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Ragusa's Teaching Subpar
Tribune file photo by JAY CONNER
Stephanie Ragusa makes a court appearance earlier this month.
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Published: June 24, 2008
Updated: 06/24/2008 09:56 pm
TAMPA - In Stephanie Ragusa's spring job evaluation, she received marks indicating she was unsatisfactory or needed improvement in every category but one.
The Hillsborough middle school math teacher was deemed satisfactory in dressing appropriately and being well-groomed.
The school district evaluation, which indicated she was unsatisfactory in promoting academic learning and adhering to policies and procedures, was one of several court documents released Tuesday.
Ragusa remains in Falkenburg Road Jail, charged with having sex with two of her underage students.
On March 18, the Hillsborough County School Board suspended Ragusa without pay, effective March 19.
Before her evaluation in the spring, a Dec. 12 memorandum from Martinez Middle School Principal Kathleen Flanagan to Ragusa offered strategies in five areas in which administrators said Ragusa needed to improve: effectiveness as a teacher, planning and preparation, professional behavior, teaching techniques and classroom management.
Three months later, it appears Ragusa did not show improvement in those areas. A March 20 memo from Flanagan to Ragusa let the teacher know she would not be renominated for employment in the upcoming school year. The memo states that Ragusa's "decisions do not maintain safety and optimal learning conditions for students" and that the teacher's lack of effectiveness in the classroom would hinder students' growth.
"As per numerous conversations, memos and meetings, I have serious concerns regarding your ability to effectively meet the needs of the students entrusted in your care," the memo states.
Ragusa, 29, was charged March 13 with having sex with a 14-year-old boy.
She was arrested again a month later after investigators identified what they said was another underage victim. Investigators say that two weeks after the second arrest, Ragusa drove her boyfriend's truck to the 16-year-old's house and had sex with him.
Ragusa is not a tenured teacher.
As such, her evaluation had to be completed by April 1, and the decision not to keep her onboard had to be written up by March 31, district spokesman Steve Hegarty said.
Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691 or jpoltilove@tampatrib.com.
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