Tampa, FL— Representative Rene “Coach P” Plasencia was named the 2022 recipient of the Friend of Education Award by the Florida School Boards Association (FSBA) at the FSBA/FADSS Annual Summer Conference in Tampa, FL on Friday, June 10, 2022. Dr. Danielle Thomas, FSBA’s Director of Advocacy and Legislative Services, presented the award.
As a former high school social studies teacher and track coach, Representative Rene “Coach P” Plasencia has always been an advocate for public schools and the students who attend them. He served on multiple education committees and passed legislation to help support students including SB 590 which, in part, required parental notification prior to transporting a student from a school for an involuntary examination (Baker Act) as well as HB 235 which eliminated most uses of mechanical restraints on students. He also worked diligently on HB 1193 (SB 1048) which will bring changes to student assessments by eliminating the FSA and instead implements progress monitoring statewide. In addition, Representative Plasencia brought attention to the struggles of students who are speakers of other languages by filing Native Language Assessments in Public Schools, advocating for students for whom English isn’t their first language to be able to take assessments in their native languages.
FSBA was thrilled to present Representative Rene “Coach P” Plasencia with the Friend of Education award for his continued work and advocacy.
