| And we're back. Hope everyone had a relaxing Thanksgiving break. Things were not all quiet on the Florida education front. School boards across the state held their mandatory reorganization meetings, swearing in newly elected members and selecting leadership for the next year. In the past, those sessions proved mostly perfunctory, a prelude to the training sessions that follow a few days later at the Florida School Boards Association's annual winter conference in Tampa. This time around, things didn't shake out that way.
— Jeffrey S. Solochek, jsolochek@tampabay.com |
| [Photo collage by Pinellas County Schools] |
| Emboldened by new majorities, some school boards charge ahead with change |
| Across Florida, nearly 100 newly elected school board members took the oath of office in November, joining their reelected and sitting colleagues at the table for the first time.
For the most part, they picked their chairperson and vice chair, got committee assignments, perhaps acted on a few items recommended by the superintendents. Having moved to a decision-making role, many recognized they had time to learn about the powers and authority that board members hold under Florida law. About 80 of them were signed up to attend the FSBA conference, with its new members academy, several topical breakout sessions and a keynote speaker who is to discuss "Practical Solutions for Working Together Better."
"Candidates run as individuals, saying what they believe," FSBA executive director Andrea Messina said. "Then they have to transition from candidate individual activist citizen to serving board member. It's a difficult transition."
In some cases, the new members campaigned for change, and landed on boards with like-minded majorities. Moms for Liberty, the Florida-based group that backed dozens of right-leaning candidates across the state, noted that six Florida districts flipped their boards to "parental rights supportive majorities." A seventh — Pinellas County — saw Moms for Liberty backers claim two of the board's seven seats. Some of those boards didn't wait for training to act. Many don't belong to the FSBA, instead looking to other places for preparation more in line with their views on government and policy. The Brevard County School Board forced out its superintendent and revised its policy on transgender student bathroom use. The new majority then joined with the local sheriff to announce stricter student discipline rules, with the sheriff warning, "If you're a little snot that's coming to our classes to be disruptive, you might want to find some place else to go to school because we're going to be your worst nightmare starting right now." The Sarasota County School Board similarly targeted the district's superintendent, who was hired by a liberal-leaning majority that no longer exists. Superintendent Brennan Asplen agreed to leave before the board held a vote. Board chairperson Bridget Ziegler said it became evident in the last two years that, at least in some communities, people want to see schools head in a different direction. "It is imperative that members who are newly elected and continue to serve understand the impact of their decisions," she said. "They need to stay focused on academic success and be the voice of the community, not being hesitant in working through problems and making changes that are necessary." Immediate, dramatic action does not negate the need for discussing issues critical to students, teachers, families and the community, said Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice. Even if not part of a majority, board members can and should spark those conversations, creating consensus wherever possible. "I think we're actually much closer together than we are apart on many issues," Justice said. "I hope to see vibrant debate all over America in school board rooms — civil and kind but vibrant debates about where we need to take public education." Pinellas chairperson Lisa Cane, who won reelection in August, said she expected that trajectory on her seven-member board. Pinellas has worked to implement policies following state law, Cane said, avoiding many controversies despite some noise. The influence of Moms for Liberty will have its place, said Cane, who has supported the state's conservative education agenda but did not have the group's backing. "But there are five other people there," she added, suggesting that all will need to collaborate to create policies for majorities. |
.jpg)
