Kennedy Center For Performing Arts Lauds Polk Schools
April 7, 2009
The John F. Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. announced yesterday that the Polk County Public Schools have been chosen as the 21st annual recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Alliance for Arts Education Network and National School Boards Association Award. This award is bestowed annually to a school district for its outstanding arts education programs. The announcement was made yesterday in San Diego at the National School Boards Association’s annual conference. A national review panel convened and selected Polk for the honor. The school district also received $10,000 for winning the award. In part, a news release issued by the Kennedy Center reads: “The (school) Board’s commitment to the arts has truly made them a model for arts education in Florida and throughout the country.”
It should also be noted that this is another in a series of prestigious awards that the school district has received for its arts education. The school district has also been recently recognized by the following:
- In 2008, the International Music Products Association, also known as the NAMM Foundation, named Polk County as one of the best 110 school districts nationally for music education.
- In the 2007-2008 school year, Polk Superintendent Gail McKinzie, Ph.D., was named Superintendent Of The Year by the Florida Art Education Association and Administrator Of The Year by the Florida Music Educators’ Association. Both awards recognize an administrator for support of school arts programs.
- In 2007, Polk received the School Board of Excellence Award from the Florida Alliance for Arts Education for exemplary arts education programs.
- In 2007, three Polk schools were chosen as model arts schools by state organizations. As model schools, they are currently being used as examples for other state schools to improve arts instruction. The model schools are Davenport School of the Arts, Lakeland’s Harrison School for the Arts and Lakeland’s Rochelle School of the Arts.
- Nine Polk schools in the last two school years have received Florida Department of Education Music Enrollment Awards for their ability to attract, recruit and retain students in music programs. These schools are Bartow Middle, Blake Academy (Lakeland), Boone Middle (Haines City), Daniel Jenkins Academy (Haines City), Davenport School of the Arts, Jewett Middle (Winter Haven), Mulberry Middle, Lawton Chiles Middle (Lakeland) and Southwest Middle (Lakeland).
