flynn082

Mr. Willie said some really interesting things on WJCT, the other day, which I encourage you to check out. http://news.wjct.org/post/qa-duval-county-district-4-school-board-elect-darryl-willie One of the things he said was millennials leave their jobs after just a few years and yes some do. https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2018/05/22/millennials-quit-job/#2c0bfd1f57f1 The thing is more and more people regardless of age are quitting their jobs more frequently but that doesn't play into Willie's hey we need Teach for America narrative. https://www.inc.com/robbie-abed/more-people-are-quitting-their-jobs-than-ever-before-heres-why.html Lets talk about millennials for a second though. Maybe they would be more prone to stay at a job, a teaching job maybe, if they weren't saddled with a ridiculous amount of student debt? Though I think more would stay if they weren't forced to teach to the test and had more opportunities for creativity and flexibility, then there is t...

I went to last nights school board meeting and several religious leaders spoke giving some invocation or another. One of them and I can't remember who said, being on the school board wasn't about politics or popularity. I wish that was the case because if so Willie wouldn't be on the board. After the primary Willie had a huge lead in both votes and money and it looked like he was going to cruise to a blow out. So some people despite the fact during the campaign he was all style zero substance jumped on his band wagon. It's sadly what people do. When the general election rolled around Willie despite out spending Smith 3-1, eeked out a two point victory. I wonder what would have happened had people supported the educator and life long resident over the tourist looking to protect his six figure income. I wonder what would have happened had people done the hard thing, supporting the better candidate who was way down, rather than hitching themselves to someone who they thoug...

I like Lori Hershey, a lot. Her first two years on the board which saw her elevated to chairman at the beginning of year three have been impressive.  I think Paula Wright and Becki Couch did an amazing job on the board but that's how they finished, because they both started off slow. Mrs. Hershey hasn't, she has hit the ground running. In spite of all this or maybe because of all this I was very disturbed by her opening statement as chair person of the Duval County School Board. From the Times Union, She also vowed to work to improve the district’s relationships with community leaders who have long supported schools, including members of the Northeast Florida Community Foundation, the Quality Education for All initiative and the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. Over the years, donors involved with them have pumped millions of dollars into efforts to improve teaching and educational leadership in Duval Schools. In recent years, relationships with some donors showed strain aft...

With three new members on the school board and a superintendent that is still getting their feet wet, I think it's time they started thinking big. First we need to move the school board building. For a second year in a row Jackson high school which is in a neighborhood desperate for economic development has less than 500 students. They should be folded into Ribault, Raines, Paxon, Stanton, Darnell-Cookman or A. Phillip Randolph and the central offices should be moved there. The cost plus a nice piece of change could be made up by selling the current building which is a prime piece of real estate. Next we should change the start time for high schools. All the research indicates we are starting our high school students behind the 8 ball with our early start times. Neighboring counties are starting later in the day as well. St. Johns starts at 9:15, and Nassau county starts at 9. Forgive my pun but its past time Duval got with the times. Then we desperately need a one cent sales tax t...

Jason Fischer parlayed an endorsement by Jeb Bush, and despite credible reports of him lying to voters and much more qualified candidates he won a seat on the school board. which he only ran for after losing a soil and water board election. On the board he was dreadful. Unprepared and seemingly bought by special interests were my biggest complaints. He quit before his first term was over to run for the state house barely edging out Dick Kravitz. In the house he has been both a foe to public ed and a big giver of public money to his donors pet projects, Gary Cartrand and the KIPP school anyways. So when Ken Organes ran against him I was excited. Sure 16 is ruby red but it's not dumb. What me and Ken didn't realize was is Ken didn't stand a chance. https://ballotpedia.org/Jason_Fischer Oh Jason Fischer knew it and he was so sure he didn't even campaign. This is what the Times Union had to say, From the Times Union: Generally experience is the most valuable asset for a pol...

Do you ever watch the mean tweets segments on the Jimmy Kimmel show?  They show celebrities reading mean tweets sent to them and they are hilarious.  Well I get some mean comments from time to time, I believe most come from somebody whose initials are S,S and whose name rhymes with Rot Rine that I find hilarious as well. I have saved so much money living in their head, I was able to donate to Elizabeth Andersen's campaign helping her defeat Nick Howland.  I don't usually put them up because I find something cowardly about a person who will leave nasty comments anonymously, cowardly and pathetic but I thought you might enjoy them.  Okay friends, here goes.  Notice how no one comments. You are insignificant and a cancer on education. Shut the fuck up and get a real job.  You should apply to a charter school. Try a couple. Or another county public school. Then, report the results. If you are the wonder of the world you paint yourself out to be, they will just ...

Three fearless women went up against the forces of privatization and the hundreds of thousands of dollars they funneled into the races and two of them won and one barely lost. If this isn't a repudiation of special interests attempting to buy control of our schools, people like businessman Gary Chartrand and organizations like Jax Biz, I don't know what is. In district 2 former teacher and current mental health counselor Elizabeth Andersen defeated Nick Holwland. Howland raised 77,519 dollars to Andersen's 13,360, (full disclosure 800 of that came from me, from My Scott Shine stash). Howland's six fold fund raising haul and all his business endorsements including Jax Biz who endorsed all three male candidates, didn't matter as Andersen won going away. 58.25-41.75. Charlotte Joyce's fundraising disadvantage was just as daunting as her opponent Dave Chauncey taking money hand over fist from charter school interests out raised Joyce by nearly 90 thousand dollars, 1...

First the disclaimers. If you think I am a disappointed and a little angry you are right. I am a union guy today and despite my combination of disappointment and rage that not even a snickers could cure I will be one tomorrow. The Tiger Cope pac is the political action part of the union, it's a small group that makes the unions endorsements that members have to pay an extra 20 a year, about 75 cents a pay check to be in. I will be joining the Tiger cope pac tomorrow to make sure a travesty likes this never happens again. Okay The union's tiger cope pac let the city and its membership down when it co endorsed Cynthia Smith and Darryl Willie in the district 4 school board race. They looked at his money advantage which was formidable. Willie raised 73 thousand dollars including a last minute push by super pacs that support charters, almost three times what Smith did. https://www.voterfocus.com/CampaignFinance/candidate_pr.php?c=Duval In the primary Willie more than doubled Smith...

Gary Chartrand the millionaire grocer who lives in Ponte Vedra and who sent his children to expensive and exclusive private schools which are wholly unlike the schools he has been advocating for our children, has parlayed tens of thousands of donations into millions in public money for his pet projects is dismissive of both women and teachers and let me explain how. In 2008 he supported Tommy Hazouri, WC Gentry and Ken Manuel for the school board in district, 3, and 7. All women and just one Manuel had any education experience. He laid low for a bit but in 2012  he supported Ashley Smith Juarez and Jason Ficher in 7 and 3. Now Smith-Juarez is a woman and had some nominal education experience. Fischer however had nothing approaching anything like education experience. Where it seems like they have since broken ranks, at the time Smith Juarez ran Chartrand's foundation. In 14 it was current members Couch (his wife), Shine and Darryl Willie. Now Couch is both a woman and an educator, ...

Rachel Tutweiller-Fortune, intern  interim president of the Jacksonville Public education Fund (JPEF) appeared on first Coast Connect today to talk about the school board races and it was something. I have long thought JPEF was in the pocket of the forces of privatization and today's performance did nothing to change that, in fact if anything it reinforced my opinion. She had one exchange where a caller asked her about compensating teachers, and she said, I think teachers should be compensated, an exasperated Melissa Ross asked, how much, and Tutweiller Fortune paused and said, what they are worth. Everyone wanted a number but she didn't want to give one and the reason is probably because Gary Chartrand the man who at least metaphorically signs her checks, doesn't think teachers are professionals and would be okay with temporary TFA teachers manning our schools. When asked about the difference between the candidates the men who seem to support corporate reforms and the wome...