- May 1, 2024
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I attended the recent Flagler Schools town hall meeting in which School Board Chairman Andy Dance, Superintendent Janet Valentine and Assistant Superintendent Jacob Olivia each gave a presentation on the State of the Schools.
It was a very informative meeting that highlighted the positive and progressive endeavors of the school district. Mrs. Valentine also indicated that the school district is not where they would like to be with respect to African American or economically deficient students but that strides in the right direction are being made.
My purpose for attending the meeting, in addition to hearing the message presented, was to speak to the concerns I have in the selecting of the next school superintendent.
Mrs. Valentine will be retiring at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. At the School Board meeting on Aug. 20, there was discussion about the process, and it was determined that the Florida School Board Association would not be hired to assist, due to lack of funds in the budget. After some discussion, the point was bought forward about a “succession plan” developed prior to the hiring of Mr. Olivia as assistant superintendent and maybe the board should follow the succession plan.
To me this seemed ludicrous. However, Mr. Dance did indicate a desire to have public input in the process, hence the town hall opportunity. Because of a time limit, I did not get to express my full opinion but was able to request that the board consider out-of-district posting for the position, not limited to Florida. Mr. Alan Peterson, former Flagler County commissioner, concurred with this request in his statement to the board.
How do we know that Mr. Olivia or any other possible candidate is the best if we have no individuals competing to showcase their specific qualifications and experiences? Our neighbors to the south, Volusia Public Schools, and to the north, St. Johns Public Schools, each selected leaders outside of the district and both have proven to be outstanding leaders.
Flagler Schools have so much potential for national recognition in many areas. The board must find an individual with the experience and identified research-based attributes that can be documented to continue district growth and development to meet the challenges in a global economy, in which the faces of American students have changed. I continue to urge the board to earnestly and diligently search far and wide for the best person to lead Flagler Schools.
Dr. Myra Middleton-Valentine
Retired ESE and Student Services Director, Flagler County School District
Palm Coast
