County school-board members would face an eight-year term limit under a proposed constitutional amendment approved Thursday by the House Education Committee. In a 14-2 vote, the panel endorsed the measure (HJR 1031), sponsored by Rep. Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville.
The proposal would limit school board members, who serve four-year terms, to no more than eight consecutive years in office for terms beginning after Nov. 6.
“It aligns with what the term limits are in the (state) Constitution with other state offices,” said Fischer, referring to term limits for state lawmakers, the governor and state Cabinet members.
Rep. Margaret Good, D-Sarasota, voted against the measure, saying local voters should determine who sits on the school boards.
“We want to have local decisions made at the local level,” she said.
The proposed constitutional amendment is now ready for a floor vote, where it would need support from three-fifths of House members to advance to the November ballot.
The Senate is considering a proposal (SJR 194), sponsored by Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, although it would impose a 12-year term limit.
By The News Service of Florida
School Board Term Limits Ready For House Floor added by Staff on
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LCS is based on politics and what gets the board and superintendent re-elected. It is time to get rid of incompetent principals, assistant principals, district administrators and staff so schools may be led by competent and caring people who are ethical and knowledgeable. This community was mislead into voting for the superintendent believing change was going to take place. Not only is he a typical politician, he is also unethical and runs everything based on what works for him. Time for him and the board to go.
I have had the opportunity to work in several school districts in the state – two superintendents were elected and two superintendents were appointed. Hands down the districts with appointed superintendents were able to concentrate on the needs of the district as they did not have to fulfill promises of the campaign and/or prepare for the upcoming campaign. I am a former employee of the Leon County School District and was constantly surprised at the incompetency and the extent the district will go to ignore it. There are so many dedicated teachers and employees throughout the district never recognized due to the constant negative impact of those in higher and well paying positions. It is time Leon County does the right thing and vote to appoint a qualified superintendent.
Then put term limits in place for Leon County. My assertion was that one size does not fit all and the state legislature does not need to mandate term limits for all when it WILL hurt our smaller, more rural counties. Did I not make myself clear in my comment? When you have a legislature that has been calling for local control of education and does exactly the opposite, you should ask yourself why. If you want term local term limits, get it done locally. Other counties have.
This is yet another example of the Florida Legislature removing local control without considering the “unintended consequences.” Small districts have a difficult time find and retaining quality school board members. Some districts have already implemented term limits on the local level. If that is what the district wants, then let them implement it. In addition to this, the Constitution Revision Commission is attempting to make school board positions a non-paid position and also make the Superintendent an appointed position. This is an orchestrated attempt to privatize education and eliminate public schools.
Catherine
This is an attempt at cleaning up the mess that a school system has become when it is governed by multi-term individuals that refuse to act. Come on, putting all students in Advanced Placement courses to game tbe accountabity system when 20% read on grade level. Leon County is the poster child for ineptitude nepotism. It is a school system that has huge pay inequities, a system that rewards vengeance and nepotism. When teachers make less than $40,000 per year and associate superintendents make $100,000.
We have associate superintendents who do not teach students make over $100,000 and we return crony retired administrators to high paid jobs the legislature must intervene.
Please refute any of the comments above. This is why we need term limits.
Maybe the school board can explain the demotion of a principal who improved her school grade from a D to a C while the principle of Godby High School who put all of the students and advanced u.s. history to avoid them taking the state test gets a promotion! Sounds like nepotism and vengeance from superintendent Hannah at its best with NO oversight from the school board.
Sometimes it takes divine intervention from the legislature to clean up a school system that is fraught with nepotism, vengeance and unethical hiring practices and gaming of the school accountability. So while 20% of the students at Godby High School are proficient readers the school is a C and the principal gets a promotion. When we have a superintendent that dated teachers he evaluated and hid from child support obligations for 10 years I would expect nothing less.
The Florida Department of Education required that Jefferson County go into a charter operated system because of lack of financial oversight. It’s time for Leon County Schools to become a charter school system with direct oversight from the Department of Education until such time as all of the unethical behaviors nepotism and vengeance is cleared out.
The MeToo movement skipped Tallahassee. We have an affidavit that clearly details inappropriate sexual conduct by Mr. Hanna yet we have silence from the school board.
We have school administrators who run business and check Facebook throughout the day on our tax dollars. Silence from the school board
Can the school board explain why administrators have district paid cell phones but my child’s teacher has no classroom supplies?
Can the school board explain why they allow retired educators to come back after they completed DROP (Wright, Olk, Owens, Hightower, Bell) ?
Can the school board explain why my tax dollars are paying 50% of the salary of the head of the Leon Classroom Association who is no longer a classroom teacher?
Can the school board explain any of this?
Dear Leon School board
Concerning Mr Hanna:
Making false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001) is the common name for the United States federal crime laid out in Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which generally prohibits knowingly and willfully making false or fraudulent statements, or concealing information, in “any matter within the jurisdiction” of the federal government of the United States.
This statute is used in many contexts. Most commonly, prosecutors use this statute to reach cover-up crimes such as perjury, false declarations, and obstruction of justice and government fraud cases.
The more I learn about the Leon County School Board the more I want term limits or an appointed board. To not admonish Mr. Hanna for what he has done is to both condone and reinforce his behavior.
Shame on our elect board members and shame on the appointments associate superintendents who endorse, reinforce and condone these behaviors.
I just found out the local school board at the REQUEST of Rocky Hanna cut the school resource officer program yet they approved 6 associate superintendents. One runs his pool business during the day when he is not training for marathons, another covered up Hanna’s dating of a teacher, another is dating a school board member, another has an ego when that will cause curriculum failure. Outrageous is the new normal in Leon County Schools!
Since Mr Bell is in a candidate for the school board we urge him to bring forward the evidence that is in his possession where Mr Hanna admitted to him said he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing and then he puts a notebook together in an act of vengeance
Term Limits should apply to every public office, Local, State and Federal. Incumbancy promotes abuse and corruption on every level, and is very powerful, even for mediocre performance.
My advice for anyone elected to public office is…Prove you’re not corrupt…serve 8-10 years max…then go back to your private sector ambitions. Our government will work much better if you do. Professional office holders do not consider it an honor to serve after feeling it is “their seat”. There is NOTHING more disgusting than an 80 year old member of Congress that will not retire! Democrat or Republican!
Let’s talk for a moment about ethical violations with the Leon County School Board. They approved the appointment of six assistant superintendents without an interview. We have a school board member who used her P card for personal purchases which was covered up. We have a school board which doesn’t enforce its own policies about ethics violations considering the superintendent of schools dated ateacher he supervised then had her transferred and awarded a monetary settlement with taxpayer dollars. He also falsified information to federal and state authorities about employees and the school board. The current superintendent alienated and demoted and non they hired key personnel because they would not align themselves with him during an ection . The entire School Board as a collective entity needs to be replaced as soon as possible
Best thing that could happen for Leon Co. Schools. Our current school board members will never hold any superintedents feet to the fire. Two board members have been on the board since the 1990’s. Two board members have a history of dating a superintendents top staff and or current vendors of the board. One board member is so liberal that she wants no conservative in a leadership position. We need an appointed superintendent. If this board put this on the ballot for 2018, we could have one by 2020. If not, it will be 2024 be we could move to appointed. Also, this community needs parents to run for the school board. Since, the 1980’s, we have had about four board members that have not been retired or former Leon County schools employees. Time for a change in the way we govern our schools.
Which two Board members have dated top staff? Aren’t they all married?
Did they marry those top staff members?
One is still single. The other dated while single and married a vendor.
Leon Schools
1. A Superintendent who hide from child support obligations for 10 years, cost the school system $600,000 with a fabricated notebook to frame the school board and former superintendent.
2.School board members who refuse to hold the Superintendent accountable or question associate superintendent appointments without interviews and then school board members dating associate superintendents.
3.School board members that have negative VAM scores and use their p card for purchases at the bar.
Leon County School way to go.
Now here’s an appropriate article for someone to comment on to clue the FBI in on Rocky’s notebook, favoritism, incestuous nepotism, and whatever else is wrong over at the School Board!