Editorial
Do you want more politics in the school system? Your answer should be NO.
The voter should say NO on the ballot to elect a Lee County school superintendent.
Our Republican lead local state delegation introduced and passed a bill to place the question on the November ballot. It will be the very last item on the ballot.
The question voters in Lee County will face in November when they decide whether to maintain an appointed/hired professional as the chief executive officer of the Lee County School District or take their chances with a politician if they choose to elect their children’s top schools chief. Which have the power NOT to listen to the elected school board of seven.
Of the 13,567 school districts in the nation, only 1% have elected superintendents and of the 120 largest school districts in the nation, only 1 has an elected superintendent.
Of the 22 largest school districts in the State of Florida, only one county has an elected superintendent.
The newest Lee County superintendent, Dr. Christopher Bernier, was hired after the School Board conducted an exhaustive national search, allowing for the highest degree of professionalism, expertise, and experience.
With an elected superintendent, the citizens are limited to choosing from only those who live in Lee County.
The only qualifications a candidate needs to run for the position of the elected superintendent are to be 18 years old, live in Lee County, be free of felony convictions, and not be adjudicated mentally incompetent.
Elections are costly, time-consuming, and often contentious undertakings. Winning a campaign in a county the size of Lee County is akin to a full-time job.
Appointed/hired superintendents can devote all of their efforts to the operations of the school district.
Elected superintendents must divert significant time that should be focused on the students to raise money and win votes.
Some believe that it is quite counterintuitive to choose a system that necessitates the polarization of public education over the performance of students in public schools.
Others argue that it is oxymoronic to infuse partisan politics into an area of public service that thrives in an environment of nonpartisanship.
While we all want someone who can manage the politics of a school district, consider whether you really want a politician as the chief executive officer in charge of our children’s education.