Update: The Polk County School Board finally voted to cancel the contract with the academy on July 24th, 2001.

Facts:

• The State of Florida gave $500,000 for Academy planning and start-up costs.
• The State of Florida pledged $2 million to the Academy if World Class raises $2 million by July, 2000.
• The Polk County School Board has agreed to a 5 year contract with the Academy to provide $1.5 million per year for a total $7.5 million in Academy operating expenses.
• Publix has pledged $500,000, half paid when the World Class meets half of it's goal from other sources, and the other half when World Class raises the rest of the money. (I wonder if Publix counts the $2 million in state money as part of this?)
• Berryman stated in April, 1999 that the Academy had $660,000 in pledges. This probably counts the $500,000 from Publix (which they don't really have yet, until it has been matched by other donors).
• By July of 2000, the Academy had only generated a total of $800,000 in pledges (still counting the $500,000 pledge from Publix, which was contingent upon being matched). That was a pick up of only $140,000 in over a year toward a goal of $2,000,000 (required to get the additional $2,000,000 from the state).
• World Class has hired a professional fund raising company Alexander Haas Martin & Partners of Atlanta (which has worked with the Polk  Museum of Art in Lakeland) to raise the money for the Academy.
• The 13 member board of directors for the Academy will consist of the School Board chairman, the Polk school Superintendent, the president of the Polk  Education Association and 10 business and community leaders. This means that $10 million in tax money has been allocated by the government (state legislature and Polk County School Board), and so far at most $660,000 from the business community. This money from the business community includes the $500,000 pledge from Publix that has to be matched before they actually get it. Meanwhile, 10 members of the board of directors for the Academy will be business (and community) leaders, one will be the president of the PEA (teachers' union), one will be the chairman of the School Board, and one will be the Superintendent of schools. (Aside - Hunt Berryman, chairman of Polk World Class led the recent drive to strip the people of their right to elect the Superintendent of schools.) This would result in a board with only two elected representatives and 11 non elected members (including up to ten from the business community) in control of $10 million in tax money in addition to the $4.5 million (or even as low as $2 million) raised by the business community. If Mr. Berryman had been successful in converting the Superintendent to an appointed position, there would have been only 1 elected official in control of $10 million in tax money!
• 3 School Board members who voted to give $7.5 million in tax money to the Academy are World Class members.
• World Class is a project of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
• The Academy will be located adjacent to Travis Vo-Tech (which members of the business community including Mike Stedhem of World Class want to convert to a Technical High School).
• At least some teachers, including former School Board member Nancy Simmons are opposed to the Academy. Ms. Simmons noted in her Oct. 25^th , 1999 editorial to the Lakeland Ledger that underpaid, demoralized teachers have very little time to attend the academy (especially on their own unpaid time) and that some could make much better use of simple necessities - like a desk or a decent computer.
• As was noted in a recent study commissioned by the Central Florida Development Council, Polk has fundamental problems with the home environment of students, not a problem with inadequately trained teachers. If business leaders are really concerned about education in Polk County, they need to direct their efforts towards this area - where the problem is - instead of towards providing a "state-of-the-art" facility for teacher training.
• In addition to teacher training, World Class intends for the Academy to be used for "other school employees, parents, community leaders and business people."
• The first classes offered by the Academy - "Managing to Teach", "High Performing School Teams", "Tips for Recharging Your Leadership Battery", and "Culturally Relevant Teaching Styles".
• Consultants will be paid $1,000 to $3,000 per day to teach these seminars.

 Teacher Training Academy Scuttled The Ledger, July 25^th, 2001

 Learning Academy's Fate Could Come Today The Ledger, July 10^th, 2001

 Academy to Reach Milestone The Ledger, July 8^th, 2000

 Teacher Academy Sets 1st Classes - February 8, 2000

 Training for Teachers May Begin Soon - January 10, 2000

 Reynolds Has Big Plans for His Last Year - December 5, 1999

 Teachers Would Swap Academy for Desk - October 25, 1999

 Corporate Investments Have Helped Polk's Public Schools - September 24, 1999

 Teacher Academy To Get $2 Million - April 27, 1999

 Tough Standards Help Polk Students - April 5, 1999 (By Hunt Berryman)

 Publix Issues Challenge Grant for Facility - January 21, 1999

 School Year May Get Longer - December 9, 1998

Teacher Academy Aims to Even Spending - November 12, 1998

 Board OKs Teacher Academy - October 28, 1998

 District 3 Candidates Agree More Than They Disagree - October 21, 1998 (Minor mention of the Academy - that both candidates (Vicki Ginda and Bob Macy) support the Academy.