Meet Andrew
Candidate's Statement
"I am running for Walton County School Board to give students, parents, taxpayers and teachers a stronger voice. Walton County has some of Florida’s best public schools. Together, we can make sure that our schools continue to improve, so that all children in Walton County have access to the best possible education. And we can do this while respecting the wallets of taxpayers. For more than a decade, I’ve worked to promote education reform in Florida and across the country. I have the experience and energy to be a thoughtful and effective member of our school board. Northwest Florida is my home, and I look forward to working with you to ensure a brighter future for students and taxpayers in our community. I hope you will trust me with your vote and your support." - Andrew R. Campanella
ANDREW'S CONTACT INFORMATION:
Andrew Campanella for School Board - District 5 PO Box 9266 Miramar Beach, FL 32550
andrew@electandrew.com
Online:
www.electandrew.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ac4sb Twitter: www.twitter.com/electandrew
Phone: 850-533-6686
ANDREW'S BIO:
Andrew Campanella is a champion for improving educational opportunities for children in Florida and throughout the country. Andrew currently leads a national public awareness effort that spotlights effective K-12 education options for children. In this role, he works with hundreds of organizations and thousands of schools across America. Previously, Andrew served as a senior advisor for one of the nation’s leading education reform advocacy organizations, the American Federation for Children. In addition, he worked as the senior director of teacher recruitment at the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, where he helped recruit thousands of teachers for public schools in Florida and across the country. Andrew also owned a successful small business. His public outreach firm focused on education issues, and provided advice to organizations including the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and The Center for Education Reform. Andrew holds a bachelor’s degree from American University. He is proud to call Miramar Beach his home.
ANDREW'S TOP PRIORITIES:
Andrew will work in a collaborative, productive way to give students, parents, taxpayers and teachers in Walton County a stronger voice.
As a member of the school board, Andrew will:
---> Respect taxpayers. Work to pass a conservative, fiscally responsible budget that puts students and teachers first, without raising taxes.
---> Plan for smart growth. Bring parents and taxpayers together to plan for the future when building new schools in our communities.
---> Promote student achievement. Give parents and teachers more of a say in the selection of curriculum, textbooks, and instructional materials.
---> Reward great teachers. Work to increase pay for Walton County's excellent teachers, without raising taxes.
---> Support school choice. Serve as a resource for families who want to exercise their school choice rights.
Replies
90
Banned
At the risk of being removed from this board for saying to much...I'd invite everyone to do their own research on the organizations this guy is affiliated with and VOTE NO!
[FONT=Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Eradicating public schools in the United States is not the answer to Walton Counties woes.[/FONT]
[FONT=Lucida Grande, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Eradicating public schools in the United States is not the answer to Walton Counties woes.[/FONT]
Beach Fanatic
At the risk of being removed from this board for saying to much...I'd invite everyone to do their own research on the organizations this guy is affiliated with and VOTE NO!
Eradicating public schools in the United States is not the answer to Walton Counties woes.
You might get removed for broad swipes. Why don't you just tell us what you think and why you think it? Is there something not on his website that we need to know?
Throughout Andrew's career, he has worked to promote quality educational choices for families. Andrew strongly believes that every child has God-given potential, that parents know their children best, and that parents should have more power over where their children go to school.
Supporting school choice and supporting quality public schools goes hand-in-hand, especially since Walton County has some of the highest-performing public schools in the state.
Still, “one size doesn’t fit all,” and Andrew will work to inform parents about the many options they have in our state – including school choice within our district, our public charter schools, the Step Up For Students scholarship program for private schools, the McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities, Florida Virtual Academy, and other options.
Andrew believes that being a school board member isn’t just about ensure that our public schools are the best they can be...but about helping to create an environment where parents are empowered, students and teachers have options, and every family has opportunity.
Is it because he is part of http://www.federationforchildren.org/mission?
What We Do
The American Federation for Children focuses its time and resources on supporting state-level efforts to provide low-income and middle class families with access to great schools through publicly-funded private school choice. We also work strategically with school choice allies in the charter school community. The family of school choice includes school vouchers, scholarship tax credit programs, public charter schools, virtual charter schools, home schools, and meaningful public school choice.
We advocate at the grassroots and grasstops levels, and directly to legislators in favor of a wide range of school choice initiatives. We also fight against bills and regulatory changes that would hurt existing school choice programs.
Misty are you part of the system and feel threatened by someone who wants change? I don't know enough about the issues so please inform me.
SWGB
School Choice is code for school privatization. It's the corporatization of public schools and it's wrong on many many levels.
Banned
Through ALEC, corporations, ideologues, and their politician allies voted to spend public tax dollars to subsidize private K-12 education and attack professional teachers and teachers' unions by:
Promoting voucher programs that drain public schools of resources by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private school profits, and specifying that those schools must remain unregulated. Voucher programs have been pushed in the following ways:
Offering private school vouchers with "universal eligibility" (using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private schools for the rich and others); "means-tested eligibility," (using poverty as the first domino in an effort to privatize public schools); and "universal eligibility with means-tested scholarship." (Here, "scholarship" means using taxpayer dollars to pay private school tuition and/or profits.)
Giving tax credits to parents who send their kids to private schools, (see this bill http://alecexposed.org/w/images/7/79/2D ... xposed.pdf, this bill http://alecexposed.org/w/images/8/84/2D ... xposed.pdf, and this bill) http://alecexposed.org/w/images/9/9a/2C ... xposed.pdf and to corporations that donate to scholarships for private schools.
Creating a scheme to deem public schools "educationally bankrupt" to rationalize giving taxpayer dollars to almost completely unregulated private schools, rather than addressing any problems.
Back-dooring privatization by creating voucher programs to subsidize unregulated, for-profit schools or religious schools for specific subsets of students, such as foster children, or children of military families.
Evading requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by preying on parents of children with special needs through subsidies for unproven and profit-driven private schools, which are not covered by the IDEA. (See this bill, this bill, and this bill.) Nearly identical bills have been introduced in Wisconsin and other states.
Segregating students with disabilities from non-disabled students by incentivizing the creation of largely unregulated private schools for students with disabilities, and then allowing private schools to refuse children's admission such that the private testing/evaluation scores can be higher than for public schools that must take all students.
Setting up low-income students for failure in college by incentivizing early graduation for the students in need of a complete high school education.
Taking charter school authorization away from local school boards in favor of a statewide advisory committee, that a governor can pack with pro-voucher people.
Promoting climate change denial in education see also.... http://alecexposed.org/w/images/6/63/2F ... xposed.pdf
Certifying individuals with no education background as teachers, a move that would weaken the quality of education, that fails to recognize there is more to teaching than knowledge of a subject, and that would undermine the role and competitiveness of professional teachers. See...http://alecexposed.org/w/images/b/b9/2F ... xposed.pdf
Eliminating tenure for teachers in favor of "performance," allowing districts to fire older teachers in favor of lower-cost young teachers. (Hasn't this been the beef of more than a few members of this board???)
Undermining teacher's unions indirectly through the above bills, and directly through bills like these.... http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Bills_A ... _Education
Promoting voucher programs that drain public schools of resources by using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private school profits, and specifying that those schools must remain unregulated. Voucher programs have been pushed in the following ways:
Offering private school vouchers with "universal eligibility" (using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private schools for the rich and others); "means-tested eligibility," (using poverty as the first domino in an effort to privatize public schools); and "universal eligibility with means-tested scholarship." (Here, "scholarship" means using taxpayer dollars to pay private school tuition and/or profits.)
Giving tax credits to parents who send their kids to private schools, (see this bill http://alecexposed.org/w/images/7/79/2D ... xposed.pdf, this bill http://alecexposed.org/w/images/8/84/2D ... xposed.pdf, and this bill) http://alecexposed.org/w/images/9/9a/2C ... xposed.pdf and to corporations that donate to scholarships for private schools.
Creating a scheme to deem public schools "educationally bankrupt" to rationalize giving taxpayer dollars to almost completely unregulated private schools, rather than addressing any problems.
Back-dooring privatization by creating voucher programs to subsidize unregulated, for-profit schools or religious schools for specific subsets of students, such as foster children, or children of military families.
Evading requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by preying on parents of children with special needs through subsidies for unproven and profit-driven private schools, which are not covered by the IDEA. (See this bill, this bill, and this bill.) Nearly identical bills have been introduced in Wisconsin and other states.
Segregating students with disabilities from non-disabled students by incentivizing the creation of largely unregulated private schools for students with disabilities, and then allowing private schools to refuse children's admission such that the private testing/evaluation scores can be higher than for public schools that must take all students.
Setting up low-income students for failure in college by incentivizing early graduation for the students in need of a complete high school education.
Taking charter school authorization away from local school boards in favor of a statewide advisory committee, that a governor can pack with pro-voucher people.
Promoting climate change denial in education see also.... http://alecexposed.org/w/images/6/63/2F ... xposed.pdf
Certifying individuals with no education background as teachers, a move that would weaken the quality of education, that fails to recognize there is more to teaching than knowledge of a subject, and that would undermine the role and competitiveness of professional teachers. See...http://alecexposed.org/w/images/b/b9/2F ... xposed.pdf
Eliminating tenure for teachers in favor of "performance," allowing districts to fire older teachers in favor of lower-cost young teachers. (Hasn't this been the beef of more than a few members of this board???)
Undermining teacher's unions indirectly through the above bills, and directly through bills like these.... http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/Bills_A ... _Education
Edited
Banned
The American Federation for Children (AFC) is an organization with roots in Milwaukee that promotes public school privatization through “voucher programs” and charter schools. It shares an address and leadership with its 501(c)(3) partner Alliance for School Choice (ASC).
AFC is chaired by Betsy DeVos, the billionaire wife of Amway heir Dick DeVos (son of Amway founder Richard DeVos) and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. In recent years, she has funneled tens of millions of dollars into school privatization efforts and other right-wing initiatives.
AFC is an ALEC member and is represented by former Rep. Jensen on the ALEC Education Task Force. Jensen is the former Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker convicted in 2005 of three felonies for misuse of his office for political purposes, and banned from the state Capitol for five years (the charges were later reduced on appeal). Jensen is one of AFC’s registered lobbyists in Wisconsin.
Jensen has proposed bills to ALEC on behalf of AFC/ASC that were adopted as “model” legislation. For example, in March 2011, Jensen presented to the ALEC Education Task Force the “Education Savings Account Act,” which creates financial incentives for families to take their children out of the public school system and put them in for-profit primary and secondary schools.
If something sounds to good to be true...it probably is.
AFC is chaired by Betsy DeVos, the billionaire wife of Amway heir Dick DeVos (son of Amway founder Richard DeVos) and former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. In recent years, she has funneled tens of millions of dollars into school privatization efforts and other right-wing initiatives.
AFC is an ALEC member and is represented by former Rep. Jensen on the ALEC Education Task Force. Jensen is the former Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker convicted in 2005 of three felonies for misuse of his office for political purposes, and banned from the state Capitol for five years (the charges were later reduced on appeal). Jensen is one of AFC’s registered lobbyists in Wisconsin.
Jensen has proposed bills to ALEC on behalf of AFC/ASC that were adopted as “model” legislation. For example, in March 2011, Jensen presented to the ALEC Education Task Force the “Education Savings Account Act,” which creates financial incentives for families to take their children out of the public school system and put them in for-profit primary and secondary schools.
If something sounds to good to be true...it probably is.
Edited
Banned
Children First America is an organization associated with the Children's Educational Opportunity Foundation America. It's mission is to eradicate public schools in the United States.
Board Members:
Betsy DeVos The same Besty DeVos who chairs the AFC
James R. Leininger, M.D.
Brother Bob Smith
John Walton....(AKA Wal Mart)
Board Members:
Betsy DeVos The same Besty DeVos who chairs the AFC
James R. Leininger, M.D.
Brother Bob Smith
John Walton....(AKA Wal Mart)
Edited
Banned
Last but not least, for whatever its worth, Bill Eddins (the State Attorney) has a son also named Bill Eddins running for School Board District 3 (Walton County) who is currently the Principal at Okaloosa Academy (charter school) and was the Principal at Walton Academy (charter school). I do believe this is an attempt by the powers that be to "pack" the board with support in order to push for privatization of the public school system.
Parents should proceed with extreme caution...as I said before, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is!
Parents should proceed with extreme caution...as I said before, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is!
SoWal Expert
http://www.andrewrcamp.com/
http://www.redefinedonline.org/author/acampanella/
http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=39670
The googling can go on forever, as he is a professional in this school privatization field. Clearly his interest in this school system is all about this agenda. I was mainly interested in seeing how long he has lived in Walton County (from the article since 2012), since I can't find anyone that knows him personally, from both asking around and looking at Facebook friends. Not having at least ONE mutual friend in this tiny town is very strange. It was like he was dropped out of the sky by the School Voucher/Privatization camp.
http://www.redefinedonline.org/author/acampanella/
http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=39670
The googling can go on forever, as he is a professional in this school privatization field. Clearly his interest in this school system is all about this agenda. I was mainly interested in seeing how long he has lived in Walton County (from the article since 2012), since I can't find anyone that knows him personally, from both asking around and looking at Facebook friends. Not having at least ONE mutual friend in this tiny town is very strange. It was like he was dropped out of the sky by the School Voucher/Privatization camp.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
http://www.andrewrcamp.com/
http://www.redefinedonline.org/author/acampanella/
http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=39670
The googling can go on forever, as he is a professional in this school privatization field. Clearly his interest in this school system is all about this agenda. I was mainly interested in seeing how long he has lived in Walton County (from the article since 2012), since I can't find anyone that knows him personally, from both asking around and looking at Facebook friends. Not having at least ONE mutual friend in this tiny town is very strange. It was like he was dropped out of the sky by the School Voucher/Privatization camp.
Apparently Bob Hudson knows him. Unless he is just doing us a service and posting about candidates. Or instigating this specific discussion about privatization?
Thanks for the info Misty!
Banned
Bob Hudson isn't instigating anything (albeit I did accuse him of something similar) he simply pulled the info off the Supervisor of Elections website. However, I am not so sure that some members of the taxpayer association aren't smitten with the guy because of comments made elsewhere.
Edited
Banned
jdarg wrote;
Isn't it interesting that he dropped in on Walton County the same year that National School Week (San Francisco California) announced him as their new President?
If you think this isn't a powerful movement to privatize public schools with powerful ties to money and media moguls think again.... http://www.hannity.com/article/national-school-choice-week/18705
I was mainly interested in seeing how long he has lived in Walton County (from the article since 2012)
Isn't it interesting that he dropped in on Walton County the same year that National School Week (San Francisco California) announced him as their new President?
If you think this isn't a powerful movement to privatize public schools with powerful ties to money and media moguls think again.... http://www.hannity.com/article/national-school-choice-week/18705
Beach Fanatic
You know, there is nothing to keep either one of you complaining about charter schools from filing for the school board. You try to make points that are completely invalid when you look at the actual results of charter schools vs. our presently defunct public education system. Admittedly, it use to be great as when I was growing up. Now, not so much. Furthermore, I am not for the total privatization of public schools. I am for alternative means that bring them to become what they once were. If that means some privatization where it is needed, so be it.
SoWal Expert
You know, there is nothing to keep either one of you complaining about charter schools from filing for the school board. You try to make points that are completely invalid when you look at the actual results of charter schools vs. our presently defunct public education system. Admittedly, it use to be great as when I was growing up. Now, not so much. Furthermore, I am not for the total privatization of public schools. I am for alternative means that bring them to become what they once were. If that means some privatization where it is needed, so be it.
Andy, if it were only that simple. And having an interest and passion to make things better does not mean anybody has to run for any kind of office. If that were the case, nobody would get involved in anything. Thanks for your comment!
SoWal Expert
jdarg wrote; Isn't it interesting that he dropped in on Walton County the same year that National School Week (San Francisco California) announced him as their new President? If you think this isn't a powerful movement to privatize public schools with powerful ties to money and media moguls think again.... http://www.hannity.com/article/national-school-choice-week/18705Also very brilliant of him to announce his campaign at a very ripe moment in the history of the Walton County school system. With so much negative going on right now with the teachers salary contracts and the district, this was brilliant on his part. Maybe he should make a donation to the teachers so they can afford to join their union as a thanks for this perfect opportunity. I give him points for cunning and a laser focused start to his campaign.
Beach Crab
Thank you all for taking the time to weigh in on my candidacy for Walton County School Board. Now, I can't say that everything I've read has made me feel all that great today, but that's life!
Let me take a minute to tell you why I’m running, and to answer some of the questions folks have posed. I don't plan on posting here too many times...so let me say at the outset that you can always e-mail me any questions you have at andrew@electandrew.com.
I’m running because I really think more people need to have their voices heard when it comes to the decision-making on the Walton County School Board. I’ve worked in public outreach and education policy, and I think that I can work in a positive and productive way to get folks involved and have their voices heard. For example, I think our school board should hold more meetings throughout the county, at times that are convenient to people who work and might not be able to attend meetings in DeFuniak. Just like folks are posting their views here, I think more people need to have their voices heard when the school board votes to spend their/our money. This is the primary reason I'm doing this.
Here are a few of the other issues that are important to me.
TAXES - I’m running because I want to help pass a responsible school budget that doesn’t raise taxes. Since 2008-09, the property tax rates that have funded our schools have increased by nearly 40 percent. I am troubled that in addition to being very costly for taxpayers at a time when our economy is still improving, these increases in funding aren't making it to the classrooms – and teachers have faced wage freezes. Even the most recent contract negotiation was, in my view, a disappointment for educators. (Our millage rates went up nearly 13 percent in a year, and the most teachers got was a 2 percent raise...from state, not local, funds.) I think we need to bring taxpayers, teachers and school leaders together to identify ways we can save money. The people most involved in education (teachers) usually know where to help find ways to save costs.
GROWTH - When it comes time to build new public schools (which is inevitable...we're growing as a county), I want folks all across the county to give their input. Building new schools is an opportunity to increase student learning and put Walton County on the map for educational excellence. We need to figure out what types of schools we want to build, how many students they’ll serve, how these schools will impact traffic and our property values, etc. It’s also an opportunity to make sure that decisions regarding building contracts are done prudently and in the sunshine, so that we respect tax dollars.
CURRICULUM - I want parents and teachers to be more involved in the selection of curriculum and instructional materials, especially as Florida fully transitions to new state standards in the coming year. This is important because these decisions must be made with the full involvement of educators, who must teach this material every day, and also parents, who help their kids with homework. I have seen a lot of districts do this the wrong way, and the results are catastrophic. We can't afford to screw this up.
TEACHERS - I want to make sure we do a better job of listening to, and rewarding, our teachers. I am the son of a public school teacher, and I went to traditional public schools for my entire life – in addition to working to recruit teachers and encourage folks to enter the profession. Teachers are leaders, and they deserve to be treated with respect and have their voices heard without threat of retribution. And, we absolutely need to find a way to compensate teachers in Walton County with higher pay. It’s wrong that taxes have increased so dramatically, without seeing the pay of our educators increase. Frankly, I find it insulting.
These are the reasons I’m running, and this is exactly what I’ll do if I’m elected. You may not agree with me, but that's OK.
Regarding my experience, let me share that I have worked in education policy for more than a decade. I’ve worked to recruit teachers for public schools, helped develop partnerships for teacher recruitment in more than a dozen school districts in Florida, and have helped educate and inform parents about the educational options they have for their children as an advocate for educational choice. As folks have pointed out, the work I do has supporters who are conservative, and supporters who are progressive; education reform is an increasingly bipartisan issue.
So, in terms of school choice, I do support quality, accountable educational options for families. I know that this issue can be controversial, but in my experience, what’s more controversial is to give parents no options for their children’s education. Most school choices are in the public sector (such as intra and inter-district school choice and public magnet schools), and when you look at the issue closely, families want options for their children. It's a mistake to think (or to infer) that school choice supporters, like me, are somehow opposed to great public schools or to teachers. For me, the opposite is true. I want our public schools to be the schools of choice for families here. But I also recognize that kids aren't one-size-fits-all.
Regarding charter schools specifically (folks have brought this up here) the difference between a great, high-performing charter school and a charter school that doesn’t work is the charter itself (the authorizing documents creating the school), as well as the school’s leadership and oversight. If a new (charter) school is to be proposed in Walton County, I’d be the first person to demand a tight, accountable charter for that school so that if the school isn’t run correctly and doesn’t serve children and taxpayers, the district has the authority to fix it or close it.
Also...let’s be clear on what a school board member can and can’t do. A school board member can’t privatize anything! A school board member can’t pass a voucher program (Florida’s private scholarship program is funded by corporate – not taxpayer - contributions, because of the state’s Constitutional Blaine Amendment prohibiting vouchers).
But, if you want to focus on profits, I agree that need to have a big, long conversation about contracting and consultants and administrative costs not just here in Walton County, but everywhere. This is where the “profit” problem arises in our schools, and not enough people are talking about it. This is where a school board member can make a big difference – freeing up dollars that might be locked down in administrative and bureaucratic spending and directing it to our classrooms and to our teachers.
Finally, I want to share that I chose to move to Walton County because I love it here. I have family that has lived here since the ‘80s. I'm not going to confuse you by claiming I've lived here my whole life. I haven't. But that doesn't mean I can't serve our community well. I’m running because I chose to run, and I want to serve this community and everyone who lives in this community.
That’s pretty much it. Thanks for hearing me out, and thanks again for weighing in and for the spirited discussion. Because I don’t plan on commenting on the blog too often, please feel free to just e-mail me at andrew@electandrew.com if you have any questions. Thank you again.
-- Andrew Campanella
Let me take a minute to tell you why I’m running, and to answer some of the questions folks have posed. I don't plan on posting here too many times...so let me say at the outset that you can always e-mail me any questions you have at andrew@electandrew.com.
I’m running because I really think more people need to have their voices heard when it comes to the decision-making on the Walton County School Board. I’ve worked in public outreach and education policy, and I think that I can work in a positive and productive way to get folks involved and have their voices heard. For example, I think our school board should hold more meetings throughout the county, at times that are convenient to people who work and might not be able to attend meetings in DeFuniak. Just like folks are posting their views here, I think more people need to have their voices heard when the school board votes to spend their/our money. This is the primary reason I'm doing this.
Here are a few of the other issues that are important to me.
TAXES - I’m running because I want to help pass a responsible school budget that doesn’t raise taxes. Since 2008-09, the property tax rates that have funded our schools have increased by nearly 40 percent. I am troubled that in addition to being very costly for taxpayers at a time when our economy is still improving, these increases in funding aren't making it to the classrooms – and teachers have faced wage freezes. Even the most recent contract negotiation was, in my view, a disappointment for educators. (Our millage rates went up nearly 13 percent in a year, and the most teachers got was a 2 percent raise...from state, not local, funds.) I think we need to bring taxpayers, teachers and school leaders together to identify ways we can save money. The people most involved in education (teachers) usually know where to help find ways to save costs.
GROWTH - When it comes time to build new public schools (which is inevitable...we're growing as a county), I want folks all across the county to give their input. Building new schools is an opportunity to increase student learning and put Walton County on the map for educational excellence. We need to figure out what types of schools we want to build, how many students they’ll serve, how these schools will impact traffic and our property values, etc. It’s also an opportunity to make sure that decisions regarding building contracts are done prudently and in the sunshine, so that we respect tax dollars.
CURRICULUM - I want parents and teachers to be more involved in the selection of curriculum and instructional materials, especially as Florida fully transitions to new state standards in the coming year. This is important because these decisions must be made with the full involvement of educators, who must teach this material every day, and also parents, who help their kids with homework. I have seen a lot of districts do this the wrong way, and the results are catastrophic. We can't afford to screw this up.
TEACHERS - I want to make sure we do a better job of listening to, and rewarding, our teachers. I am the son of a public school teacher, and I went to traditional public schools for my entire life – in addition to working to recruit teachers and encourage folks to enter the profession. Teachers are leaders, and they deserve to be treated with respect and have their voices heard without threat of retribution. And, we absolutely need to find a way to compensate teachers in Walton County with higher pay. It’s wrong that taxes have increased so dramatically, without seeing the pay of our educators increase. Frankly, I find it insulting.
These are the reasons I’m running, and this is exactly what I’ll do if I’m elected. You may not agree with me, but that's OK.
Regarding my experience, let me share that I have worked in education policy for more than a decade. I’ve worked to recruit teachers for public schools, helped develop partnerships for teacher recruitment in more than a dozen school districts in Florida, and have helped educate and inform parents about the educational options they have for their children as an advocate for educational choice. As folks have pointed out, the work I do has supporters who are conservative, and supporters who are progressive; education reform is an increasingly bipartisan issue.
So, in terms of school choice, I do support quality, accountable educational options for families. I know that this issue can be controversial, but in my experience, what’s more controversial is to give parents no options for their children’s education. Most school choices are in the public sector (such as intra and inter-district school choice and public magnet schools), and when you look at the issue closely, families want options for their children. It's a mistake to think (or to infer) that school choice supporters, like me, are somehow opposed to great public schools or to teachers. For me, the opposite is true. I want our public schools to be the schools of choice for families here. But I also recognize that kids aren't one-size-fits-all.
Regarding charter schools specifically (folks have brought this up here) the difference between a great, high-performing charter school and a charter school that doesn’t work is the charter itself (the authorizing documents creating the school), as well as the school’s leadership and oversight. If a new (charter) school is to be proposed in Walton County, I’d be the first person to demand a tight, accountable charter for that school so that if the school isn’t run correctly and doesn’t serve children and taxpayers, the district has the authority to fix it or close it.
Also...let’s be clear on what a school board member can and can’t do. A school board member can’t privatize anything! A school board member can’t pass a voucher program (Florida’s private scholarship program is funded by corporate – not taxpayer - contributions, because of the state’s Constitutional Blaine Amendment prohibiting vouchers).
But, if you want to focus on profits, I agree that need to have a big, long conversation about contracting and consultants and administrative costs not just here in Walton County, but everywhere. This is where the “profit” problem arises in our schools, and not enough people are talking about it. This is where a school board member can make a big difference – freeing up dollars that might be locked down in administrative and bureaucratic spending and directing it to our classrooms and to our teachers.
Finally, I want to share that I chose to move to Walton County because I love it here. I have family that has lived here since the ‘80s. I'm not going to confuse you by claiming I've lived here my whole life. I haven't. But that doesn't mean I can't serve our community well. I’m running because I chose to run, and I want to serve this community and everyone who lives in this community.
That’s pretty much it. Thanks for hearing me out, and thanks again for weighing in and for the spirited discussion. Because I don’t plan on commenting on the blog too often, please feel free to just e-mail me at andrew@electandrew.com if you have any questions. Thank you again.
-- Andrew Campanella
SoWal Expert
The points you make about most of the topics are exactly what the rest of us want. These good things can happen without school privatization and vouchers. Thanks for introducing yourself and your background, you are very well-spoken and intelligent sounding, something that is sorely needed here. I am just sad that your professional, political, and ideological background will prevent me from supporting you, because it is clear where your energy will go- after all it is your job.
Have you participated at any level with the WCSD, any of the schools, county government, or community groups since moving here?
Have you participated at any level with the WCSD, any of the schools, county government, or community groups since moving here?
Edited
Beach Fanatic
Let me take a minute to tell you why I’m running, and to answer some of the questions folks have posed. I don't plan on posting here too many times...so let me say at the outset that you can always e-mail me any questions you have at andrew@electandrew.com.
Great start!
SWGB
Why is a highres head shot the first thing on your website?
Banned
Sounds very politically correct Mr. Campanella....a tad to much so.
Thank you for not insulting our intelligence by denying your personal connection to school privatization efforts that you and organizations you are directly/indirectly associated with are involved in.
Thank you for not insulting our intelligence by denying your personal connection to school privatization efforts that you and organizations you are directly/indirectly associated with are involved in.
SoWal Insider
Beach Fanatic
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-brenner/the-american-public-schoo_b_4804416.html
Andrew is Obama People?
Beach Fanatic
Why is a highres head shot the first thing on your website?
If you want to appeal to the locals, it should be a dog, should it not?
SWGB
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:
The relatively poor performance of students in the United States on standardized tests compared to students in other developed countries is misleading. When allowance is made for those from non-English speaking homes and disadvantaged racial communities, American students score close to the top of the table. (Education Law Center)
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.
SoWal Insider
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. 
Banned
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).
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