New Candidate for School Board District 5
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Andrew is Obama People?
If you want to appeal to the locals, it should be a dog, should it not?
That's the worst article I've read in some time. I won't even get into the terrible grammar in the opening sentence.
From the end of the article:
Basically that statement says that if we just remove the poor and disenfranchised we are the top of the heap. Being at the top of the heap is great, but not if it's made up of those who need help the most.
From the end of the article:
Basically that statement says that if we just remove the poor and disenfranchised we are the top of the heap. Being at the top of the heap is great, but not if it's made up of those who need help the most.
Hey, I didn't write it obviously...just thought some of the points were relevant to the discussion about public schools and the push to privatize. It's just one man's opinion on the national state of affairs. Certainly no one has to agree with everything written. 
It would be nice if there were some qualifications for school board members. As it stands now a functional illiterate can be on the school board or even run for superintendent. That's shameful. School board members should have at least a BS or BA degree and we need a state law setting higher standards and the state should outlaw the election of superintendents like 47 other states. But with people like Gov. Scott and Daddy Gaetz in charge that's not likely to happen. That would eliminate at least one office being sold to the highest bidder(s).
Let me chime in again. I’m beginning to get more comfortable responding here…(and yeah, sorry if I seem politically correct…I’m just trying to be polite!)
First, if you want to see exactly what I’ll do on the school board, please check out my most recent post, above…or check out these two blog posts I wrote this week and last week, about responsible budgeting and community involvement:
Taxes and Budgeting: http://www.andrewforschoolboard.com...ping_tax_increases_with_responsible_budgeting
Community Involvement: http://www.andrewforschoolboard.com/news/andrews_blog_what_id_do_first_if_elected
I will have more pieces to come (lucky you!)
At the risk of writing a really long post here, I want to respond to some of the comments about school choice. I want to share a different perspective.The reasons I’m running for office are taxes and budgeting and rewarding teachers and getting more community involvement, but it’s no secret that I strongly support school choice, and that I know something about it.
The way I define school choice is giving parents the opportunity to choose the best schools for their individual children. That includes traditional public schools within their areas, traditional public schools outside of their areas, high-performing charter schools, public magnet schools, public online academies, homeschooling, and nonpublic schools.
Six out of the eight of these choices I listed are in the public sector. And through my work in education, I have fought to increase access to, and awareness of, options within the public sector. I believe that every child should be able to go to a great public school – in part because I was blessed to go to excellent traditional public schools my entire life, and in part because I believe that a strong public school system is essential for our democracy.
So, let me ask: who here would not want to be able to select from quality, accountable, free public school options for their children?
The good news is: we have this type of public school choice in Florida.
It’s precisely because of “school choice” that parents can choose to have their children attend different schools within our district; that kids can take courses at colleges and universities and/or get credit for them in high school; that parents can choose a high-performing charter school or online school for their children; and that kids can apply to attend a public school in a different district. (Or mix and match these options.) And in Florida, we also have a scholarship program for low-income families who might want to send their children to nonpublic schools. It’s called Step Up for Students. It’s funded by corporate donations, not school tax dollars, and actually results in more money being spent on education, not less.
We have lots of choices in the Sunshine State. Locally, the result (partially attributable to school choice) is that student achievement has increased dramatically. Walton County now has some of the best schools in the state.
But it isn’t like this in other parts of the country. I’ve traveled to places, too many places, where families have no choices, public or nonpublic.
Imagine being forced, through lack of choice, to send your children to a public school that has lost its accreditation because less than 10 percent of fourth graders can read? Imagine being forced, through lack of choice, to send your children to public schools where kids have never seen a teacher stay in the classroom for a full year? Imagine being forced, through lack of choice, to send your children to schools where bullying and violence is truly shaking children to their emotional cores? Imagine all of this…and then imagine knowing that these schools spend double what we spend, per student, here in Walton County.
I’ve met with so many families who’ve experienced these things…and let me tell you…they’re not crying out for “privatization” (which is a BS poll-tested talking point)…they’re calling for a lifeline for their kids. And most of these parents…they want good choices within the public sector.
What are we supposed to do, morally, ethically, responsibly…? Are we supposed to say to these families, “well, you know, tough luck?” Or, tell them to wait for a five year plan or a 10 year plan while their children suffer? Or, do we carefully, deliberately, and accountably, give them a range or buffet of options for their kids – like the ones we have here – so that they can make good choices…knowing full well that most will choose public sector options?
I choose the latter.
People say school choice is divisive. You know what I think is divisive? Denying a kid the chance to learn to read simply because (as that terrible HuffPo article inferred), he or she might be from a low-income family. That’s divisive.
So I appreciate the links to articles and the attempts to try to link me to folks near and far and right and left. The truth is, I will work with anyone to advance opportunity for kids. I think we need more bipartisanship and collaboration, not less.
And if I’m elected, or before that (right now!) I want to talk with you about how we can make Walton County’s public schools even better…it’s why I’m doing this. No other reason.
First, if you want to see exactly what I’ll do on the school board, please check out my most recent post, above…or check out these two blog posts I wrote this week and last week, about responsible budgeting and community involvement:
Taxes and Budgeting: http://www.andrewforschoolboard.com...ping_tax_increases_with_responsible_budgeting
Community Involvement: http://www.andrewforschoolboard.com/news/andrews_blog_what_id_do_first_if_elected
I will have more pieces to come (lucky you!)
At the risk of writing a really long post here, I want to respond to some of the comments about school choice. I want to share a different perspective.The reasons I’m running for office are taxes and budgeting and rewarding teachers and getting more community involvement, but it’s no secret that I strongly support school choice, and that I know something about it.
The way I define school choice is giving parents the opportunity to choose the best schools for their individual children. That includes traditional public schools within their areas, traditional public schools outside of their areas, high-performing charter schools, public magnet schools, public online academies, homeschooling, and nonpublic schools.
Six out of the eight of these choices I listed are in the public sector. And through my work in education, I have fought to increase access to, and awareness of, options within the public sector. I believe that every child should be able to go to a great public school – in part because I was blessed to go to excellent traditional public schools my entire life, and in part because I believe that a strong public school system is essential for our democracy.
So, let me ask: who here would not want to be able to select from quality, accountable, free public school options for their children?
The good news is: we have this type of public school choice in Florida.
It’s precisely because of “school choice” that parents can choose to have their children attend different schools within our district; that kids can take courses at colleges and universities and/or get credit for them in high school; that parents can choose a high-performing charter school or online school for their children; and that kids can apply to attend a public school in a different district. (Or mix and match these options.) And in Florida, we also have a scholarship program for low-income families who might want to send their children to nonpublic schools. It’s called Step Up for Students. It’s funded by corporate donations, not school tax dollars, and actually results in more money being spent on education, not less.
We have lots of choices in the Sunshine State. Locally, the result (partially attributable to school choice) is that student achievement has increased dramatically. Walton County now has some of the best schools in the state.
But it isn’t like this in other parts of the country. I’ve traveled to places, too many places, where families have no choices, public or nonpublic.
Imagine being forced, through lack of choice, to send your children to a public school that has lost its accreditation because less than 10 percent of fourth graders can read? Imagine being forced, through lack of choice, to send your children to public schools where kids have never seen a teacher stay in the classroom for a full year? Imagine being forced, through lack of choice, to send your children to schools where bullying and violence is truly shaking children to their emotional cores? Imagine all of this…and then imagine knowing that these schools spend double what we spend, per student, here in Walton County.
I’ve met with so many families who’ve experienced these things…and let me tell you…they’re not crying out for “privatization” (which is a BS poll-tested talking point)…they’re calling for a lifeline for their kids. And most of these parents…they want good choices within the public sector.
What are we supposed to do, morally, ethically, responsibly…? Are we supposed to say to these families, “well, you know, tough luck?” Or, tell them to wait for a five year plan or a 10 year plan while their children suffer? Or, do we carefully, deliberately, and accountably, give them a range or buffet of options for their kids – like the ones we have here – so that they can make good choices…knowing full well that most will choose public sector options?
I choose the latter.
People say school choice is divisive. You know what I think is divisive? Denying a kid the chance to learn to read simply because (as that terrible HuffPo article inferred), he or she might be from a low-income family. That’s divisive.
So I appreciate the links to articles and the attempts to try to link me to folks near and far and right and left. The truth is, I will work with anyone to advance opportunity for kids. I think we need more bipartisanship and collaboration, not less.
And if I’m elected, or before that (right now!) I want to talk with you about how we can make Walton County’s public schools even better…it’s why I’m doing this. No other reason.
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Roberts and Leddon didn't list any such qualifications on the candidate statements in 2010, but they do appear to be members of the Walton County Tea Party, which seems to be more important to Walton county voters than silly college degrees.