Dave Miner sets bad precedence for Manatee County School Board

During the Manatee County School Board reorganization session Nov. 17, Dave Miner failed once again to be elected chair of the board. Although not a written policy, the protocol of the past has been the vice chair has generally moved up to serve as chair the following election year.

Last year Vice Chair Miner only received two votes — one vote his. This time around Karen Carpenter was unanimously elected chair. Miner's failure to get elected chair a second time as sitting vice chair may be unprecedented.

This situation sends the message of a "vote of no confidence" in Miner by his colleague board members and the community. It certainly sends a message of a lack of confidence in Miner's ability to lead the school board.

However, should we not expect all school board members to be leaders? This "vote of no confidence" should be remembered this upcoming August during the school board elections. It looks like Miner may be a one-and-done term school board member -- and in my opinion rightfully so.

Let us not forget another school board member who may be running for reelection -- Robert Gause. Over the past 18 months or so, many of those who follow the school board would say Gause and Miner were closely aligned and generally allies as board members in support of their agendas.

I have yet to see either Miner or Gause consistently support an agenda in the best interest of students. I also feel a small group of others drives their agenda -- not students, parents or majority voters.

I am not sure if the failure of Miner to get elected chair will have a collateral impact on his close ally Gause - but it should. Generally, people are associated with the company they keep. Voters should remember this too about Gause in the August elections.

Rick Mills

East Manatee

This story was originally published November 22, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Dave Miner sets bad precedence for Manatee County School Board ."