Honky-Tonk Friday on the Wake Up Call: Quint Studer on the Upcoming Elected/Appointed Superintendent Ballot Question

Today on the wake-up call live on WPNN 103.7—we welcomed to the program community leader and Pensacola business icon Quint Studer to the show.  He and I discussed the upcoming ballot question on the elected versus the appointed Superintendent of Schools which will be decided August 18^th.  He gave his rationale for why we in Escambia County should stick with the appointed model—and I AGREE.  After his interview, we discussed hard hitting local, national and international stories of interest- covering multiple topics from around the country that traditional media outlets just won’t cover—in ways and at a depth they never will show you!

We are live each weekday morning from 6:00AM-8:00AM on WPNN-Pensacola's Information Station, where local, conservative morning-drive talk radio is ALIVE and Well and where we give you the most powerful 2 hour(s) in local morning drive talk radio.

Pensacola's only conservative, local morning drive talk show giving you information, weather, traffic, humor, and educated, intelligent discourse with no PC filters....The Wakeup Call with Jeff Bergosh on WPNN FM 103.7: Radio UNRESTRAINED!

Check out the whole show here

Boss Hogg Thinks the Superintendent Should Resign, Too! Dadgummitt! (A Parody)

Look a here, boy, I'll give you 5 good reasons why you'all need an elected leader like me for your schools!

Retired Hazzard County “Sole Commissioner” Boss Hogg liked being in charge.  He liked having a hand in everything that happened.  He also was known to “look the other way” when necessary to protect his interests (financial, image, power, and otherwise).  Most of all, he loved the fact that he only had to win an election every four years to maintain his power.   And despite the ups and downs of the quality of life in Hazzard County—which could be downright third-worldish--people still liked Boss anyway because he could use his “bully-pulpit” and his “power” to always find someone else to blame the county’s problems on—while simultaneously absolving himself of ANY responsibility.  He could and DID direct lucrative county contracts to wealthy Hazard business owners and elites and his buddies to curry favor with them. And it worked.  Hazzard county remained hopelessly mediocre. But Boss Hogg did just fine and got rich anyway—and re-elected 14 times!

Problems, crime, corruption, lingering poverty, moonshiners, drag racing, drug running-- Boss Hogg didn’t care as long as he was in on the cut of the action and could never be “implicated”.  He would not share his power, either---no, no, no sir--and he never did like the pesky interference of those Duke boys, Bo and Luke, who may not have been perfect angels, but loved Hazard County and wanted it to be the best it could be for the citizens.

So, I recently had the opportunity to speak with the retired Hazzard County Commissioner, Boss Hogg, about the goings-on at the Escambia County School District down here in Florida---and I wondered what Boss Hogg would think of the brew ha ha festering over the appointed versus elected superintendent issue here—along with the calls for the current superintendent, Dr. Tim Smith,  to resign. (Hogg only retired upon suffering a massive stroke and heart attack simultaneously which prevented him from running for his 15^th term in office….)

  “Well let me tell you right now, boy, you’all made a HUGE mistake down there going from elected to appointed—that was your first problem!”  He continued, between puffs of his cigar.  “I mean, no wonder everyone wants this guy Tim Smith to quit.  He wasn’t elected by the people, boy, and even though he is professional, has experience in this school business stuff, looks the part, loves kids and teachers, and has fancy-schmancy education credentials—I think it’s better to elect the superintendent locally—because knowing the area and who the players are in the local business community is more important than any stinkin’  credentials, experience, or college degree, boy!”

When asked to list the reasons why the elected superintendent is the way to go for Escambia County, Hogg opened up like a North Georgia Frog-strangler downpour.  He took a long draw from his fat cigar, inhaled two donuts simultaneously, gulped a big sip of sweet tea from his tumbler, leaned forward, and let loose.

1.        “NUMBER 1---Listen here—when you elect someone local-like—you get someone you know, someone who will make sure other local people he likes gets all the good jobs and contracts—it don’t have to be all about fancy-schmancy diplomas and degrees, boy.”  And, once someone like me gets the “right” people into the good jobs and big contracts—they can be controlled by me because they “owe me” boy!  You see what I’m saying?  “You can put them employees on one year contracts, make them ask permission to speak at meetings, humiliate them,intimidate them, mistreat them, and even make them contribute to your re-election campaign, boy!  It’s a perfect set up—they work for you, they owe you, so come election time they are on team Boss Hogg, boy!” He continued: "Best of all--when you are elected you can hire a stooge that kisses your ring to be your 'investigator' to trump up charges and make stuff up to get rid of those pesky employees that you don't like!  and the stinkin' school board can't do nothing to stop you, boy, cause they don't even know what your're doing!" He concluded as he chuckled loudly and then belched...

2.       “NUMBER 2---I know, I know—being a fancy-schmancy school superintendent---it’s different than being a sole commissioner in Hazzard County Georgia—because when you are the superintendent in Escambia County--you have that elected school board thing that kind of takes away your power and gets in your way---especially if you’re not “elected.”   “But look a here:  If you are elected it is better, because you can listen to that pesky school board and what they say, act like you care, tell them you will do something--- then do the exact opposite anyway!!—and that stinkin’ school board can’t touch you for it—cause you’re elected!  If you’re appointed, you have to be nice and polite and actually work or else they can FIRE YOU!  BORING!!

3.       “NUMBER 3---Boy, let me tell you something.  If you ain’t strong and elected as a superintendent—the school board can actually add things to the agenda that you don’t agree with!  No, no, no—being elected is better because then you can tell the school board to talk to the hand and block their items from the agenda and say something like ‘I ain’t adding your stinkin’ item to my agenda because to do that would lead people to think I support what you are bringing—and I DON’T’!! now run along, shoo..”  The other neat trick you can use is NEVER telling them stinkin' school board members about serious issues like with charter schools stealing and not following their contracts and violating student safety  and such, and discipline policy not being followed, or misconduct.  No, no, no.  That bad press could hurt the next election, so when you are elected you guard that information and shape the message, boy—and NEVER tell the stinkin’ school board nothin'--- or else they might start askin too many darn questions and cause a ruckus in the press, boy!!

Boss Hogg liked having ALL the power and all the donuts, too....

4.   “NUMBER 4---Now look a here, when you are elected you can raise a lot of money—trust me” he chuckled as he pointed to his rings and his all-white custom suit. “This stuff is expensive boy, you know what I’m saying, here?”  He continued.  "When you have an elected superintendent—his buddies the roofers and floor coverers and plumbers and the framers and the air-conditioner men, and the painters can get a lot of work— and they will!!!  Then they can fund his campaign account every 4 years—and they will, boy, trust me on that—because that’s how that works--they scratch my back, I scratch theirs!" He said through a sip of his sweet tea, as he demolished donuts one after the other and took another long puff of his fat cigar.  “Look here now, when you are boring-old appointed superintendent—you don’t care about elections, and purchasing services and contracts boy, you only care about the work and staff and the school board makes those other decisions—and let me just tell you right now—that is boring!!  Ya see cause when you’re elected you get to control people in the system, the money,

School Board Will Vote to Return to Elected Superintendent Model for Escambia County Public Schools

County Attorney Alison Rogers received the below email from School Board Attorney Ellen Odom yesterday:

"Good morning, Alison,

 Kevin Adams, School Board member representing District 1, has announced his intention to present a resolution to the School Board at our March 21 meeting to request a referendum to revert to an elected superintendent.  Please review the attached draft and let me know if you have any questions or concerns, or would like to discuss further.  

 At Mr. Adams' request, I am copying Commissioner Barry on this email.

 Best regards,

Ellen Odom"

The Pensacola News Journal called me on Tuesday to discuss the same issue for an article which will be forthcoming at some point, I would assume.  Also on Tuesday, I received an email from the Republican Executive Committee alluding to an upcoming vote by the board to return to the elected superintendent model.

So everyone saw this coming.

What I told the PNJ on Tuesday of this week is the same thing I told Kevin Adams:  If the school board votes to approve this item to be added to the primary election next year and asks us (Escambia County Commissioners) to add it, I will vote to do so.  I believe the BCC will put this forward as we should.  Although I am not necessarily supportive of the Elected Superintendent model---I believe if the school board votes for it to be added to the ballot,  the citizens have the right to once again vote on it.  

Although the citizens, by a razor thin margin, voted to change from elected to appointed in 2018 in an off-cycle election with a high Democratic turnout (first Desantis run for Governor versus Andrew Gillum which was also razor close)--this time around I believe the reversion to elected will win overwhelmingly if added to the presidential primary election in March of 2024--as this primary will have a HEAVY Republican turnout and HEAVY Republican interest as a Trump/DeSantis head to head on that same ballot looks more and more likely and certain every day.  And local Republicans support the previous system of governance locally---Elected Superintendent/Elected School Board.

So if it goes to the presidential  primary election in March of next year, just over a year from now, My prediction is it passes by a resounding, 60%-40% margin.  You heard it here first.

Read the School Board Proclamation coming to their (School Board's) March 21st agenda, below.  

  

Newpoint Chapter Comes to a Close….Vindication

People lost their careers and went to jail--just as I correctly predicted when I learned about the Newpoint cover-up in late March of 2015.  This whole fiasco also helped pass the appointed superintendent model locally --a historic silver lining for Escambia that was, in part, born of the Newpoint mess

If you steal from the state, if you steal from students, if you try to cheat the system—eventually it will catch up to you and the wrongs will be righted.

So it is with some satisfaction that now we see another person involved in the Newpoint Charter Schools fiasco get sentenced tojail.  Good—that is a good outcome. Rip off teachers, steal money from kids, you deserve to go to jail so far as I’m concerned.

But that is an outcome that almost didn’t happen…and it happened too late for the taxpayers (the school got bonuses for BOGUS test scores before the whole thing tumbled down on them…) and it happened too late for many students that were subjected to that school and all of its spectacular dysfunction for far too long to keep negative headlines out of the press.

As a staunch school-choice and charter school supporter—it is and was somewhat ironic that I was the board member that received the whistle blower’s complaint and ACTUALLY did something with the information.  If I had not blown this up—my prediction is that Newpoint would still be operating in Escambia County today.  Sad, right?

I won’t rehash how it all went down-but there are a few of us that know the whole truth. For those that want to know the truth about how it went down, and what the Judge meant when he referred to “misfeasance” by public officials in his sentencing yesterday—I’d suggest the following blog posts (here here here here here and here) as a primer.  You'll get the flavor if you read them.

The nefarious conduct at Newpoint was being actively swept under the rug by district staffers at the behest of the superintendent’s office throughout 2014 and into early 2015.  That is a fact, and it is also factual that multiple staff members told me this point blank:  “We were told NOT to tell the school board about all the problems at Newpoint.” (these employees and the Newpoint Whistle Blower were the heroes of this story—they risked their jobs by telling me and doing the right thing)

I made the decision to unilaterally report the misconduct to the State Attorney’s Office, over the strenuous objections of the Superintendent, when I went to his office to confront him about the accusations.  He told me I was wrong.  “You are making a mistake –you  are wrong!” he yelled. 

Here’s the thing, though.  I was right, and he was wrong.  He was a part of the problem and he is

A Tremendous Win for Students, Parents, and Teachers in Escambia County!

We will now allow our elected School Board to hire the best, most qualified superintendent of schools to run our district starting in 2020.  This is a great win for students, parents, teachers, and the school district.  A HUGE night for Escambia County!

The vote has happened.

The voters of Escambia County have spoken.

They have chosen progress over politics.  They have chosen the future over the past.

They have voted to reject the status quo and the old way of operating our schools.

Beginning in 2020, the Escambia County School District will officially join the rest of the country and the civilized world and we will allow our elected school board to hire the best, most qualified Superintendent of Schools from a nationwide search.

We have moved from the backwards, throwback, and abnormal system of ELECTING our superintendents to the more modern and effective method of APPOINTING our superintendent.

No more good ole boy politics, no more nepotism and cronyism.  Bye Bye to that.....

Finally, we can have this official concentrate on educating our students rather than ginning up support for the next election.

This was the biggest, most important issue on the ballot tonight.  This is a HUGE victory for students, parents, and teachers.  This will come as a shock to many people who have stated, point blank, that "This will NEVER happen in Escambia County!"

Well, it just did.  Thank you to everyone who worked to make this happen.

Thanks to Quint Studer, DC Reeves, Michelle Salzman, Walker Wilson, and the Pensacola Young Professionals for their efforts and resources added to this cause.

I am so glad we got this over the line and I am so hopeful for the future of this district now that we have joined 99.5% of the rest of the world by finally, at long last, fixing our broken, dysfunctional, and backwards governance model.

Big night, big win.

Big future!

Vote Yes to Fix a Broken, Backward System.....Vote YES on Tuesday For Escambia Schools!

The school district's enrollment has been declining over time, while the county's population (and neighboring public school districts' populations) have been increasing.  The governance structure is one MAJOR reason why.  This can be fixed on Tuesday with a YES vote for an appointed superintendent

I make no apologies for the tone of the below post.  I write this only because I fear the future course of this district if we do not fix the  underlying structure of this school system.  The current structure is a backwards, broken model.  I'll explain what I mean below, but first, I must say something important:

There is no magic bullet to fix our public school system locally.

Elected or Appointed--whoever the Superintendent is starting in 2020 will not possess a magic wand to fix the system.

But the current system is BROKEN.

How do I know?  Well, let's see: I have three kids that went through the system, I went through this same system, I've traveled and lived all over the country and the world in places that have GREAT public school systems, I have many friends and family members that have gone through this system and/or have had kids in this system or have worked in this system---and I spent 10 years of my life as a School Board Member in this system where all I tried to do was MAKE THE SYSTEM BETTER!

It is challenging on many fronts.  I''ll save space here but would point you to this post that describes the real problems in detail.

So knowing that we have unique challenges locally and that there is no panacea--we next go to the governance structure.

Is it really best to give all the power to one person?  I say NO.  That's why most districts do not give ALL POWER to the superintendent as we do here in Escambia.  What we do here is abnormal.

Sure, those who benefit from the current structure and those that do not understand the inner-workings of this district will say things like:

"The school board has to vote to terminate or hire employees---and they make policy and control the budget"  And sure, as a practical matter that is true--but it is much more complex than that.

Under our current, broken system:  The  board can only vote against a superintendent's employment recommendation for very specific causes as delineated in statute.  Translation--it does not happen.

The board can only create policy "upon the recommendation of the superintendent" which under the current system means simply "if the superintendent wants it and agrees with it"

And with respect to employment decisions:

Whoever the superintendent picks--is the person that fills the position.  Check the record if you don't believe me.

When it comes to termination recommendations--yes, the board has the final say.  But I will say that the superintendent's staff and all employees of the district (over 6,000 full, part-time, and contract employees) are 100% loyal to the superintendent only--as he and he alone approves their year-over-year contract renewals (except for tenured instructional personnel--who are becoming more and more rare since SB 736 was passed in 2011)--and so once a termination decision comes down from the superintendent's office, there is a huge force of loyalists that will lobby for the recommendation.  They don't have any loyalty, and show no deference, whatsoever, to school board members.  Why?  Because under this current structure the board has ZERO power to do anything unless and until the elected superintendent says "yes."  Zero power.

So a lot of employees are terrified to buck the system.

And heaven forbid a board member vote against a superintendent's employee recommendation.  Instant "pariah" status--there it is, you got it.

Look no further than the Coach Benny Washington Vote for proof...

We have MAJOR problems in our district that require a specialist that is fearless to confront.

Here is what we don't need, any more, in Escambia County schools......

--We don't need a system where employees are told NOT to share important information with school board members who are statutorily obligated to "supervise and control" public education.  We don't need any more Newpoint fiascos....

--We don't need a system where the superintendent forces school administrators to sweep SERIOUS

Board of County Commissioners Votes to Approve Resolution in Support of Appointing our Superintendent of Schools

Escambia County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution supporting appointing, rather than electing, our superintendent of schools

The Escambia Board of County Commissioners held a very contentious meeting last night.  Lots of topics were discussed, lots of speakers spoke on these multiple issues of importance.

Although the gallery got somewhat rambunctious at times, all in all it was a very good meeting.

Toward the end of the meeting, the board voted on a resolution in support of the ballot initiative mandating APPOINTING rather than ELECTING the superintendent of schools locally.

I am obviously, personally, very supportive of this initiative.

I've discussed it over and over as being totally necessary to correct an imbalance of power in the school district--and for multiple other reasons.

I was proud that the board took this position in support--after listening to multiple speakers (to include several 30+ year experienced retired ECSD teachers) urge us to vote to go APPOINTED.

Read the resolution passed by the BCC here.

Please vote Yes for Escambia County Schools at the end of your ballot on Election Day.

Say YES to Reduce Politics in Education!

Voters can reduce political influences in our public school system by voting YES on November 6th for Escambia County Schools to move to an appointed superintendent model.  In 1967 this very same question failed county-wide by the margin of ONE (1) vote.  Imagine where we might be 51 years later if that vote had passed?

People are sick and tired of politics.  Every day, in the news, infused in our life…politics.

On TV, online, on the radio—everywhere.  

It’s almost a dirty word because we’re all so sick of it.

Unfortunately, we’ll never be able to take politics out of every aspect of our lives—most people understand this reality.

But “politics” has no place in educating our children!

And there’s ONE thing each of us can do on November 6^th to minimize the political nature of our education system locally.

Vote YES for an appointed superintendent at the end of your ballot. 

Vote YES to empower your Elected Board of Education to engage a professional committee to find the very best educational specialist--from a nationwide search--to administer Escambia’s schools.

Vote YES to make our top schools administrator a professional position--NOT a political one!

Because Escambia’s children deserve a professional, non-political administrator focused on student achievement –NOT a politician driven by political pressure, donor whims, fear of negative media, and the ever-present election-cycle calendar.

Say YES to allow your school board to set the performance standards, enforce policy, and supervise the administrator.

  

Leave the politics to our elected board of education, where it should rest.  Make your voice be heard through their elections.

After all, every two years county voters have a crack at multiple members of the elected board of education.

Under our current, antiquated system,  the elected board and the elected superintendent can shrug their respective shoulders, and play the blame game back and forth ad nauseum… "It’s because of Tallahassee and their lack of funding…” or “We need more [fill in blank] …”

It becomes cyclical Kabuki theater that allows all concerned to avoid responsibility—and a politically
 comfortable status quo is maintained in perpetuity to the detriment of our students while the same politicians are elected over and over and over and nothing changes.

We must do better though--our students' collective futures demand no less!

Under the modern, well-accepted appointed superintendent model--the board can immediately remove the superintendent  if performance targets are not met or if board policy is not dutifully and faithfully implemented...no more waiting 4 long years until the next election.  No more politics of the election calendar stifling and stymieing decision making.

Skeptics of this change need only ask themselves these simple questions:

If you found yourself in the terribly unfortunate circumstance of being diagnosed with a life-altering medical condition, and you could seek out the best treatment available in the world, would you self-limit your treatment options to only the doctors and only the hospitals located in Escambia County Florida? 

If you were on the board of directors of a large corporation and you needed a new CEO to improve poor performance—or else your company would face insolvency--would you self- limit your CEO search ONLY to current company employees and ONLY in the geographical area in which your company was incorporated?

If you were a trustee of a top Division I College, and a decision was made to hire the best coach for your school's struggling football team from “out of the state”—would you really think that idea was bad?

The answer to each question above is NO—and you know it. 

So, let’s change Escambia’s educational paradigm locally and appoint the BEST professional school administrator like 48 of 50 U.S. states already do in 2018.

Let’s elect solid, passionate school board members and mandate that they hire the BEST administrator to run the schools like more than 99% of our nation’s 15,000 school systems already do in 2018.

Under an appointed model:

-Qualified local applicants for the Superintendent position are allowed and encouraged.

-Voters are given MAXIMUM power over the performance of the system by demanding their school board member(s) perform—otherwise they may be voted-out of office via two-year staggered elections.

-Your voice and your vote are NOT lost—they are intensified and magnified.

On November 6^th ---we can improve Escambia’s public-school governance model.

But it depends on you.

Please put students, parents, and teachers ahead of politics.

Please vote YES for Escambia Schools at the end of your ballot on November 6th.

Electing vs. Appointing our Superintendent of Schools Part I

"We don't need to hire no administrator or no professional staff round here--you only need to vote for me --I'm qualified--I got this--trust me!"  Boss Hogg, Sole Commissioner, Hazzard County Georgia

Should citizens elect, or should the school board appoint, the Superintendent of Escambia County's Public Schools?

This question will be coming on the November ballot for local citizens in Escambia County to decide.

I have long been a supporter of the more modern, efficient, and functional system of having the elected board of education hire the administrator of the schools---as  more than 99% or the rest of our nation's schools already do.

But push back is strong to this concept locally. Or, as Yoda might say "Much resistance to this good idea there is....."

The polling numbers I have seen from last July point to this being quite a challenge.

A recent Facebook video segment on this topic with community leader Quint Studer drew lots of angry, outspoken opponents to this plan.  (anecdotally, the "Likes" tally broke down on that post as follows: 61 thumbs up, 12 angry faces, two hearts, 1 LOL, 1 WOW, and 1 Sad)

So the folks opposed are obviously more vocal and energized in their opposition than those who are supportive of ending the antiquated system locally and moving to a modern, efficient appointment model.  But we got a lot of thumbs up "likes"--way more than the negative responses....

And I will say this:  I have also been able to turn several "No Way!" opinions into "Wow-- I did not know thats".  So in order to pass this, to bring it over the line, it takes one on one conversations with folks.

Because this is NOT an issue, framed by supporters of continuing the status quo, of "Giving up your vote!!"

This is not that.

Because the voters vote for the ones who are in charge, and the ones who are in charge bring in and staff the positions.

As an example--we recently hired a brand new Fire Chief for the County's Fire Service.  Should the board have NOT put out a nationwide call for qualified applicants?  Should we have simply put that position on the ballot and let the citizens choose, or let the 250 local firefighters hold an election to choose a "local" to be the next chief?  If we did that, would we get the BEST fire chief out there?

What about principals of schools?  Why not hold elections among parents and staff of particular schools to fill the principal jobs at such schools?  Would that result in us bringing in the best school

Fallen Redwood.........Something Not Revealed is NOT Something UnKnown

If the redwood falls in the forest and nobody is shown the video--trust me it still made a loud, crashing, and violent noise as it fell...... 

There is a saying we have all heard.....  If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, did it make a sound?

Obviously the answer is simple:  Of course that redwood made a loud, crashing sound as it fell....

But if nobody wants to know about it, and nobody was there to hear it, and nobody is shown the video-- it is easy to sell folks on the idea that it made no sound---- right?.

Answer:  NO

I purposely, late last Friday on a holiday weekend, submitted paperwork to run for re-election to  my current office on the board of county commissioners.  I love my job and I thank God daily for his blessing bestowed upon me that has allowed me to serve my neighbors in District 1 first on the school board and now on the county commission.

But I also do have one eye on our local schools. I worry about the direction we are going.....

Just two weeks ago, a poll was conducted regarding the position of school superintendent for our local public schools.  I did not request this poll, nor did I pay for it.

I did not publish the results once I got them two weeks ago, BUT neither  did anyone else.

I'm publishing them right now though.  Right here, right now, below.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY BY CLICKING "READ MORE" BELOW, LEFT..

On AM 790 WPNN This Morning.

I will be a guest on this morning's "Quinlan Report" at 6:05AM and 7:05AM today.

The segment was recorded yesterday for broadcast this morning.

In this interview we discuss multiple topics, to include my thoughts on civics education, gun violence, apathy of the population, school board term limits, and appointed versus elected Superintendents of schools.

Quinlan also asks me point blank if I will be running for Superintendent in 2020 when Malcolm Thomas retires. 

It's a good discussion.......you can listen to it here!

Progress is Coming to North Florida...Hopefully

Collier County School Board Member Erika Donalds (Chair, CRC Small Government Committee, Past-President of the Florida Coalition of School Board Members) closes on her initiative to make all Superintendents of Schools statewide appointed rather than elected positions, 12-14-2017

While the rest of the world is spinning and most of Florida is busily moving through their collective day today, a HUGE event is taking place in Tallahassee.

Today is the day Progress is Coming to North Florida....Hopefully.

The Constitution Revision Commission local government committee just voted to move forward to the full commission two important items:

By a 5-1 vote, a constitutional amendment mandating term limits for elected school board members; and

By a 4-2 vote, a constitutional amendment to make ALL Superintendents of Schools statewide appointed positions (appointed by the elected board of education like the rest of the world already does....)

These two issues are huge, absolutely imperative to moving our educational system, statewide (and locally in Escambia County), into the 21st century.

The committee was lobbied heavily today--with a large contingent of local (elected) superintendents from the panhandle and North Florida coming to today's hearing to plead their case.  It wasn't enough to move the needle, though.  Committee moved the initiative despite the lobbying by a  4-2 vote.

Now the major-league, statewide lobbying begins in earnest.  Getting this passed by the full commission will be a much tougher, much heavier lift. I will begin by doing my part to get this moving forward immediately--starting today.  We need a system of appointed superintendents of school statewide.  It is an Absolute must have!!!!!

I can't wait to speak before the CRC when they come to Pensacola for their listening tour!!!!!!!!!

Going Back to Tally Part III: Important Initiatives Move Forward!

I was in Tallahassee for political purposes in 1985 (Left picture) in 2007 (center-with Sen. Gaetz and Gov. Crist for the Merit Pay Bill signing ceremony) and yesterday to push for appointed superintendents of school statewide.  I've been going to to Tallahassee for Decades...

I took a day off of work yesterday in order to do something important:  I went to Tallahassee to testify about some important statewide issues that are going through the process to be placed on the ballot in 2018 as Constitutional Amendments.  Listen to the interview I gave to AM1620 on this topic here.

As I discussed here and here--going to Tallahassee is something I have done frequently over the years--beginning way, way back in 1985 when I was still in High School!  And because important proposals were to be voted on yesterday in the Education Sub-Committee of the CRC---- yes, I wanted to be there to speak.

Four main issues were discussed:  Class Size, Appointed vs Elected Superintendents, School Board Term Limits, and ending School Board Salaries.

I hold strong opinions on all of these issues.

---I support easing the class size mandate (or doing away with it altogether if feasible) to the extent we are able to do so because I have been unable to see data that points to any measurable increase in student achievement due exclusively to smaller class sizes.  Meanwhile, having this cap exacerbates our teacher shortage, limits our ability to increase teacher pay, and creates a situation where funding required to meet the law is not fully provided (unfunded mandate)--incentivizing some large districts to intentionally violate the cap with no significant penalties assessed (which has happened).  In the words of one panelist at yesterday's meeting "I would rather have a large class size with one amazingly talented teacher than a small class size with a marginal teacher"  I agree.

--I do not support eliminating school board salaries--I lived that job and those positions should be paid in my opinion.  (this measure did not pass out of committee)

-- I strongly support the amendment proposal to make all superintendents of schools, statewide, appointed rather than elected.  This arcane, anachronistic throwback model of school district governance and operation  is well past due for a change.  Of the nation's 15,500 or so public school districts------99.4% have figured this out and have moved to the correct structure:  Elect members of the board of education, and allow the board to hire the most qualified, highly-skilled and educated superintendent they can get from a nationwide pool.  (note:  this proposal passed favorably out of the meeting by a 6-2 vote, with Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart voting in support of this amendment proposal.)  We also learned yesterday that the bottom 10 districts if Florida, in terms of performance, have elected rather than appointed superintendents of schools.  Time for a change, time for us to enter the 21st century on this issue.  As Bruce Buffer would scream----It's time.

--I support term limits for elected school board members--did not speak to the proposal but waived in support. (this proposal passed unanimously)

Watch the videos of the entire proceeding  on the Florida Channel here and here.

Going Back to Tally Part II: Encouraging the Commission to End the Election of School Superintendents

The Florida Constitution Revision Commission has finalized the list of 103 items for consideration, for addition to the 2018 ballot.  All of these items will not make the ballot.  Several are similar.  Any that make it to the ballot require 60% voter approval for successful passage and subsequent addition to the Florida constitution.

#33 on the list is proposed amendment to make school superintendents appointed, rather than elected.

Currently, 99.4% of the 15,500 or so public school districts in the United States have moved to this model--with very good reason.

I've documented my tremendous support for appointed superintendents based upon many logical reasons--many of which I have delineated here on this blog.   To summarize the most important reason is simple.  The position of Superintendent -when elected-- undermines the elected board's ability to properly govern, allows for any 18 year old resident of a county to run for and win such a position, and injects too much politics into the job.  This is why the vast majority of the rest of the world has moved away from electing the school superintendent, and this is why Florida must do the same!

As a ten year school board member in a district that elects its chief operating officer for schools and its board of directors--I saw first hand how dysfunctional and dangerous this arrangement can be.

In my experience:

--legitimate information that I had a right to see and requested was kept from me and withheld from my view and analysis by a deliberate act of the elected superintendent of schools that I worked with--he did not want me to know how badly the weak teacher evaluation tool was pencil whipped by several schools and school principals--he didn't want a headline!

--Important information that was known to the elected superintendent and his senior staff about some nefarious conduct occurring at a district charter school (including cheating on standardized tests and grade inflation to fraudulently earn a  higher school grade and state bonus money) was deliberately withheld from the board for over a year according to senior staff that reported this to me subsequent to a whistle-blower revelation. (superintendent did not want a messy headline in the lead up to his re-election announcement)

--All 5 board members disagreed, unanimously, with the initiative to convert School Deans to 2nd Asst. Principals (to handle paperwork instead of discipline) at our two largest Middle Schools.  Superintendent did this conversion anyway---over our objections.  He said we didn't understand why this was necessary and had to happen

--On multiple occasions, I submitted items to be added to a school board agenda--and the superintendent deliberately did not add these items to the agenda for discussion/consideration by the board.  Often, he did not want a headline or the board to discuss something for which he already had a firm position.

There are many other--too numerous to list--reasons why the elected school superintendent model is a relic of the past that must be changed.  I will testify about this on Monday;  I'll testify about why I feel it is essential that this item be one that is put on the ballot for statewide consideration so that Florida can move its public education system 100% into the 21st century, along with the rest of the nation.

Going Back to Tally....Part I: Testifying

The Florida Capitol Building, Tallahassee Florida

The other day I was listening to talk radio and the intro to the 1987 LL Cool J rap song "Going back to Cali" was playing.  I remembered that song from a very good yet extremely depressing movie of that year, Less than Zero.

And then I thought about an upcoming trip I'm taking to Tallahassee---I'm not going back to Cali--I'm going back to Tally!  But I'm going to Tallahassee for a very important reason.

I've been there many times, the first time of significance was when I attended Florida Boy's State in 1985 and met then Governor Bob Graham and learned a lot about civics, politics, and elections.  That was a great experience.

I had the honor and privilege of attending Florida Boy's
State in the Summer of 1985

My next big trip to Tallahassee was not until 22 years later, in 2007, when as an elected school board member I was strongly supporting teacher Merit Pay and was present with Governor Charlie Crist and Senator Don Gaetz for the signing ceremony upon the passage of that legislation.

Merit Award Plan signing ceremony in 
Tallahassee, Florida
March, 2007.  Sen Gaetz, Gov. Crist, 
and Escambia School Board
Member Jeff Bergosh (background)

(footnote--only 9 of  67 counties [Escambia was one of the 9] ever successfully implemented that plan, the MAP, in year one.  by year 2, the unions killed it and statewide merit pay for teachers essentially ended in Florida until 2015 and the Best and Brightest Teacher Bonuses came to the forefront.  Don't worry though--Unions and status quo defenders are working in the courts to kill this now,  too.....)


While a school board member, I attended many meetings and lobbying sessions in Tallahassee, several of which were productive, many of which were not.  But along the way I met legislators and made connections.

In 2014 and 2015--when school choice was under fierce attack by liberals, Democrats, and status quo educrats--I made many trips to Tallahassee  (and other parts of the state as well).  Luckily for all the kids stuck in failing school attendance zones throughout the state--the suits seeking to end tax credit scholarships at that time were all eventually defeated.

But an important by-product of that attack on choice was the formation of the Florida Coalition of School Board Members and the passage of HB 7029 in 2016--which included language that I helped craft ending the monopoly on school board advocacy associations enjoyed comfortably for many years by the Florida School Boards Association.  I'm very proud of what we accomplished in Tallahassee, me and school board members and legislators from around the state working together to dismantle an unfair monopoly by allowing school board members choice in advocacy (or the ability not to fund their portion of "yearly dues" to an organization that ideologically was/is not supported by such individual school board members).  2015 was huge.

Fast Forward to the end of 2017 and I once again find myself going back to Tally.  This time, I am no longer a school board member but now a County Commissioner.

This time, the reason I'm going back to Tally is to advocate for some specific constitutional amendment proposals.

The constitution revision commission (a group assembled and convened only once every several decades in Florida) has finalized a list of 103 potential constitutional amendments for addition to the 2018 Ballot.  (A very brief yet very informative guide to the CRC is here.)  Several of these potential amendments  have my particular interest due to both my current job and to my past experience as an elected school board member.

So I'm going back to Tally to give my testimony about the ABSOLUTE NECESSITY that we push forward many of these proposals---in particular the one that will end the arcane, throwback practice of electing superintendents in the state of Florida.  This practice is such an anachronism and it is so damaging that it must end ----and if I can play a small part in pushing  this forward to the voters--- I'm ready willing and able to do so.  And I will.

Elected or Appointed Superintendent of Schools?

I've been an outspoken advocate, for a long time now,  for the model of school boards hiring superintendents, directing them, overseeing them, holding them accountable, and evaluating them on an annual basis.

This is the way 99.2% of our nation's 15,000 school districts operate, and it gives the voters maximum oversight, accountability, and control of  district schools.  I've given my opinions about this subject on this blog here and here.

The PNJ ran a front-page story on the issue this past Sunday.

A recent viewpoint appeared in the Sunday PNJ

In Tallahassee, the editorial board of the paper there has called for appointing of superintendents after the superintendent of that school district was the subject of an FBI corruption probe recently.

But the false-perception lingers among some voters that feel they "lose control" if they allow duly elected school board members to hire the superintendent of schools.   This false view is a big  problem.   "I want to elect two of the persons that run schools locally, not one!" said one person I spoke with recently about this.  His sentiments are echoed by many.

What people don't realize is that with elected superintendents, once you vote one in, you are stuck with that person for 4 years. If he initiates curriculum you don't want---too bad!  You are stuck.  For 4 years. If he disregards the elected board, too bad.  You are stuck.  For 4 years.

Elected superintendents are powerful and they politicize the system and the position whether knowingly or unconsciously.  The only realistic "check" on their power is the ballot box on an infrequent, four year cycle.

Eventually, elected superintendents accumulate so much power that they become all but unbeatable in elections; eventually they end up greatly influencing the elections of the very school board members that (allegedly) serve as a check to their massive and ever-growing power.  This accumulation of power becomes almost absolute after a second and subsequent term absent some self-inflicted political catastrophe on the part of the elected superintendent of schools.

Irregardless of how he/she portrays themselves--the multi-term incumbent, elected superintendent of schools  (holding the large expenditure purchasing decision power and the employment fate of so many people singularly in his/her hands yearly)  eventually accumulates power that is nearly absolute..

Lord Acton famously describes what absolute power does to any person, and his famous quotation on this subject remains spot-on.

  Appointed superintendents, by contrast, are always on the bubble.  They can and do concentrate on doing their jobs instead of appeasing special interests to win the next election.
 With appointed superintendents, the board members who are elected every two years can hold the superintendent accountable, lest they themselves will be out of a job at the hands of an angry constituency in the next election!

Boards can censure, re-direct, and/or terminate an appointed superintendent immediately if he/she does not perform or follow school board policy.   That is maximum accountability for the electorate--as it should be.

But neither an appointed nor elected  "system" is a magic bullet panacea that cures all issues in school districts.  For optimal performance, an active engaged school board that works well together making policy in concert with an appointed superintendent, with the courage to hold the superintendent accountable for executing the policy, is the best model.

But either way-- it all starts with the board.

Either type system needs a board that is engaged, astute, and aware of the issues.  Absent this, the system or model (elected vs appointed) that puts the head man in charge is really a problem of a lesser degree...

Yes, more important than whether a superintendent is elected or appointed, is whether or not members of a school district's  board are paying attention, actively following the issues, and keeping the pressure on the administration to follow board policy with fidelity.

If members of a school board are just going along to get along, providing only milk-toast, anemic oversight/opposition to bad policy or budgetary recommendations, or worse yet----"mailing it in" and doing precisely what they are told by the superintendent----then no system or superintendent installation model will work effectively, ever.

Elected or Appointed Superintendent of Schools, Part II

From Tennessee School Boards Association

I strongly support the model of an elected school board hiring, supervising, and evaluating a professional, highly-qualified superintendent of schools from a large, nationwide pool of talented applicants.

This is not a shot against our current elected superintendent of schools Malcolm Thomas.  I've talked to him about this.  It is not personal, as I happen to think Mr. Thomas is one of the hardest working men I have ever known and I agree with the majority of his initiatives.

But I think the overall system would greatly improve, and our district would be more responsive to