News Briefs

+ Manatee transit service requests public input
Manatee County Area Transit is asking MCAT riders to give comments on a proposal to modify fares to offset the cost for additional services.

In April and May, riders can share comments on the plan by posting #MCAT on MCAT’s Facebook page, or tweeting @ManateeGov on its Twitter page.

Proposed route changes resulted from public input for MCAT’s 2013 Transit Development plan and include:

• extending Route 6 along State Road 70 to provide a link between the Gulf beaches and Lakewood Ranch;

• adding new service to connect Palmetto and Rubonia; and

• realigning Route 16 to connect to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, along with transfer opportunities with Sarasota County Area Transit.

Cash fares, also included in the proposal, would increase from $1.25 to $1.50, among other changes to fund the new options. MCAT will also host five workshops throughout April to discuss its plan.

For more information, visit mymanatee.org/mcatplan, or call 748-4501.

+ New teacher evaluation system announced
Superintendent Rick Mills and the Manatee Education Association announced a new teacher evaluation system March 20. The new rubric is based on Charlotte Danielson’s “Framework for Teaching,” a researched-based tool that identifies aspects of a teacher’s responsibilities of what to teach his or her students.

Danielson specializes in teacher effectiveness and the teacher evaluation system. Schools throughout the state use her frameworks.

The new system will be implemented in April, starting with a presentation by Danielson’s organization, The Danielson Group.

“By implementing the FFT, schools ensure a consistent process for evaluating teacher effectiveness that is based on a solid foundation of research and is demonstrated to be strongly correlated to student growth,” Mills said.

Meetings & agendas
Manatee County Board of County Commissioners meeting — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 3 at the County Administrative Center, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.