Manatee County School Board District 5: James Golden

Name: James T. Golden

Age: 70

Occupation: Self-employed minister/attorney

Family (spouse/children, ages): Married with a blended family of six (6) adult children, fifteen (15) grandchildren, five of whom are adults, and one (1) great-grandchild under 3 years.

Education: 1969 – Stetson University, BBA;  1974 – University of Florida, Juris Doctor; 1984 – Interdenominational Theological Center, MDiv; 

Elected government experience: 1999-2007- Bradenton City Council member

Why are you running for this position?

Over the last few years some of the current school board members have consistently shown a lack of collegiality, an absence of common courtesy, and a disdain for consequential cooperation. Usually this manifests itself publicly in self-serving bombast, petty partisan political posturing, and unseemly personal attacks and threats.

What uniquely qualifies you for this position?

First, I have no political party, philosophy, or agenda to push, second, I have no employment impediment that prevents me from being in full service to all of the citizens of Manatee County, and finally, I am a candidate with 8 years of experience as a non-partisan elected city council-member helping to create a consistent atmosphere of cooperation, collaboration, and common courtesy.

What do you see as the three biggest challenges facing the district and how do you propose to address them?

• Increasing the number of quality students capable of moving beyond secondary education to higher education, or being workforce ready in a fulfilling craft or trade, or being courageous and competent in pursuit of some entrepreneurial dream.
• Providing a stable learning and teaching environment throughout the system that protects everyone, deters potential safety and security threats, and that is adequately funded to meet the challenges of a society that is far to prone to the use of violence as a means of redress. .
• Promoting equity by everyone at every level throughout our public school system to create a uniform standard of excellence that will positively engage everyone in making it happen.

What ideas do you have for improving the district's operations?

We must reduce our reliance on the number of educators who have chosen public education as a second or even third career option. We must immediately begin to put all of the additional resources we have available, especially as much of the new millage as is possible, to only hire and retain personnel who we can be absolutely, but verifiably, assured will be doing everything possible to insure that every child finishes the third grade being able to read, write, and spell at the third grade level. I would like to see the district bring some better proportionality to the spending that is made between our athletic programs and music and art programs. And I would also like to see more partners/ sponsors of our music and arts programs.

How and when do you feel the board should move forward with the superintendent search?

It is imperative that we begin a search for a new superintendent immediately after the election . The process that was used to bring former Superintendent Diana Greene to  the district should be duplicated to the end that we might attract a similarly qualified applicant. Additionally we should use the institutional knowledge of the interim superintendent (and other administrators) about our school system to assist us in ascertaining not only the best applicant, but also the best applicant for our students and their parents, our educators and their support personnel, and our entire community and its need for a top-quality public education system. 

Do you think the School Board should consider in-house candidates for the superintendent post. Why/not?

No. Anyone elevated from within would take into the office all of their prior knowledge, good and bad, about the entire school system. In my opinion it would be better if a new superintendent could start on equal footing with everyone and create the relationships he or she would best be able to make without having to undergo the “I remember you” stroll down memory lane exercise or worse yet the “Why you and not me?” death by a thousand doubts from friend and foe alike.

What is your opinion of the school district’s plan to ultimately set up an in-house police force, both short and long-term?

I do not think that it is a good idea for the school system to get into the business of law enforcement in any way, shape, or form. I think that we must marshal the community will to insist that our children receive the the best law enforcement protection available. I also think that we need to enhance the penalties for those who trespass on school property, and that the definition of trespass be expanded to include anyone not having properly followed procedures of any school for being on its campus.

What other issues do you see as important for the district to address over the next three years and what ideas do you have about them?

See question number three above. As these three issues are addressed, others will inevitably arise as a consequence of implementing them. Solutions will emerge from the context and content of the negative impacts caused by addressing them, and how best to minimize these negative impacts with the resources available at the time.