Leon County School Board leaders recently responded to the controversy related to the comments posted on Facebook by Sarah Hembree, the principal of Cobb Middle School.
The comments, first reported by Tallahassee Reports, addressed the role of parents in education.
“I am SO TIRED of being told we don’t know what we are doing or that we are messing with parents’ rights”, said Hembree.
Hembree addressed parents directly, “Today I say – Parents, Quit pushing for stupid bills and getting in our way…schools are going to do what’s best for your students in spite of you..”
At the May 10th Leon County School Board meeting, school board members Alva Striplin and Darryl Jones addressed the issue.
Member Alva Striplin
Striplin said she does not personally agree with Hembree’s remarks and believes that parents should be involved in their children’s education.
Jones, who initially posted support of Hembree’s comments in his own Facebook post, changed his position during the meeting.
Jones apologized for his comments and thanked those who reached out to him with concerns. “Allow me to take this moment to publicly grab hold of my shoestrings and pull my foot out of my mouth,” Jones said.
Jones noted that parents play an important role in student education and that all Leon County parents love their children and care about their education.
In addition, Superintendent Hanna provided a statement to Tallahassee Reports related to Hembree’s comments.
Hanna said, “There are those that seek to pit parents against schools, but here in in Leon County we believe that collaborative and cohesive parental involvement is one of the most important factors in helping students succeed. I have spoken with Principal Hembree about the social media post. While some responses to what was written was taken out of context and overblown, as Leon County School District representatives we cannot create situations where parents feel as though they do not belong in the educational process.”
Hanna also noted that during the upcoming summer there will be training related to how school officials communicate with parents and the community.
Hanna said, ” This summer, we will host a training seminar for every principal, assistant principal and school leadership team member focused on customer service and effectively communicating with parents and the community. I believe we do a good job, but we can and must do better in the future. Together, school officials and teachers, working with parents, will provide the best learning environment for our children to succeed.”
Leon School Board Leaders Respond to Comments by Cobb Middle School Principal added by Steve Stewart on
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After the meet the candidates meeting a few Mondays ago I will be supporting the three women in the race. Only the women understood parental rights, the three men openly stated that parents have no control in the classroom.
Add to that Darryl’s loud outburst at one of the parents that was completely unprofessional and embarrassing for the board.
We seem to have lost most of our strong men and our women are having to do the standing up.
Just my humble opinion.
Lmao what even are these comments
I support parents having the option to enroll their child in any school of their choice and having the education funds for that student made applicable to the school selected. I do not support having to pay property taxes at the current rate or an increased rate to fund Leon County public schools. I felt this way even before the statements at issue that this Principal, Hanna and the Board made were uttered. Having one child pass fully through Leon County public schools and having removed another never to return, I am only more convinced I made the right personal family decision. It is very much a personal decision. The public school system has lost my trust. If a different parent feels diferently and are ok with their student’s educational experience then I am not in favor of removing their choice. I just no longer want to be compelled to fund someone else’s choices whether that consists of the School Board’s decisions as to how to operate schools or another parent’s decision to place their child in that model.
The war of who is right will never have a winner. It is a cancer in this country right now. The prevailing reaction to everything is not only that one’s opinion is the right one but that its the only one and if you think differently then you are the problem. It in the schools and everywhere else. I’m no longer interested in changing anyone’s mind. I am exercising my freedom to walk away and make a different decision that works better for me and I am hopeful that it will become the case that what is not public school funding will one day be school funding period that follows the child.
Leon County schools are nothing but a cesspool of liberal ideology. Moving to a conservative county when I retire soon.
Get your kids outa Cobb Middle school. HOME SCHOOL!
I take it Robert is Rocky’s drinking racist pedo buddy.
… just a guess
The training conference Mr Hanna refers to needs to be video and audio recorded and retained for future subpoenas. No time lapses, gaps or missing minutes.
“There are those that seek to pit parents against schools, but here in in Leon County we believe that collaborative and cohesive parental involvement is one of the most important factors in helping students succeed”
Huh. Tell that to the Littlejohn’s, Rocky.
I wish there was a way to either ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ comments on this site. Some of these comments deserve a show of support with ‘likes’ others not so much.
Parents shouldn’t have to send their children to government-run schools.
Some of the commenters here seem to be happy with sharing their parental rights with the government and turning their children over to them. Fine, they can send their children to the government schools.
Parents who are deeply unhappy with the government-run schools should get vouchers to send their children to the school(s) of their choice.
@ Robert AKA Rocky,
If my child were in the Unicorn teacher’s class I would have filed a report for criminal behavior – lewd and lascivious actions -against a child or children.
As for school board member Roseanne Wood, why has she not been criminally charged for doxing?
Hopefully, the Florida Department of Education will investigate Rocky for failing to act to protect our children and for failing to take actions against those harming our children.
Rocky’s failure to take action against the principal for her Facebook post is a failure in leadership.
My God! Have none of you an once of sense? Any at all? What the principle said is absolutely true. You are being used as pawns in the republican effort to destroy education. CRT is nothing but the truth. Really. Don’t like it? So you try to rewrite history instead of trying to improve our society? “Don’t say Gay”? Look it’s biology, kids are hitting puberty earlier and earlier and are having feelings. Based on just what is written here, they can’t go to their parents with their questions, so where do they go? I learned on a street corner. It’s not a matter of any liberal indoctrination. It is just a quality education, and despite what you want to believe, most parents don’t want these heavy handed and fascist type laws. Hanna, I support you.
@ Bob:
The remarks/comments you refer to come from the emotions of your fellow citizens who have strong feelings that the precious childern of your/our communitty are being dangerously used as pawns in what your fellow citizens see as a battle between good and evil.
Ya gotta expect a little vitriol to fall upon a few delicate ears under such circumstances.
Sorry you feel offended Sir.
That being said I will gaurantee every commenter here will stand for your right to once again vote for Rocky and believe what you believe in. You and your comments are welcome here Sir. Dont become a stranger.
Hembree posted a mild remark that was entirely true. The legislature wants to interfere in local decisions. Parents are and always have been listened to with respect. They have the hardest job. The vitriol in these remarks makes it evident that there are people in this community that are unwilling to respond to a normal conversation respectfully.
Schools are very good at doing what We the People tell them to do. The problem is us.
So… no accountability, just a class on how not to get caught… typical
BTW… “While some responses to what was written was taken out of context…”. A response was, responses were.
… nice grammar coming from a school Stupidintendent.
Sarah Hembree is a textbook case of what is wrong with public schools today. To hell with the parents, the leftist principal and teachers know best. No wonder home schooling is exploding.
If there was a way to quit paying taxes for public schools, it would be a great service to all public school students. Simply taking your kids out still leaves the rest to bear the abuse of this insanity. I want to quit subsidizing what is passed off as “education”!!!
Parents who want to play a part in your kids education and want to make sure your kids are truly protected… send your kids to a private school. I’m not going to say they are perfect but you will at least have a voice. I have sent my son to Community Christian School and next year he graduates and will be attending Troy University the following year.
I believe the accountability to learning, education, and results is a parents responsibility.
I believe it’s time for our property taxes that go toward education be given back to parents to allow them the best outcomes for their children.
We have to start doing what is best for kids.
It’s time for parents who care about their children to band together and demand a choice where our kids attend school so that they have the greatest chance for success in their lives.
Parents don’t want WOKE, CRT, inappropriate unicorn symbols… nor superintendents, principals, and teachers who allows and promotes such.
There is a movement nationwide to remove this ridiculousness out of our schools. It is by the grace of God the red tsunami is coming and it all will be swept away.
177 Days until election day.
Jones Flipped Flopped only because he was getting hisass handed to him and Mr. Hanna, No one took it out of Context OR Misunderstood what she said.
Years ago as a local law enforcement officer I received a complaint from a father who’s daughter was a student at Godby High school. He was furious because his daughter came home and told him that her teacher told her she would give students extra credit if they dated interracial ! I explained it was not a criminal matter to take it up with the school superintendent but to let me know the outcome. He contacted me later and told me all they did was moved her to a different school. I also supervised a criminal complaint where a mid twenties year old school employee who was supervising in school suspension at Lincoln High School was texting a fifteen year old girl trying to pick her up and take her to a theater. It was obvious he was after sex. After the investigation all they did was move him to Pace so he could victimize more young girls ! People get your kids out of public school these progressive communist are trying to destroy our country !
Actions speak louder than Hanna’s lame @55 words.
The “B” at Raa should have been terminated in one of those stern but firm methods that makes a “B” like her cry.
By his inaction Hanna stabbed all the childern of minorities, leftists, everybodys kids in the back.
Didn’t think anything would be done. I’m thankful my kids graduated years ago and were never subjected to the liberal bias that is the norm today. I feel sorry for the parents who have to fight everyday against the idiots in the Leon County school system.
Cha-ching$$$
I think I just heard a large percentage decrease in students attending LC public schools. Parents, finally, got to hear what they have suspected liberal teachers thought about parents: we don’t want your involvement unless you like our liberal and CRT agenda.
In other words, they’re going to have a training session to remind school employees to not say publicly what they almost all think- parents are the problem and an obstacle to be overcome.
Typical union attitude towards the responsible partys (taxpayers, also known as parents) that pay their salary.
Time to remove Union members since the unions are not for the benefit of the children, but for unions with Marxist ideals.
Time to take back the children from those that think Mao is ok and hate our country !
We have seen enough evidence of both.