Kennedy faces challenger in school board election

A lifelong resident is challenging an incumbent for his District 2 seat on the School Board of Manatee County.

Board member Charlie Kennedy served as the vice-chair and then as chairman after he was elected in 2014. Kennedy worked as a teacher at Manatee High School and IMG Academies, along with YouthBuild Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.

Alice Kaddatz — pronounced like “cadets” — was raised in Manatee County before she became the mother of six children, who each received an education in the district. Kaddatz has volunteered at area schools and attended school board meetings for decades.

Residents can vote early through Aug. 25. Polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations:

• Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office: 600 301 Blvd. W., Suite 118, in Bradenton.
• Lakewood Ranch Town Hall: 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
• Rocky Bluff Library: 6750 U.S. Highway 301 N., in Ellenton.
• Palmetto Library: 923 Sixth St. W.
• Manatee County Utilities Administration: 4410 66th St. W., in Bradenton.

The primary election is Aug. 28.

Each candidate visited the Bradenton Herald for a discussion on school security, fiscal responsibility, board unity, academic achievement and the search for a new superintendent.

Security

Both candidates are happy with the state of Manatee’s security in the 2018-2019 school year.

Between the hiring of qualified school guardians, sheriff’s deputies and police officers, the district is doing its best, Kaddatz said, adding that Manatee is also installing upgraded security cameras and reassessing its policies.

There was a crucial need for more increased security. Unfortunately, it took a high school massacre in Parkland and several state mandates to affect change, Kaddatz said.

“As a volunteer, I know how easy it was to walk on and off campus all the time, and nobody would even have a clue that you were there,” she said.

Kennedy and his fellow board members were against the idea of hiring guardians — armed security officers without law enforcement authority — in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting.

The board later changed course, instead hiring guardians to comply with an unfunded mandate from the state. Kennedy is relieved that 90 percent of the guardians have prior law enforcement or military experience.

The next step, he said, is to form a culture in which students feel comfortable reporting their peers for violent or suspicious behavior.

“I think the best thing we can do is educate kids on don’t be afraid to say something,” he said.

Spending

With the passage of a one-mill increase on property taxes and the extension of a half-cent sales tax, Manatee’s schools have moved past the multimillion-dollar deficits of years’ past.

The district’s independent audit committee formed in 2013, and the newly formed Citizens’ Financial Advisory Committee is taking shape. Kennedy said both groups will ensure the district maintains its financial security.

However, he said, the ultimate responsibility falls on the school board. Though the district’s budget is full of spending restrictions, Kennedy said the board should consider putting more money into early education and security.

“The buck stops with the board, number one,” he said.

Kaddatz said the district has a long way to go, especially when it comes to borrowing money, acquiring interest and then overspending on large projects.

She pointed the the enterprise resource planning project, which jumped from less than $10 million to at least $19.3 million by its completion.

“Everything seems to be going over budget, so you need to set a realistic budget, she said.

Board unity

Kaddatz said the school board lacks civility and order, pointing to a feud between Kennedy and the board chair.

“I don’t watch reality TV,” she said. “I get enough of it going to school board meetings.”

Kennedy tried to remove Scott Hopes from the chair position after Hopes and another board member got into a heated verbal argument in late February. Hopes accused Dave Miner of trying to run him over outside the School Support Center, and Hopes was accused of having a gun in his car, on school property.

“Obviously, I did what I did in the interest of showing the public that we will hold each other accountable,” Kennedy said. “Some of the things that went down, if that were a teacher or student, they would be disciplined.”

The board has since made strides, Kennedy said, pointing to its recent completion of the Master Board Program, a collaborative training series offered by the Florida School Boards Association.

He and the board chair also had a one-on-one meeting in front of reporters and several guests in May. Though they argued over whether the meeting should be audio recorded, Kennedy said the hour-long session was ultimately helpful.

“I don’t want to create any more drama or dysfunction in election season, so I just dropped it,” he said.

Academic achievement

An overemphasis on testing is causing harm in classrooms across the state, the candidates said.

“Districts are so focused on the test-and-punish accountability system that they put the strongest teachers in third through fifth grade, because testing starts in third grade,” Kennedy said.

More emphasis should be placed on students in kindergarten through second grade, he said, because more students would be prepared for the future and, ultimately, the district would save money as its performance rises.

Kennedy believes certain legislators created a testing system that causes schools to fail, allowing for-profit charter companies to acquire the schools that maintain D and F grades.

“The system is designed to make predominantly minority neighborhood schools look bad so they can take them over,” he said.

Kaddatz said the district does far more testing than state law requires, and that teachers should be afforded more instructional time.

And those teachers should receive a more reliable pay increase, she said. Kaddatz feels the district’s competitive salaries are at risk because, when the time comes for a renewal vote, residents may oppose the increased property taxes.

“When you get students that are in the eight and the ninth and the 10th grade, and they’re into intensive reading because they still can’t read proficiently, we have definitely failed those children” she said.

Superintendent search

While both candidates are on board with a national search for Manatee’s next superintendent, they differ on the specifics.

Tired of business as usual in the district, Kaddatz is against hiring someone from within the county. She hopes the next superintendent can bring his or her school board together, preventing future mishaps and embarrassment.

She again pointed to the parking lot fight, along with an incident at Braden River High School, where a student was told to cover her nipples with bandages. Her story went viral, spreading Manatee’s name across the globe.

“I, for one, have lived in this county my entire life,” she said. “I’m fourth generation, and I don’t ever remember our board being the butt of every joke, and that’s very upsetting to me.”

Kennedy wants to draw on expertise from the Florida School Board Association, and from a committee of local volunteers. While he supports a national search, his preferred candidate would have a deep knowledge of state law and Florida’s education system.

He pointed to Doug Wagner, director of Manatee Technical College.

“We have been through so many cuts in leadership over the past five, six years that we’ve lost a lot of really good people, and we really need to start building back from within, in my opinion,” Kennedy said.

Closing comments

Kaddatz successfully sued the school district for $210,000 after her daughter after she was improperly touched by a former coach at Manatee High School. Despite rumors, she said the incident has no bearing on her candidacy.

“That seems like an awful long time to be worried about something that happened at a high school, and my daughter is doing just fine now — life goes on,” she said.

Kennedy acknowledge ongoing issues in the district. For one, deputy Superintendent Ron Ciranna is on administrative leave during an internal investigation.

“Those are very small things,” he said. “They will get taken care of, they will get sorted out. but big picture, the district is financially health and stable. We have two revenue streams in place to support capital and to support teachers and staff.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2018 at 6:00 AM.