Port Orange, FL – 3 public town halls will be held throughout Volusia County this week by a group of moms who have big issues with the way the Volusia County School Board does its business.
The first of those “3 Moms” town halls will take place at 6:30 PM Monday at Port Orange’s Creekside Middle School. The others will be at the same time on Wednesday at Deltona High School and Thursday at Daytona Beach’s Hinson Middle School.
Kim Short – one of the “3 Moms” along with Leslie LaRue and Joanna Kaney-Olivari – says she’s been going to School Board meetings for years and feels this board is really out of touch with the problems facing the district.
“Many parents in our community believe the school board is focused on the wrong issues,” Short added. “The priorities are all wrong.”
Short – whose kids attend Sweetwater Elementary and Creekside Middle – cited the ongoing uniform debate as one that’s taken up way too much of the School Board’s time. She would rather they focus on other topics like improving graduation rates, teacher shortages, making sure the district’s teachers are better paid and seeing cleaner classrooms.
“It is time for parents and teachers to come together and provide leadership in our district,” Short noted.
The “3 Moms” name was adopted by Short, LaRue and Kaney-Olivari after School Board members started calling them that during meetings.
The town halls – which will also feature teachers as well as parents – are meant to be informal and a way to get a good idea of what things parents and teachers are most concerned about.
A recent survey by the Volusia Teachers Organization found that 39% of teachers are looking to leave the district at the end of the school year (click here) and LaRue – whose kids go to DeLand High and George Marks Elementary – says that’s a problem that needs to be address right away.
“I hope that we will hear an honest discussion from teachers and parents,” LaRue added. “I think teachers do so much for our children and many parents do not realize how frustrated teachers are in our district.”
The teachers’ union is helping the “3 Moms” spread the word about these meetings, especially following harsh comments made by VCSB District 1 Member Dr. John Hill after school district leaders walked out of contract negotiations with the VTO and declared impasse last week. (Click here for that story.)
Charles Hiatt – a civics teachers at Creekside Middle School – says he and other teachers are frustrated and feel disrespected by the VCSB.
“When a school board member calls teachers a ‘hateful group of individuals who want to make our district look bad,’ you certainly do not feel valued,” Hiatt added.
Those who are interested in attending any of the meetings can reserve a spot online by clicking here.
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.