Editor’s Note: As the Aug. 26 primary election draws closer, the Plant City Times & Observer will be publishing profiles and Q&As from each of the candidates who will represent Plant City and its constituents.
In this final edition before the primary, we introduce the candidates for the hotly contested Hillsborough County School Board District 6: incumbent April Griffin and her challengers, Asher Edelson, Alison McGillivray Fernandez, Dr. Stacy Hahn, Paula Meckley, Dipa Shah, Lee Sierra and Randy Toler. We also present School Board District 2 candidate Michelle Popp Shimberg. That race also includes candidates Sally Harris and Michael Weston, but neither returned repeated inquires by phone and email seeking comment.
APRIL GRIFFIN
Age: 45
Family: Husband, Brian, married 25 years; two sons
Hometown: Born and raised in Hillsborough County
Education: Currently enrolled at Eckerd College with one term left (senior project and several elective courses) to complete bachelor’s degree in organizational studies with a minor in public administration
Experience: Current School Board member (elected in 2006 and reelected in 2010); owner of successful software development company
Favorite author and book: “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Daniel Covey
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Thomas Jefferson
Website: VoteApril.com
What’s the biggest challenge the School Board faces, and what are your solutions?
There are many problems facing public education right now, so it is hard to pick just one. One area that is going to require a great deal of attention is the escalating administrative costs. Our district successfully overcame the financial crisis our nation faced without any furloughs or layoffs. We cut more than $300 million out of our budget during the past seven years. As was one of the leaders who was a part of the leadership team who helped navigate through those very tough times I reminded the board and the superintendent that we were the largest employer in the county, and, if we began furloughing and/or laying off employees, our whole community would suffer.
Now, as we are starting to see the light of day with our budget, I am concerned the district is putting too much emphasis on rebuilding our administration to the pre-recession level or more. I know staff has been stretched thin, but a majority the efficiencies achieved out of necessity should be maintained with the increase in our budget going to areas that have direct contact with our students.
Are teachers paid adequately? Why or why not?
No, I do not believe teachers are paid adequately. We are coming out of a very tough economic downturn. Remarkably our district employees received raises during that time. However, it was not enough to compensate professionals that have such an important role in our society. We are currently in negotiations with our teachers and support personnel. I hope we can come up with more money for salaries.
What is your position on Common Core and the new Florida Standards curriculum?
This is a complicated question. After much research and deliberation though, I do not support Common Core, aka the Florida Standards. That being said, there are parts of the Florida Standards that are good, and if taken and applied individually, could help students be successful.
Unfortunately, we have had so many funded and unfunded mandates forced on us over the past decade that are still not fully implemented and I don’t think we need to take on another major initiative, especially one that will have far too many unintended consequences, until we have successfully and fully implemented all of the other initiatives.
What skills and experiences make you the best candidate for School Board?
As the incumbent, I believe my experience as a School Board member for the past seven years makes me the most qualified candidate. I have kept every campaign promise I made when I ran for office in 2006 and when I ran for reelection in 2010. I have raised questions that other board members were unwilling to raise and as a result there have been major changes in our district.
For example, the recent transportation improvement plan would not exist had I not brought the deplorable conditions that existed in transportation to the board’s and superintendent’s attention. I have also raised concerns about our exceptional student education, and, as a result, we have implemented programs to train all employees in ESE. That being said, there is still much work to do.
I also have been the most fiscally responsible board member, having proposed and passed many motions that bring more transparency and accountability. I passed a motion to have all assistant superintendents file financial disclosures just like board members have to. I did this because they are the ones that are meeting with vendors and inking the contract that they bring before the board for approval. I also led the charge on not re-hiring retired teachers and administrators at the salary they retired with, because so many people were ‘double dipping,’ and it was costing the taxpayers a lot of money. Currently, if retired employees want to return to work for the district, they have to return at the starting salary offered to all new employees.
I also attempted to pass a motion on two separate occasions to have the board to hire an independent financial auditor. Because two incumbents are not running for reelection, we are going to have two new board members, and I plan on bringing this issue back up after a new board is seated in November.
What are some of the issues facing schools in Plant City, and what are your proposed solutions?
Students are being pushed in to advance placement courses and are not being given enough opportunity to take elective courses. The drop in enrollment is leading to courses being dropped by the schools and thereby taking away even more opportunities for courses that can keep kids engaged in school. Career and technical courses and other elective courses are a vital part of a student’s educational career. We must remember that not all students are going to go to college, whether by choice, circumstance, or ability. If we don’t offer our students options other than College Board courses, we not only doing them a disservice, we are hurting the community as a whole, because the reality is that most students are going directly into the workforce.
Any other thoughts/comments?
Through recent events that were brought to my attention by employees and parents, I realized I still have a lot of work to do. Every decision I make is with the students first. I have fought for students, employees, parents, and community members and will continue to remember that I work for you. I have been honored to serve our community for the past seven years as a school board member and would appreciate your vote so that I can continue to work to resolve these issues.