Monday, October 20, 2008

From Jim Schott, Former Superintendent of Schools, Orange County

I oppose the referendum creating an elected Chair of the Orange County Public School Board. As a former superintendent, I studied firsthand the dynamics of board and superintendent relationships and their impact on schooling. I learned the more you reduce politics the better off the children are. This notion was supported by a report on school governance funded by the Kellogg Foundation. It found freeing school boards and superintendents from “political distractions” is essential to improving education.

Richard Foglesong, Professor of Political Science at Rollins College, opined a “school board chairman elected countywide would politicize school board governance in ways that are not supportive of educational quality.” The Orange County Blue Ribbon Panel on Education agreed and voted against even forming a board committee to study it.

Florida’s former Lieutenant Governor, Toni Jennings, said “the current organizational structure is the perfect one to serve the children of Orange County.” She’s right. We have a State rated “A” school district. Learning is improving along with school management. Seventy schools have been renovated or built over the past few years.

I think Florida’s former governor, Jeb Bush, cut right to the core of this issue. He said, “I don't see how this will help public education in Orange County. It seems to set up two masters rather than an efficient means to administer the schools.” He asked, “Why is this so important?” There is no compelling answer to his question. Save the salary for the new board position and hire a teacher. That will have a more positive impact.

Before you vote, please do your homework. Visit www.Noelectedchair.com and www.letusvoteorange.com, and then vote no.