I'm not very happy this week

I shouldn't be discussing these things because they will most likely come before the board. But I feel I owe the public a sense of my feelings on some things that have happened in the past week and we don't have a board meeting until November 6th. So I am going to 'sound off and (hopefully) be heard'.

First is the situation at Middleton where one of our teachers entrusted with our children's well being was arrested for having a sexual relationship with a special needs student. The story gets even worse when another student came forward and did the right thing in reporting this relationship. The student that reported this crime to the school administration was not believed and ultimately sent home from school pending a conference with her mother for 'rumor mongering'.

As a parent and a school board member I am appalled by this teachers violation of her students' and the public's trust. I am also very upset that a student who stepped up and did what we are constantly trying to teach our children to do was punished.

I hope the rest of the school board feels the same way I do and does not make excuses for this horrible situation and steps up to the plate to ensure this never happens again.

Read more about this story in the St. Pete Times here.

Another situation that has angered me this week is the blatant disregard for the policy set by this board in the hiring of an outside consultant. In my opinion we were misled and this serves to validate my lack of trust of this administration. There are some (not all) in upper level administration who will omit information and feed us half truths in order to get the votes they want. How can this board make thoughtful, informed decisions without all the facts on the table?

Some of our administrators may not care about how your money is spent, but I do and I am highly upset at this situation.

You have frequently heard me talk about culture change and how desperately it is needed. This is precisely one of the reasons I ran for public office and why my opponent had so many of the who's who of ROSSAC administration on his finance report.

This is S.O.P. for some and will not be tolerated by me. It is this very lack of tolerance and impatience that has attracted so much venom towards me in the past, as I am sure you have read about on blogs and in the papers.

Read more in the Tampa Tribune article here.

Stay tuned; you will be hearing more on these issues in the near future.

Career and Technical education is making a comeback

For years our society realized the intrinsic value of career and technical education. When you look at the data one can only conclude it is good for our students and community to offer a comprehensive career and technical educational path to students who can't or choose not to go to college. The reality is that a majority of our students are not going to college and of the ones who do go only about half are graduating from a four year institution with a degree. And of those students that are graduating with a degree how many of them are working in their degree field?

Then the pendulum swung towards an emphasis on college placement. I can't disagree with wanting our children to go to college. I want more students to go to college. I want more non-traditional students going to college. However I am pragmatic and understand the reality.

I am happy to see a swing of the pendulum towards a more realistic philosophy of multiple educational paths that will ultimately lead to a successful future for our students (and our community).

Read a good article on the Grade book here.

Touchy subjects...

need to be talked about.

Health Education in the classroom is one of those subjects that is going to be controversial no matter what. Parents feel very passionate about this issue and whether parents are on the side of abstinence only or giving birth control in schools the debate is going to be passionate.

Is the answer somewhere in between?

Read an article in the St. Pete Times here.

Parents, teachers, and students I want to hear from you. What is the answer. I know what I teach my children, but I represent you.

Teachers share frustration

I have been asking for input from teachers and students since the new schedule for middle and high school was implemented.

Marilyn Brown with the Tampa Tribune recently wrote an article about the new schedule and the affects on teachers and students.

Read full article here.

I want to hear from you, share your feelings and your experiences here.

Outdated bureaucracy overrides common sense

I believe in the whole child and I see the correlation between nutrition and learning. We can not feed our children a diet full of pre-packaged carbohydrates and expect them to not bounce off the walls in class and then crash half way through the day.

Unfortunately, federal laws related to the school lunch program started in 1946 factors in concerns that no longer apply to today's lifestyles. In 1946 children were malnourished so congress regulated a high calorie diet for children that still exists today.

In Hillsborough County we have made progress in creating a more nutritional menu, but we are being hamstrung by archaic laws that regulate an unnecessary high calorie diet while browbeating school districts to incorporate healthier diets and exercise.

The Tribune got it right, read more in the editorial here.

School Board Member April Griffin to Speak to Environmental Improvement Force

The following was a press release from the Environmental Improvement Force


TAMPA – The public is invited to attend the Environmental Improvement Force meeting Wednesday, Oct. 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Parish, 4311 San Miguel St., 33629. Hillsborough County school Board member April Griffin will speak and take questions.

Griffin, the newest member of the School Board, having joined in November of 2006, is a strong supporter of environmental issues. City of Tampa Recycling Coordinator Nina Stokes also will attend the EIF meeting and will be available for questions.

The Environmental Improvement Force (EIF) is a nonpolitical group of parents, teachers and administrators that works to make our schools more environmentally friendly.

Established May 15, 2007, the group has grown to include more than 50 members from more than 20 schools, both public and private and has succeeded in beginning recycling programs and other "green" initiatives in Tampa schools.

More information can be obtained by calling Leslie Farrell at 813-493-1805.

Also read more on the Gradebook here.