by Glenn Tschimpke
Staff Writer
“We’re one good school system away from being the best community in the country.”
Duval County Republican chair Tom Slade recently uttered those words, which were aimed squarely at the school board. Slade lavished praise on superintendent John Fryer, but cast a blanket of scorn on the school’s seven-member governing body.
Fixing the local school system and the school board within it has proven to be a tall task, or as Slade said, “turning an aircraft carrier on a lake.” The school board and Fryer have enjoyed a tenuous relationship since his arrival, punctuated by last year’s school bus contract debacle and Fryer’s own contract negotiations. Board members pointed fingers at Fryer as the problem, public sentiment points a finger at both and at least one politician essentially pointed his finger at the board.
Mayor John Delaney appeared ready to venture into the public education arena, but shied away when his suggestion of switching the school board from elected to appointed positions was met with swift and strong opposition — mostly from school board members. Delaney’s time is short in the St. James Building and he won’t likely affect large changes before he leaves office, but his successor will surely be expected to take a proactive stance toward the Duval County School System. Indeed, current mayoral candidates have publicly and privately made education their central issue in the coming
election.
Aside from the structure of the board, the biggest opportunity for change is through the election process. The board is due for a facelift this fall as three of the board’s seven members will be term-limited out — Susan Wilkinson, Gwen Gibson and Linda Sparks — leaving room for fresh faces and fresh ideas.
Having a quality public school system goes far beyond educating students. Business leaders factor the caliber of the local school system in their strategies. Education considerations can make or break a business’ relocation or expansion plans.
“It’s critically important in the business community in terms of recruitment and retention,” said Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce chair M. Lynn Pappas. “If you don’t have a well-educated population, it’s hard to develop a workforce. I do know it is on the top of the list of the large employers we recruit.”
As a measure of the school system’s importance, the Chamber of Commerce is encouraging local business leaders to get involved, not only on committees and volunteer groups, but also as elected leaders. Pappas, while careful not to say she’s looking to mold the school board into a council of business professionals, would like to see the business community to take a more active role in the school system.
“The school board is an important part of our community,” she said. “Traditionally, the school board has not had a broad audience. I think there is a heightened awareness within the community. It isn’t just a problem for parents; it’s a problem for everybody.”
Pappas adds that the Chamber of Commerce is not trying to fill an agenda by encouraging specific business leaders to participate as candidates, declining to play the “name game.”
“The Chamber’s objective is to get the importance of the school board election known among the business community,” she said.
Still, Pappas said that school board candidates will have an opportunity for exposure before the Chamber’s membership. That move is sure to reap benefits for candidates.
But at least one school board candidate isn’t crazy about the idea of recruiting business leaders for the school board. Victoria Drake charges that the typical business person may not be able to fulfill the obligations of the board.
“This is a hard seat to find a typical business person to fill,” said Drake, who is campaigning to replace Sparks in District 6. “It’s not just sitting in a board meeting making decisions until the next board meeting. It’s a full time job.”
Drake has sent three boys through public schools and is a 16-year volunteer with the Duval County School System and a consultant for the Florida Association of Partners in Education. She says it isn’t likely that the typical business person would be able to field calls from angry parents and and take the requisite trips to schools in the community in addition to the normal day’s routine.
“They’re not going to have time to do that,” she added.
Many community leaders have long advocated a diverse board. Currently, Martha Barrett is the only board member with a significant business background. Cindy Rounds is an operating room technician and Gibson is an attorney. The others lean strongly toward education. Wilkinson, Jimmie Johnson and Sparks are former educators. Kris Barnes has a lengthy list of community involvement on various school advisory committees and PTA boards.
“For a long time, the board was dominated by former educators,” said Cheryl Grymes, executive director for The Alliance for World Class Education and former school board member. “It’s an important perspective, but I’ve always felt we need a variety of people.”
But Grymes also doubts the feasibility of a typical business person’s ability to dedicate a significant amount of time to the school board.
“Usually, someone who is employed in a job probably won’t get the support they need from their employer,” she said, but tried to remain optimistic. “I do believe that the business community might finally be stepping up to the plate and trying to do something about it. It’s easy to stand outside and throw darts and say how awful it is. I served eight years on a board that was called dysfunctional. I know how that feels.”