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New School Board Member Association Details Plans
February 17, 2015
Four local school board members announced Monday they were establishing a conservative counterweight to the Florida School Boards Association, as that organization backs a lawsuit challenging the state’s de facto school-voucher program.
The Florida Coalition of School Board Members — currently consisting of Jeff Bergosh of Escambia County, Erika Donalds of Collier County, Shawn Frost of Indian River County and Bridget Ziegler of Sarasota County — hopes to quickly sign up 40 to 50 like-minded colleagues. But Bergosh said the coalition isn’t trying to usurp the Florida School Boards Association. School board members can be part of both groups.
“We’re not out to replace the current organization,” Bergosh said. “We want to make certain all viewpoints are represented, including the conservative viewpoints.”
Members of the new organization said the Florida School Boards Association’s involvement in a lawsuit against the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which provides tax credits to companies that donate money to nonprofit entities that pay for children to go to private schools, was just one factor in their decision to organize the new group.
The coalition also hopes to offer training programs at a lower cost and says the Florida School Boards Association is losing influence with the Legislature. “We feel that the FSBA has kind of lost touch with the citizens whose tax dollars fund their existence,” Donalds said.
by The News Service of Florida
Comments
One Response to “New School Board Member Association Details Plans”
How is this new “Florida Coalition of School Board Members” (FCSBM) being financially supported, paid for by whom? Is this paid by US the taxpayers or are Mr. Bergosh and other members of FCSBM going into their own pockets to pay for membership? If WE are to pay for this then we are supporting two groups which give all appearances of being on opposite sides of issues.
Escambia Co. School Board members (and other districts too) have their Florida School Board Association (FSBA) dues and costs for training, professional development, paid for along with travel expenses through their budget — by the Citizens of Escambia County through our taxes….but that’s part of the job and cost of having stellar board members.
If this “conservative counterweight” (boy is THAT a puzzler) is against the FSBA’s movement against the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FTCSP) then that tells me this new group “Coalition” that Mr. Bergosh has joined is in Favor of the Tax Credit Program which in effect helps form avenues for Businesses to fund / financially support with tax money some select and private / charter / parochial schools.
The bottom line effect of the FTCSP is the businesses way to divert taxes from what would go to Public Education, taking those funds away from Our Schools.
Follow the money.