LWV: A Report Card for the Sarasota County School Board

 

Sarasota County School Board Report Card

The League of Women Voters of Sarasota has established an Observer Corps to monitor the Sarasota County School Board meetings. The goal of the Observer Corps is to objectively evaluate meetings for ethical, legal and professional conduct on the part of the board and chairperson. This evaluation will be shared with the Board and the public following each meeting.

Meeting Date: March 19, 2024

A = Consistently   B= Frequently   C= Occasionally   D= Rarely   F= Not at All 

        

Board follows and advances a written agenda. The published agenda was amended for two action items to accommodate concerns raised by community members about potential conflicts of interest prior to the meeting    This was presented by the Superintendent and approved by the School Board.	A
Board limits citizens’ comments only to opinions on topics that are in the Board’s purview. Most citizen comments at this meeting were repeated requests to address concerns of inclusivity, book restrictions and the charter school approval of the previous meeting. Many comments addressed the proposed legislation to allow chaplains in schools. While this may be perceived to be not in the board’s purview prior to a legislative action, it was clear that community members wanted to urge board members to refuse to allow chaplains in our schools, should the governor sign the bill.  Comments urging the Board to build trust within the community continued from previous meetings.  Requests for the resignation of Ms. Ziegler also continued.	B+
Board Chair does not allow speakers to personally attack board members or use abusive language. The board chair stopped one speaker saying her comment “touched on the private life of the board member.”  It was not clear to the public how the comment related to abusive language or attacks on Board members.  Chair continues to allow attacks on Ms. Ziegler (hypocrite, fascist).	C+
Board Chair treats speakers equitably. The Board Chair appeared to make an effort to greet and thank each speaker.  She displayed less physical reaction to community speaker comments with which she appeared to disagree than in the previous meeting.  However, the Chair does not treat her colleagues equitably.  The chair interrupted Mr. Edwards several times as he was seeking clarification on issues raised by the public concerning conflicts of interest and other matters on the agenda.  She did not, however, interrupt Ms. Ziegler when she was commenting extensively without an apparent topic.  That disparity is very apparent to the public and leads to questions of motive and objectivity on the part of the Chair.	C
Board adheres to Robert’s Rules of Order. One of the tenets of Robert’s Rules of Order is that only one speaker speaks at a time and that only urgent matters are cause for interruption of the speaker.   There was a clear violation of that tenet by the Board Chair in interrupting Mr. Edwards.	D+
The Board Chair runs an orderly meeting. The chair did cut the mike for speakers who ran over their time.  However, she cut off a colleague and the colleague expressed frustration at being unsupported by the other members of the board.	C+
Board delegates operational and educational decisions to the professional staff. After one student spoke of harassment, the Chair asked the Superintendent if that was something he should follow up.  Several other speakers requested follow-up on certain administrative items and they were not referred to the Superintendent.	B+
Board gives evidence of being responsive to public comment. Board seems dismissive and uninterested in public comment and does not clearly address them.  They do however defend their positions.  Mr. Enos did attempt to explain why he voted yes on the charter school in response to community concerns.  Speakers often refer to never getting responses to emails sent to Board members.   Several citizens were upset and concerned about Ms. Ziegler’s prior comments about Equality Florida.  She never addressed that concern.  Community members express feelings of being demeaned when a board member comments that the public really does not understand an issue.	D+

Additional Comments:

It is apparent that individuals speaking at the Board meetings have done extensive research on topics brought before the Board.  The time and effort put into that research is apparently never recognized by the collective board.   In fact, it appears as though it is summarily dismissed.  

Also while most board members state publicly that they want to keep politics out of the Board room, at least two of the board members at this meeting proposed the appointment of district committee members that gave the public the impression of political placements.   Whether valid or not, the mistrust grows. 

Mr. Edwards made it clear in the board member comments at the end of the meeting that he does not feel support by his fellow colleagues.  He also said he felt the board attorney did not support him.  This is a concern.  

Recommendations:

If the Board truly wants to keep politics out of the board room, the board individually and collectively need to be aligned around being non-partisan in its decisions and act accordingly.   Seeding mistrust with direct actions that initiate public skepticism is keeping the district from moving forward.

The board needs to find a way to address the concerns raise in public comment, even if it’s only to say they will give the issue further study or to thank them for the research the public has done on various issues.  

If at all possible, Ms. Ziegler should remain in her seat during board meetings.  She has left in the past two meetings which might give the impression that the public comments are unimportant.  

Submitted by:  Sarasota League of Women Voters School Board Observer Corps.

 

What's with the Sarasota School Board ideologues? Schurr

 WHY DO KAREN ROSE AND BRIDGET ZIEGLER WANT TO GET RID OF SUPERINTENDENT BRENNAN ASPLEN?

There are so many reasons, not least that they want a superintendent who is a lapdog. Remember that there was a time lapse of only three weeks between Asplen’s evaluation by the Board at the November 1 school board meeting and Rose’s move to fire him at the November 22 board meeting. It is interesting that the board’s evaluations do not support the actions of Rose, Ziegler and the two new board members.

At the November 1 meeting, Dr. Asplen’s written evaluations (link to the evaluations copied below) were provided to the public as an attachment to the agenda and each board member gave his or her comments to their respective evaluations. Brown, Edwards and Goodwin rated Asplen as Highly Effective, Rose gave him an Effective rating, and Ziegler gave a Needs Improvement rating (which she verbally negated by saying she saw it not as negative, but as an “opportunity” see 1:15:47 of the November 1 Board meeting located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEaWL4alfMc). There was no discussion of terminating his contract for cause or otherwise at that meeting.

It was most interesting that although Ziegler gave a Needs Improvement rating overall, this was not supported by her individual ratings: 2 Highly Effective, 4 Effective and 4 Needs Improvement. Basic math tells us that does not support a Needs Improvement rating. Denise Cantalupo provided a summary of all five evaluations, which resulted in a Highly Effective rating overall. And Rose’s overall rating was Effective, yet she voted against confirmation of the overall rating and was outvoted 4-1. Is this a case of, if you don’t like the overall results, you just ignore them and vote against them? And hold a grudge until you can fire him or drive him out, for no cause? Or is this a case of two vindictive board members with a plan, who do not like being challenged with facts against their opinions in the evaluation system? It is clearly a situation where the action is not supported by the facts.

After each board member gave their comments, Dr. Asplen was afforded an opportunity to speak. Asplen graciously thanked each of the board members for their evaluations and then respectfully rebutted in detail, some of those areas where certain board members had noted areas for improvement. Remember, this was a public evaluation, where everyone had an opportunity to present their opinions, even the person being evaluated. Unfortunately, it appears that retaliation is the result of such transparency. Watch the YouTube video of Asplen’s comments starting at 1:31:44.

Another very telling moment can be seen at 1:43:07. Ziegler had accused Asplen of playing politics and being divisive in her evaluation, because of a letter to the editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune that he wrote a year and a half ago in June 2021 (link to the letter attached below). As a result of one of Ziegler’s countless visits to Fox News and other media outlets to fan the flames of the false narrative that CRT is taught in our schools, Asplen was inundated by calls and emails from concerned parents and residents. To reassure the public that CRT is not taught, never has been taught in our schools nor will it ever be taught in our schools, Asplen wrote a letter to the editor. Apparently, Ziegler finds it “divisive” when the superintendent seeks to reassure the public and the truth is told. Particularly when it goes against her false and divisive narrative.

I have been a very vocal opponent of Dr. Asplen and have often disagreed with his decisions, even going so far as threatening to sue him and the board for removing books from the shelves without having gone through the board mandated policy for media center challenges. But I have never doubted that he was more than competent to do his job and more importantly, that he had the best interests of our children at heart and that he was dedicated to public education. Unfortunately, I do not think Rose and Ziegler share those qualities.

We know why Rose and Ziegler (and possibly the new Board members?) are so keen to terminate Asplen’s contract. They want a lapdog, not a superintendent whose first allegiance is to the students and stakeholders in this district. Perhaps it is time to cut out the politics, Ms. Ziegler and Ms. Rose, and concentrate on closing the achievement gap, bringing up reading scores and last, but certainly not least, it is past time to support our teachers, rather than attacking them.

Lisa Gialdini Schurr

Parent and CEO Support Our Schools

=========

Link to the written evaluations given by the five board

Link to November 1, 2022, Board Meeting

Asplen letter to the editor

Sarasota, FL: Conspiratorial cluster of Ninjas, Truthers, QAnon Theorists . . .

 How Sarasota Became the Conspiracy Capital of the United States

Mike Flynn

[Mike Flynn] the former general and QAnon icon lives just 25 minutes away, in Englewood, and is part of a growing cast of pro-Trump conspiracy theorists, insurrectionists, and election truthers who call Sarasota County home.

Overstock.com founder and uber–conspiracy theorist Patrick Byrne recently purchased six properties in the country, all at extremely inflated prices. Cyber Ninjas, the company with no election audit experience currently running the recount in Arizona’s Maricopa County, is headquartered in Sarasota County.

Charlie Kirk, head of the pro-Trump, far-right group Turning Point USA, which is targeting local school boards around the country, also lives in the county. As does Florida Sen. Joe Gruters, one of Trump’s closest political allies in the state and someone who promoted buses full of pro-Trump rioters heading to Washington on Jan. 6.

And let’s not forget Maria Zack, the conspiracy theorist who believes that the 2020 election was somehow stolen through the use of Italian military satellites. She also now lives in Sarasota County. Vice, 9.12.21

The Zieglers: 

Bridget Ziegler

 

Like all the other groups, parents’ rights group Moms for Liberty denied to VICE News that it organized the event, though messages shared by leaders of the Florida chapter of the group suggest they were closely involved in the running of the event.

 

Moms for Liberty burning masks in Brevard County, FL

Christian Ziegler

 The group was founded last year by Bridget Ziegler, a member of the Sarasota County School Board and the wife of Florida GOP vice chair [and current District 2 Sarasota County Commissioner] Christian Ziegler, who organized buses for people to travel to Washington on Jan. 6.

Christian Ziegler is also the owner of Micro Targeted Media, a digital marketing company that says “we do digital and go after people on their phones.” 

In the words of Chris Anderson, columnist for the Sarasota Herald Tribune, “Sarasota County has somehow become the Conspiracy Capital of the World."  Vice, 9.12.21 

 

Chris Anderson: Conspiracy theorists keep popping up in Sarasota County

Maria Zack is the latest mole of misinformation tied to our area. She still thinks the 2020 presidential election was rigged, and wait until you hear this doozy of a reason how: She is convinced that foreign powers used a military satellite in Italy to change votes from Donald Trump to Joe Biden on election night. 

Zack, who in 2016 formed a Super Pac backing Ted Cruz and discarded Trump as incompetent, has claimed she presented her “ItalyGate” satellite evidence to Trump in person as he ate dinner on Christmas Eve at Mar-a-Lago.

And, of course, she's tied to Sarasota County, which has somehow become America's Mecca of Misinformation. According to state records, Zack is president of a company called Nations in Action, which lists a P.O Box at a UPS store on Clark Road as its address. Herald Tribune, 9.14.21

 Chris Anderson: The secret moves of the Cyber Ninjas moneyman

[Patrick] Byrne, the multimillion-dollar moneyman funding the Sarasota-based Cyber Ninjas in the fantastical quest to find voter fraud in Arizona, thus handing the presidency back to Donald Trump, is a little on the questionable side himself. 

Byrne, meanwhile, is behind a pair of non-profits that have given the Cyber Ninjas nearly $5 million to audit 21 million ballots cast in Maricopa County, Az. during the presidential election. The long-overdue results have been delayed because some of the ninjas have coronavirus. 

Now, it's not that James and Jennifer Vett were looking to sell their six-bedroom, five-bathroom cul-de-sac home in the Oaks Club in Osprey. It's just that Byrne really, really wanted to buy it, and in June, his company offered $3.35 million for a house valued at around $1.5 million, according to the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's Office, whose records revealed even more notable purchases. 

Byrne's company – originally called Manatee Investments LLC – bought two more houses and a condo in the Oaks recently, and he paid over $1 million above the appraised market value for one of the homes. 

In June, his company also purchased a 10,000 square-foot building on Venice Avenue, which was the former home of Bayside Gynecology. Dr. Michael Wolpmann said he was not looking to sell, but who was he to turn down $2.5 million for a building appraised at $654,300?  Herald Tribune 9.9.21.

 

Mike Flynn

From rural Sarasota to Trump allies' inner circle: Who is the Cyber Ninja leading Arizona's audit?

Many assume [Cyber Ninjas' head Doug] Logan got involved with the Byrne, Flynn, and Powell team through one of his contacts in the cybersecurity world, perhaps through his federal contracting work.

[Overstock CEO Patrick] Byrne and [disgraced Trump General Mike] Flynn also have Sarasota County connections. Flynn bought property there in April, and Byrne followed suit in June. Joe Flynn, Mike Flynn’s brother who is involved in the nonprofits funding the Arizona audit, has owned property there since 2018. Herald Tribune 9.20.21

The Prince of Dark Money

Prince of Dark Money

The Detail

BY CATHY ANTUNES   |   SRQ DAILY SATURDAY PERSPECTIVES EDITION   |   SATURDAY APR 25, 2015

         

School Board Member Frank Kovach announced this week he will not run for reelection after 16 years of service. Kovach said the recent nonpartisan school board race was “corrupted by cash” and he expects the trend to continue. Former Sarasota GOP chair Eric Robinson is interested in running for the School Board.  Robinson expects to decide by June 1. 

When Kovach first ran for school board in 2000, $10,000 for a campaign would have been a lot. Last fall’s race between Bridget Zeigler and Ken March had each candidate raising over $51,000 and $72,000, respectively, with Zeigler getting support from a shadowy political action committee called Citizens Against Taxation. Eric Robinson was the PAC’s chair, treasurer and registered agent.

The Herald-Tribune reported last fall on difficulty tracing a major donor to the Citizens for Taxation PAC.  The donor in question, Phoenix Media, gave $45,000 to the PAC. Robinson refused to disclose who was behind Phoenix Media and the Zeigler PAC financed mailers, saying “donors don’t want to be identified.” Robinson refused to say where Phoenix Media was based (the company doesn’t do business in Florida) and told the newspaper “You’re not going to find it.”  Robinson would only affirm the company filed LLC paperwork in the United States.

My research turned up five Phoenix Media LLCs in the United States—they are in New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, Oregon and Wyoming.  The NJ and NY Phoenix LLCs don’t list registered agents, but have been in existence since 1997 and 2002. The Oregon and South Carolina Phoenix LLCs seemed unremarkable, with registered agents who are actual people. Phoenix Media, LLC in Cheyenne, Wyoming is a different animal.

Phoenix Media in Cheyenne was formed in July 2014. The $45,000 in donations to Robinson’s Citizens Against Taxation PAC from the unidentified Phoenix Media began in August 2014 and ended in October 2014.  

The Wyoming Phoenix Media’s business principal, mailing and registered agent are all listed as Wyomingregisteredagent.com, Inc.  It seems in Wyoming, the level of anonymity and untraceability for LLCs is such that you don’t even have to identify an actual human being with a company—you can use a website.

Phoenix Media LLC in Wyoming shares its address, 1621 Central Avenue, with 249 other LLCs.  Another 250 LLCs are listed next door, at 1620 Central Avenue in Cheyenne. Scores of these firms also list Wyomingregisteredagent.com, Inc. as their registered agent, just as Phoenix Media does. I wondered if I had found a cottage industry of untraceable LLCs—are these other companies donating to PACs as well?

Maybe the Wyoming Phoenix is the one who donated to Robinson’s PAC, maybe it isn’t. The point is, we shouldn’t be wondering who from out of state is pumping thousands of dollars into our school board races. With numerous PACs supervised by Robinson, continuously being created and disbanded, and hundreds of thousands of dollars passing through these entities, it’s too late for Robinson to don the cloak of transparency as a candidate—that ship has sailed. The corruption of nonpartisan school board races by Robinson-assisted dark money ought to disqualify him as a candidate for school board.