WCSD Superintendent Race

[meggiemom]

I can't help but wonder why Ms. Hutchison is running. She has a few signs around and not much else. I plan to vote for her in the primary because I have friends who are teachers and they're scared to death to say anything and some of Mrs. Andersons funding is questionable so in my mind she has a problem with ethics. I suspect the serious candidate is Mrs. Ragel.

 

[Peaceandlove1]

One of the Next Generation Standards that we expect 5th graders to be able to learn is discerning the reliability & validity of an author's claims. Sadly, it appears that many of the posts on this forum would not meet a minimal standard of reliability & validity. Writers of these posts seem to make hyperbolic & slanderous claims with minimal support. Many of the things I've read on this forum are either blatantly false, only partially true, lack substantive support, or are taken completely out of context. Please check your facts fully before you contribute. When reading someone's derisive claims, recognize that these posts do not meet a 5th graders definition of credible. Are you smarter than a 5th grader? If so, raise your level of discourse please.

 

[Jdarg]

I agree Peaceandlove1. I am very undecided in this race, but it seems most comments come from personal anecdotal information. I understand that there have been employees that have lost their jobs in the current administration, and most of the support for Hutchison seems to come out of those who are at odds with Anderson, on a personal and professional level. I can't vote for either one (there is a Dem candidate too), but will be studying the primary winner and Ragle very closely in November.
My dream candidate for this position is A) appointed, not elected, and B) comes from at least 500 miles from the panhandle, from a larger and more progressive school system. Sigh. On a bright note, I am seeing more autonomy for SoWal schools. A smart superintendent will continue to let the SoWal schools operate independently, and give more free rein to each SoWal principal and parents, to meet the expectations of our population here.

 

[sunny850]

As a lifelong Walton County resident and a property owner in both North and South Walton county whose children attend NoWal schools, I take exception to your comment, Jdarg. ("A smart superintendent will continue to let the South Walton schools operate independently, and give more rein to SoWal princials and parents, "to meet the expectations of our population here." ) Are you under the impression that parents and principals lower their expectations when they travel north of the bay? I assure you, as a parent and a teacher in North Walton County, I want and expect the same things for my children that you do. I pray that whoever the superintendent is, they do not share your opinion that some schools/students desire a higher level of education than others.

 

[Jdarg]

As a lifelong Walton County resident and a property owner in both North and South Walton county whose children attend NoWal schools, I take exception to your comment, Jdarg. ("A smart superintendent will continue to let the South Walton schools operate independently, and give more rein to SoWal princials and parents, "to meet the expectations of our population here." ) Are you under the impression that parents and principals lower their expectations when they travel north of the bay? I assure you, as a parent and a teacher in North Walton County, I want and expect the same things for my children that you do. I pray that whoever the superintendent is, they do not share your opinion that some schools/students desire a higher level of education than others.

I knew I would stir up a hornet's nest, but we always seem to be in a battle down here. The population in SoWal has literally exploded with new residents who came from larger cities and school districts with many options. Some of us landed here because of jobs, others moved here because they wanted to move to their happy beach, but so many of us were completely shocked at the state of the school system here compared to our former places. So shocked that many leave the Walton County School system to go to Niceville, Arnold, Collegiate High School, and create new private schools. I don't know about anything in North Walton, but I do know what our community expectations are here, and I am only concerned with those, because my kids attend school here, and I know what we had in our former community. I would like to see schools operate at an independent enough level that the principal, teachers, and parents at each school could make most decisions for their schools, without a whole lot of interference from DeFuniak.

We all do want the same things- a great education for our kids. Y'all up north need to be screaming just as loud.

 

[Peaceandlove1]

I agree JDarg,the superintendent position should be appointed. Although appointment comes with it's own set of drawbacks, it contributes to a sense of stability. While I respect your candidate choices, I will say, as a career educator, Ms. Anderson is the best superintendent have ever worked for. By best I mean most prepared and most student-oriented. While Ms.Hutchinson has experience as a classroom teacher, was the professional development chair for her school, managed a small after-school tutorial team, sold real estate and was the local classroom-teacher's union president, I don't know that these experiences have prepared her to handle the state and local mandates and that are part of the superintendent's job. I would prefer someone with an Educational Leadership degree and someone with a proven track record of managing a large organization that meets diverse student needs. Ms. Ragle has limited experience managing a small department, but her answers at the forums I have attended have been very vague. Some people like vague answers because it allows them to fill in their own answers, but I would prefer someone who can articulately speak to the issues that will be encountered on the job. From your post and the responses you've received, it sounds like you are a parent who values a quality education. WCSD offers a quality education because of our hard working teachers and support personnel.
Listening to people from other districts, I know that budget constraints have forced
teachers and non-instructional staff to be laid-off with negative effects on the local
economy. This hasn't happened in Walton County due to the adept management skills of
our superintendent. While it may be easy for some to discount our high-performing status,
as a teacher I know what hard work it takes to continue to earn this recognition. I'd much

rather stick with someone who has a proven quality track record than gamble on
someone who may or may not be up for the job as the stakes are far too high.

 

[j p nettles]

One of the Next Generation Standards that we expect 5th graders to be able to learn is discerning the reliability & validity of an author's claims. Sadly, it appears that many of the posts on this forum would not meet a minimal standard of reliability & validity. Writers of these posts seem to make hyperbolic & slanderous claims with minimal support. Many of the things I've read on this forum are either blatantly false, only partially true, lack substantive support, or are taken completely out of context. Please check your facts fully before you contribute. When reading someone's derisive claims, recognize that these posts do not meet a 5th graders definition of credible. Are you smarter than a 5th grader? If so, raise your level of discourse please.

Exactly what posts made slanderous claims or were false? The best defense for slander is the truth.

 

[Rosemary Ragle]

Choice, conviction, conscience

Dear P&L1,

If you prefer the incumbent, no one will begrudge your exercising the right to vote your conviction. Thank goodness we have choices.

My personal belief is that teachers, parents, and members of the community need to be heard and have their views considered. I do not believe that, currently, open dialogue exists with the stakeholders in our school district.

Employees need to feel valued. Children and adults recognize the difference in a postive atmosphere and a threatening, mistrusting environment.

One can either be a beacon for change, continually complain, or surrender to apathy and complacency. I am reconciled to accept whatever lies ahead knowing that I set a good example - perseverence.

RR

 

[Peaceandlove1]

Dear P&L1,

If you prefer the incumbent, no one will begrudge your exercising the right to vote your conviction. Thank goodness we have choices.

My personal belief is that teachers, parents, and members of the community need to be heard and have their views considered. I do not believe that, currently, open dialogue exists with the stakeholders in our school district.

Employees need to feel valued. Children and adults recognize the difference in a postive atmosphere and a threatening, mistrusting environment.

One can either be a beacon for change, continually complain, or surrender to apathy and complacency. I am reconciled to accept whatever lies ahead knowing that I set a good example - perseverence.

RR

Yes, I am thankful that we have choices as well.

I agree that teachers, parents, and members of the community need to be heard. However, I disagree that the dialogue isn't open now.

It seems that teachers, administrators, district support personnel and the superintendent strive to be responsive to student and parent needs. I haven't heard anything from either candidate that would lead me to believe that the dialogue would be more open than it is now. Since the other candidates do not have experience running organizations such as a school site or a school district, I believe the amount of time they would need to learn the intricacies and demands of position would leave less time available for ongoing communication. Even if these candidates were fully prepared for the position, I haven’t seen anything in their campaigns that would lead me to believe that they are concise and effective communicators. In the forums I have attended, I have seen the superintendent as remarkably more well-spoken on the myriad issues that face the district than either of the other two candidates. I believe the district benefits from the superintendent’s ability to communicate with parents, businesses, the FDOE and other entities. Parents, students, teachers, administrators and the community need consistency and experience. Perhaps the district and community can work together to maximize an open dialogue if that is a concern, but I can't imagine this happening with either of the other candidates.

 

[j p nettles]

Political contributions are fine if someone really believes in a candidate. "Someone" doesn't necessarily mean companies like Destin Jet, Crystal Beach Development Company and other 'companies'. My personal view is that it is bad public policy for employees of the school district or any other government agency to contribute to their boss. The fact is that only three states even allow elected school superintendents and some districts in Florida have appointed or hired superintendents. Why is Walton County Florida right on this and 47 other states and their counties wrong?