Allen Shirley, who is running for Sumter County School Superintendent, shares his candidate profile:
As a lifetime Sumter County resident, and native Floridian, Allen Shirley is a proud product of Sumter District Schools. Allen graduated the University of South Florida with a B.A. in pre-med sciences, and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. As one of eight statewide appointees by the Governor to the Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors, as well as serving on the Finance Sub-Committee for the same organization, Allen takes pride in utilizing his experience to help protect the interests of student athletes in the great state of Florida. Allen has spent his entire 21-year career committed to the schools and students of Sumter County. He has been a Classroom Teacher, Coach, District Director, Assistant Principal, and has served as a School Principal for 11 years at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. As Principal of Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School, the school score improved annually while maintaining an A status. As a middle school Principal, he helped guide South Sumter Middle School to recognition as an AVID National Demonstration School and School Wide Site of Distinction, and his leadership as a high school Principal has led to:
– A 23% increase in the College and Career Readiness rating in graduating seniors
– An 84% increase in the number of college credits earned by high school students
– An 84% increase in the number of Career and Technical Industry Certifications earned
All of these results occurred in just four years. His belief is that, if you look at the facts, while there is always room for improvement, the Sumter School District is thriving, and the evidence supports that a qualified, experienced, and proven leader is the right path for strategic forward progress. In this election, Allen is the ONLY candidate with:
– School Principal Experience
– School Assistant Principal Experience
– District Educational Leadership Experience
– State Educational Policy Leadership Experience
– School, District, and State Based Financial Oversight Experience
Endorsed by:
- Wilton Simpson: Florida Agriculture Commissioner
- Dennis Baxley: Senator/President Pro Tempore/Former Speaker Pro Tempore of the Florida House of Representatives
- Carey Baker: Former Senator/Current Lake County Property Appraiser
- Ed Wolfe: City of Wildwood Mayor
Publicly supported by:
- 100+ educators in Sumter County
Allen has completed training programs by the National Institute for School Leadership, as well of the state of Florida’s Commissioner Leadership Academy for educational leaders (Now known as the Brian Dassler Leadership Academy).
As for the Sumter District Schools, they are rated an A academically by the State of Florida, and rank 13th out of 67 school districts with all students included in the calculations. Only 15 school districts in the state of Florida are academically A rated.
Sumter District Schools have the 5th lowest tax base in the state of Florida, but maintain the highest starting salary for beginning teachers in the 14 County Central Florida Region.
Sumter District Schools have been given an A+ rating by Standard and Poor’s Global Financial, as well as Moody’s, and boast a debt to income ratio for capital projects of approximately 9%, which is one of the lowest in central Florida. Sumter District Schools also carry a general fund balance of 9.5 million dollars, which represents a 12% fund balance, 4 times the required 3% in the state of Florida.
As your next school Superintendent, Allen will keep taxes low, and teacher pay high. He is a supporter of the Guardian Program, so he will do all he can to protect our students. He is committed to expanding and improving career and technical education programs while simultaneously increasing the number of free college credits high school students are able to earn. Allen has a passion for early literacy, and is committed to focusing district resources accordingly. Lastly, Allen believes that students are far more than business products, and Superintendents are far more than CEOs. Superintendents are instructional leaders, policy and statutory overseers, master planners, global strategists, and mentors. His belief is that in order to run a school district, in order to lead School Principals in their decision making, then qualifications are important, experience counts, and results matter! If you believe that also, then please vote August 20th for Allen Shirley, as we work together to ensure that ALL students have opportunity, because our students are far too important for on-the-job training! For more information, please visit AllenShirley.com, or search Allen Shirley for School Superintendent on Facebook.
-Allen Shirley
