Petitioner: RICHARD CORCORAN, AS COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION
Respondent: PATRICIA JOMOLCA
Judges: ROBERT S. COHEN
Agency: Department of Education
Locations: Miami, Florida
Filed: Nov. 25, 2019
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Thursday, August 6, 2020.
Latest Update: Nov. 16, 2024
STATE OF FLORIDA
EDUCATION PRACTICES COMMISSION
RICHARD CORCORAN, as
Commissioner of Education,
Petitioner,
vs. CASE NO. 178-2990
PATRICIA JOMOLCA,
Respondent.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
Petitioner, Richard Corcoran, as Commissioner of Education, files this Administrative
Complaint against PATRICIA JOMOLCA. The Petitioner seeks the appropriate disciplinary
sanction of the Respondent’s educator’s certificate pursuant to sections 1012.315, 1012.795, and
1012.796, Florida Statutes, and pursuant to Rule 6A-10.081, Florida Administrative Code,
Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida, said sanctions
specifically set forth in sections 1012.795(1) and 1012.796(7), Florida Statutes.
The Petitioner alleges:
JURISDICTION
1. The Respondent holds Florida Educator’s Certificate 795765, covering the areas of
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum, Varying
Exceptionalities and World Language - Spanish, which is valid through June 30, 2021.
2, At all times pertinent hereto, the Respondent was employed as a Varying
Exceptionalities Teacher at Lake Steven Middle School in the Miami-Dade County School
District.
MATERIAL ALLEGATIONS
3. On or about he ae Resp: i the a +:
Administrator Prohibited Activities Agreement and the Test Administration and
Security Agreement whereby Respondent agreed, among other things, that she would not; assist
students in answering test items, give students verbal or non-verbal cues, or change or otherwise
interfere with student responses to test items. Additionally, on or about EN Respondent
received training in administration of the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA).
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PATRICIA JOMOLCA
Administrative Complaint
Page 2 of 3
4. On or about and hea Respondent administered the math
portion of the FSA to her sixth grade students. During the course of the exam, Respondent helped
multiple students by telling them their answers were wrong, and/or giving students answers, and/or
helping students setup problems, and/or pointing out specific problems that students should review
further. Respondent’s actions were in violation of the agreements she signed and in violation of
Florida law governing administration of statewide standardized assessments.
5. Asa result of Respondent’s conduct, test scores for three students were invalidated.
The Petitioner charges:
STATUTE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 1: The Respondent is in violation of section 1012.795(1)(g), Florida Statutes,
in that Respondent has been found guilty of personal conduct which seriously reduces
effectiveness as an employee of the school board.
COUNT 2: The Respondent is in violation of section 1012.795(1)(j), Florida Statutes,
in that Respondent has violated the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education
Profession prescribed by State Board of Education rules.
RULE VIOLATIONS
COUNT 3: The allegations of misconduct set forth herein are in violation of Rule 6A-
10.081(2)(a)1, Florida Administrative Code, in that Respondent has failed to make reasonable
effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental
health and/or physical health and/or safety.
(SIGNATURE ON FOLLOWING PAGE)
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PATRICIA JOMOLCA
Administrative Complaint
Page 3 of 3
WHEREFORE, based on the reasons set forth herein and in accordance with the
Explanation of Rights and Election of Rights forms attached to and made a part of this
Administrative Complaint, Petitioner respectfully recommends that the Education Practices
Commission impose an appropriate sanction against the Respondent’s educator’s certificate
pursuant to the authority provided in sections 1012.795(1) and 1012.796(7), Florida Statutes. The
sanctions imposed by the Education Practices Commission may include, but are not limited to, any
one or a combination of the following: issuing the Respondent a written reprimand; placing the
Respondent on probation for any period of time; restricting the Respondent’s authorized scope of
practice; assessing the Respondent an administrative fine; directing the Respondent to enroll in the
Recovery Network Program; suspending the Respondent’s educator’s certificate for a period of
time not to exceed five years; revoking the Respondent’s educator’s certificate for a period of time
up to 10 years or permanently; determining the Respondent to be ineligible for certification; or
barring the Respondent from reapplying for an educator’s certificate for a period of time up to 10
years or permanently,
EXECUTED on this_|7™ _ day of__ Ari) , 2019.
LM
RICHARD CORCORAN, as
Commissioner of Education
State of Florida
EBB-3
Docket for Case No: 19-006301PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Aug. 06, 2020 |
Order Closing File and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
Aug. 05, 2020 |
Motion to Cancel Hearing and Relinquish Jurisdiction to EPC filed.
|
Jun. 10, 2020 |
Order Rescheduling Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for September 21, 2020; 9:00 a.m.; Miami and Tallahassee, FL).
|
Jun. 04, 2020 |
Parties Amended Joint Status Report filed.
|
Jun. 02, 2020 |
Parties Joint Status Report filed.
|
Apr. 13, 2020 |
Order Granting Extension of Time (parties to advise status by June 1, 2020).
|
Apr. 09, 2020 |
Joint Motion to Extend Status Report filed.
|
Mar. 18, 2020 |
Order Granting Continuance (parties to advise status by May 1, 2020).
|
Mar. 17, 2020 |
Joint Motion to Continue Hearing filed.
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Mar. 06, 2020 |
Notice of Taking Depositions filed.
|
Feb. 13, 2020 |
Notice of Taking Deposition (Asa Monroe) filed.
|
Jan. 22, 2020 |
Order Granting Continuance and Rescheduling Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for April 29, 2020; 9:00 a.m.; Miami and Tallahassee, FL).
|
Jan. 22, 2020 |
Joint Motion to Continue Hearing filed.
|
Dec. 17, 2019 |
Notice of Service of Respondent's First Interrogatories and Request for Production filed.
|
Dec. 05, 2019 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
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Dec. 05, 2019 |
Notice of Hearing (hearing set for February 6, 2020; 9:00 a.m.; Miami).
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Dec. 05, 2019 |
Joint Response to Initial Order filed.
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Nov. 25, 2019 |
Initial Order.
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Nov. 25, 2019 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
|
Nov. 25, 2019 |
Election of Rights filed.
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Nov. 25, 2019 |
Agency referral filed.
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