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To the parents and students of Lee County

By Staff | Sep 28, 2010

As a Lee County School Board Member for the past 10 years and a professional educator with 45 years of teaching and administrative (pre-school through college) experience, I consider myself well versed in, and an advocate for, public education and, more specifically, Lee County Public Schools.

Today, I feel the need to share my reactions and feelings that surfaced since the recent primary election.

First and foremost, it’s tremendously disappointing that two very knowledgeable, dedicated, hard-working and student-focused School Board members (Dr. Elinor Scricca and Steven Teuber) will be leaving our School Board. While I understand the anti-incumbent sentiment in today’s financially struggling times, I’m saddened to lose the expertise and synergy they brought to the table toward the goal of becoming a World Class School District. I compare it to throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bathwater.”

It’s especially unfortunate that this Board has been negatively characterized as a “Rubber Stamp.” On the contrary, if you review the characteristics of “High Performing Teams,” arguing and controversy in the media and outside established procedures aren’t listed among them, and in fact, impede the process. Effective school boards do their homework, seek input from staff and community members, debate the issues, and set the direction in appropriate settings, such as workshop and briefing meetings – well in advance of the need for formal approval. Then, the Superintendent and staff go to work to align the policies and processes to meet the direction of the Board as a whole. Only those items that pass all of the above levels of inspection survive to a vote and it is usually unanimous for all of the reasons previously stated.

And, that process has paid off for our students, staff and community.

In the past 7-plus years, the District, under the leadership of Dr. James Browder and direction of this School Board, the District:

– earned an “A” grade as a District for two consecutive years;

– currently has 85 percent of schools earning an “A” or “B” grade;

– is the only one of Florida’s nine-largest districts that showed academic improvement every year for the past six years;

– received yearly financial audit accolades for meeting high level accounting practice standards with absolutely no findings of misappropriation of funds, fraud, malfeasance or negligence;

– during the unanticipated population explosion a few years ago, built approximately 20 new schools and completed 17 addition/renovation projects on time and/or under budget;

– standardized its curriculum and textbooks Districtwide so students can make a smooth transition when moving from one school to another within the District (This District has a 40-plus % mobility rate;)

– reduced the drop-out rate from 7 percent a few years ago to 1.3 percent in 2009/10;

– has the highest graduation in more than a decade (77.6 percent;)

– reduced the budget over the last five years by approximately $100 million with a constant focus on what’s best for students;

– is home to the top International Baccalaureate program (Fort Myers High) in North America and third in the world.

When you look at the whole picture and avoid getting caught up in the election-season rhetoric, you’ll see our District – under the leadership of the current Board and Superintendent – has made great strides and is a model for other districts in the state and nation.

Kudos to our outgoing School Board Members – I will miss the expertise and well-researched background of District operations they brought to everyday decision making and I wish them the best the future has to offer.