"Mark Swanson was a teacher in the district before taking a job in the private sector."
The guy was a football coach that was FIRED for physically abusing one of his players. We don't need someone running on a "revenge" platform.
What would he do if he had a disagreement with someone? Perhaps put a helmet on them, smack them around and then grab the face mask and give it a few shakes. Ah, the good ol' days.

well. Abbot is on board with Thomson, as expected. Markopolos sounds like an Abbot clone. Sprague hopefully said more but we got what we got. all in all looks like another bad season for CCPS. i'll probably hold my nose and vote for Sprague, Abbot has to go.

Curatolo will be reelected, looking into my crystal ball. sorry Rick. isn't she from Marco? got the charter school and maybe a solar power plant?

too bad all this isn't on the Nov ballot. might get some voters to shake it up.

Gary Smith..... you have won the people already in a sentence...

Abbott: will always be known as the person that voted to keep the old superintendant, but then was grilled by the board into taking a second vote, which ultimately gave us our ever so UNWELCOMED superintendant despite what the community had to say... its time for you to be voted out

Curatolo: have you ever watched a session on TV. they dont listen to the people, countless times I have seen the board sweep away a concern or question with a very simple " that topic is not up for discussion today " and the superintendant is the best at that one, he can dodge a question before its even asked.. you never listend and you never will.. .its time for you to be voted out as well

Pay the teachers what they are worth before they leave. I know a teacher, been with CC for 14 years and makes 42k.. that is pretty sad. Can you tell me what the average administrator makes on average ??

and before i say goodnight to all this BS i want to say again that CCPS will not save a copper penney from giving up the janitors to GCA. only CYA for the management expansion and Admin raises.

District 4 candidate Gary Smith said he doesn’t support Thompson in anything he does. Sounds like a winning proposition! Could this be our man!??

#5 the only problem with Gary Smith saying he doesnt support Thompson is Thompson gets rid of people who he can not control. I read today on the internet that is what happened to Principal Tiffany Parker from Lewis Lemon school in Rockford ILL.

Thompson brought down here Five people down here from Rockford ILL. and put them in as Principal positions around Collier County. I am hoping he does not want to bring the Principal down that was let go because of a scandal about changing student grades and not getting his certfication to be a principal that Thompson hired in 2006.

Well I need to watch what I say here. Except Thompson is a smart man. I am still reading,searching and taking notes.

Mrs Abbott has lost any vision she may have had. To say the custodians will have jobs with GCA is nonsense. Not one of them will ever afford the healthcare, they will lose their pensions. She needs to fill out an application with GCA. Mrs Curatola is the "only" board member using her mind to explore ways to save money without distroying jobs. Its funny, Donovan was in the audience and grumbled and made remarks when Curatola spoke, its sad. Go Julie Sprague you go girl......

It was interesting how each one of the candidates, except Mrs Abbott, basically bashed the Superintendant for his management style. I hope you are listening Mr T,

chincione - we need more Gary Smiths - and then Thompson needs to be reminded who HIS boss is! Don't be fooled - old adage - How can someone so smart be so foolish? Denny is sheltered from day-to-day activities by his chickies - He is only made aware of what goes on in the immediate area with what they want/need him to know - Everyone with eyes and ears can see who is running the show - talk about waste from within - if the walls could talk there would be one helluva story to be told.

So what if Donovan grumbled and made remarks when Curatolo spoke - ever watch those two on tv? She belittles every thing that he says!
And that is no better than booing candidates when they speak, Bagpiper! Bet you were one of the
people booing Linda and Adrienne. Sorry bunch of people
Curatolo and Sprague are saying what you want to hear when you want to hear. Be careful what you wish for. Curatolo has never kept her promises.
I bet that is why Donovan was grumbling.

I agree that all shool board candidates & current members should be "Grilled". Question is, gas or charcoal?

It is a sad day when anyone would vote back in any incumbents involved with bringing down this package deal from Rockford. New candidates with new ideas for any open seat on the board are needed. Gary Smith sounds like he may have good ideas but go slow if you’re looking to replace Thompson and his dixie chicks. We don't want another hurried up, middle of the night deal that cost tax payers a bundle when they ran Baker out!

fedupinnaples......."I'll bet you were one of those booing Abott and Adrienne,....You don't know me, so you lost yor bet, I do not act out in that manner. You sound like Donovan himself defending his lack of class attitude. You right, I am supportive of candidates that tend to agree with what I feel and think. I guess you vote for whatever. Have a nice day Dono

Can't we just give Gary Smith the position - why wait until election day?

I pity you people that are buying into Curatolo's pack of lies. You are so being sucked in and will be sorry if you vote for that witch. All of you bus drivers, janitors and other support staff will be standing on the unemployment line or working for GCA wondering why you ever reelected her. You people obviously haven't been paying attention have you? She is a snake, manipulative and cunning and does not care about any of you. She is using the teamsters to whip all of you into a frenzy making false promises she has no intention of keeping. Look around at who contributes to her campaign. Jeffery Fridkin (Bakers Atty), Mike Reagan (Ex Pres of the Chamber). You all think she honestly cares about the working man? She has you duped into voting for her by making false claims of "I was the one that voted against Baker's termination and I was the one that voted no to hiring Thompson." She acts like a two year old on the board when she doesn't get her way. Kathy is the reason this district is in admin. warning status by the SACS committe. Her tantrums and unwillingness to play nice with the other board members is well documented. Reelecting her will be a huge mistake. Mark my words if you vote Kathy Curatolo in again, you seal the fate of this district. I guarantee it!

fedupin naples.....Do you truly think that it is acceptable for a sitting board member to attend a candidates forum and ridicule candidates so people near by could hear? If there is a beef between sitting board members, the forum for this negativity is not at a candidates forum. Perhaps the whole board should go to EAP for anger management

Tennpride, aren't you the one that referred to Mrs Sprague as a "militant feminist" what is your game?

Tennpride, on another blog about Ms Sprague I asked you to explain your "militant feminist" comment and whether that would impact her ability to be a good board member. You never responded. If you are going to attack, you should do more than just fire from the hit. You should qualify your position

Bagpiper, Have you actually seen a school board meeting? Curatolo is the queen of mean. She patronizes everyone else on that board, she lacks respect, trust and profesionalism of any kind. Her whiny nasal NY accent is annoying. Miiister Dooonovaaaan, I'm not fiiiinished! And she is constantly interuppting. As chair she always cuts off speakers and has never been in favor of public comments unless it suits her. I don't blame the guy or any one else for his comments or who he campaigns for or against. This isn't a board meeting its a candidate forum and he is there representing himself as a private citizen.

BP, I would be happy to answer. Ms Sprauge is a member of the AAUW and a good friend of Ms Curatolo. Together at a recent AAUW function, it was planned, no better word plotted, to unseat Linda Abbot. This organization according to its bylaws empowers women to succeed in a today's world in an agressive manner (militant feminist) just like NOW! Although I will give AAUW the credit of doing some good community activities that benefit women and young girls, for the most part is in my opinion unnecessery. Just like the role they play in the corrupt way of gaining polical advantage in Collier County. So I will go back to my cave dragging my knuckles and wait for all the so called attacks and false assumptions on who I might be. Bring em on!

tenn ... been there .....lets assume you are right about Mrs Curatola, do you think its acceptable to come down to that level? Don't you think maintaining professionalism is the right way to go. What example is set for employees,students and the general public when they witness the unprofessional attitudes and behavior of our elected?

Tenn, I still do not understand the militant feminist remark. How does that impact effectiveness as a board member? Our world has changed a great deal. I am a senior and do my best to be a good Christian. Many of todays trends are troubling for me, but I try to live and let live. I am not in immediate jeapardy of losing my job, and if I do, the Lord has blessed me and I will survive it. So many others are not as fortunate. I will support the candidate who will work hard, through dialog and willingness with the unions, the community and the board to see that the very last act is the letting go of good hardworking people who have served this district for many years. I can not be concerned with their race creed or other leanings.

Anyone who votes for Mrs. Abbott must have thrown "leadership" out the window as a determining factor in the School Board election. Her past words and actions in board meetings show she is better suited to running a daycare program!

Watch the meeting tapes -- she has no clue -- and yet proceeds to make moronic decisions about spending our tax money. She is just a shell of the person she used to be and someone else is now pulling her strings.

Careful about splitting the votes for the opposition since it could spread all the opposition votes far enough apart to allow her to slip back in. Sprague sounds like a safe choice.

As for Curatelo, don't know yet. She has stood up to the Thompson regime, which is a good sign. A recent letter to NDN suggested her opponent, Maccluggage, is supported by the guy who was Steve Donovan's campaign manager! Now there's a red flag for you.

Donovan is such a hypocrite -- he is quoted in the paper as saying the board is being warned officially due to lack of professionalism and then he turns around and makes snide remarks in public about one of his fellow board members! What a piece of work!

If you have any doubts about his inadequacies, watch one of those tapes of past board meetings. The man cannot finish a sentence, for pete's sake!

Oh yeah, as far as how that would impact her ability to be a good school board member. The manner in which she would be elected is the same M.O. used by Curatolo and in direct violation of the ethics statement sworn to by candidates not to engage in unethical campaigning. I think when you accept money from people that don't have any ties to Collier County other than relatives is unethical, I think lying to voters is unethical, as well as, using organizations like UUAW, the Chamber of Commerce and the teachers union whose only endorsement is Julie Sprauge without so much as a debate, forum or questionaire sent out. My dues should not be spent on a candidate I don't trust! I think it is preposterous to think that the union speaks for everyone, or that the other unions around the state should give to a candidate from another county. A candidate that accepts money like that is unethical and therefore has no place in elected office of any kind.

Sure, teachers knew they weren't going to get rich when they chose to teach (as did firemen, policement, EMTs, etc) but 15 years ago the budget actually almost covered classroom expenses and their pay kept up with the cost of living.

Teachers ARE put in danger each day - especially in the middle and high schools. I saw a teacher restrain a student who was wigging out - the teacher ended up in an ambulance but the other students in the classroom remained safe. Don't even get me started about where the YRD (deputy) for the school was.

Like every profession, there are good and bad teachers. Some that care and those that just want to make it through the day to collect a paycheck. Luckily, in my opinion, the majority of our teachers actually, genuinely care about the students and care what happens to them down the road.

On the other hand, Dr. T and his little entourage are pathetic. I had the pleasure of speaking to two families who were in his former school district. Neither had a good thing to say except that they were glad that he was gone (but they did say that they were sorry we were now having to put up with him). Changes need to happen from the top down. You can't come up with an idea over breakfast on how to save money for the school district, meet with buddies over lunch to figure out how to "sell" it to the public and ignore the consequences. Dr. T is slick and will play one side against the other to get what he wants. He absolutely, positively sucks as an administrator but he is great at manipulation.

People need to get all the facts and make an informed decision about each situation (block schedules, outsourcing custodians, teacher raises, budget changes, administration perks, etc.).

We are facing a shortage of teachers and nurses in our nation. I truly hate to think what will happen when there aren't enough teachers to go in the classrooms. If you hate classroom sizes now, wait until there are 40 or 45 students in each classroom because there aren't enough teachers. Or until your taxes DOUBLE because that is what it will take to get enough teachers.

Each decision made by the board will have an effect on others, whether it be teachers, students, custodians, or the community. It's a ripple effect. I just hope that the ripple doesn't turn into a tidal wave.

Oops - that was meant to go with another story. Sorry. :o)

It all comes down to common sense the way I see it. All five members of the board are dysfunctional in their own way. That is exactly why the SAC accreditation organization has once again put the school board on warning to correct their problems or possibly face lose of accreditation of it's schools.

First you have the three that so badly mishandled the firing of Baker and so called hiring of Thompson and his Rockford clan. Then you have the other two members who were part of the board that let Baker get out of control in the first place which lead us into the mess we now have.

At this point I see no hope of any real improvement coming from any of them so it's time for each and every one of them to go away.

This year we can start on that with the voting out of Abbot and Curatolo. Then two years from now we remove the final three.

There is of course no guarantee that any new board members will be any better than the old ones but I cannot possibly see how anything could get any worse than what has happened the past year or two in this school system.

Personally I am willing to to give the newcomers a chance to prove themselves. Really folks what do we have to loose?

Thats OK kerjolo. Great post anyway. Hope you post it in the other article.

Tenn - that is Tennessee as in home of Nashville, right? Which one of (or spouse of) the Nashville/Rockford cabal are you?

Be sure to share with the folks what AAUW stands for - American Association of University Women. You make it sound like some terrorist organization! Do you have any idea what this group stands for? You don't want highly educated women on our school board??

Take a good hard look at the credentials of current board members. Sprague is better educated than most of them. Brains would be a nice prerequisite for election to school board, don't you think?

Did anyone ask about the SACS report placing the District on probation for another 6 months? I have been surprised more parents (especially if you have a senior during the 08-09 school year) are not more in tune to the latest report. The Clayton County School District in Georgia recently lost their accreditation and the graduating seniors are not eligible for any of the HOPE scholarships. The HOPE scholarships in Georgia are what Bright Futures scholarships are to Florida students. This is a huge issue as students are directly affected by the actions of the Board members. We did not have goverence issues until Calabrese joined the Board and the swing went to Abbott, Donovan and Calabrese. These three are causing the problems. Parents need to wake up to what is going on.

Thank you McLady....I did not know what AAUW stood for. Seems Tennpride is well informed anyway. Tennpride...what organizations do you belong to? We all have our own likes. I was born to play Bagpipes. I have played at more police funerals than I can ever remember. It is Celtic eccentric I am told by some. I am fine with it, I am who I am. I am not intimidated with Militant Feminism.

I am not Donovan, Bagpiper. And yes, I do not know who you are hiding behind your alias, so I do not know if you were booing.
I actually sat near Donovan last night, I did hear him grumble, true that. But I recall it was during Curatolo's answer period and she never answered the question. Many of us were asking the same question, why can't you answer the questions???
I also thought several of the candidates did well, but I can't vote for Gary Smith, never heard of him and I will not vote for a teacher, as they will only side with teachers and I do not think they will be able to look at things from a business perspective. So Sprague is not getting my vote. Especially if she is friend of Curatolo. Look at campaign contributions, same bunch of people contributing to both campaigns.
As to Michael Church supporting MacCluggage, so what? Wasn't Bill Poteet Pat Carroll's campaign manager???And now Curatolo's manager? Kathy Ryan,who ran against Donovan, contributing to Curatolo? Richard Thern, who ran against Carroll, also contributing to Curatolo. What is she promising people, gotta ask the question.
Church has the right to support anyone he wants, as do you. Or am I wrong there??

#31-Not true. There wereissues brought up by the accreditation organization before Calabrese ever joined the board.

As for Gary Smith, anyone who says "I oppose everything Thompson does" is just as bad as he is. I thought the whole point of electing new board members was to elect people who have the best interests of the students in mind? Right now, based on the block schedule voting, the only member who seems to vote her mind is Carroll. The other 3 right now seem to decide their stance on issues simply based on whether or not Thompson is for or against it. So, a vote for either Abbott or Curatolo is a vote to continue the current discord.

fedup in naples....I do not wish to elaborate what came from his lips. It was not mere grumbling, it was very personal and the younger me, another time and place, would have asked him to step outside with me to talk about it! I my not have agreed with him on issues, thats ok, but I now have a different view of his humanity. Thank you, because I did not boo anyone. Its wrong and detracts from the spirit and content of these events. Its difficult to see through all the politics and smoke. I am truly trying to evaluate the candidates. Its not always what they say. I watch everything, body language when they answer certain questions, facial expressions when another candidate speaks. One candidate said his mission was for the board to all get along and agree. I don't need them to get along. They should be professional but I want independant thinking and ideas. Sitting in an audience badmouthing and being personal is not professional.

Remember, the school board is working a high paid part-time job hoping to stay employed by re-election. This way they are vested and eligible for florida state retirement. If you go back and look at the money they overspent every year, hoping the state would give them more money in their budget. They did not plan too well.

mindgames....I agree about the spending. Last evening Mrs Abbott was startling when she spoke of the past and how the board could or should have done things differently. It was like she was talking third person and not as someone on the board during that time. There was booing when she spoke of favoring privatization. I didn't like it, but she should not have been boo'd. She came off like someone without solutions, or the desire to work with labor for solutions to our budget situation. The booing left me thinking that so many in this town drive classy cars, live in upscale housing, put on the I have class face,...yet...so often, real class is hard to find. To have class I think you need to have respect first. In matters of this school district it is hard to find. Things like needing bulletproof glass for a school Superintendant, Board members sitting in an audience disrespecting and badmouthing other Board member while they speak, rushing into privatizing their loyal employees without exploring other means, the general and overall feeling that respect is a missing ingredient in the entire district. Forunately or unfortunately a leader sets the course.......its never too late.........

You're all uninformed dummies. Curatolo is the ONLY one for the job. She can run rings around the others on the board. She has knowledge and experience and can be depended upon. Just because you don't like her voice quality and think she is condiscending to Donovan is no reason not to vote for the most qualified of all the candidates. I am and so are many, many other experienced, well-read, well-educated and knowledgeable citizens in Collier County. SHE WILL WIN!!!!! She is the only hope for our school district!!!!

One more thing before I sign off....Respect, compassion. I am amazed that nothing much if anything has been mentioned about Mr Calabrese. I don't know the man and you do hear many contoversial things. There usually is good and bad in all of us....I know he was very ill and yet he is a key figure in the district and I wonder why we hear nothing about his wellbeing. If he were popular would we hear? I wonder. Respect, offer it if you want it, I was always told.

School Board Chairwoman Linda Abbott, who is seeking re-election to her District 4 seat, said cutting the jobs was a difficult decision, but had to be made to ensure that there were opportunities for students.

Notice the words "cutting the jobs was a difficult decision, but had to be made"....Sounds like it's already a done deal come September when the custodal jobs will be up for outsourcing to a private Rockford GCA company. Current schoolboard members need to be voted OUT. The custodians may have a job with GCA so the schoolboard and Thompson says, buy what about insurance and retirement? I'm sure that will be lost. Cut costs from the top starting with the Superintendant and his two side kicks salaries. That will save the taxpayers money and teachers and support staff their jobs.

Sorry a couple of mispelled typo's. I meant to say but what about the insurance and retirement not buy insurance and retirement.

isabel.........you are right, she made the statement and therefore has cast her ballot. These are the very things that need to change, and you are also right, they will have jobs, very inferior jobs.

I started my internet search because of the rants made by flcertifiedteacher. I dont know who this person is but I wanted to know what all the fuss was about towards Dennis Thompson and the school board.

I went back in the arcives of the Naples Daily News.

http://www.marconews.com/news/2007/se...

After reading the article I went to a news paper form Rockford Ill. area where Mr. Thompson was from.

http://www.rrstar.com/homepage There I typed in Dennis Thompson , this brought up 175 articles pretaining to Dennis Thompson. I started reading so I could figuar out what this flcertifiedtheacher had against Mr.Thompson.

I have just started reading. I will say this if you want to be more informed about Mr. Thompson you might look in to his past. I do not think it is an invasion of his privacy its all matter of public record.

I think that no matter who sits on the school board. Mr Thompson will gather around him who will do his will to run the Collier County School System.

This is not an attact of Mr. Thompson. I just think the citizens should be informed of who is running their schools.

Tennpride - Ms. Curatolo has not made any promises to the custodians, bus drivers, food service workers, maintenance people or mechanics, so let's be clear on that point. Never at any time has she promised anything to any of us. Do we really want another Thompson "yes man" on the Board? Isn't Donovan sufficient? At least Ms. Curatolo tries to make informed decisions. Wouldn't it be nice if the rest of the Board did the same?

RealClearTruth: Guess YOU don't know Gary Smith. LOL! Have known him my whole life. I'd vote for him if I could! But sad to say I don't live in Naples. I live in America's Paradise instead. I wish him the very best of luck on this up coming election.

#45- That is it exactly! Sadly it isn't going to matter who is on the board. Thompson will use any means necessary to intimidate them into doing what he wants.

For those of you out there who are "investigating" Thompsons past, ask a Collier principal about the "threat" he proposed during a weekly principals meeting regarding teachers speaking out against him at school board meetings. I honestly do not believe that anything will take a turn for the better until this man is asked to leave Collier County.

#46- Your personal knowledge of the candidate is irrelevant. All board members are probably good people in their personal lives, otherwise they wouldn't run for the school board and get paid a relatively small amount compared to the criticism they endure.

My point--and it was based exclusively on the blurb in the article--was that a candidate who makes school politics personal and opposes a man rather than an idea is exactly the type of candidate the board DOESN'T need. That's what made the situation as bad as it is right now, and all current board members. Ex: Curatolo was against block scheduling before she was for it (and then, I believe, wrote a letter to the editor containing the outright lie that she was "always for block scheduling"). Donovan made the opposite switch, voting for block scheduling before voting against it. Both "change of hearts" coincided with the superintendent switch. Curatolo supported Baker all the way, now Donovan supports Thompson in a similar fashion. I just think decision-making based on the proposer, not the proposal, hurts the school district. If Gary Smith or any other candidate really is different, it will come out in the course of the campaign. I'm just tired of people who seem concerned only with attacking administrators and politicians and don't really care about the quality of our schools.

chinci.....I myself am not concerned with Thompsons past... this is a new marriage. I try to look at things from a current perspective. Rockford is not Naples, different culture, problems and expectations. One must look at what information he recieved from the Board members and others while in the process of coming, we do not know what course he may have been given. He was trained in the military and rose to high high rank. I see some of that coming through. The command structure is different than it is in public education and even more so in this town. He is mission oriented like a battlefield commander. As such a commander, he would have little time to debate or wait on his orders to be carried out. This stage is different, like it or not. He would do well to consider this. .... Rockford was a school district going under, financially and in some ways culturally. They were economically depressed and crime and youth gangs were rampant. A strong hand may have been needed. Again, things are different here. People in Collier like dialog and communication, its how it is, I myself as a northerner had to adapt to it. I was in a fast mode and wanted things and answers right now. The employees like this as well and are desperate for imput with him. To this date, the blue collar union represenatives have never had any dialog of any kind with him. In military terms, a General never sits down with enlisted men....how do we get him to communicate. Throw stones? I wish I knew

i guess we need to clean up the school board?? too many non truthfuls..

Nice to see so much concern from the public. Long story short we are facing loss of accreditation. This board was warned and couldn't clean up their act. Nobody should return. Any decision made by them should be reevaluated.

The incumbents should be hiding their heads in shame not seeking reelection. The fact that they are is saying business as usual.

Whomever we vote for needs to clearly understand and make Thompson understand that the Superintendent works for the School Board and that he needs to keep the School Board fully informed of his intentions and actions. When items need to be cleared by the Board, the Superintendent needs to give full disclosure, all options available and time for an informed decision.

If Thompson has his way, ALL support services will be privatized. Do the citizens of Collier County really want to see this happen?

As for "empty promises", if we as citizens stay on top of the Board members and keep them informed, we can hold them immediately accountable for their actions. If we just sit back and comment from the sidelines, then we'll have to just live with the Board decisions. This is OUR County. This is OUR Board. These are OUR schools. We need to be INVOLVED.

#50 - I don't know Ms. Curatolo on a personal level. But I do know from being in meetings with her, that she has not made any promises to the custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, maintenance or mechanics.

sunflower, its just a cheap shot to discredit her. They want her to just go along with the program and hate that she asks questions. No one knows except herself how she will proceed.

I can't stand Thompson, but I don't think the answer is electing someone that is anti-Thompson. WHAT is this man offering? If it's what Calabrese did then no thank you. WE TAX PAYERS NEED PEOPLE THAT CARE ABOUT CHILDREN FIRST. I don't need a vengeful person on the board. That doesn't solve anything.
Just my $.02

You're the man, Bagpiper

I agree that CCPS needs SEVEN brand new board members . No pay. There for the betterment of the children, District and community.

The real answer to the problem here is, we get the people elected, but then we don't scurry away like cockroaches and only come out when it's dark. We stay in the light and do our best to work with the people who get elected. Let them know by being at as many meetings as we can that we care, that we're here to watch them, not just let them have at it.

There are many things in the school system that need to be corrected. Procedures need to be streamlined in all departments to save money. Our children need the schools to be accredited. Our Superintendent needs to meet with regular everyday people, not just his handpicked elite to hear and understand the concerns and possible solutions. And the School Board needs to get a handle on the Superintendent.

Just to name a few.

#60 A stipend is acceptable, but what they get now is ridiculous. Where I'm from, the School Board gets a stipend of about $2,000. Each member meets once a month in a school with a committee made up of the principal, teachers, parents and on my committee the fire chief. We discussed the school handbook, safety, budgets, improvements, calendars and anything that pertained to the school system on the whole would be brought back to the School Board so they could make an informed decision.

samewhere I came from, they do make a decent salary for what is describebd as partime. Its like so many union reps everywhere, most are volunteers and do what they do because its their personal mission. Helping people is not always a paid position

One of the startling statements made last night was the gentleman running against Curatola. He seems very sincere, however he stated he would work to bring the board together and basically get on the same page. I don't want that, I want independant thinkers who vote what they feel. What sort of democratic process needs everyone thinking and voting the same. I still can't get over Abbott talking in the third person about things the board should have done...doesn't she realize she was part of the board? Donovans behavior in the audience was pathetic. He came as a citizen so it has been said and participated in the booing and trash talking of his fellow seated Board member Curatola. Heard it myself. I think all board members should see EAP, anger management and professional demeanor is needed

Sunflower, I made the comment before your comment was posted... meant to reference #47, which was #46 when I first went to make the comment. So my flip-flop comment was made in reference to her high school block schedule positions. Which did happen.

Bagpiper's comments:
#7-Go Julie Sprague you go girl
#35-I am truly trying to evaluate the candidates
#57-(Referencing my observation of Curatolo's voting record) It's just a cheap shot to discredit her

Are you really serious? You're obviously a Curatolo supporter, which is ok, but don't pretend to be conducting an unbiased evulation of the candidates, and don't pretend she's the 1 member who's "really out for the best." From what I've seen, she's as automatic a NO for Thompson as Abbott and Donovan are a YES. And before, when Baker was here, it was the reverse. That's why I think everyone (at the very least those 3) should be replaced. And bringing up voting records is not a cheap shot. If that's the best response a Curatolo supporter can muster, then that says a lot more about her record than I could ever say myself.

Realclear....I like Sprague for what she has stated at several Board meetings, I like that several adm types denounce her as militant feminist, I like she has been a school teacher in this district. I like her so far, I am just learning about the other candidates. Iam evaluating the other candidates and if one impresses me more I will go that way. AS for Curatola, yes, right now I lean to Curatola. You feel she is an automatic no for Thompson, I disagree. Its not automatic. I like her because she slows down the slam dunking of agendas before before they are explored. Let see....this blog has called Sprague a militant feminist, called Curatola a snake witch, with no ethics and so on, If you are personally offended I am sorry.

clear truth, you stated I was conducting an "unbias" evaluation. We all have bias of some sort. We try to deal with it. I am leaning towards certain candidates, I am just getting info on others. I do like that Curatola is slowing down the privatization train long enough to hear other ways to balance the budget without the kicking to the curb of 250 "more" employees. None of the other board members seem to care to do it. Sprague has publically stated her view...but between now and Aug 6th, things could change my mind

The LWV Candidate Forum this evening was very interesting. I understand it will be shown on Channel 11, but I'm not sure when. I think you can check the LWV website. www.lwvcolliercounty.org (I think)

Post #31 - harley2 Please tell me where you found your info about losing accreditation leads to losing Bright Futures. I want to pass it along to other senior parents.

sunflower...a new blog on this subject go see it

Good show Mr bagpipes!!! I hope you will be playing a different tune in the near future.........PS: I just hope the community wakes up & get's involved here!.....some people just don't know the inside story from employee's of the wasteful spending.....

Post # 31
A reply from the state concerning status of Bright Futures scholarships if the district loses the accreditation status. See below.

As long as the high school diploma is still valid, the students are
considered validly graduated. High school graduation from a Florida
high school is a requirement for receipt of a Bright Futures award.

Probationary accreditation does not affect a school's standing. Should
the accreditation be revoked, then this action would then affect the
diploma status.

Sincerely,

Barbara Dombrowski
Director, Information & Training
OSFA, State Scholarship & Grant Programs
Florida Department of Education
Toll-free 1-888-827-2004
850-410-5191

Thanks for the information harley.

#25: The CCEA researched the candidates, polled samples of teachers (I know, I was one), and then the executive board conducted interviews of all declared candidates before endorsing Julie Sprague. Get the facts straight before you spew!