JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Duval County School Board approved more than $7,000 for a trip to an Orlando professional development conference for five board members, despite concerns raised by some community members that the host organization has a partisan bent.
Duval parents and community members voiced their concerns during Monday’s school board meeting.
“We’re facing a budget deficit and we don’t need to be spending this extravagant amount of money for something that does seem political,” Susan, a concerned grandparent, said.
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The political concerns center around the host organization: School Boards for Academic Excellence.
“Their posts actively promote a right-wing agenda, focusing on flipping school boards to conservative majorities and highlighting groups like the 1776 Project and Moms For Liberty,” Duval parent Katie Hathaway said.
But the measure was approved on a 4-2 vote.
“The community has elected us. They have, and if this is the kind of professional development that we are interested in, then we have the opportunity to participate in that,” School Board Chair Charlotte Joyce said, pointing out the newly conservative majority on the board.
Board member Darryl Willie questioned whether the board would view a similar request from an organization with differing political views.
“My push would be, if I came up and said I wanted to attend a liberal conference, would we have an issue with that?” Willie said.
Vice Chair April Carney argued members do attend conferences that espouse other political views and that members should hear from a diverse variety of groups.
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“We need to be looking at both sides and if we don’t have anything to compare these other conferences to, then how are we supposed to come together collaboratively as a board with professional development?” Carney said.
Board member Melody Bolduc argued the conference will give her and other members an opportunity to hear directly from the State’s Commissioner of Education, who is slated to be a keynote speaker.
“It is rather important that we work to have the ear of our decision-makers at the state level, as our legislative agenda could go a long way to help fix our budget shortfall,” Bolduc said.
Action News Jax spoke with David Hoyt, the Executive Director of SBAE.
He contended the organization is nonpartisan.
“We certainly don’t endorse candidates or do anything political whatsoever. We’re not allowed to by IRS rules,” Hoyt said.
He said the training will focus on making school board members more effective policymakers, with a particular focus on improving literacy rates.
“And I think the parents that were complaining about us last night seem to think that the politicization is coming from the right,” said Hoyt. “I would argue that it comes from both sides and in neither case does it really help academic outcomes.”
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On Tuesday, Vice Chair Carney sent Action News a statement regarding the outcome of Monday’s vote, saying it, “Reflects the Board’s intent to continue to learn through professional development, and seek guidance from other school districts throughout the state and country”.
The conference is scheduled to be held from Jan. 22 through the 24.
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