Sarasota's students need new Title IX protections. Sarasota's adults see no need to care.
School Board ignores Title IX benefits
A meeting May 7 proved to be an all-time low for the Sarasota County School Board.
Board members blatantly ignored the community, including many brave, passionate students who bared their souls to say that students in the district need the help that the new Title IX clarifications would provide.
Who in their right mind would ignore so many students?
Against their own attorney’s advice, board members subverted their normal processes to rush through Board Member Bridget Ziegler’s meaningless resolution, which has no legal standing.
They put our district at extreme financial risk without even a due diligence review of the potential impact of their meaningless document and approved it without comment, except for the ramblings of Ziegler, which made absolutely no sense.
More: Herald-Tribune: How to send a letter to the editor
They disrespected a board colleague who asked for clarity and to follow the normal process. Didn’t they realize their fiduciary negligence could have significant impact on public perceptions as the district nears a critical vote to extend the operating millage?
This board also put Superintendent Terry Connor in an untenable position; he must follow all state and federal mandates. The board’s action, apparently orchestrated in secret, may have political value, but little else.
For a few brownie points with their party, they really pulled a massive "Oops!"
Deborrah Hays, Sarasota
Teacher pay low – but time off high
Reading “Florida teacher pay low, but education No. 1,” a letter May 11, it was the first time I had ever read that Florida rated No. 1 in overall education.
I believe teachers should be paid fairly as well, but what’s fair?
I recently had lunch with a teacher friend of mine who was looking forward to two and a half months off.
Combine that with a week at Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, spring break and holidays and it’s probably the most paid time off of any occupation.
I believe teaching is a calling, but I’m sure some educators hear the call of a lot of time off, too.
Jack Rice, Sarasota
Protesters indoctrinated by Hamas
Unless I am missing something, it appears that a small group of campus protesters is trying, and sometimes succeeding, in having universities alter their policies with respect to Israel.
The protesters on some college campuses have been led down a path that they truly do not understand.
There is a hardcore pro-Hamas group that has “indoctrinated” these protesters with slogans like, “from the river to the sea.” Do they understand that this slogan means that Israel will be wiped out from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea?
The death of innocent people is always tragic. There is much that the protesters do not understand. They need to learn that the objective of Hamas is the killing of all Jews. They also need to learn geography.
Ike Koziol, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County School Board rejects a chance to protect all students
