Wednesday, August 31, 2022

The Only Person Who Does Not Have a Seat at the Table


August 31 Prayer Pod

 

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 31 Psalm 141:3  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Set a guard, oh Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
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Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Lawsuit Filed Alleging Hillsborough County Rail Tax Ballot Language is Unlawful

 Tampa, Fl

From: Eye On Tampa Bay
Posted by: Sharon Calvert

 A lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Hillsborough County by Plaintiff Karen Jaroch challenging the 30 year ONE PERCENT rail/transit tax ballot language on the November ballot. The lawsuit alleges the ballot language is unlawful and deceitful and should be removed from the ballot.

The lawsuit filed in the 13th Circuit Court is case #22-CA-007158. The Complaint can be found at the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Court website here by searching on the case number. The Complaint can also be found here.

The Complaint asks that the rail tax ballot language be ruled defective and the County and the Supervisor of Elections prohibited from placing the ballot title and summary language on the November ballot.

This Complaint alleges “this referendum is destined to the same legal fate as the prior initiative because the County’s ballot title and ballot summary are facially defective.”. 

According to the lawsuit, per Florida Statute section 212.055(1), only one question can be put before voters to answer. The voters can answer yes or no to a 30 year one-percent discretionary sales surtax levied with funds deposited into a related trust fund and used for transportation uses authorized by State law and created in Hillsborough County for 30 years for transportation uses authorized by section 212.055(1) and selected by the Board of County Commissioners? 

But the rail tax ballot summary language fails to present a simple and narrow question. It appears to make promises to residents in specific areas they will receive favored transportation improvements. The ballot language lumps areas in unincorporated Hillsborough with the city municipalities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City as if they are municipalities too.

Below is Hillsborough County’s ballot language (ends at Yes/No).


Orange County put a 20 year one percent transportation sales surtax on the November ballot to pay for SunRail and other transportation and transit improvements. Below is the Orange County ballot language.

Orange County simply asks voters to answer For or Against the one percent 20 year sales tax hike, It appears there is a stark difference between the ballot language used by Hillsborough County and Orange County regarding a transportation sales tax referendum governed by State law.

Jaroch, a resident and taxpayer in Hillborough County, is a former Board member and Vice Chair of HART transit agency.

Hillsborough County still owes Hillsborough County taxpayers $560 MILLION of unlawfully collected sales tax proceeds. That huge refund mess is a result of the 2018 All for Transportation rail tax being thrown out by the Florida Supreme Court as illegal and unlawful. 

Creative Loafing has already spun a hit piece that included:

Hillsborough County Commissioner Kimberly Overman told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the need for public transportation is urgent, which is why the county commission seeks to let the voters decide on it. 

“Everything that I have heard from our residents is that we need to invest in public transportation,” Overman told CL. She added that the county commission took care to take their time crafting the ballot language to comply with state laws. Tyler Hudson, co-chair of All For Transportation, a grassroots group that works to address Hillsborough County's public transit crisis, said that the lawsuit aims to keep voters from deciding on transportation.  

“This is a frivolous ploy to deny voters the chance to fix Hillsborough County’s transportation crisis," Hudson said. "A small group of obstructions have already delayed by 4 years much needed road, safety and transit projects which has had catastrophic consequences for the community. Lawsuits don’t fill potholes, and voters deserve the opportunity to decide their transportation future at the ballot box.” 

Hudson, Overman and All for Transportation are the same “small” group of people and wealthy special interests donors who put the 2018 ILLEGAL rail tax on the ballot. They created the huge refund mess and are the losers of the lawsuit that threw the rail tax out.

Why should voters trust them? The ballot language is basically what All for Transportation used in their illegal rail tax. Every voter should be skeptical because they should never endure another ballot legal issue causing another huge refund mess.

We will update as the lawsuit proceeds.

Posted by Sharon Calvert 

This post is contributed by EYE ON TAMPA BAY. The views expressed in this post are the blog publisher's and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher of BayPost Internet.

 Cross Posted with permission from: Eye On Tampa Bay

August 30 Prayer Pod

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 30 Proverbs 28: 13   
Pray: Lord hear Your words: He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Monday, August 29, 2022

August 29 Prayer Pod

 


 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 29 Psalm 35:13  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: But As for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself My fasting select add my prayer would return to my own heart.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Piense en los demás cuando piense en la vida después de la Muerte In Spanish and English


Una encuesta de testamentos de Caring.com en 2022, revela que uno de cada tres estadounidenses sin planes patrimoniales piensa que tiene muy pocos bienes para dejar. 

Florida News Connection
August 23, 2022

By: Trimmel Gomes

Pensar en la vida despues de la muerte es desalentador, pero podria ayudar el pensar en la vida de sus seres queridos en caso de que usted ya no este presente. Los expertos dicen que esa es una forma de motivarse para crear una ultima voluntad y un testamento.

Agosto es el Mes Nacional de Hacer un Testamento, sin embargo, siete de cada diez estadounidenses actualmente no tienen un testamento o un plan patrimonial.

Jami Coleman acaba de celebrar la apertura de su practica, Coleman Law, P.A. en Tallahassee, donde ayuda a las personas a desarrollar un plan patrimonial. Ella dice que para algunos es muy dificil pensar en eso.

"Cuando se enteran de, 'Oh, vamos a redactar nuestro testamento', piensan que estan invitando a la muerte, y ese no es el caso necesariamente," asegura Coleman. "Lo que se esta haciendo y una forma de pensarlo es que estas poniendo tus asuntos en orden. Al igual que preparar y planificar otros asuntos en la vida, este es inevitable y se debe tratar de planificar y prepararse para eso."

Coleman dice que es mucho el tratar de rastrear y manejar los asuntos de alguien, mientras se esta de duelo. Ella dice que muchas veces se prolonga el proceso de duelo de sus seres queridos cuando los asuntos no estan en orden. Ella recomienda encontrar un profesional de planificacion patrimonial que pueda ayudarlo a pensar en cosas como el que hacer con sus bienes, asi como crear un testamento en vida, que detalle si le gustaria mantenerse con vida por medios artificiales, si se encuentra incapacitado.

Sam Young, del grupo Compassion & Choices, dice que tener un testamento legal actualizado es una forma poderosa de proteger a sus seres queridos, tomar decisiones importantes sobre el futuro en sus propios terminos y apoyar las causas que valora.

"Esto es algo que es realmente un documento critico y esencial para cada persona, y es algo que queremos alentar y ayudarlos a completar," dice Young.

En colaboracion con la firma FreeWill.com para ayudar a las personas a poner sus asuntos en orden, Compassion & Choices tambien ayuda a las personas a prepararse para el futuro desde la comodidad de su hogar, con una herramienta en linea gratuita y facil de usar disponible en compasionandchoices.org. Young dice que, hasta ahora, mas de un millon de personas han utilizado la plataforma gratuita para crear su testamento legalmente valido.

ENGLISH VERSION

Think of Others When Thinking of Life After Death

A Caring.com 2022 Wills Survey finds that one out of three Americans without estate plans think they have too few assets to leave behind. 

By: Trimmel Gomes

Thinking of life after death is daunting, but it might help to think of the lives of your loved ones in the event you are no longer around. Experts say it is one way to get motivated to create a last will and testament.

August is National Make-a-Will Month, yet some seven in 10 Americans currently do not have a will or estate plan.

Jami Coleman, an estate planning attorney in Tallahassee, said for some, it is very difficult to think about.

"When they hear about, 'Oh, let's go draft our will,' they think they are inviting death, and that's not necessarily the case," Coleman pointed out. "What you're doing and one way to think of it is you're getting your affairs in order. Just like you prepare and plan other milestones in your life, this is one that's inevitable, and you should try to plan and prepare for that as well."

Coleman acknowledged it is a lot to try to track down and manage someone's affairs while grieving. She added it often prolongs the grieving process for your loved ones when affairs are not in order. She recommended finding an estate-planning professional who can help think through things like what to do with your assets, as well as creating a living will, which goes into details about whether you would like to be kept alive by artificial means, if incapacitated.

Sam Young, senior director of legacy and planned giving for Compassion & Choices, said having a legal, up-to-date will is a powerful way to protect your loved ones, make important decisions about the future on your own terms, and support the causes you value.

"This is something that is really a critical and essential document for every person to have," Young stressed. "It's something that we want to encourage them and help them complete."

In collaboration with the FreeWill.com to help people get their affairs in order, Compassion & Choices is helping people prepare for the future, right in the comfort of their own home, with a free and easy-to-use online tool. Young stated more than a million people have so far used the free platform to build their legally valid will.

Content for this Post is provided by Florida News Connection, a Bureau of Public News Service.  Public News Service is a member of the The Trust Project.

August 28 Prayer Pod

 

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 28 Isaiah 41:10  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will hold you with my righteous right hand


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Saturday, August 27, 2022

August 27 Prayer Pod

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 27 Hebrews 4:16
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Friday, August 26, 2022

The Midterm Elections in Florida What To Look For In The Gubernatorial Race

FLORIDA  


Opinion by:  
E. Eugene Webb PhD

Now that the midterms are behind us, it is time to look at what Floridians will be dealing with as they consider their ballots for the midterm elections. Let us start from the top of the ballot with the race for Florida's governor.

When it comes to Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist, there could hardly be a clearer contrast between two political candidates.

DeSantis, very Trump like, has proven his willingness to use the power and authority granted to him as governor of Florida to move things in his way. Not necessarily in the way of the majority of Floridians think.

If you think back to your grade school, middle school, and even high school days, you will probably remember at least one, if not several, bullies that you had to deal with.

Now look inside the Ron DeSantis press package. What you see is what you get. Somebody who enjoys power and likes to bully his way through the issues.

There is another thing to consider if you're planning to vote for Ron DeSantis.

When you cast your vote for DeSantis this November, you may very well be really voting for Jeanette Nunez for governor. Nunez, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, was Ron Desantis's running mate for Lieutenant governor in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election.

Nunez has been the quintessential Lieutenant Governor for Ron DeSantis. Her tenure can pretty much be summarized in the statement, “out of sight out of mind.” Just exactly what the Florida Governor likes. No competition for the spotlight.

DeSantis has made it perfectly clear he would like to be on the ballot in the presidential election in 2024. Preferably at the top of the ballot as the presidential nominee of the Republican Party.

At the very best if DeSantis is reelected, he will be a part-time governor spending most of his working hours campaigning for the Republican nomination.

Should DeSantis inadvertently succeed in his Presidential bid, Florida’s new governor would be Jeanette Nunez.

Think about that when you vote.

The other contender in the race is Saint Petersburg based Charlie Crist. In the interest of full disclosure, I have known Charlie Crist for years and supported him in almost every election he's participated in over the years.

The contrast between the two candidates is striking to say the least. Crist is as far from being a bully and a power-hungry politician as the East is from the West.

Charlie Crist is the real deal what you see is what you get. I've been following politics in Florida for over a decade, and I can honestly say I've never seen anybody walk the talk more closely than Charlie Crist.

He will come to the statehouse with a new view, and Florida needs a new view.

Florida needs some time to cool off politically. To get beyond the wild rhetoric of the Trump era. The Florida State government needs to begin once again to function like a government and not the arm of a radical political party.

You are hearing a lot of talk right now in the media about the cast of candidates at the Republicans are putting up following the midterms and how unqualified the media thinks they are.

That's not an issue with Charlie Crist. I encourage you to watch any debates that take place between Crist and DeSantis, pay careful attention to the political ads, their tenor and the effort to denigrate and demean the opposition. My hope is you won't see much of that from the Chris campaign, although some defense against the DeSantis onslaught will be necessary, all of that hate rhetoric is not who Charlie Crist is.

Charlie Crist will come to the governor's office with plenty of experience both political and practical when it comes to governing the state of Florida. He will turn down the pressure; he will not be meddling in every local government from the school board to the County Sheriff, and he will be moving to do what is best in this state for all Floridians.

The governor's race here is an important one not just for political reasons but for the practical governing of one of this country's largest states.

We don't need a governor with his own private army. We need a governor who knows how to lead with courage and compassion and not one who pushes his agenda as the bully an chief.

E-mail Doc at mail to: dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook (E. Eugene Webb) Friend request. Like or share on Facebook, follow me on TWITTER  @DOC ON THE BAY.

See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay Post Photos.

Disclosures:

August 26 Prayer Pod

 

 

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 26 Jeremiah 17:7 
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Blessed it is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Thursday, August 25, 2022

August 25 Prayer Pod

 

 

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 25 Isaiah 43:25
Pray: Lord hear Your words: I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; And I will not remember your sins. 


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   
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Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Biden Inflation Reduction Plan


August 24 Prayer Pod

 

 

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 24 Romans 8:18 
Pray: Lord hear Your words: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in US.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

August 23 Prayer Pod

 

August 23 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 23 John 20:14-15  
Pray: Lord hear Your words: I am the Good Shepherd; and I know my sheep and am known by my own. As the father knows me, even so I know the father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Monday, August 22, 2022

August 22 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 22  John 1:14
Pray: Lord hear Your words: And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
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Sunday, August 21, 2022

Lawsuit Alleges Two Pasco County School Board Candidates Are Unqualified to Run in District 1 Due to Their "Lack of Residency" Required by State Law

 Tampa, Fl


From: Eye On Tampa Bay
Posted by: Sharon Calvert

Voters in Pasco County take note of a lawsuit recently filed regarding two candidates who filed to run for Pasco County School Board District 1.

Case #2022-CA-2111 was filed August 15th in the 6th District Circuit Court in Pasco County. Plaintiff Steve Meisman, also a candidate who filed to run for Pasco County School Board District 1, filed the Complaint which can be found in its entirety here.

Meisman is seeking an emergency Declaratory and Injunctive Relief that Defendants Al Hernandez and James Washington failed to properly qualify for election as a member of the Pasco County School Board District 1. Meisman also requests that Defendant Brian Corley, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections, decertify Hernandez and Washington as candidates in that race.

 

 

Case #2022-CA-2111

 Florida law REQUIRES that each candidate for School Board at the time they "qualify" be a resident - live in - the District for the election they are seeking. Candidates must sign an oath they are qualified to run under the Constitution and the Laws of Florida.

The lawsuit states a Tampa Bay Times report on June 30 alleges Al Hernandez, a Republican, bought a small 884 square foot rundown home in Zephyrhills - that is in District 1. But Hernandez has never lived in the rundown unlivable home because he still lives in his 4346 square foot pool home in a gated community in Odessa - that is NOT in District 1.

Apparently Zephyrhills code enforcement has now shut down all work being done on Hernandez's 2BR/1B unlivable home because Hernandez never pulled any permits.

Hernandez still has Homestead on his Odessa home. The lawsuit alleges Hernandez was NOT living in the District 1 - his Zephyrhills shanty property - at the time he submitted his qualifying papers and therefore is NOT a qualified candidate to run for Pasco County School Board District 1.

Pasco County SOE Corley told the Times his office has no investigative powers and that someone would have to take the matter up with the Florida Elections Commission or through a lawsuit.

Meisman's lawsuit also alleges the other candidate running for Pasco County School Board District 1, Democrat James Washington, failed to qualify for "lack of residency".

Apparently, when Washington submitted his qualifying paperwork he listed his residence as a PO Box in Saint Leo, Florida. The lawsuit alleges that while Saint Leo is in District 1, no one can "reside" at a PO Box address. 

According to the lawsuit, since Florida law requires a "residency" address, a PO Box is not a valid residence in determining School Board District boundaries or "Voter Precinct Designation on the respective web portals".

Meisman's lawsuit also states that on June 17, 2022 at the close of the mandatory qualification period, Washington was being evicted from his residence in Hudson, Florida which is a Pasco County School Board District 5 residency. Therefore, when Washington "qualified" on June 13, 2022, he was still residing in District 5.

Ironically Washington was quoted in the June 30th Times report stating:

“Intent is good,” said Washington, a Pasco High teacher who moved into District 1 before the qualifying date.. “But intent is not what the letter of the law says.” 

Meisman also alleges, that at the June 16, 2022 West Pasco Realtor's Association Candidate Forum, Washington had an opportunity to definitively state he lived in the District 1 residency area when he qualified. However, Washington failed to confirm he satisfied those requirements though he had declared it on his Candidate Oath just 3 days prior.

The lawsuit requests the Court to declare that Hernandez and Washington failed to qualify to run for Pasco County School Board District 1 in the manner stated by Florida law and rule they are ineligible to be on the 2022 Primary and November General Election ballots. 

The lawsuit includes evidentiary Exhibits at the end of the Complaint. 

Meisman, a Republican, requests the Court to either:

Enjoin Defendant Pasco SOE Corley to cancel the Pasco School Board District 1 election and name Steve Meisman as the only qualified candidate and unopposed winner, or

Enjoin Defendant Pasco SOE Corley to hold a special election between the remaining qualified candidates if the Court's decision is not rendered before the 2022 November General election.

The latest Court documents found at the Pasco County Court of the Clerk website reflect a Case Management Conference Hearing was called by Judge Susan Barthle for yesterday, August 17th at 4:30PM. 

Voters in Pasco County take note and keep watching this case.

If allegations are true, shanty homes, evictions, evading State Law and not being truthful on Candidate Oath paperwork are big red flags.

We will continue to update this as the Court case proceeds.

Update: We understand the Zephyrhills code enforcement removed their stop work order on the unlivable house that Al Hernandez, a Regional VP with Humana, used as his residence address in his Candidate paperwork.

According to this Tampa Bay Times report of July 22, 2022 a Complaint regarding Hernandez has also been filed with the Florida Elections Commission:

Jessica Jecusco, a Florida Virtual School teacher who lives in Land O’Lakes, has filed a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission alleging that District 1 candidate Al Hernendez should be disqualified from the Aug. 23 ballot. She claims that he did not live in the east Pasco region by the June 17 qualifying deadline, as required by law.

 Posted by Sharon Calvert   

This post is contributed by EYE ON TAMPA BAY. The views expressed in this post are the blog publisher's and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher of BayPost Internet.

 Cross Posted with permission from: Eye On Tampa Bay 

August 21 Prayer Pod

 

 We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 21 Proverbs 19:11
Pray: Lord hear Your words: The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Saturday, August 20, 2022

August 20 Prayer Pod

 

We all want to pray but sometimes we find it difficult to begin our prayer.  Many Pastors and Ministers suggest you begin your prayer by praying back God’s words from Scripture.

These daily prayer PODs are constructed to help you in your prayer life.

August 20 Proverbs 12: 1
Pray: Lord hear Your words: Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.


Lord hear my request: (Say your needs, wants, fears, thanksgivings) -  In Jesus name I pray – Amen.

      
PLEASE SHARE TO YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM   

Friday, August 19, 2022

FL Educators Decry Classroom 'Politicization' as Gov Relaxes Teaching Rules

 Florida News Connection  

August 17, 2022

By: Trimmel Gomes

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defends and expands his call to have military veterans bypass the teacher certification process to become educators, former educators say the move is a dangerous gamble despite the current teacher shortage.

On Tuesday, DeSantis said he wants to expand a new law allowing military veterans to become classroom teachers without a bachelor's degree, including retired first responders such as police, firefighters and EMTs.

Ulysses Floyd, a retied teacher and member of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, said he taught classes when he served in the military and later used his experience to become a certified teacher. He said he does not like the proposed changes because the certification process ensures you know what to do as an educator.

"You must be certified in the area in which you are teaching," Floyd contended. "Just because you have a bachelor's and something else other than teaching, so I think, in order for you to be able to teach, you must know how, what you're doing, how to do it."

Describing college education as "overtaken by ideology," DeSantis argued the certification requirement is too strict. The state's new recruitment program will waive exam fees for the state teacher's certification exam for retired military and first responders, but participants must have a bachelor's degree.

Florida currently has a shortage of more than 6,000 teachers, according to the Florida Education Association.

Vanessa Tillman, a retired teacher and board member of Florida Education Association, said people may not realize one child brings at least six personalities. She explained when you multiply it by 18 children for a single teacher to manage, politicians overlook a lot of work.

"I do feel the political era is horrible as to politicians wanting to tell teachers how to teach," Tillman asserted. "They want to legislate everything and not understand we are there to educate the whole child."

Tillman emphasized there should be no room for what she called the politicization of classrooms on issues such as Critical Race Theory, cutting district funding, and the rise of politics in nonpartisan school board races.

DeSantis and Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz also rolled out a second proposal tailored to current classroom teachers: a scholarship program to allow current teachers to get master's degrees to teach dual enrollment classes.

Content for this Post is provided by Florida News Connection, a Bureau of Public News Service.  Public News Service is a member of the The Trust Project.