- September 17, 2024
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Age: 72
Current occupation: Sarasota County School Board member
Resident of Sarasota County: 40 years
Specifically, the primary role and functions of the school board:
Article IX, section 4(b) of the Florida Constitution states, “The school board shall operate, control and supervise all free public schools within the school district and determine the rate of school district taxes within the limits prescribed [by the constitution].”
“Florida statutes authorize each district school board to exercise any power not expressly prohibited by the state constitution or law, require each board to perform all duties assigned to it by law or State Board of Education rule, and grant each board the specific authority to…”
Adopt standards and policies to provide each student the opportunity to receive a complete education program in accordance with the State Standards;
Contract, sue, and be sued;
Control property and convey title to real and personal property;
Establish schools and school attendance areas;
Adopt a school calendar;
Govern personnel matters and collectively bargain district employee salaries;
Adopt standards of ethical conduct for instructional personnel and school administrators;
Provide for student welfare and discipline;
Provide adequate instructional materials to students;
Provide for the transportation of students;
Provide for locating, planning, constructing, maintaining, insuring, and condemnation of school facilities;
Provide fiscal management for school district operations, levy taxes, and issue bonds;
Implement school improvement and accountability;
Encourage and enhance decision-making by individual schools and School Advisory Councils;
Sponsor charter schools, including the review and approval or denial of new charter school applications and termination of academically low performing or financially unsound charter schools.
As a former Sarasota County special education teacher, principal, executive director and current school board member, I am running in the spirit of service to my community.
I am passionate about protecting the interests of students and working for the people of Sarasota County. I have been given tremendous opportunities to excel in the field of education, and I have a wealth of knowledge and skills to give back.
I have more than 28 years of experience building A+ schools, programs of distinction, managing school and district budgets, collaborating with parents and building community relationships.
I have a deep understanding of every component of our schools’ systems past and present. I can provide a wealth of guidance in continuing to close the achievement gap and assuring every student can successfully read at an early age.
I know that together, we can take Sarasota County Schools to the #1 ranked school district in Florida for academic achievement.
As a servant leader, I know very well the role that our schools play in our community and in the life of every student. Schools have a profound ripple effect. In a school system, everyone must win and all barriers to this goal must be addressed.
Yes. Sarasota County School Board
As a teacher, I was recognized as a district-wide model teacher.
As a principal, I established educational programs that provided rigor, engaged students, fulfilled parents’ expectations, collaborated with teachers and community and most importantly, grew student academic achievement results.
As the executive director of middle schools, I established a district-wide college and career program; led the development of STEM Smart classrooms across all middle schools; developed professional development that changed instruction and learning to be student centered; and established systems and accountability measures that improved students’ academic performance and school grades.
I humbly bring these pieces forth, as they all required leading change. Change requires making informed decisions, understanding research-based best practices, data driven instruction and learning and systems with accountability.
As a local educator, I worked for seven different superintendents.
As a school board member, I have provided government oversight as a constitutional officer for two superintendents and hired our current superintendent.
I have learned a lot! I have a working relationship with local governmental leaders.
I am proud to have the endorsement of Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters; Florida Reps. Fiona McFarland and James Buchanan; Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman; International Union of Police Associations; Sarasota County Schools Police Department (Local 6046).
We have made huge progress. In the last two years, we have made significant change by removing a strategic plan that focused on hard-to-measure social goals and replaced it with a strategic plan that prioritizes data-driven instruction, learning and growth in academic achievement results.
We have provided record-breaking $30 million dollars plus salary and benefits employee packages for the last two years.
Budget reforms have brought school and department budgets into the sunshine. We added board policy protecting a parent’s right to record individual education plan meetings and walk your child to class in the mornings.
A new state-of-the-art school in North Port and a K-8 school in Skye Ranch are underway. New systems have been put in place and accountability, hardwired for data-driven instruction and learning and to monitor academic achievement at every school in the district.
Training in customer service is in the works and results will be measured for success. Safety and security protocols and resources have been added like additional school resource officers, metal detectors and security aides.
Additional school counselors, literacy coaches and data/scheduling coaches are in our schools to support instruction and learning.
For the first time, Niche.com, a nationally recognized school rating resource for families, has placed Sarasota County School District #1 in Florida for 2024.
No
Superintendent Terry Connor receives an “A” Grade.
In one school year as superintendent, Mr. Connor has significantly enhanced student achievement, operational efficiency and quality of education.
Master Scheduling and Allocations Handbook were created; event protocols were standardized; and financial stability was secured after the sunsetting of ESSER funds (COVID Relief Funds).
Security was upgraded to ensure 100% compliance with requirements.
New instructional materials were adopted; the Literacy Plan for ALL was implemented; and the Teacher Evaluation System was revised.
Assessments were developed to support data-driven instructional decisions. A new Code of Conduct and proactive measures for improving attendance were put in place to support the learning environment.
Professional learning courses were built; new job descriptions were developed; and the Flamingo Literacy K-2 Small Group Model was implemented.
More than1,000 staff members were hired, and initiatives were launched to recognize and retain high quality staff.
The Administrator Evaluation System was revised, and a new Leadership Development Learning Series was created.
Key positions were filled to support strategic goals.
Parent, family and community engagement was enhanced by developing a District Crisis Communication Plan, responding to media and launching new communication tools and initiatives.
A communication plan for board governance and policy was approved; staff contracts were settled; district policies were reviewed and revised; and communication with the School Board improved greatly with newsletters and briefings.
All in all, a foundation has been built for continued success. Strategic goals are in place to foster innovation and maintain the highest standards of professional conduct.
With changes initiated by the majority board, this area has improved during my tenure.
Currently, I would give the school board an “A” for initiating change and increased accountability.
The district Financial Advisory Committee pointed out to the board that the 2022-2023 academic achievement was in decline.
As a principal and executive, I know that there is a direct relationship between the budget and academic achievement results.
It was imperative that the new superintendent, upon being sworn in, evaluate all systems, programs of instruction and operations.
In 2023-2024, the district office was reorganized to prioritize academic achievement, systems of support and accountability, impactful staffing and efficient operations.
Academic achievement results for 2024 are showing growth! In addition, on July 24, 2023, the board voted to approve the new millage, which totals 6.18 mills, down from 6.272 the previous year.
Effective 2023, the majority board wanted more transparency with the budget and budgeting process. Departmental and school budgets became accessible to the board and public in 2023.
Superintendent Connor added Gap Analysis, Previous Outcomes, Expected Outcomes and is now aligning every School Board Agenda item to the new strategic plan.
These efforts have significantly increased transparency with board business. Transparency must continue to be a priority and regularly be assessed for improvement.
Grade 3 reading performance is the greatest predictor of academic success through grade 12. Failing to meet this benchmark makes it nearly impossible to catch up and experience academic success.
Data in the past few years show that more than 30% of Sarasota County grade 3 students were not able to read at grade level. Florida assessment early results (raw data) for 2023-2024 show grade 3 students reading at grade level grew by an unheard of 7% in one year.
Recruit and retain high quality teachers and staff. Prioritize salaries to make living in Sarasota County affordable.
I am an advocate for school choice and have been for my entire career as an educator in our local public schools.
As a principal at Sarasota Middle School, I always had a waiting list for choice. In my choice tours, I would tell families to research all their options and choose the best match for their student.
I wanted my parents to choose my school because it was the best!
HB1 is not a threat to public education. Competition is healthy.
I want families to choose our public schools because we offer the highest quality education. I can’t think of anything more damaging to a student than forcing him or her to attend a school that does not provide an effective pathway for academic success.
The school board recently voted to advertise a new “draft” public comment policy:
Sarasota County residents, parents/guardians of current Sarasota County Schools students, Sarasota County Schools employees and current Sarasota County Schools students shall be given priority to speak before individuals not in one of these groups in each public comment period on a first come, first served basis.
Why? My interest in supporting a new policy for consideration was prioritizing the business of the board and community input on agenda items to be voted on.
For several months, public comment has often surrounded social and ideological issues. Often, more than two hours of public comment prior to the board voting on agenda items was airing personal grievances and voicing discontent with legislative mandates coming from the state.
Activists are known to travel from outside of the county to address polarizing political issues. That is their right; however the draft proposes a policy that prioritizes the business of the board; getting feedback on agenda items; and allowing Sarasota County community members and parents to go first, followed by out-of-county people.
The current Title IX: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
Gender is a social construct. The April rule changes to Title IX modify this social construct and much more.
The new law changes the meaning of biological sex. A person’s biological sex now encompasses sexual orientation and gender identity. It means that it is acceptable for boys/men who think they are women to legally use girls’/women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and participate in girls’/women’s sports without discrimination. The same for girls/women who believe they are boys/men.
Every student has a right to attend school, learn and participate in extracurricular activities in a comfortable, safe environment.
In response, School Board Members Karen Rose, Bridget Ziegler, Tim Enos and Robyn Marinelli voted Yes to pass a resolution brought forth by Bridget Ziegler. Tom Edwards voted no.
The resolution “commits that no policy or procedural changes will be implemented or considered as legal challenges ensue, and hereby acknowledges the paramount duty of the district to make adequate provisions for the education of all children residing within its borders.”
