Bracy: Elected school chair is bad idea

quoting Dickens does not hide the fact that you are playing the race card.......so sad that you find this is your only ''salvation''

Rev. Bracy, being a Christian minister, I am surprised that you chose not to quote the most important book of our civilization. So I won't either. But dinosaurs erished becaus they were unable to adapt to changin climatic conditions due a meteor striking the earth etc.. Please take it from a friend that it is time to get past the tired old dogma of race and instead move forward with counseling of your flock to accept responsibility for their actions, i.e.-- 71% of AA children born of wedlock to predominately young ladies that are children themselves. What hope or chance do these children of children have in life, in our so-called "Global Economy" - the answer is slim and none. Single moms should get on the case of their children and stay there if they mess-up in school. I can't remember the last time I saw any of the black Clergy leading a march to take back the streets from the husslers, pimps, and drug pushers. You are supposed to lead your multitudes of wonderful black people rather than postulating worn out and tired dogma that many white eople are tired of hearing about, now 30+ years past school integration and 40+ years ast the Federal voting act's enactment. The handwriting is on the wall that unelss and until some of the above and more is put into action, the illegals and legal migrants will continue their rocket ascendency past and further cripple yours and our people. Best of luck and may God seed you on your way.

"The NAAWP endorses a vote for an elected chairman."

What kind of response would such a headline get from the minority community? Why do they expect any different when they use the NAACP to espouse racist positions.

The race of an individual has nothing to do with the quality of their representation. To advocate districts or advocate against elected positions because of their benefits to one race over another is ridiculous and wrong.

Dr. Bracy:

With respect, sir, why would you and the NAACP embrace a patchwork palliative like relocating Evans HS to a separate, inadequate campus site in lieu of working to improve conditions for ALL Pine Hills students, including students at Evans?

Frankly, it strikes me as bizarre that you, the NAACP and the School Board all believe that the Pine Hills environment is too toxic to educate high school students there, but apparently suitable for educating middle school and elementary school students.

What am I missing here?

Please respond. Incidentally, I attempted to get an answer to my inquiries by leaving a message for you at the local NAACP offices well over a week ago, but have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply.

Thank you.

Jim Gustino

Dear Dr. Bracy,

You wrote, "On the face of it, this statute violates the very core principle of 'ONE PERSON ONE VOTE' and based upon current Orange County demographic data, an African-American will never have an opportunity to serve as chairman of the Orange County School Board."

That statement seems to make two assumptions:(1) non-black voters "will never" vote for a black candidate, and (2) black voters "will never" vote for a non-black candidate.

What a sad, depressing viewpoint. I'll admit that there are probably a number of people who feel that way, but I strongly believe we are moving past that sort of racially divided voting, and it definitely seems to be getting better as the years go on. Seriously now, could Senator Obama be so close to getting the Democratic nomination if it were really true that he could only get the black vote?

Like previous posters, I am curious as to your true objection to the countywide election of a school board chair. I think that a chair who is accountable to the voters of all of Orange County may be inclined to better serve your community than someone elected out of their district who only has to answer to their neighbors in, for example, College Park or Winter Park.

Beth said, "I think that a chair who is accountable to the voters of all of Orange County may be inclined to better serve your community than someone elected out of their district..."

The current chair is accountable to all of the voters of Orange County.
All it takes is a simple visit to any board meeting but the issue must be before them on the agenda for you to speak to it.
If you have an issue not on the agenda you can schedule time as a non-agenda speaker, and spend 5 minutes getting across your point at their agenda review meeting prior to the board meeting.
If the issue is more substantive you may come with several others and each spend 5 minutes describing the entire issue.
As an individual you have but one vote in an election but as a group you have the ability to be a chorus.
People simply do not take the time these days to get involved.
Tis a pity.

GGGTHREE wrote:

The current chair is accountable to all of the voters of Orange County.
All it takes is a simple visit to any board meeting but the issue must be before them on the agenda for you to speak to it.

You're right that the school board members are all "accountable" to all the citizens in Orange County in that any of us can go and speak at a meeting, and I too wish more people got involved.

The point I meant to make regarding accountability - and I may have not been clear, my apologies - was more directed towards voting. In other words, if a countywide chair does not respond to the wishes of the people of Orange County, then all of us could participate in voting in someone new.

But then consider a school board member who is elected only out of their district and who then becomes chair. Maybe the member does enough to satisfy their own district (or at least not do bad enough of a job to invite a challenger - we're talking about you, Anne Geiger), but that member is not responsive to the overall needs of the county.

We have a very diverse school system in Orange County - everything from suburbian kids at highly-rated Winter Park HS, to the more rural neighborhoods of West Orange HS, to the ongoing challenges faced by Jones and Evans. I think a countywide chair makes sense so that person must seek votes and support from all of us to get elected and is obligated to represent all of us if they want to keep their position.

Osceola Counties move to single member districts from a county wide vote for School Commissioners is a needed improvement. Comparing that development to an county wide elected school superintendent compares apples to oranges.

Have you ever wondered why the Orange County School Board has been reluctant to criticize Superintendent Ronald Blocker whom they selected and elected? His background is Psychology and how does that apply to running a $1.5 billion general fund? During his tenure Evans High School buildings were not maintained and allowed to deteriorate. It was Blocker's job to inform the School Board that maintenance needed to be increased but he never did mention that action. Could it be that it is not politically correct to criticize a black superintendent? If there was a general election for superintendent I would bet that short comings of the school system would be seen and heard during election season. That is reason enough to elect a school superintendent.

Dear Blather: The main and overarching problem with an elected Superintendent is that Florida Statutes do not prescribe any quafifications other than being a voter and citizen of that County. Plus, there are several different mthods to rig the primary election process to elimiate any realistic opposing candidates. For further eference go to the Sentinel online Archives and look-up the key word "Cowin" in the 2004 Lake County School Superintendent race. Yhere is a plenty of background info.
The problem in the OCPS is not an appointed superintendent but THE APPOINTED Superintendent etc. etc.. Plus a much less than stellar school water boarded board members.

SentinelBlather wrote:

Osceola Counties move to single member districts from a county wide vote for School Commissioners is a needed improvement. Comparing that development to an county wide elected school superintendent compares apples to oranges.
Have you ever wondered why the Orange County School Board has been reluctant to criticize Superintendent Ronald Blocker whom they selected and elected? His background is Psychology and how does that apply to running a $1.5 billion general fund? During his tenure Evans High School buildings were not maintained and allowed to deteriorate. It was Blocker's job to inform the School Board that maintenance needed to be increased but he never did mention that action. Could it be that it is not politically correct to criticize a black superintendent? If there was a general election for superintendent I would bet that short comings of the school system would be seen and heard during election season. That is reason enough to elect a school superintendent.

Feb 19, 2008, the Rev. Bracy spoke of racial injustice, of bombings of black neighborhoods, and of cross burning, in a passionate speech to the Orange County Commissioners. What bombing? What cross burning? 100 years ago? Certainly not in your lifetime Rev.

Here is my point. There are 40 churches in Pine Hills, and Evans High School holds church services every Sunday. So, Rev, if its safe enough for all the churches, and church on campus every Sunday in Pine Hills, then its safe enough to rebuild Evans where it is located today.
End of my sermon

SentinelBlather wrote:

Osceola Counties move to single member districts from a county wide vote for School Commissioners is a needed improvement. Comparing that development to an county wide elected school superintendent compares apples to oranges.
Have you ever wondered why the Orange County School Board has been reluctant to criticize Superintendent Ronald Blocker whom they selected and elected? His background is Psychology and how does that apply to running a $1.5 billion general fund? During his tenure Evans High School buildings were not maintained and allowed to deteriorate. It was Blocker's job to inform the School Board that maintenance needed to be increased but he never did mention that action. Could it be that it is not politically correct to criticize a black superintendent? If there was a general election for superintendent I would bet that short comings of the school system would be seen and heard during election season. That is reason enough to elect a school superintendent.

The Sentinel is NOT backing an elected SUPERINTENDENT in Orange County. It is backing an added member to the school board who would be elected at large and would be the chairperson of the school board with the power to break a tie vote that might happen since this added person would make an even number on the board (hence the need for the chair to have two votes).
Dr. Bracey is pointing out that the Sentinel is advocating that single member districts in Osceola County is the right thing to do in order to give Hispanics a shot at electing school board members. But then they are endorsing the exact opposite in Orange County. Why is it that what is good for Osceola is not good for Orange? It's because the Sentinel is trying to inject even more politics into the school board in Orange County.
We no more need an elected school board chairman than we need an elected superintendent in Orange County. One only needs to look at what has happened in Lake County under an elected superintendent. Lake County has finally jettisoned their elected superintendent (a former state senator) and hired a new superintendent.

Why all the comments about race?

I am ashamed for this community that so many people immediately blame "the race card." I began teaching in Orange County in the decade after the schools were supposedly desegregated. I was a majority teacher teaching in predominately minority schools for much of my career. I learned so much about the African-American community during that time and I am very grateful to my students for what they taught me over the years.

I guess attitudes have not changed much in the intervening 34 years. People are still making ugly comments. Only now, they have a forum on the Sentinel. It's part of the reason I will not be staying in the area after I retire.

West Orlandoman wrote:

Feb 19, 2008, the Rev. Bracy spoke of racial injustice, of bombings of black neighborhoods, and of cross burning, in a passionate speech to the Orange County Commissioners. What bombing? What cross burning? 100 years ago? Certainly not in your lifetime Rev.
Here is my point. There are 40 churches in Pine Hills, and Evans High School holds church services every Sunday. So, Rev, if its safe enough for all the churches, and church on campus every Sunday in Pine Hills, then its safe enough to rebuild Evans where it is located today.
End of my sermon

West Orlandoman,
Your ignorance of African-American history in Central Florida is appalling. There most certainly were bombings and cross burnings in Central Florida during Dr. Bracy's lifetime. They happened in the early part of the last century even into the 1970's when I moved here. There was a cross-burning in Ocoee in the early 70's when a mixed-race couple moved there and began working in the schools there. I heard about it first hand from a member of that couple. There have been cross burnings in the past several years in the Central Florida area. Do you pay attention to the news?

Beth wrote:

<quoted text>
You're right that the school board members are all "accountable" to all the citizens in Orange County in that any of us can go and speak at a meeting, and I too wish more people got involved.
The point I meant to make regarding accountability - and I may have not been clear, my apologies - was more directed towards voting. In other words, if a countywide chair does not respond to the wishes of the people of Orange County, then all of us could participate in voting in someone new.
But then consider a school board member who is elected only out of their district and who then becomes chair. Maybe the member does enough to satisfy their own district (or at least not do bad enough of a job to invite a challenger - we're talking about you, Anne Geiger), but that member is not responsive to the overall needs of the county.
We have a very diverse school system in Orange County - everything from suburbian kids at highly-rated Winter Park HS, to the more rural neighborhoods of West Orange HS, to the ongoing challenges faced by Jones and Evans. I think a countywide chair makes sense so that person must seek votes and support from all of us to get elected and is obligated to represent all of us if they want to keep their position.

Nobody on this forum (or at the Sentinel, for that matter) has much of a memory. And nobody is willing to research the history of an issue before chiming in with their opinion.

It wasn't too long ago that Orange County switched from at-large election of school board members to single member district elections. We used to vote county-wide for all members of the school board. Then we voted to switch to voting by district. Now the people who don't know that history want to add back voting county-wide for a chairperson. It's part of what is wrong with Central Florida. Too many people have only moved here in the recent past and don't know anything about the history of the place. Every "new" idea that isn't really new sounds good to them. Especially if it's "how we did it back home."

And the diversity has been here since 1974 when I moved here right out of college and was hired to teach elementary school because I could speak Spanish (not as a native). At the time, Orange County was experiencing the first influx of students who spoke Spanish. The next year, after a reduction in force, I was hired back at a predominately African-American school. So the notion that the diversity of the district is a new enough phenomenon to be a reason to change how we are doing things is false.

I think there are good and bad points to both sides of this issue. I attended a Frederick Leadership Initiative forum on this topic on 5/24/07. The panel discussion included Andy Gardiner, sponsor of the bill that allowed this question to be placed on the ballot in November and current School Board Chairwoman, Karen Ardaman, speaking for the opposition.

According to Gardiner, the premise of adding an elected school board chair is to give a single face to the Orange County School Board allowing voters to voice their opionion on a countywide basis on the status/direction of OCPS. Additionally, according to Gardiner, the stature of OCPS would increase with a single person recognized as the elected leader of the board, much like the Mayor of Orange County serving as the head of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners or any city's elected mayor serving as the leader of the city's council.

Personally, I don't think it makes much of a difference either way. Although, I don't agree with Mr. Bracy's contention that instituting a countywide elected Chairman would all but guarantee an African-American will never hold the position of Chairman. Why would it make a difference? Kat Gordon is the only elected member of the Orange County School Board at this time. If we are still so racially divided (not to say that our society has outgrown racial divide) what makes him think a seven member panel with only one African American would be any more inclined to appoint that African American its leader?

"Kat Gordon is the only elected member of the Orange County School Board at this time."

Correction: Kat Gordon is the only elected African-American member of the Orange County School Board at this time.

Retiring Teacher:

Thank you for your service. People like you are the unsung heroes of our community.

May I ask you the same question that apparently Dr. Bracy doesn't want to answer? Doesn't it make more sense -- and reflect a far greater and deeper commitment to improving conditions in Pine Hills -- to have Evans HS rebuilt where it sits vs. moving it to another location with a less then complete package of facilities?

In my judgment, Pine Hills deserves a real and enduring solution -- not a token palliative. In this vein, shouldn't Pine Hills receive the kind of community support that would:(1) secure for them a new, state-of-the-art campus in their neighborhood; (2) assign superior teachers to the HS; (3) expand curriculum offerings to include not only the new IB program, but a performing arts program; (4) significantly expand the police presence in Pine Hills so these kids can feel safe while traveling to, and in, school; and (5) aggressively recruit mentors for the kids there.

The new principal strikes me as a bona fide leader and character guy, but he's gonna need much community and School Board support if he realistically be expected to succeed where those before him have not.

Jim Gustino

Always a black thing isn't it?
Bracy is trying to protect Blocker because he's black, not because this new plan is worthless.
Pitiful.

I ran for school board when it was a county wide election. It was worse that trying to run for a US representative seat because of covering such a large area. It will take a lot of money to run for a county wide chairman position. Because of the power involved, who will raise the money? For the much less money involved, why will they raise the money and run for the position? Aren't we always fighting the special interests because their interests are especially for themselves? How is this going to be different? If the chaiman was up for reelection every two years and had a term limit of four, I think that this would be a much more successful strategy for improving our board.