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Four seek District 4 School Board seat
Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008 |
Four candidates are vying for the District 4 School Board seat.
Besides their biographical information, the candidates provided answers to two questions: “What would you do as a School Board member to ensure that the school district is spending its money wisely?” and “What programs and services would you like to address?”
District 4 covers much of the north county, including portions of Clearwater.
Chris Hardman
Chris Hardman, a resident of Dunedin, has been a high school teacher and coach since 2002. He has 20 years of business experience.
Community service: He is a founding member of the Clearwater YMCA and a Sertoma Club member.
Education: Hardman has a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Florida State University.
On spending money wisely: The purchasing process within the school district should be evaluated to ensure that spending is based on valid priorities.
Programs and services: With a new school district superintendent about to be appointed, this creates an opportunity to share ideas and successes from other school districts. Consequently, a viable plan should be put in place to increase the success of the school district, which should include an increase in graduation rates.
Ken Peluso
Ken Peluso of Palm Harbor has practiced as a chiropractor in Palm Harbor since 1986. He owns Peluso Chiropractic & Rehab. on U.S. 19.
Community service: Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas, chairman; Early Learning Advisory Council 2007; Statewide Council on school readiness; East Lake High School Business Advisory Council; Highland Lakes Elementary Parent Teachers Association; Palm Harbor fire commissioner; Palm Harbor Community Services Board; Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce, director; Pinellas County Chiropractic Society, president; Agency For Healthcare Administration, managed care ombudsman; Palm Harbor Youth Football League, head coach.
Education: Graduated from Merimack College in Andover, Mass., and Sherman College of Chiropractic.
On spending money wisely: We must reevaluate our school district and take immediate and decisive action to assure that all programs are maximizing our dollars in order to achieve the primary goal of giving each and every student the resources they require to achieve their future success.
We must evaluate our existing programs, some of which are quite costly with insufficient accountability measures in place to evaluate their effectiveness.
We must also evaluate our district functions. We need to strongly consider reallocating both dollars and manpower from the district to the classroom.
Programs and services: We must evaluate proven models of education which are successful worldwide and adapt them to our district. We must begin with changes at the elementary level and focus on a more rigorous curriculum with a stronger emphasis on reading and writing. We must utilize more progressive and effective teaching methods which are proven to be successful.
We must expand our curriculum to include a broad variety of career path programming in which practical training and industry certifications are available upon graduation. This effort must include an expansion of our business and community partnerships in order to be effective. We should accept the fact that all schools are different and have distinct issues and needs and move toward a school based management system with district de-centralization.
Steven Isbitts
Steven Isbitts of Clearwater is a former Tampa Tribune reporter who covered various Pinellas County Schools issues from 2003 to 2006. He also has been a freelance writer, a producer of talk radio programs and a public relations and advertising sales consultant for a local advertising agency. He is currently employed in the sales division of PODS Enterprises.
Community service: Tutoring, youth sports coaching and helping in the disabled community.
On spending money wisely: Florida law states every school board is required to submit an annual budget that represents improvement in the education system from the previous year. But in Pinellas County, our board does not explain or detail how the $1.6 billion budget is going to make our schools better than they were previously. This is not acceptable.
I would work with board members to craft a policy that requires written justification of expenditures, a sort of executive summary for taxpayers explaining why the money is well spent.
Also, I would look to establish a better system for employees to report waste in the system, quickly and without fear of retribution. Lastly, we spend hundreds of millions annually to send high school students to school at 7:05 a.m., when they are not prepared to achieve in the classroom. This early start time must end immediately. It represents grossly inefficient operation.
Programs and services: Only about 67 percent of ninth grade students in Pinellas will graduate from high school. Those results are proof that the School Board and the administration are failing the taxpayers and our families.
Positive, efficient change must come to the district immediately.
The board desperately needs leaders who value professionalism and teamwork, and have the work ethic and communication skills necessary to find solutions within our school system. The board also needs leaders trained and experienced in navigating through bureaucracy to get things done.
The current board has well over 100 years experience in education. But it is lacking the business acumen to take advantage of its classroom expertise.
Robin Wikle
Robin Wikle of Tarpon Springs is a former special education teacher and a business owner. She has 15 years of business experience and has worked for Coldwell Banker and Publix Supermarkets.
Community service: PTA board member, president; school advisory committee member middle and high schools; Doorways Scholarship Committee; Christians in Action; football booster board member; school volunteer; Rotarian, Tarpon Springs parks and recreation advisory board; Tarpon Springs for Youth Inc. board president.
Education: Masters degree in special education, Florida State University.
On spending money wisely: We need to promote a value budget. Do we get what we pay for? Decentralization of the school budget will enable individual schools to take advantage of their community resources and purchase supplemental materials that are relevant to their school. I will also work closely with the district¹s finance team to see where our dollars are going, and evaluate what programs are working in the district.
Programs and services:
1. I would like the opportunity as a School Board member to implement increased parental involvement in all our schools. We can do this by implementing some communication plans in each school.
2. Encouraging businesses to incorporate apprenticeship programs in our high schools centers for excellence
3. Requiring the highest level of academic education in our schools. 4.) Providing a safe learning environment, conducive for all children to read, write and study math.
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Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008
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