.humphries@vfffund.org and, working
with the master and field trainers, will fulfill as many requests as their schedules can
accommodate.
On Thursday, October 12, 2006 and Friday, October 13, 2006, Volunteer Florida will be training
educators interested in becoming FBBR field trainers at the Doubletree Hotel, Orlando, across
from the entrance to Universal Studios-Florida. Thursday’s training, from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m.,
EVAN B. LEFSKY, PH.D.
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JUST READ, FLORIDA!
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325 W. GAINES STREET, ROOM 1548 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0503 • www.fldoe.org
Memorandum to District School Superintendents
Page 2
will focus on the approach to presenting FBBR to parents of elementary school children.
Friday’s training, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., will develop trainers to present Mysteries in the
Middle, the middle school version of FBBR.
While field trainers are asked to serve without pay, the districts, participating faculty, and parents
will benefit greatly from the training. People completing the training will receive a certificate
designating them as an FBBR Field Trainer. Section 1008.25, (7)(b)6.b., Florida Statutes, passed
by the 2004 Legislature, provides that participation in FBBR is one of the options for
supplemental services required of third grade students who scored Level 1 on the FCAT and
have no good cause exemption from additional practice in reading. FBBR gives parents a no-
cost, convenient option beyond before and after school tutoring or securing a tutor with
specialized reading training.
We are encouraging large counties to send at least 15 people to be trained; mid-sized counties, at
least 10 people; and small counties, at least 5 people. Please go to www.regonline.com/106933
to register online. It is advisable to act quickly, since training will be capped at 700 participants.
Registration will be open from September 6 through October 1.
Supporting participation in FBBR will benefit everyone we serve: students, parents, teachers,
and ultimately our secondary, postsecondary, and workforce systems. Thank you for all that you
do in support of parents and their children.
EBL
CC:
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Elementary School Principals
Middle School Principals
Parent Involvement Contacts