Sarasota County School Board District 5: Beth Mayberry

Age: 67

Current occupation: Retired teacher from Sarasota County  Schools

Sarasota County residency: 50 years

Describe, specifically, what you see as the primary role and functions of the school board?

The stated functions of the school board involve policy making, hiring and supervising the superintendent, and approving the budget. I believe that our board should have other expectations: to be ambassadors for our public schools to ensure there is transparency in board decisions and to hear input from all stakeholders (student, parents, staff, community members) in order to establish policies for the good of all. 

Why are you running for office? 

The continued division created by the school board majority motivated me to run, and I have the qualifications needed to be a well-informed, active board member. 

Have you ever run for public office before? If so, for what office?

I have not and don't see me doing so except for this particular office. I want what's best for our children here in Sarasota and have worked in or volunteered in our public schools for over 25 years. 

Why are you the best candidate?

I have experience as a volunteer, a mother, a grandmother and an instructor in the Sarasota County Schools system, as well as a long history of volunteering in our community. I've spent over 25 years as either a volunteer in the school system or as a teacher. For 10 years, I was a Certified Financial Planner, undergoing the rigorous testing and financial education needed for that certification, which gives me the significant understanding of the constraints of our budget, as well as the retirement plans used by the school system, the insurance alternatives available, and the need for future planning. I have a strong record of personal financial responsibility and conviction to our public school system, with grandchildren attending in North Port. 

Do you have (or have you ever) had any children in any public or private elementary, middle or high school? If so, what school(s)?

My three children attended several North Sarasota schools, including Gocio Elementary, Bayhaven School of Basics Plus, and Booker Middle, before we moved to North Port. Then, my sons attended Glen Allen Elementary, and all three went to Venice Middle School, and Venice High School. One of my sons attended SCTI during his high school career. 

What are the top three issues facing Sarasota's public schools and how should they be addressed?

The primary challenge our district will face is one of funding. Then I would add student and teacher well-being, and lastly, making sure all our children excel- not just the ones with all the advantages. Funding comes from Tallahassee- so we need to put more pressure on them to allocate more funding per pupil. We also need to make sure parents can accurately compare programs, their successes and costs, with the programs they might be considering, to keep families in the publics schools. 

The well-being of students and teachers is paramount. We need to take whatever we can off the teachers' desks- excess documentation, trying to manage disruptive behaviors while also trying to teach other students, and other administrative concerns, so they focus on the students' learning. We need to continue offering mental health service for our students and try to bring in more caring adults as mentors. 

Lastly, we have schools with many resources-school parent teacher organizations, school foundations, and lots of parental volunteers. But we also have many schools without these resources, and this can be seen just by looking at the reading scores. We need to get community support for those schools who do not have the benefit of parents with flexible schedules, disposable income, and two-parent families. First, identify the needs of these schools and the children in them, while identifying community organizations that might offer support. Second, make a specific ask from community members- Do you have an hour a week you read with a child? Third, pair students with mentors. Studies sho this an effective way to raise test score. 

What grade would you give Superintendent Terry Connor ---- A to F ... and why?

I think Superintendent Connor has been a great asset to our district, and his Florida Future Focus is an A+ for me. I do think that there are issues that our superintendent may not be addressing, which makes me more concerned. I would settle B+ based on the information I have at this moment in time. I was always known as a hard grader, so forgive me, Mr. Connor. 

What grade would you give the school board for managing the district's tax dollars --- A to F ... why? 

I would give them a C-. First, the majority school board has done nothing to push back on the lack of accountability in the voucher system (which is taking money from our public schools), or the fact that the funding they are getting isn't keeping up with the mandates or the needs of the students, and they pulled away from the Florida Association of School Boards where there was additional political strength to lobby for better funding or more accountability for the voucher process. Second, their approval to hire employees, when there is no additional recurring funding was a mistake. We've paid for the professional development and experience of 191 teachers, many of whom are no longer employed by us- just in this year. 

What would you change to improve the district's fical management?

I would want to see a five-year plan with the worst case scenario, so that we can determine what may need to take place in the future, and prepare our community for the possibilities we may face if we continue to get funding that doesn't keep up with inflation. I would look closely at district administrative staff to make sure we are asking as much from them as we are of our student-facing staff, and cut where we can. I would look at the costs of the different computer programs and platforms and get rid of any that can't justify real learning gains in recent studies. I would determine if some contracts (like textbooks, online learning programs, etc.) could be handled on a shorter terms basis to avoid locking a program that may not improve student learning after implementation.

What would be your priorities if elected?

Public transparency and trust need to be returned to our school board. That means changing the meeting times to allow full participation, and making sure proposed policies are fully vetted in the community, whether that is through town halls, advisory boards, or recorded Zoom meetings. We need our meetings to be welcoming, joyful, efficient, and business oriented-the business of making our schools better. First- Lobby for more money for public schools and more accountability in the voucher process. Second, begin recruiting caring adults to fill in gaps for both students and teachers, and third- bringing back calm, orderly and professional behavior to the board that had fed chaos and culture wars. 

What is your position on the state's school choice laws? 

I am all for school choice- as long as it comes with accountability. As a taxpayer, I want to know that my taxes are going for good educational opportunities. Our public schools are accountable to all directly because of the mandates and statutes they must follow, and we have many programs to choose from. In the event that a parent wants to choose another alternative, we should make sure that alternative receiving public funding is an equally good choice, and that its books can withstand the same scrutiny, its employees the same background checks, and its school buildings the same safety standards we have in our public schools. Lastly, we should be able to compare the success of these schools with the success of our public schools and so should our parents, as the often end up paying far more for their child's education through service fees, book fees, and activities. 

How should the board's 'public to be heard' part of the school board meetings be changed -- or not changed at all? Why? 

I like the idea of having the public comment split the way it is, because it allows board members to hear input prior to voting, and then other comments later. I'd be in favor of a full three minutes for each person for each of these. I don't see a reason to shorten the public comment portion.