SARASOTA — Artificial intelligence, resolutions and pre-kindergarten programs were raised and challenged by both Board members and residents during Tuesday’s Sarasota County School Board meeting.
Less than 30 residents spoke during Tuesday’s public comment with the topics varied.
Resident Layla Marcum is concerned about a Board workshop discussion on extending the hours and curriculum of pre-kindergarten programs, stating classroom instruction for younger children might be more harmful than helpful.
“I know pre-K is a great, great thing but forcing academics too early can stunts the mind of creativity and imagination at that age,” Marcum said. “Students, specifically boys, can be ‘pigeon-holed’ into labels like ADHD absolutely wrongly and with dire consequences.”
High school student August Ray, who said he “skipped” his senior skip day to attend the meeting, used his 3 minutes to discuss the “broken” county he does not want to leave behind for other students once he graduates.
“I’m not here for attention because you guys don’t pay me any,” Ray said. “I need this board to listen to me and every student that speaks here every week because your silence speaks volumes.”
New Partnerships
A partnership between Phoenix Counseling Support Service Inc. — a local non-profit behavioral health agency — and SCS passed unanimously.
The program will help students who need immediate mental health support, said district officials, offering “additional wrap around supports” once a school has obtained signed parental consent for a mental health referral.
Starting in the 2024-25 school year, trained mental health providers will be available to provide counseling services to students on school campuses or during otherwise scheduled times.
PackBack, a computer-based program that uses AI technologies to enhance student writing skills and offer teachers grading tools, was introduced as a potential district partner during Tuesday’s board meeting.
If approved, the program will replace existing feedback methods district officials say no longer provide high school students with the targeted guidance they need to excel in the new FAST writing assessments.
PackBack will be implemented in Sarasota County high schools for the 2024-2025 school year, at a cost of $160,000.
Superintendent Terry Connor said PayBack will also alleviate teacher workload, freeing up time for more personalized feedback and instruction for students.
“We have to embrace technology, because AI is coming in fast and furious,” Connor said. “It’s time we jump on the AI bandwagon.”
Resolution Rips Residents Apart
The last hour of Tuesday’s workshop proved to be the biggest point of contention during the School Board meeting after Board member Tom Edwards proposed a resolution on student equity for the Board to sign.
After more than 45 minutes of debate, Board member Robyn Marinelli tore up the resolution during the workshop, citing “political theater” was behind Edwards’ proposal rather than a unity among the Board.
Residents were quick to respond to the Board member’s reaction.
“If you are concerned about political theater, why have you never addressed it before?” Christie Cartwright said, accusing Marinelli of allowing Board member Bridget Ziegler’s “every move for political theater.”
Last year, Ziegler posted a selfie of herself online in a T-shirt that read, “Real women aren’t men” in response to Bud Light’s decision to feature a transgender woman as their spokesperson in an ad last year.
One resident, John Wilson, wore a replica of that T-shirt during his 3 minutes at the podium.
“Someone said that the words on the back of my shirt were going to cause people to die,” he said. “I know people in the district, and I know for a fact that trans kids aren’t getting bullied.”
Speaker Paulina Testerman ridiculed Marinelli for tearing up Edwards’ proposed resolution.
“He wasn’t asking the board to donate a kidney, he was asking the Board to prove to the public that this Board actually cared about ‘every student, every day,’” she said. “Not just the motto, not just the sales pitch.”
Board Chair Karen Rose cut off Testerman after her comments, accusing her of “bullying” a board member and therefore violating the Board’s policy.
Testerman raised her concern that a prior speaker, Wilson, was allowed to wear a transphobic message on his shirt while she could not repeat back statements from Marinelli had said during Tuesday’s workshop.
Rose asked Testerman be a “role model” for the community, and stated the Board does not condone “bullying” in its schools.
Resident Deb Hayes offered the suggestion that had the Board signed the resolution, it would have possibly “given the public a teeny bit of optimism that they were heard.”
Robinson Returns
The meeting concluded with a window of opportunity for the Board to nominate a person for the position of certified public accountant for the Audit Selection Committee.
Board member Tim Enos nominated former School Board member Eric Robinson for the position, which comes just days after Robinson resigned from the committee.
While others supported the nomination, Edwards paused the voting process to publicly share he would not be supporting Robinson.
“I am not disparaging Mr. Robinson in any way, shape or form,” Edwards said. “But I cannot support Mr. Robinson being on the Audit Selection Committee because it’s just too much to the community and the concerns raised during public concern.”
Robinson is a member of the district’s audit committee when he was appointed by Rose last month for a seat on the Financial Advisory Committee, causing some residents to raise concern over ethics.
Board Chair Rose quickly accused Edwards of “throwing stones” at other board members, citing past financial committee members had been a board member’s campaign consultant.
Robinson is the treasurer of Rose’s campaign for reelection.
After a voice vote, Robinson was approved 4-1 and Thomas Chaffee was unanimously approved to be added to the Audit Selection Committee.
Most Popular
Comments / 0