PRIORITY 1 – Maximize the safety of students, faculty and staff by fully implementing the Florida School Guardian Program.
My 14 years as a training manager, preparing individual combat arms soldiers and units to prevail in armed conflicts, uniquely qualified me to guide the development of our MCSD’s implementation plan. The preparedness of our schools must be strengthened to rapidly suppress a live shooter. Each school must have a regularly exercised incident response plan that integrates the combined efforts of our on-site School Resource Officers, and thoroughly vetted and trained Guardian Staff and Teachers, and our law enforcement agencies to rapidly eliminate a sociopath on a shooting spree. Resources for screening and training staff and teacher Guardians should be prioritized based on external law enforcement response times for each campus.
PRIORITY 2 – Prepare this fall’s Freshman class for Florida’s 2030 Economy.
Focus high school priorities on the cognitive transitional skills that graduates will require for Florida’s Economy for the years 2030 and beyond. Increase emphasis on vocational education to equip graduates with the transitional skills required to assume well-paying entry level positions. The FL School Ratings metric of “Accelerated Success” must be closely examined to ensure that college bound student acceleration is not at the expense of Vocational Education. I will rely heavily on the demographic and economic data in the Florida Chamber Foundation’s strategic plan for 2030. The rapid transformation of Florida’s economy will continue, causing the elimination of traditional routine and non-routine jobs that require manual skills. These include 70 percent in Communications and Food Service; 60 percent in Transport, Warehousing, and Manufacturing; 35 percent in Health and Medical Services; and 25 percent in Education. Positions requiring Cognitive Routine and Non-Routine skills will replace those jobs.
PRIORITY 3 – Ethical Standards, Integrity, Respect and Empathy.
Continuous K-12 emphasis on Ethical Standards, Integrity and Empathy following the “golden rule” philosophy of treating other as you would want to be treated. This foundation must be continuously reinforced by stressing the dignity of all individuals, respect for the rights and property of others; the rule of law; and tolerating those who are different but without excessive examination of those differences. If elementary and middle school texts don’t include these themes, then replacement texts must be identified for future ordering.
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS IN THE 2030 ECONOMY
We must prioritize mastery of reading, math and sciences that are foundations for the transitional cognitive skills required for the Florida’s 2030 economy and beyond. Civics and U.S. History must be taught objectively without activist ideologies from either the left or right. I will hold Dist 1 town hall meetings, initially monthly, to develop recommendations for our legislative delegation on needed curriculum improvements. Elementary school texts and library books must integrate themes of ethically dealing with people, basic integrity, respect for the rights and property of others; and especially the dignity of every individual. This includes tolerance of those who are different, but without excessive focus on details of different lifestyles.
SOUND MANAGEMENT OF LIMITED SCHOOL RESOURCES
I will oppose Schools of Hope and pursue identifying additional savings by closely examining consent agenda items related to contracts that sustain operations and maintenance functions. Federal grants must also be closely examined and periodically reviewed to assess value added and ensure that grants do not indefinitely obligate the District budget. Managerial-level positions descriptions within each District department must be reviewed to identify those that are over graded and can be replaced by administrative assistant and executive secretary positions. The Board must examine the underlying rated areas that individual school ratings (i.e. A, B, C, D, F) are based on continuously improving reading, math, sciences and social studies performance.
RESTORATION OF LOCAL CONTROL OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Academically oriented Charter Schools have a role where there is a bonified requirement. However, remedial state legislation is long-overdue that clearly defines criteria for their establishment and that restores local control to School Districts. In 2017, extremely flawed legislation (HB 7033) that established Schools of Hope usurped local control by the MCSD the same way that Live Local and Senate Bill 180 stripped our local zoning away. Last year the legislature made this situation worse. I am totally opposed to Schools of Hope and will not support establishing more traditional private for profit Charter Schools until the legislature restores local control and reestablishes a fully transparent processes for their establishment.
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TEACHERS AND EMPLOYEES
Teachers and District employees have 1st Amendment rights to free expression and of association. However, statutes and court decisions have placed limitations on certain occupations. Outside of school, and off district property, teachers have every right to criticize whomever they please. However, the District must have policies clearly defining expectations for on and off campus conduct, interactions with students, and limitations on information and opinions inappropriate for sharing with students. Teachers and staff must also exercise due diligence using social media platforms to ensure that no students are connected to online groups they participate in on their personal time. Teachers have the right to representation by the bargaining of their choice. As stakeholders, they should have a vote, but not a veto, in the process. Governing documents must provide safeguards ensuring full membership control and accountability of union leaders.
OPENNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND FULL CANDOR
School Board members have too often uncritically accepted the Martin Co. School District’s (MCSD) Attorney’s flawed Sunshine Law interpretation. This has fostered a reluctance of individual Board members to discuss their policy positions in public forums where the MCSD doesn’t control the agenda. They have also been insufficiently specific in addressing problems caused by flawed state legislation. Hopefully, our District will quickly adapt to the Florida School Board Members’ Bill or Rights that became effective July 1st. I pledge to be fully candid about my policy positions in all public forums. I will also offer specific proposals for correcting flawed legislation and to focus the public on stimulating our local legislators to take action.
