The members of the school board are still accepting their pay checks as if they were doing their full school duties and everything was normal. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is time for the members of the board to refuse their pay and give the taxpayers a rebate! All, but one member was on the board during the destruction of our schools or had been in an administrative position with our schools for many years. The DOE finally took over our Public School system due to years of poorly performing schools. The Jefferson County Public Schools became the first county wide Charter School system in the State of Florida. Vocal members of the current School Board resented the Charter School and seldom miss a chance, at school board meetings and in other public arenas, to severely berate and critize the Charter School administration.
It only took Somerset, the Charter School, one year to fix the mess that the school board left them after many years of mismanagement. The Jefferson County School Board members have continued to gladly grab their hefty salary checks and the heck with the “Kids” and the school grades. What does it take to run “F” schools? It does not require any effort by the board, as a matter of fact they do not even have to show up for anything. An “F” grade is easy to obtain, simply do nothing! I wish our school board members really had the “Kids” welfare in mind as do our neighbors, just over the state line in Thomas County, GA. They have similar demographics as Jefferson County, only a larger population. They have 2 school systems in Thomas County, GA, the city of Thomasville school system and the Thomas County school system, both independent of each other. They both have their own school boards and they both run good schools. The Thomas county school board members have no pay and their city school board members receive $100.00 per meeting and generally have about 18 meetings per year (ie: $1800 per year). Basically, both boards’ members are civic minded volunteers, who sincerely have the student’s best interests in mind and are not interested in being among the highest paid hourly employees in Thomas County.
Our school board members should stop their verbal attacks on the Charter School and all that they have accomplished in resuscitating the dying school system. They should learn from them, not attack them at every opportunity. Until the majority, of the current school board is replaced by elections or resignations, the Charter School should stay in place. You, can’t possibly believe, that if the majority of the current school board stays in place, that the schools’ past Grade results would suddenly change! It would be like re-floating the Titanic and putting it on the same course with the same captain at the Helm, it would surly sink again. In good conscience Board members should refuse to accept their pay and not continue to be The Highest paid Hourly Employees in Jefferson County. It is past time for a major change of the rooster at our school board, this would truly be for the good of our Students!
Steven Rissman
Monticello, FL