A.G. Gancarski
No drama (or no votes) awaited appointees to the Jacksonville charter review commission in the City Council Rules committee Tuesday.
The appointees, picked by Council President Aaron Bowman, reflect the priorities of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce (for which he works) and the donor class.
While some are capable of mild stabs at dissidence, expect a familiar consensus to emerge as this body moves forward.
Former Florida Times-Union editor Frank Denton said he “look[s] forward to having his hand in government.”
“You’re going to bring an interesting perspective,” predicted Councilman Greg Anderson.
Heidi Jameson, the director of business development for the Chamber’s JAXUSA wing, has been in the county for two years. She lives in Atlantic Beach.
Anderson lauded her “young perspective,” saying “she was really nice.”
Nick Howland, a director of corporate development from the Council President’s district, has lived in Jacksonville since 2007.
Howland lost a school board race recently, yet he hopes to shape education in this appointed role.
Former School Board member Scott Shine, often at odds with the rest of the board, likewise sailed through the panel.
Shine has been a critic of his board, saying it was “gaming the system” with student test scores last year.
Anderson noted that Shine would get a chance to shape education policy, an interesting take given that he could have done that from the board more directly.
Chairman Tommy Hazouri, a former school board member himself, noted that Shine ditched school board meetings at the end, wondering if he would also bail on this gig.
“I attended about 96 percent of the voting meetings,” Shine said, adding that he didn’t bother with workshops in more cases.
Lindsey Brock, a politically connected Republican lawyer, also passed muster. As did non-profit director Nelson McCoy, “hyperconnector” Betzy Santiago, Rules Committee member Matt Schellenberg, Duval County Health Department comms director Charles Griggs and Anne-Marie Knight, an administrator at Mayo Clinic.
W.C. Gentry, the former head of the School Board and the Jacksonville Journey, got voted through on an emergency basis. As was Historical Society head Emily Lisska.
Jessica Baker, a former mayoral staffer who is married to Curry’s political strategist, Tim Baker, got through.
Anderson said she will “bring great energy and insight.”
There is a bit of committee work to go on this panel.
Chris Hagan, out of the state, will be voted up by this committee in two weeks. And Celestine Mills, who was endorsed by the Jacksonville Chamber in a failed bid for the City Council this year, couldn’t get the voters’ interest, but is just ideal for an appointed gig like this.
The members voted up today will get voted up by the full Council on July 11.
3 comments
Karen
June 4, 2019 at 3:49 pm
While they were school board members, Scott Shine along with Jason Fischer were NO shows for the Common Core – “Engage New York” vote! They could have stopped the purchase of this awful curriculum had they voted!! Thanks to these bums your Duval County School Board spent a half million dollars to dumb down & brainwash your kids!!
CPT Obvious
June 4, 2019 at 9:51 pm
Charter review commission should be renamed charter school commission. And just in time for a possible sales tax referendum in 2020. Coincidence…methinks not.
Only dissenting voice will be Griggs but he’ll be bought off with some fancy title & cush gig. Hypocrisy and conflicts of interest are prereqs to get on this board. If you aren’t a charter school crony your chances of being named to this board are slim & none. Spoiler alert: charter schools are not public schools no matter what Gary Chartrand wants you to believe.
Susan
June 7, 2019 at 11:19 pm
Someone sent me this information.
Please let me know if it is accurate
Is there any chance they looked at it wrong?
This is a LOT of missed meetings.
Forward:
:
These were all of the meetings Shine missed from April 2017 to when his term ended and the meetings that included missed votes.
He also collected his paycheck from the taxpayer during this time.
Scott Shine (All Pulled from the Public Records Online) at Duvalschools.org
From April 2017 Missed meetings
April 27 budget meeting Vote
May 9 Budget meeting
May 10 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
August 23 board development
Sept 6 Board development
Sept 6 Budget Board Meeting Vote
October 2 Strategic plan
October 11 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
October 30 Board Development/ Superintendent Search
Nov. 8 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
Nov 15 Policy sub committee
Nov. 21 Agenda review
Dec 12 Draft agenda review
Dec 13 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
2018
January 9 Workshop
Jan. 17 Policy Sub-committee
Feb 13 Superintendent Profile and Chapter 2 policy review
Feb 20 Superintendent Search Services Vote
Feb 28 Superintendent Search Firm Contract Vote
March 15 Draft agenda
April 11 Student expulsion Hearing Vote
April 23 budget meeting
April 26 litigation shade Vote
April 26 Focus group meetings Superintendent Search
May 8 Audit Committee / workshop School Safety
May 8 Superintendent Search Firm Contract Vote
May 9 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
May 14 Final Order Vote
May 15 Agenda Review
May 16 Superintendent Candidate Interview
May 17 Superintendent Candidate Interview
May 18 Superintendent Candidate Interview
May 23 Policy Handbook Review
June 11 Joint Planning with City Planning Commission Members
June 12 Budget workshop
June 19 Draft agenda
July 10 Medical Marijuana Policy
July 24 Draft agenda and Internal Auditor
July 24 TRIM notice Hearing (State Statute required) Vote
July 31 Tentative Millage and Budget (State Statute required) Vote
*August 7 Regular Board Meeting Vote
August 14 Workshop School Security
August 15 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
August 21 Draft agenda and select Civil Service Board Vote
*September 10 Regular Board Meeting Vote
September 11 Workshop financial dashboard
September 12 Student Expulsion Hearing Vote
September 18 Board Workshop agenda review
September 19 Policy Subcommittee
*October 2 Regular Board Meeting Vote
October 5 Strategic Plan / Board Retreat
October 16 Draft Agenda
November 13 Internal Auditor selection
November 14 Policy Subcommittee
November 19 Draft Agenda
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