Former Bradenton official challenges Colon for school board seat

One candidate is challenging an incumbent for his District 5 seat on the School Board of Manatee County in the Aug. 28 election.

James Golden is a Florida native who moved to Manatee about 25 years ago. He is a minister, an attorney and the vice chair of Centerstone’s board of directors. He also served on the Bradenton City Council from 1999 to 2007.

He is challenging John Colon, a current board member and the senior vice president of investments for Wells Fargo Advisors, in Sarasota. Colon served on the State Board of Education before Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to Manatee’s school board.

Residents can vote early from Saturday to 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.

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

Golden prefers the use of law enforcement over school “guardians” when it comes to security, and he believes the school board failed to secure the best protection for Manatee’s students.

He said “legislative resistance” is necessary to affect change. Though the district cited funding issues and a shortage of sheriff’s deputies when it moved to hire guardians, Golden said cost overshadowed the value of employing law enforcement officers.

“If you can’t change the legislation, then you have to do something about the legislators,” he said. “If you can’t change the minds of the board members to press for that, then you have to change the members of the board.”

He also suggested harsher penalties for trespassing on a school campus, and the installation of quality monitoring and communication systems.

Colon said the board did its best with a state mandate and limited time. Going forward, he said, the district should secure each campus with permanent, quality fences.

The district is also upgrading its security cameras to meet 21st-century needs, such as high definition video, Colon noted.

“We want to make sure our most precious asset is protected: our children,” he said.

Spending

Colon said the district has a strong bond rating and healthy reserves, a stark difference from the multimillion-dollar deficit it faced in recent years.

To ensure that money is used effectively, Colon said he and the chairman, Scott Hopes, would draw on their experience in business and finance to make informed suggestions.

“We want to make sure our district has the funds to pay our teacher properly, to take care of the classrooms, the facilities and out staff,” he said.

Golden, however, said the community has no confidence in current board members. If residents trusted the board to make smart financial decisions, there wouldn’t be a need for groups like the Citizens Financial Advisory Committee, Golden said.

He feels that a school board should reassure the community through its actions, not through the constant oversight of a volunteer committee.

“I’m advocating that the most money we can put into early childhood education, the better off we’re going to be over the long term,” he said.

Board unity

Golden said the key to a healthier school board is respect and communication.

Board members, he said, should utilize the one-on-one meetings allowed under Florida law. Two members are allowed to meet for an intimate conversation if the meeting is publicly noticed, giving residents the opportunity to watch.

“I don’t think it’s a good thing for any board member to describe any other board member in less than human terms,” he said.

Colon acknowledged the board’s recent struggles, which include a heated verbal argument between the chairman and a board member, followed by a dispute over whether the chairman should lose his position.

Everyone on the five-member board should view their peers as equals, Colon said, and disagreements should not devolve into power struggles.

“You’re only good as your weakest link in any organization,” he said. “And I feel that our board, it’s important that we understand and respect business.”

Academic achievement

Colon said learning to read is the prerequisite to graduating high school and obtaining a job, yet many students are struggling to read at their grade level.

Backed by competitive salaries, the district can now hire more teachers who see Manatee’s schools as a career rather than a backup plan, Colon said, adding that several community foundations are also working to improve students’ reading proficiency.

“If a child can’t read by the time he’s in third grade, law enforcement and politicians take that into account, and that’s how they decide how many jail cells they’re going to build for the future,” he said.

Golden wants to see more resources — both money and staff — placed into early education. He said the best teachers should work in the toughest classrooms.

“Our children’s capacity to read at grade level must be the most urgent concern that we have in this district by the time they get through the third grade,” he said.

Superintendent search

Golden wants to emulate the same process that brought Diana Greene to the district before she left to head schools in Duval County.

She “brought us out of despair,” and now the district needs someone to stay and provide stability, Golden said.

The interim superintendent, Cynthia Saunders, was barred from applying for the permanent position, and she has valuable knowledge that would help during the search process, Golden added.

“I hope we can get someone who is far enough along in their professional development that this does not become a stepping stone,” he said.

Colon prefers to hire someone who never worked for the school district — someone with a fresh perspective.

He also said the ideal superintendent would settle down in Manatee.

“I want somebody who’s going to be willing to purchase a home,” he said. “I want somebody who’s going to be willing, if they have a family, to bring them here with them. I want somebody to embrace our students, our parents and our staff.”

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