• Speech & Debate Team

     

    Tyrone Middle School, 2024-2025

     

     

    Our Mission

    The mission of the Tyrone Middle School Speech and Debate Team is to empower students to become effective communicators by providing a supportive environment where they can develop critical thinking, research, argumentation, and public speaking skills through competitive speech and civic debate events, ultimately preparing them to be confident leaders in their communities. 

     

    About the Team

    The Tyrone Middle School Speech and Debate Team is the 1st and only Public School in Pinellas County, Fl that has an active Speech and Debate Team.  Participation on the team allows team members the opportunity to develop their communication skills through participation in regional and state tournaments. Students travel several weekends each semester to the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative, Florida Debate Initiative and National Speech and Debate Association-sponsored events and competitions.   Team members have the opportunity to compete against peers from across the nation and receive feedback from members of the academic community, all while representing their state, district and school.  Team members may also choose to participate in summer camps, Speech and Debate Camps, Tallahassee and Washington D.C Trip opportunities, as well as ongoing learning opportunities ranging from in-depth boot camps to hone their skills and leadership opportunities within the school and community.  The team meets weekly during the year with 1 to 2 competitions a month.

     

    Coaching Staff

    Ms. Roberts, instructor of civics, coaches public speaking (speech and debate) at Tyrone Middle School. Ms. Roberts started the team in January 2023 and continues to coach the team. For more information, you can contact her at robertsja@pcsb.org.

     

    Support the Program

    The Tyrone Speech and Debate team is always accepting donations. This helps the team pay for any traveling expenses, supplies, etc. Please email our principal, Mrs. Linda Burris, at burrisl@pcsb.org to see how you can help.

     

    Affiliations

    The mission of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative is to create access and opportunities for all students to have the best civics education including curriculum, debate programs, and high-quality teachers that are catalysts for students becoming great citizens who can preserve our constitutional republic for future generations.

    MISSION: Our goal is clear: to empower students with the skills and confidence they need to succeed, offering them invaluable educational, leadership, and professional opportunities that transcend the traditional classroom experience.

    Mission: The National Speech & Debate Association connects, supports, and inspires a diverse community committed to empowering students through speech and debate.

    Vision: We envision a world in which every school provides speech and debate programs to foster each student’s communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative skills.

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    Program Information

    The Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FCDI) enhances civics education by:

    1. Developing competitive speech and debate teams in schools that do not have one.

    2. Providing professional development opportunities for debate coaches, civics teachers, and U.S. history teachers.

     

    We are funded by a $5 million grant from the Marcus Foundation. The 3-year grant started in 2020-2021 (Phase One). We are currently in Phase Three.

     

    Before the FCDI, only 11 Florida counties had competitive debate teams. We have established over 200 new teams in 45 school districts to date. We hope to have teams in all Florida school districts by the end of the 2022-2023 school year.