School District Administrator Round Table

---

Driver Education Driver Education Administrators, Coordinators, Officials, and Supervisors (DEACOS) from around Florida gather to talk Driver Education

Date: 2/12/25
Participants: Various county supervisors, administrators, and coordinators of Driver Education from public school districts around the state

Meeting Overview

ADTSEA-FL hosted its first Driving Conversation Round Table to engage with driver education administrators, coordinators, officials, and supervisors (DEACOS) from Florida school districts around the state. The discussion focused on challenges, opportunities, and areas for collaboration within driver education programs.

---

Key Discussion Points

Broward County Driver Education Program

• Funding: Supported by Broward County Schools and Dori Slosberg Act funds.
• Program Structure: Offered on weekends and during summer at 11 schools.
• Enrollment & Staffing: Serves ~2,400 students annually with ~40 instructors and two field supervisors.
• Challenges:Recruiting and certifying new instructors. Meeting the 30% driving time requirement. Ensuring adherence to CPALMS standards despite being a non-credit program.

Alachua County Driver Education Program

• Program Structure: Two semester-long courses with five lab classes per semester.
• Scheduling: Lab courses run from 5:30-8:30 PM for three weeks.
• Challenges: Students arriving unprepared due to online TLSAE or FLVS courses. The certification process for new instructors is time-consuming. Uncertainty over summer program funding due to Dori Slosberg funding reductions.

Funding and Resource Allocation

• Broward utilizes teacher-directed improvement funds to partially support certification costs.
• Alachua County offers free certification but struggles with long-term instructor commitments.
• Concerns raised about budget cuts affecting summer programs and sustainability.

Certification and Instructor Preparedness

• DEACOS expressed concerns that newly certified instructors lack preparation for real-world teaching environments.
• Discussion on enhanced professional development opportunities to bridge the knowledge gap.

Collaboration and Communication

• Need for sharing best practices across county education programs.
• Preference for virtual roundtables and collaboration due to time constraints.
• Agreement that a statewide driver education conference would be beneficial.
• Recognition of the value of face-to-face networking, including opportunities for vendors and driver education stakeholders (e.g., Tax Collector's office, licensing agencies).

Policy and Committee Engagement

• DEACOS participants agreed that forming committees and subcommittees would be an effective way to address challenges and engage educators.
• Identified the Idemia licensing issue as a significant concern but tabled for a separate meeting.

Next Steps & Recommendations

1. Documentation & Board Presentation: ADTSEA-FL will compile and present roundtable findings to the board.
2. Increased Engagement: Encourage future roundtable participation and ADTSEA-FL membership to expand collaboration.
3. Best Practices Resource: Develop a centralized repository for counties to share best practices, policies, and curriculum structures.
4. Instructor Certification Solutions: Explore alternative funding sources and streamlined certification processes to address instructor shortages.
5. Statewide Conference Planning: Initiate discussions to host a Florida Driver Education Conference featuring professional development, vendor exhibitions, and policy discussions.
6. Promotional Materials: ADTSEA-FL will provide a flyer for DEACOS to distribute among driver education teachers.

---

Conclusion

The first ADTSEA-FL Driving Conversation Round Table provided valuable insights into the needs of DEACOS across Florida. Moving forward, ADTSEA-FL aims to enhance collaboration, professional development, and resource-sharing to strengthen the state's driver education programs.

Join ADTSEA-FL:$50 annual membership includes ADTSEA membershiphttps://www.adtsea.org/associations/registration/adtsea-fl.phtml

View the Driving Conversation Roundtable Presentation