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ShallowsNole

Beach Fanatic
Jun 22, 2005
4,292
849
Pt Washington
There was a candidate forum in DeFuniak a week or so ago, which I found out about after it was over. Surely some one is holding something down here. Or at least I hope so.
 

liz coats

Beach Lover
Jun 19, 2012
118
55
I don't live in south Walton but my parents do but I find it a little shocking that the qualifications for superintendent are so low. Where I went to school the superintendent was hired by the school board and he had impressive qualifications and he had a doctorate. He also came from another state and we were lucky enough to have attracted him to our area. I'm glad my first grader is in Shelby County Alabama schools.
 

j p nettles

Banned
Jul 1, 2012
380
63
76
Ebro
Mrs. Anderson's comments at the forum in Freeport Tuesday night were interesting. She's an articulate speaker and she made it a point to tout her influence with some of our legislators. Obviously she has clout with Sen. Don Gaetz as he's already made a contribution to her re-election campaign. No doubt she also had the attention of former spearker Sansom before his fall from grace. I'm sure she feels confident that she'll win and I see that other big donors are joining in with support. Of course the E. O. Wilson Center organization has started with their first round of $500 contributions.
 

ann watson

Banned
Jun 26, 2012
53
5
Seagrove Beach
When applying for jobs, one thing that stands out is that Walton County has a lot of turnover in instructional personnel. I notice that this isn't the case in our neighbor counties. I've always thought it was good practice not only to recruit and hire good personnel but to retain them if they do a good job. I also understand that when the board approves personnel recommendations at the meetings, no names are mentioned. It doesn't appear that the board is even knows who it's approving. High turnover of personnel doesn't seem to be a sign of good leadership.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
I am hearing lots of good things about Ragle from some teachers, and she would be a choice from outside the system, which at this point might be a really good thing for the WCSD. I also noticed that her candidate bio was the only one that mentioned wanting to get the parents more involved. Wow!
 

playing4possum

Beach Comber
Jan 1, 2011
40
3
I do agree with this post. High turnover, keeps the children in turmoil too as they never know from one day to the next who will be in front of them. Not good for learning at all.

When applying for jobs, one thing that stands out is that Walton County has a lot of turnover in instructional personnel. I notice that this isn't the case in our neighbor counties. I've always thought it was good practice not only to recruit and hire good personnel but to retain them if they do a good job. I also understand that when the board approves personnel recommendations at the meetings, no names are mentioned. It doesn't appear that the board is even knows who it's approving. High turnover of personnel doesn't seem to be a sign of good leadership.
 

playing4possum

Beach Comber
Jan 1, 2011
40
3
You are so right on Target. While Hutchinson's campaign may not have clearly stated that it would welcome the "listening" to new ideas, I believe if you had solutions and took them to her, she would readily listen to ALL who were willing to give feedback. There is still so much learning to do at the School Board level. It will take someone who is fairly knowledgeable about how the current system has been going, someone willing to listen to advice and solutions to problem and someone who welcomes parents to work in the schools as long as they have clear backgrounds (for child safety reasons).
 

playing4possum

Beach Comber
Jan 1, 2011
40
3
One more thing I thought I would call your attention to is The DeFuniak Herald Breeze (July 12, 2012 edition) on the front cover there is a report of a recent school board meeting. I found the reading humorous. Mark Davis stated something to the nature of for the past 15 years that the school board policy is not noted correctly in the student handbooks and that year after year they vote and pass it on through. 15 years? That is all of Carlene's terms plus the previous superintendent. 15 years of business as usual with no one really caring....just passing things along. I want a leader who is attentive to details, someone who's mission is to do it right the first time around. I could understand a mess up but sending these expensive handbooks to the printer time after time without making the appropriate changes is saying to the kids "We do a half-assed job." There has to be someone who can make sure that the standards that we give our parents and kids to live by are right the first time. It was just another one of those things that you wished every voter read before going to the polls. She's had plenty of time to get her act together, yet she still touts A schools when Walton is clearly a B average compared to the other schools.
 
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