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Lee County voters face a formidable task in casting ballots in four School Board contests that will begin determining if the current majority continues serving or a new majority takes office.
In reconfiguring the district’s elected leadership, our primary concern is that voters could end up seating a seven-member board that lacks enough members with actual classroom teaching or school administrative experience.
The skillsets of three board members who are certain to continue service post-election are in corporate finance and management; a professor and attorney; and a Realtor.
Among three district seats and an at-large position on the Aug. 28 ballot, there are 15 candidates total wanting to join the seven-member board. In three of the four contests, there are four or five candidates, making it unlikely any will receive 50 percent plus one vote to win outright. Instead, we expect the top two vote-getters in those races to move on to Nov. 6 to determine the ultimate winner.
There’s urgency to vote in these nonpartisan races because very few votes could dictate who moves forward.
The district seat serving Bonita Springs and Estero isn’t up for election this year. Our editorial board isn’t endorsing in elections within districts based outside of our customary coverage area. That excludes districts for Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Lehigh Acres.
The at-large seat, assigned as District 6, is for all Lee registered voters. While our editorial board is focusing its recommendation on this at-large race, it comes against the backdrop of the overall composition of the seven-member board and our concern, however remote, that a school board in one of the state’s largest districts could lack enough trained educators. Considering the district’s budget challenges, experience in financial management also could be a plus.
Given the mathematical likelihood that two at-large candidates will continue campaigning past Aug. 28, we won’t outright endorse one yet. However, we single out Karen Putnam Watson of Fort Myers as a candidate we hope Lee voters will continue to hear from between now and Nov. 6.
Watson is a Lee schools product who worked for the district for 22 years in varying roles. She has classroom experience, including working with Head Start and students from challenging backgrounds. She pushed herself to get a master’s in social work and has served the community as executive director of Our Mother’s Home nonprofit. Not only does she understand the schools from the inside, she can empathize with those struggling to succeed in class, and life.
As for the state’s safety-related push to focus on mental health in schools, her background enables her to offer ideas on getting teachers trained.
Career educator Betsy Vaughn also would provide needed classroom- and school-based leadership experience to the board. An opinionated independent thinker, her 38 years in Texas and Florida classrooms included eight at Estero High School.
Nicholas Alexander, with executive experience at Fortune 500 companies, could benefit the board in strategic planning. He now runs a management consulting company. He articulates a sound three-priority plan for advancing the district, with impressive attention to detail.
Lori Fayhee offers voters an alternative viewpoint of district operations, such as when she helped lead the district’s testing opt-out movement several years ago. She wants to replace common core standards.
Editor’s note: Our Aug. 28 endorsements to date are Amira Fox for state attorney; Roy Terry and Jen Mitchell for Collier School Board; Crystal Kinzel for Collier clerk; “No” on Marco ambulance referendum; Penny Taylor and Andy Solis for Collier County Commission; “No” on North Collier fire referendum. Next: Bonita springs referendum and Immokalee fire fee referendum.
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