"Three of the five candidates for August’s Sarasota School Board election participated in a public forum Thursday afternoon.
District 2 candidate Liz Barker was present, while the incumbent board chairwoman Karen Rose was absent. District 3 candidates Thomas Babicz and Tom Edwards participated, but Greg Wood was absent due to a family illness. The three faced a crowd of more than 250 people at Michaels on East armed with questions and concerns for the future of the Sarasota County School District."
"As the mother of four children in our local public schools, I am deeply concerned about the future of public education.
Public education is at a crossroads. More than ever, our community is paying attention to education and is willing to work for its success. We have an incredible opportunity to put our collective experience, skills and energy to work.
But we must choose to do this. Political extremism threatens to upend the entire system in favor of privatization. Are we willing to abandon public schools and sell our children’s education to the highest bidder? Or are we committed to protecting them?"
We have an incredible opportunity to put our collective experience, skills and energy to work. But we must choose to do this. Political extremism threatens to upend the entire system in favor of privatization. Are we willing to abandon public schools and sell our children’s education to the highest bidder? Or are we committed to protecting them?"
"A race for Sarasota County's District 2 School Board seat is heating up as the first candidate filed to run against the incumbent Karen Rose in the August 2024 primary election.
Liz Barker, a Sarasota mother of public school students and regular School Board meeting attendee, filed on Tuesday to run for the District 2 seat that is up for election next year."
"If elected, Barker says she will concentrate on student achievement and teacher support. She says the culture war distractions need to be kept out of the boardroom so that district educational priorities are the focus of each school board meeting."
"While both women are at odds over the direction of Sarasota County’s Public Schools, both say they are against politics and culture-war issues distracting from student success.
Voters will have to decide whose approach they want to see in 2024."
Students and educators in Florida, Kentucky and Iowa are starting the school year with new guidelines and policies.
Host Deepa Fernandes talks with Grant Gerlock of Iowa Public Radio, Kerry Sheridan of WUSF and Jess Clark of Louisville Public Media about what's to come.
Barker, the candidate running against Rose, said she was happy to hear the board members did not support drawing her out of District 2. However, she said the $39,000 would best be spent elsewhere in the district, such as staffing substitute teachers. "I would have rather spent this evening talking about how we can support our teachers, how we can pay them a living wage," Barker said.
"Why has the Sarasota County School Board made redistricting a priority at this moment in time? After watching a recent board workshop, where the redistricting consultant presented his report, I have even more questions about why the board believes it is in the best interest of our community to spend time and money on this issue." - Liz Barker
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