A.G. Gancarski
A controversial local bill that would create a pathway for changes in Jacksonville’s school district administration is on pause for a week.
A bill from State Rep. Jason Fischer that would make the currently appointed position an elected one was approved by the House Local Administration Subcommittee last week.
The bill is still noticed for the Pre K-12 Innovation Subcommittee as of this writing, but it doesn’t appear Fischer will be there.
When asked Monday about rumors that consideration of the bill would be temporarily postponed, the Jacksonville Republican responded with a graphic.
Pictured: an invitation to the White House for remarks by President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
If the local bill (HB 1079) becomes law, Duval voters in November 2020 would be able to vote on whether they want an elected Superintendent, setting up a potential election in 2024 to select a replacement for a position appointed for decades.
The bill is controversial even in Fischer’s hometown, opposed vociferously by the Duval County School Board, a body Fischer belonged to up until 2016.
That experience as a School Board member, often on the losing end of votes, taught him an appointed Superintendent (such as Duval has had for decades) is the “tool of politicians.”
Though education interests are cold to the proposal, which they say comes at a time Duval is turning the corner as a school district, Fischer has said his constituents are with him.
And at least one public poll backs that up. Seventy percent of respondents want an elected schools chief.
“Generally speaking, voters are inclined to support opportunities to vote for both issues and candidates,” UNF polling director Michael Binder said.
“The Superintendent position seems similar, and even though Jacksonville’s City Council was divided on the measure, there appears to be support for turning the DCPS superintendent into an elected position,” Binder said.
5 comments
Sonja Emily Fitch
January 28, 2020 at 5:45 am
lol lol Fischer is fishing for pr with IMPEACHED TRUMP! lol lol another action that Fischer following in the looting lenny style wants to have and hold and spend and reward his pals with tax dollars as ELECTED SUPERINTENDENT OF DUVAL COUNTY. ANOTHER IMPEACHED TRUMPER…SAD LOL
Charlotte Greenbarg
January 28, 2020 at 7:58 am
LOL. Far left parrot squawking the party lies! Obvious..LOL
Frankie M.
January 28, 2020 at 12:18 pm
Don’t blame me I voted with the 70% to give Fischer an atomic wedgie.
Ann in Jax
January 29, 2020 at 12:02 am
Fischer was my school board rep and did NOTHING during his time in office. Now, as my state Rep, he has done NOTHING of value for this district either. At the Duval Delegation meeting in the Jax City Council chamber in November, NOT ONE PERSON spoke before the delegation in favor of this bill. NOT ONE. In 2 hours of public comments. Fischer carries water for the charter school interests who want a cut of the pie from the sales tax initiative – which they do not need – other than a per square foot allocation for upgraded security. Parents of charter school students also agree their schools do not need any of that money. Their schools are brand new, and they know the regular public schools have had NO capital investment in almost 15 years. Last time Duval had an elected superintendent (in the 1960’s), the schools lost their accreditation. We do NOT need to go back there – EVER.
Susan in Jacksonville
January 29, 2020 at 8:57 pm
Please tell those parents to write the senators on the Appropriation committee and ask them to submit an amendment to SB 62 that will delete this part of SB 62:
Revenues collected (from discretionary sales tax revenue) must be shared with the charter school industry on a per student formula even if the voters want the funds to be used exclusively to repair district owned school buildings that are over 50 years old.
in response to this part:
Fischer carries water for the charter school interests who want a cut of the pie from the sales tax initiative – which they do not need – other than a per square foot allocation for upgraded security. Parents of charter school students also agree their schools do not need any of that money. Their schools are brand new, and they know the regular public schools have had NO capital investment in almost 15 years
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