As a Sarasota County School Board member, I have built my service around being a champion for students, teachers and public education.
I believe deeply that every child deserves a school where talent is recognized, potential is developed and opportunity is not limited by ZIP code, income, disability, language or circumstance.
Today that mission is under threat from extreme politics and a flawed voucher program.
Navigating them has distracted us from important discussions about learning.
It has divided neighbors.
And it has weakened confidence in public education.
Sarasota County faces a defining choice.
We can prioritize what should matter most: academic achievement, fiscal responsibility, career and technical education, early learning and respect for the professionals who teach our children.
Or we can surrender our schools to candidates who will bring chaos, censorship and culture-war theatrics into the boardroom.
Our district cannot afford more political showmanship.
Our students deserve role models who provide serious leadership.
And our teachers deserve board members who will listen, value their expertise and stand up for their classrooms.
A school boardroom should not be a stage for personal ambition or partisan politics.
It should be a place where adults make decisions grounded in facts, and not grievances.
Let’s reject extreme politics
The good news is that Sarasota County is not starting from weakness.
We are building from strength.
Recent performance data show that our district is moving in the right direction.
Sarasota County Public Schools earned an overall “A” rating again; every district-managed school received either an “A” or a “B,” and the district posted a meaningful gain in the state accountability system.
Those results should make our community proud.
But they should not make us complacent.
They should serve as the foundation, and not as the finish line.
If we stay focused, invest wisely and respect the educators, Sarasota County can do more than rank among the best school districts in Florida.
We can help lead a public schools renaissance across this state.
A public schools renaissance would mean refusing to accept ordinary when extraordinary is possible.
It would mean using our momentum to lift every school, every classroom and every learner, with a keen focus on the students in the lowest quartile from pre-K through graduation.
It would mean making Sarasota County the place where teachers want to build careers, where parents trust that their children are known and challenged, and where students can see a future for themselves long before graduation day.
Communities thrive when graduates are prepared not only for tests but for citizenship, work, service and leadership.
That is not partisan.
That is responsible school board work and stewardship.
Before you cast your vote, talk to a teacher and ask the following questions:
Who will protect students from disruption?
Who will respect educators?
Who will keep the School Board’s attention on achievement instead of ideology?
Several of the School Board candidates have spoken for years during the public comment portion of board meetings.
Look up their past comments and see whether you agree with them – and not just with their current campaign rhetoric.
A few of the candidates are cut from the same cloth as the current board majority.
They have the same political endorsements, the same agendas and the same supporters.
Vote on Aug. 18 to protect Sarasota County’s public schools from disruptive, extreme politics – and to keep the futures of children first and foremost.
Our public schools belong to our community, and not to outside political agendas.
If we choose courage over chaos and results over resentment, Sarasota County can lead the Florida public school renaissance and show the country what strong public schools can be.
Tom Edwards represents District 3 on the Sarasota County School Board. He was first elected in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: We can end the chaos on Sarasota’s School Board. Let’s do it | Opinion
Reporting by Tom Edwards Guest columnist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tom Edwards Guest columnist, Sarasota Herald-Tribune | USA TODAY Network
