Heartland Educational Consortium

Two amazing books 📚📚
Five school districts 🏫
Seven schools 🎒
Nine community literacy events 🎉
Twelve unforgettable days 🗓️

Along the way we shared 201 pizzas 🍕, 405 chicken biscuits 🍗, and welcomed 1,187 participants 🙌 who showed up ready to read, learn about New Worlds Reading, and celebrate 📖✨

That adds up to one incredible Celebrate Literacy Week: Read, White, and Blue 🇺🇸 across the HEC region 🌟

From cafeterias to classrooms the energy was contagious and the love of reading was everywhere ❤️📚 Thank you to our students, educators, families, and partners who made this celebration such a success 👏 Literacy brings us together, and this week proved it in the best way 💙💚

#ServeSupportStrengthen
#NewWorldsReading
#LoveOfReading

📣 You’re Invited!

Join Heartland Educational Consortium for our Materials Showcase on February 10–11, 2026 in Lake Placid, FL!

Explore instructional materials across multiple content areas, connect with vendors, and collaborate with educators from districts across the state—all in one convenient, fair-style event (come and go as needed!).

✅ No cost to attend

📍 The Genesis Center - Lake Placid

🔗 Register here: https://tinyurl.com/attendhecmaterialsshowcase

We’d love to see you there!

✨ Day 1 Complete! ✨ Today we kicked off DOE Math Practice Profile Training in partnership with the Florida Department of Education, and it was a fantastic start! 📊➕ Educators and district leaders came together to dive into benchmarks-aligned, high-quality mathematics instruction, explore the Mathematics Practice Profile, and begin building strong implementation plans to support effective math teaching across districts. We’re excited to collaborate, learn, and strengthen math instruction—together. This is just the beginning! 🤝 Proud partnership: Heartland Educational Consortium × Florida Department of Education #HEC #FloridaDOE #MathInstruction #ProfessionalLearning #MathPracticeProfile #ServingSupportingStrengthening #EducatorGrowth

The first round of The Art of Gathering brought educators together to learn with and from one another on Thursday, January 15th. ✨🤝 Through conversation, reflection, and hands on collaboration, participants explored how intentional design can transform meetings, PLCs, and professional learning into experiences people genuinely value. 📚💬 Together, we shared what is working, examined what can be improved, and considered how the art of gathering can look and feel at individual schools 🎯🏫 The goal is simple and important: create spaces where educators enjoy spending time together because the purpose is clear, the voices matter, and the time is well spent. 💡❤️ Grateful for the thinking, the honesty, and the collective commitment to making gatherings more meaningful for educators and, ultimately, for students 🌱👏 #ArtofGatheringEducators #ServeSupportStrengthen

Memorial Elementary was filled with cheer Thursday evening during our Holiday Bingo, Books and Bites event. We had a wonderful turnout, and it was great seeing families enjoy a warm meal together while celebrating the season. Students also had the chance to sign up to receive books through New Worlds Reading, helping them grow their at home libraries and keep the joy of reading alive all year long.

Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun and helped make the evening special. Happy Holidays! 🎄✨📚

#HolidayBingo #BooksAndBites #MemorialElementary #FamilyFun #NewWorldsReading #ReadersGrowLeaders #LiteracyMatters #HolidayJoy #ServeSupportStrengthen

🔥 Educators — We Need YOU! 🔥

Heartland Educational Consortium is launching a Computer Science Task Force, and we’re searching for educators who want to help shape the future of CS in our region!

If you’re passionate about innovation, collaboration, and creating more opportunities for students, this is your chance to make an impact! 💡💻

🌟 Open to K–12:
Teachers • Coaches • Media Specialists • Technology Leaders

✨ Bonus: Stipend included!
🗓️ Apply by Dec. 12th
🔗 https://tinyurl.com/heccstaskforceapply

Let’s build something amazing together!

🚀 Ready to bring the power of AI into your classroom? Join AI in Action: Practical Tools & Strategies for Every Classroom — a free, four-part online series with Lindsey Johnson, Specialist at the Heartland Educational Consortium! 💡 Learn how to use AI to save time, boost creativity, and engage students with hands-on ideas and practical tools. 🗓 Wednesdays, 3:30–4:30 PM ✨ Nov 12 – Generative AI 101 ✨ Dec 3 – Level Up Your Lessons with NotebookLM ✨ Jan 21 – From FETC to Your Classroom ✨ Feb 18 – Beyond Efficiency: AI & Creativity 💻 Online | Free to Join 🔗 Register today: https://tinyurl.com/2025AIwebinars 💬 Attend one or all sessions — each one stands alone! 🎓 Earn professional learning points for joining live. #AIinEducation #HEC #EdTech #FloridaTeachers #InnovationInTeaching #TeacherPD

🍂✨ What a Wonderful Fall Evening! ✨🍂

Tuesday night was a great success at Clewiston Early Learning Center! Families gathered for our Family Literacy Event, held in partnership with New Worlds Reading Initiative. 📚💛

Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal together, received a brand-new book to take home, and even had the chance to sign their child up for the New Worlds Reading program! And of course, no fall evening would be complete without a round (or two!) of Fall Bingo — full of laughter, prizes, and smiles all around. 🍁🎉

We’re so thankful for our families, partners, and everyone who helped make this cozy fall night one to remember! 💙💚

#FamilyLiteracy #NewWorldsReading #FallFun #ServeSupportStrengthen

🎶 Heartland Honor Choir 2025 🎶

What an incredible evening of music! 🌟
Heartland’s talented high school choir students came together for a breathtaking performance that truly showcased the power of collaboration, artistry, and education in the Heartland region.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this event possible:

🎵 Clinicians:
Mr. Steven Armstrong & Mrs. Deah McReynolds

🎹 Accompanists:
Jill Jernigan & Taylor Kundolf

🎤 Choir Directors:

Joy Loomis – Avon Park High School

David Radford – Hardee Senior High School

John Panella – Lake Placid High School

Bryan Browning – Moore Haven Middle-High School

Christine Hagan – Sebring High School

Your leadership, talent, and dedication to music education made this event an unforgettable experience for our students and community. 💙

🎵 Funding provided through HEC’s Title IV-A STEAM Initiative

#HeartlandHonorChoir #HEC #HECSTEAM #MusicEducation #ArtsInEducation #HeartlandProud #FloridaSchools #ChoirLife

📚✨ HEC's Fall Bingo, Books & Bites at Nocatee Elementary! ✨📚 Last Thursday evening’s event was a huge success — our largest to date with 105 participants! 🎉 We loved partnering with New Worlds Reading to bring families together for a night filled with fun, food, and literacy. Families enjoyed a meal, exciting rounds of bingo, and every student went home with a new book to keep. We’re always thrilled to support literacy through engaging activities that build community and a love for reading. ❤️📖 #LiteracyMatters #FamilyEngagement #NewWorldsReading #HeartlandEd #NocateeElementary #BooksAndBites #ServeSupportStrengthen

📢 September was a hit-and-run success! 🚀

Heartland Educational Consortium’s Assessment Series created multiple opportunities for districts/schools to unpack the released assessments from the state of Florida. The collaboration and insights shared were invaluable for strengthening instructional practices across our schools.

✨ Good news—there’s still room for districts/schools to join us from the HEC region. Don’t miss this opportunity to dive deep into the state assessments and gain strategies to better support students.

📅 Secure your spot today!

tinyurl.com/HECAssessmentSeries2

#HeartlandEd #AssessmentSeries #FloridaEducation #Collaboration
#ServeSupportStrengthen

Districts Collaborate to Build Aligned 5th Grade Science Assessment
Big things happen when passionate educators come together! Today, districts in our region joined forces to begin the process of creating a test that is fully aligned with our state standards.
Teams of teachers and instructional leaders started with:
1) Deep dive into state standards.
2) Design high-quality, rigorous test items.
3) Share expertise and ideas across districts.
Teamwork like this is what drives excellence in education. A huge shoutout to all the participants who made this work session a success. Your collaboration is setting students up for success!

🎓✨ Wednesday’s Professional Learning at DeSoto County High was all about that morphology!

Led by HEC Literacy Specialist Candis Dean along with District Literacy Coaches Jamie Heine and Mary Meyers, ELA teachers in grades 3–12 dug into the power of morphology and strategies to teach it explicitly in their classrooms.

💡 From roots and prefixes to suffixes and beyond, teachers left with tools to help students unlock deeper word knowledge and stronger reading skills.

👏 Big thanks to our amazing facilitators and to all the educators who came ready to learn and grow!

#LiteracyMatters #MorphologyMagic #DeSotoStrong #HECProfessionalLearning
#ServeSupportStrengthen

🌟 JOIN US! 🌟

We’re excited to launch HEC’s Workforce Advisory Council 💼📚—a group dedicated to shaping the future of our region’s workforce!

✅ Provide input on local workforce needs
✅ Advise on educational programs & career pathways
✅ Build partnerships between schools & businesses
✅ Support students with internships, mentorship & job opportunities
✅ Help shape regional economic growth 🌱

👥 Who Can Join?

Business & Industry Leaders 🏭

Workforce Development Professionals 💡

Community & Civic Leaders 🏘️

Anyone passionate about preparing students for success 🙌

👉 Interested? Fill out the form here: tinyurl.com/hecworkforce

📞 Contact: Whitney McGee
Director of Instructional Services
📧 whitney.mcgee@heartlanded.org | ☎️ 863-531-0444 x.10703

Together, let’s build stronger schools, businesses, and communities! 🌍✨

🎉✨ Back to School Bingo, Books, and Bites at Everglades Elementary was a HUGE success! ✨🎉🐊

Families came together to enjoy a delicious meal, receive a brand-new book, and join in the fun of Back to School Bingo. 📚🍽️🎲

We also shared an exciting opportunity from New Worlds Reading to help families build at-home libraries for their children. What a wonderful way to encourage reading and grow a love of books at home! ❤️📖

We loved seeing our school community connect, laugh, and start the year off strong. Thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special! 💙💚

#EvergladesElementary #BackToSchool #FamilyFun #BooksAndBingo #NewWorldsReading #ServeSupportStrengthen
#NewWorldsReading #Okeechobee

🌟 Heartland Educational Consortium is excited to once again partner with New World Reading to bring Community Literacy Events to our districts! 📚✨

The first event kicks off tonight at Everglades Elementary in Okeechobee County. We look forward to celebrating the joy of reading with our families and communities—see you there! 💙

#BuildingAtHomeLibraries #ServeSupportStrengthen #NewWorldsReading #Okeechobee #ReadTogether #FamilyLiteracy

🌱 Member District Position Open: Agriculture Teacher 🌱

🚜 We’re Hiring!
The School District of Hardee County is seeking an Agriculture Teacher to help students grow their knowledge and skills in ag education.

✨ Starting Salary: $49,531
📍 Hardee County, FL

Bring your passion for agriculture and education to the classroom and shape the next generation of leaders!

👉 Apply today: tinyurl.com/HardeeInstructionalApp

📞 Questions? Contact Melanie Henderson, HR Director, at 863-773-9058.

#AgEd #TeachingJobs #NowHiring

🍎 Member District Position Open: ESE Teacher 🍎

📚 Join Our Team!
The School District of Hardee County is hiring a passionate ESE Teacher to support and inspire students.

✨ Starting Salary: $49,531
📍 Hardee County, FL

If you have a heart for teaching and a commitment to student success, this is your opportunity to make a difference!

👉 Apply today: tinyurl.com/HardeeInstructionalApp

📞 Questions? Contact Melanie Henderson, HR Director, at 863-773-9058.

#TeachingJobs #ESETeacher #NowHiring

🌟 Member District Position Open: Finance Director 🌟

💼 We’re Hiring!
The School District of Hardee County is looking for a Finance Director to join the team!

✨ Starting Salary: $92,750
📍 Hardee County, FL

If you’re ready to lead with vision and make an impact in education finance, we’d love to hear from you!

👉 Apply today: tinyurl.com/HardeeInstructionalApp

📞 Questions? Contact Melanie Henderson, HR Director, at 863-773-9058.

#NowHiring #FinanceJobs #EducationCareers

📚✨ Welcome Back, Hardee! ✨📚 Today, our last Heartland Educational Consortium district—Hardee County Schools—returns to the classroom! 🏫🎉 We’re so excited to have all 6 of our districts back in session, ready for a year of learning, growth, and success. 🍎✏️ 💙 Here’s to an amazing school year ahead for all our students, teachers, staff, and families! 🚀 #HeartlandStrong #BackToSchool #WeAreHeartland 🌟 Heartland Educational Consortium 🌟