School Board Members Question Changes By Hanna Related to Homelessness, Foster Care

School Board Members Question Changes By Hanna Related to Homelessness, Foster Care

During the Leon County School Board agenda review on Monday, March 7, Superintendent Rocky Hanna informed board members that he decided to streamline operations by consolidating services provided by the Intervention Services Department.

Services related to children experiencing homelessness and foster care will now be handled by the departments for School Choice and the Office of Student Enrollment under the direction of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michelle Gayle.

Assistant Superintendent Allan Cox will oversee School Management, which involves student suspensions/expulsions, mental health, bullying/harassment, hope scholarship applications, equity, and Title IX issues.

Hanna stated that he reassigned the duties to existing departments already handling many aspects of the Intervention Services Department. He said the changes streamline the services.

Board member Joy Bowen said the changes are “jarring” and “concerning.” “It seems to me that the services that you are placing on your various staff members are splintering and causing some silos,” Bowen said.

Chairman Darryl Jones was also discouraged by the changes and expressed his concerns. He asserted that many children and families depend on the assistance offered by the Intervention Services Department.

In addition, Jones voiced his dislike that Hanna decided to make the changes without regard to the Board. “These changes have already been made and are already in effect, and at no point did you think it was important enough for us to be made aware that a principal division of the Leon County School District has been dismantled or of the plan of action going forward.”

Hanna explained he has no problem with hiring more staff if needed. However, he feels strongly that consolidating certain aspects of the Intervention Services Department into areas already handling those issues makes it less fragmented and will operate more smoothly.

Hanna maintained that he wouldn’t do anything to “jeopardize the services” to the children.

9 Responses to "School Board Members Question Changes By Hanna Related to Homelessness, Foster Care"

  1. Only Alva gets re-elected, all other must be voted out. There are two parent groups in Leon actively campaigning for this.

    Rocky, Joy, Wood and Jones MUST go. And if their replacements don’t manage our business correctly they can be one termers also and we will hire another set.

  2. Hey Leon County voters…if you keep electing people like this, your kids will grow up losers dependent on government for everything. Plus the world you leave them will be void of self sufficient individuals. I get it that welfare recipients vote Democrat but why working people do is beyond me. Maybe when gas is $7.00/gallon this summer they will change their mind. Stupid is as stupid does.

  3. “These changes have already been made and are already in effect, and at no point did you think it was important enough for us to be made aware …”

    Mr. Jones, this is how so many parents feel about the “don’t tell the parents” policies.

  4. fed up,

    Porter was going to South Carolina for a birthday party for her grandmother.

    When four officials from Tallahassee are flying together, to the same destination, out of state, citizens deserve an explanation. If they have nothing to hide they should be up front and provide an explanation. We would be remiss not to follow this through and get answers. They simply cannot dismiss this and not be held accountable.

  5. So why was Jack Porter on that plane….travelling on her own dime or ours? Why aren’t you as concerned with that. Who paid for her ticket, where was she going and why was she going there? Given there are only about 3 destinations served by the Tallahassee Airport the fact that people from Tallahassee were flying to Atlanta and happened to be on the same flight is meaningless. After all, to get anywhere from Tallahassee you have to go through Atlanta. The only person on that flight who voted on the Doak funding was the person taking the picture. So if traveling on that day, based on you conspiracy theory, has something to do with the Doak vote, the culprit must then be Jack Porter. Why aren’t you questioning her motives, her reason for traveling, who paid for her ticket, and where she was going. Conspiracies are useless things taking up oxygen and usually causing more harm than good. We would be better off if everyone just minded their own business.

  6. So… is this a School System or a Social Services operation? These people need to get the hell out of the social justice, equality, race card, and transdelusional business… and back into the Education business.

    Better still… resign and let true “Educators” and “Leaders” take over.

  7. Not off topic at all. 🙂

    I’d like to know who’s paying for the trip. If it’s the taxpayers, this secret trip is already a breach of public trust and should be prosecuted. Misappropriation of funds perhaps?

    If the DPF is paying for the trip, we still need disclosure. There’s nothing wrong with being a supporter of someone in another state. There is a problem when so much of the city’s top administration leave our jurisdiction in mass, leaving the decision making to those still at work. (Hey guys, you’ve been hired to run Tallahassee’s business, not elect a New York politician!)

  8. @ Hope perhaps it was a seminar in NYC on the latest grooming techniques to apply to our precious K -5 kids. Or perhaps a seminar on how to keep minorities chained down on the Democratic Plantation. Maybe they discussed why high murder rates and increased crime in general is good for the mostly white elites in that leftist party who will live in luxury while the country and the world burns.

  9. O/T – will we see any investigative reporting on the recent trip to New York City by Leon County officials traveling together refusing to give an explanation for the reason for their trip? This is the epitome of arrogance…

    County Administrator Vince Long, Ben Pingree, City Manager Reese Goad, and State Attorney Jack Campbell traveled together to New York City the day after the Doak vote.

    A recent poll conducted concluded two of the top two reasons for the trip were either an all inclusive trip to see Hamilton paid for by the FBI or a trip paid for by the Democratic Party of Florida to assist Andrew Cuomo with his campaign for Governor.

Leave a Reply to Edward Lyle Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.