by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
School Board member W.C. Gentry says the state’s lawmakers will be held accountable for their actions — better yet, perhaps their inaction towards funding public education.
Jaguars owner Delores Weaver says the involvement of her and her husband Wayne is simply part of the civic responsibility that comes with owning an NFL team.
Deborah Gianoulis Heald says the initiative is about the retaking of local control over education funding.
“Save Duval Schools” was started about a month ago on a hot late winter day in Hemming Plaza. On a very rainy Monday night in the Weaver Suite at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, the initiative continued as the Weavers hosted many of the city’s top executives and others interested in preserving — and re-establishing — a solid public education system. It may be only fitting that the Weaver Suite is located at exactly the 50 yard line on the west side of the stadium.
“This is nonpartisan. It’s all about community,” said School Board member W.C. Gentry.
The grassroots effort is old-fashioned in nature, but its success is based primarily in the present. Through saveduvalschools.org, organizers are using the Internet — through the Web site and Facebook mostly — to raise awareness about the perils facing public education funding not just in Duval County, but across the state. Gentry and Save Duval Schools volunteer head Deborah Gianoulis Heald both say part of that awareness is keeping the general public informed about what lawmakers in Tallahassee are doing during the current session and also about what they aren’t doing to help public education.
“People are sick and tired of hearing politicians talk about how important education is,” said Gentry. “In Tallahassee, it’s the same old story. You can count on it — there will be a special session in August on the budget. What they (lawmakers) are saying now is all smoke and mirrors.
“For the first time, there is a powerful grassroots voice for education. That’s the plan and so far it’s going well.”
Gianoulis Heald agreed with Gentry about the month-old program.
“We’ve had a good start, but this is about the long-term,” she said. “Tonight is not about this (legislative) session. We are asking people to make financial pledges to help keep the Web site up-to-date and so we can buy some media (coverage) in August. This is also about the session next year. We have a student-led group on Facebook. The viral marketing has been a cornerstone of this initiative all along. We will post both the good and bad things going on in our schools.”
Gianoulis Heald said it’s her understanding the politicians don’t necessarily care for the site that’s designed to report on what’s transpiring in Tallahassee while providing a real-time outlet for comments from the public.
“They don’t like it,” she said. “They need to listen to the people that elected them. They are our elected representatives.”
Delores Weaver said she and Wayne got involved because they see the initiative as another way to give back to the community.
“We are just very interested and concerned about the public school system. We are at a crisis and a crossroads,” she said. “We never look at things as an obligation. This is something that’s very important and we want to make a difference. We help when we can with different issues.”
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