Candidate: Marsha S. Winegarner

Marsha Winegarner is seeking your support and vote for the position of Walton County School Board member representing District 4. Marsha is experienced and committed to bringing excellent to preK-12 education and would like to bring her 35 years of experience in education to the School Board of Walton County. As a resident of Walton County in the Alaqua Community off of Coy Burgess Loop south of DeFuniak Springs for the last 22 years, she knows many of the people she will represent and will work diligently to that end. Marsha Winegarner began practicing science at the Department of Health in Tampa, Florida as a part of the team that studied encephalomyelitis and as a graduate student researching the biology of vertebrates in south-central Florida. She taught science full time in Lake Placid schools in Highlands County, Florida from 1972 until 1986 and at Walton High School in Walton County, Florida from 1986 until 1993. In 1993 and until 2005 she was the K-12 Science Specialist for the Florida Department of Education. During the last two years she has worked in Walton County Schools to provide on-site professional development in the areas of reading, science and mathematics and earned the Florida reading endorsement. Marsha has a Bachelors (1966) and a Masters (1973) degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She has published in state, national and international science journals and in state and national science newsletters and journals. She has presented science research to the American Society of Mammalogist and information on the effective, standards-based classroom instruction to Florida education associations and at the national conferences of the National Science Teachers Association. She has been a Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program Delegate to Japan, a participant in the Leadership Institute of National Research Council, Teaching Fellow at the Research Science Institute at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1992), University of California (1990), and George Washington University (1986 and 1989). Honors she has received include the Florida Science Educator of the Year (2001), Davis Productivity Award (1998), Florida Department of Education\'s Superior Accomplishment Award (1997), Florida Department of Education\'s Outstanding Service Award (1995), Who\'s Who in American Education (1994), Who\'s Who Among America\'s Teachers (1992), Walton County Teacher of the Year (1989) and Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (1981). Marsha is an active associate member of the Council of State Science Supervisors; a board member of the Florida Foundation for Future Scientists and the Florida Association of Science Teachers, a member of the Florida Association of Science Supervisors; on the Professional Development Committee of the National Science Teachers Association; and the Advisory Board of the National Elementary Science Coalition. Marsha currently assists school districts in Florida and Texas in developing strategies to implement the state standards, to promote science laboratory safety, and assist in curriculum planning and implementation. If elected my goals are: to reduce the dropout rate, increase the depth of content in the curriculum, make school time a valuable time for students, and improve communication between school personnel and the community of students, parents and dedicated citizens trying to make our schools meet the needs of the students.