I am very excited to be a contributor
to Kingdom Press. Congratulations
Wes Moussignac and team for stepping
up to fill a need and gap of communication
in our community.
In 2018, Lee County advanced 132
years of history. Four years later, in
2022, by 1,565 votes, history was reversed.
In 2018, I decided to run for
the Lee County School District (LCSD)
Board. I ran to use my experience,
knowledge and education to help children,
fellow educators and make the
LCSD better for all students and staff.
I would bring a missing perspective
to the board. When I signed up, I did not
even realize if elected, I would be the
first ever minority on the LCSD Board
in 132 years. I was even asked to wait
two years to run later “let someone else
be the first”; I declined and said I am
qualified and capable and truly want to
do the job for children, not for notoriety.
I won by 56% against the incumbent.
After the Florida Primary Election on
August 23, 2022 I was asked in an interview
how I felt. My response was: “It’s
an even harder pill to swallow that it took
132 years to get a minority on the board
and just like that there is no minority representation
on this board. We are 60%+
minority students in Lee County. That is
just difficult for me to Accept.”
132 years of no inclusion. Four
years of hard work, canceled by 1,535
votes. Why IS inclusion important in
Education? Wait…please do not stop
reading because you think my topic will
be about race, CRT or being “Woke.” It
is NOT; I’m talking about educating our
children, who are the future of our nation.
A board of education that is making
decisions for ALL children should
have an inclusive group of members
that represents ALL of the community.
Here is an example: if you are building
a house, you would not hire only
plumbers, you also need electricians,
carpenters, designers and of course
HVAC experts, etc. They all bring their
expertise, knowledge and love for their
skill and the house is beautiful and fully
functioning because of their diverse
skills. Each trades person has experience
in what works and what doesn’t
work. Everyone collaborates and each
team knows his or her job and how it
fits into the overall design. If we took
politics out of education and measured
elected officials on what
they bring to the job, how they
work as a team,
what a district
this
could
be!
Inclusion and representation
should matter
on this board. Inclusion
in no way takes away
the rights or needs
of others. It actually
makes a more harmonious,
happy world because
everyone and
every demographics
needs are represented.
My different view of
the world allowed me to ask hard questions
and speak up for those whose culture
admonishes them to be quiet and
just be grateful. I speak up for schools to
be built — schools that are needed, not
just wanted. I speak up for the Academic
needs of students need and deserve.
I fight for equality of resources for all students.
All are vital to student success.
Outcomes are not guaranteed but there
should be a level playing field with all
schools offering similar curricula and activities.
I hope that by fighting successfully
for these past four years that I have
taught others to realize they do have a
voice, to speak up for the needs and desires
of their children.
As a person of color, I have firsthand
experience of different cultures,
having lived in three different countries
and having taught in underprivileged
schools. I watched both minority students
and all students that struggle with
learning lose. It is painful to see them
lose hope of any meaningful success.
I know how to be their “voice.” It is not
racist to see, and understand and accept
the culture of others.
Cultural awareness is essential to
being “that voice” because “that voice”
is in me, it is ME. In many cultures
represented in the Lee County School
System, generations have been taught
not “to ask questions,” or to “follow the
rules,” or “just work hard and keep your
head down and you can be whatever
you want to be.” I am on the school
board, so does that mean a 132-year
glass ceiling was broken? Or was
there just a small, temporary hole that I
squeezed through?
Shortly after coming on the board, I
was told “stay in my lane and stop asking
questions.” Some of my friends have
admonished me to not say that because
it makes me look a “certain way.” They
told me to talk about the positive.
Thank you to all of you who look out
for me; however, there comes a time
that the truth, no matter how painful,
must be told. I must let those I hope
will come after me, to sit on the board,
know what they are in for …before they
make the decision to serve.
Be prepared! You need to know
that you have to measure and evaluate
each word you say, facial expressions
or sounds you make.
You will be judged and
scrutinized. For example,
“there’s that condescending
smile again”
and “stop bullying and
badgering staff with all
your questions”, and
“they are leaving the
District because of you.”
Being ignored, belittled
or admonished in
public is difficult, but I
have always prayed for God to “give me
the right words to say and the right attitude.”
There were times He answered
me so clearly. I was even amazed and
had no doubt there was supernatural
strength involved!
My opponent campaigned to “be the
voice of the parents” that he felt had
not been heard. For the past 4 years,
I have openly and proudly stated “I am
the voice for the voiceless in District 5.”
I spoke with thousands of parents,
interacted with teachers and administrators,
and did tours of the schools to
make sure I knew my District like the
back of my hand. I communicated with
my community, had a presence on social
media, always maintained office
hours for visits, and even went to parents’
houses to hear concerns.
The difference is I represent an area
known as the “Forgotten District.” The
district with the highest achievement
gap, the highest discipline numbers,
the least number of teachers and bus
drivers, the most students, the most
Level 1 readers, the most working parents,
and the largest amount of old portable
classrooms. It is challenging, yet
our hard-working staff of educators still
find ways to educate children. Maybe
you can see the correlation here…why
is it harder to work in District 5?
When I leave the board, I will take
with me my teacher’s heart and I will
still advocate for the needs of all students
and families in our school district.
I want to continue to teach them how to
use their “voices.”
Inclusion does not exclude anyone.
It certainly does not mean you have to
push one person down to lift another
person up. Inclusion is not about politics
or race. It is about culture, lifestyle, experience
and dreams, everyone’s dreams.
My vision of inclusion is a board
that hears, sees and understands each
other and collectively hears, sees and
understands the dreams of all students
and families, not just those whose
“voice” sounds like theirs.
Thank you to all those that supported
me and never forget the inclusion of
different voices is extremely important!
A choir has Sopranos, Altos, Tenors
and Bass, to make beautiful music, you
have to hear each part.
