Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
5:30 .
54:50 demonstrate excellence, innovation, professionalism,
54:51 productivity, e-procurement, and leadership.
54:54 A brief look at the history of this award
54:56 makes this accomplishment even more meaningful.
54:59 The National Procurement Institute
55:02 established the achievement of excellence in procurement
55:04 program in 1995 to recognize organizations
55:11 that set the standard for excellence in procurement–
55:15 in public procurement, excuse me.
55:17 Since the first awards were presented in 1996,
55:20 the program has grown into the premier benchmark
55:23 for procurement excellence across the United
55:26 States and Canada.
55:28 In describing the award, MPI states
55:31 that the program was created to recognize organizations
55:34 that demonstrate excellence through innovation,
55:37 professionalism, productivity, e-procurement, and leadership,
55:41 while encouraging procurement professionals
55:44 to go beyond minimum requirements and implement
55:48 innovative programs and solutions that exemplify
55:52 outstanding achievement.
55:55 This year, 251 agencies across the United States and Canada
56:01 received this distinction.
56:03 And we are especially proud to be among only 31 school
56:07 districts honored with this award.
56:11 This recognition reflects much more than compliance
56:14 with procurement regulations.
56:17 It demonstrates our department’s commitment
56:19 to continuous improvement, transparency,
56:22 responsible stewardship of public resources,
56:26 and exceptional services to our schools and community.
56:31 Achievements like this are the result of teamwork, dedication,
56:36 and a commitment to the highest professional standards.
56:41 It also reflects the leadership and hard work
56:45 of individuals who continually seek better ways
56:49 to serve our district and support student success.
56:54 Please join me in congratulating our procurement department
56:56 on this remarkable accomplishment
56:58 and thank them for their continued dedication
57:01 and service.
57:02 As I call your name, please stand.
57:04 We’re going to start with the director of procurement
57:07 and distribution services, Sean Hines,
57:10 manager of procurement services, who’s not in attendance today,
57:13 Don Richer, procurement agent 2, who is not in attendance today,
57:18 Chrissy Bowen, senior procurement agent management,
57:22 Michelle Cherry, Laurie Chase, procurement agent 2,
57:28 who is no longer with procurement.
57:31 But we still want to honor them because they were with–
57:34 She was there.
57:35 Correct.
57:35 We want to give them their due.
57:36 She got it.
57:37 Will Hensman, senior procurement agent, John D’Amelio,
57:42 procurement agent 2, Heidi Dotson, senior procurement
57:47 agent, Anne Ruthier, procurement agent 2, Jessica Waldron,
57:53 procurement agent 2, Suzanne Shaw, procurement agent 2,
57:58 who is no longer with BPS, Namat Dugan, administrative secretary,
58:03 and our newest members of the procurement team
58:06 are Tarina Sanchez, procurement agent 2,
58:10 and James Crisafoli, procurement clerk.
58:13 Congratulations to the procurement team
58:15 on earning the 2026 Achievement of Excellence in Procurement
58:18 Award.
58:19 Your commitment to excellence has
58:20 placed our district among the very best public procurement
58:24 organizations in North America.
58:27 And we are incredibly proud of your achievement.
58:29 Let’s give them a round of applause.
58:31 [APPLAUSE]
58:37 All right.
58:39 Sean, you want to say anything?
58:43 While he’s coming up, I have to tell you,
58:45 because I’m an information junkie,
58:47 if you want to know how many school districts there are,
58:49 just in the US, there’s over 19,000.
58:53 So only 31 got it out of over 19,000.
58:56 That’s just the US.
58:57 I don’t know how many they have in Canada.
58:58 Not as many as we do.
58:59 But still, that is incredible.
59:01 So I knew you were on Google, right?
59:03 Thank you.
59:05 Thank you, board members and Dr. Wendell,
59:07 for recognizing the procurement team.
59:09 And thank you for Mr. Wilson for his support
59:11 and one of the words that he provided.
59:16 This award recognizes the quality of the work
59:18 that the team does.
59:20 And more importantly, it reflects the dedication
59:22 that they bring to the district every day.
59:25 They work hard.
59:26 They support each other.
59:27 And they take a lot of pride in what they do.
59:30 And I’m very fortunate to be leading the team.
59:33 And Mr. Wilson gave the statistics nationally,
59:36 but just a little bit of statistics on our award.
59:40 Last year, we achieved the award just
59:44 by meeting the minimum requirements.
59:47 There’s 28 different criteria.
59:49 Each criteria is 5 or 10 points, depending on the difficulty.
59:52 And you have to achieve 100 points to get it.
59:54 We achieved 100 points last year.
59:56 This year, we achieved 17 different criteria,
1:00:00 totaling 130 points.
1:00:02 So that’s just to show that our dedication continues
1:00:04 to strive as we strive for better results.
1:00:08 So thank you very much.
1:00:09 - Yeah, thank you.
1:00:10 - That’s so awesome.
1:00:12 - Mr. Chair?
1:00:13 Yeah, I just figured we’re all going to make a comment.
1:00:15 I just wanted to say, Sean, to you and your team, you guys,
1:00:18 thank you for all you do.
1:00:20 A lot of things that you guys do go behind the scenes.
1:00:22 You’re a model of excellence behind the scenes.
1:00:25 We get a lot of publicity for being a three-time A district.
1:00:28 But a two-time procurement award is right up
1:00:32 there with it.
1:00:32 So just wanted to say thank you for all you do.
1:00:35 We wouldn’t be the district we are without you guys.
1:00:37 And just thank you for your commitment.
1:00:39 And keep getting better.
1:00:40 We want to see you here next year.
1:00:43 - Congratulations.
1:00:44 So thankful for you.
1:00:46 But can I say something beyond the procurement?
1:00:48 Because you guys save us money on every agenda, right?
1:00:51 That is the work that you do is to protect taxpayer dollars.
1:00:54 But I also know, from seeing faces,
1:00:56 that you’re also team players in this building.
1:00:59 When we have events, and we’re–
1:01:00 I’m looking at you– when we’re judging student activities,
1:01:03 you guys are all in.
1:01:04 And it’s not just, no, I’m just going to stay.
1:01:06 I got hired to do procurement.
1:01:07 I’m going to stay in my cubicle and do my work.
1:01:08 No.
1:01:09 It is team players.
1:01:10 You guys participate.
1:01:11 And when students come and take over this building,
1:01:14 and they’re doing crazy science things all over the place,
1:01:17 you’re a part of that, and supporting one another,
1:01:20 and supporting the other teams.
1:01:21 And so I thank you, Sean, for letting
1:01:24 have a little bit of release time for them
1:01:25 to be able to do that.
1:01:26 But thank you guys for the great work you do every day,
1:01:29 not just in your department, but cross-functionally,
1:01:31 so we don’t stay siloed up here at the district office.
1:01:35 And what you do every day is essential to what
1:01:37 happens in the classroom.
1:01:38 So even if you never stand in front–
1:01:40 I always like to say this– and even
1:01:41 if you never stand in front of a classroom full of students,
1:01:43 your work is crucial to their success.
1:01:47 Anybody else want to talk about Mr. Hines and his team?
1:01:49 Well, yes, I do.
1:01:52 So can’t add any more than Ms. Campbell.
1:01:54 That was awesome.
1:01:55 Thank you so much.
1:01:56 However, you’ll never pass up.
1:01:59 I’ll never pass up an opportunity
1:02:00 to say thank you for what you do.
1:02:02 We appreciate you, and we value you.
1:02:06 So thank you.
1:02:06 The awards are great.
1:02:08 But just for you guys to know, you mentioned the agenda.
1:02:12 You’re part of every agenda that we’ve ever had,
1:02:15 and we appreciate the work that you do
1:02:17 and the dedication you have.
1:02:18 So thank you.
1:02:20 So I will echo the sentiments.
1:02:21 I think that one of the greatest testimonies
1:02:23 to continually improving is seeing your score last year
1:02:26 to this year.
1:02:26 That just shows the type of individuals and dedication
1:02:29 that you are to continually making things better.
1:02:31 So we appreciate you.
1:02:32 Thank you for the hard work behind the scenes.
1:02:34 Keep up the good work.
1:02:34 Can’t wait to see you guys back on that list again next year.
1:02:39 Mine’s a little bit different.
1:02:40 I want to apologize for all of the crazy stuff
1:02:42 that I send your guys’ way.
1:02:45 Mr. Hines, Mr. Hines, you do amazing, man.
1:02:48 And there’s some last minute things
1:02:50 that the board has to take a look at.
1:02:51 There’s also some things that are squirrely
1:02:53 that are buried in our– you know what I mean–
1:02:56 and a lot of our policies and stuff from back in the day.
1:02:58 And I really appreciate you working.
1:03:00 It’s never not been an honor to work with you,
1:03:03 because you always are up front bringing it quickly,
1:03:05 and you get it resolved by the end of the day.
1:03:07 And I just wanted to say, you and your team,
1:03:10 thank you so much.
1:03:10 I really appreciate everything.
1:03:12 And it’s usually the other board members
1:03:14 that come up with the ideas, and then
1:03:16 I have to be the one to call you for real.
1:03:17 It’s not me.
1:03:18 No, I’m just kidding.
1:03:19 But I wanted to say thank you.
1:03:21 I appreciate you.
1:03:21 Thank you.
1:03:22 Thank you very much.
1:03:26 Yeah, it’s picture time.
1:03:29 We’re going to take a break.
1:03:31 How many public comments do we have?
1:03:33 Two right now.
1:03:56 [AUDIO OUT]
1:05:03 We are now on to the public comments portion of the meeting.
1:05:05 We have two speakers, and each will receive three minutes
1:05:08 to speak on the agenda items.
1:05:09 Our attorney will call the speakers
1:05:10 in the order which they signed up to speak.
1:05:12 Mr. Gibbs, please call the first three speakers.
1:05:14 Sean Griffiths and Anthony Colucci.
1:05:26 [AUDIO OUT]
1:05:30 Good morning, board members and general public.
1:05:33 Let’s talk about Dr. Rendell’s performance evaluation.
1:05:36 93.96%.
1:05:39 That’s impressive, nearly perfect.
1:05:41 Although looking at the challenges facing Brevard
1:05:43 Public Schools, I have to wonder,
1:05:46 are we grading the same school district?
1:05:48 Let’s start with financial management, a 4.4 out of 5.
1:05:52 Meanwhile, we’re authorizing $100 million
1:05:53 in short-term borrowing, closing and consolidating schools,
1:05:57 and facing declining revenues.
1:05:59 And now we’re hearing about money
1:06:00 being withheld or reclaimed from individual school reserve funds.
1:06:04 I’d love to know how much was affected, where it went,
1:06:07 and how these decisions are impacting our classrooms,
1:06:10 because we are also hearing about teachers struggling
1:06:12 to get basic supplies.
1:06:14 And that brings me to something I find particularly interesting.
1:06:17 Dr. Rendell stands to receive an additional $10,000
1:06:20 for maintaining our A-rated district.
1:06:23 Now, I absolutely believe that academic achievement
1:06:25 deserves recognition, but the timing here is remarkable.
1:06:28 We’re tightening budgets, schools
1:06:30 are facing resource constraints, and teachers are struggling
1:06:32 to get what they need, yet somehow there’s
1:06:34 room to reward the person at the very top.
1:06:37 And I have to wonder, who actually earned that A-rating?
1:06:40 Was it the superintendent sitting in his office,
1:06:42 or was it the teachers, support staff, and students doing
1:06:45 the work every single day?
1:06:47 Then there’s recruitment and retention.
1:06:50 A perfect five out of five, wowee zowee.
1:06:53 I’ve spent months examining ESE paraprofessional resignations
1:06:56 and listening to district employees describe the
1:06:58 challenges they’re facing.
1:07:00 Making recommendations is one thing,
1:07:01 making meaningful improvements is something different.
1:07:05 So how exactly are we measuring the success?
1:07:07 Because an A-rated district can still
1:07:09 have exhausted educators, struggling support staff,
1:07:12 and schools without adequate resources.
1:07:15 I’m not suggesting Dr. Rendell accomplish nothing.
1:07:18 I’m questioning whether this board has its priorities
1:07:20 straight.
1:07:21 If we’re awarding nearly perfect evaluations
1:07:23 and additional compensation while our classrooms struggle,
1:07:27 perhaps we ought to reconsider what exceptional leadership
1:07:29 actually looks like.
1:07:31 After all, Dr. Rendell answers to you, and you answer to us.
1:07:35 So perhaps the real question isn’t
1:07:37 whether Dr. Rendell deserves a 93.96%,
1:07:40 it’s whether the evaluation you gave him deserves one.
1:07:44 Thank you.
1:07:46 Anthony Colucci.
1:07:48 Mr. Colucci.
1:07:56 My name is Anthony Colucci, I’m the president of the Brevard
1:07:59 Federation of Teachers.
1:08:01 As this board has just declared this honoring Veterans Month,
1:08:05 first of all, I want to thank all veterans for their service
1:08:08 and sacrifice.
1:08:10 Additionally, I want to recognize
1:08:11 a special group of veterans that I’m
1:08:13 honored to represent, our JROTC instructors.
1:08:18 Not only do they teach classes all day,
1:08:20 but they take part in morning, evening, and weekend
1:08:23 activities as they allow students
1:08:25 to explore the noble path of military services.
1:08:29 On this agenda are six MOUs that BFT and BPS agreed upon.
1:08:35 However, there was a seventh that is not here.
1:08:39 Over a month ago, we passed an MOU
1:08:41 to improve the pay of some of our JROTC instructors.
1:08:46 I’ve never received an answer to this.
1:08:49 For the record, BPS is contributing fewer salary
1:08:53 dollars for some JROTC instructors
1:08:56 than they are for a first year teacher salary.
1:08:59 In other words, BPS’s share of their salaries
1:09:04 is less than $50,450.
1:09:07 For those instructors, we’ve asked for a supplement
1:09:11 to bring up the BPS contribution to $50,450.
1:09:18 I would expect an answer to this,
1:09:21 and I am hopeful you truly honor our JROTC instructors
1:09:26 with a salary that will recruit and retain them.
1:09:30 Thank you.
1:09:36 All good?
1:09:37 Nobody else?
1:09:38 No.
1:09:39 All right, that concludes agenda items only for public comments.
1:09:42 Thank you for taking time out of your schedule
1:09:44 to address the board with your concerns and suggestions.
1:09:46 I’d like to remind the public that the board is
1:09:47 accessible for further conversations
1:09:49 outside our business meeting through regular,
1:09:51 scheduled meetings.
1:09:52 We are now on to the consent agenda.
1:09:54 Dr. Rendell.
1:09:54 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
1:09:55 There are 44 items on the agenda under this category.
1:09:58 Thank you, Dr. Rendell.
1:09:59 Does any board member wish to pull any of the items?
1:10:03 Hearing none.
1:10:04 Emergency initiated.
1:10:06 I will entertain a motion to accept the consent
1:10:08 items on today’s agenda.
1:10:10 Would anybody?
1:10:11 So moved.
1:10:12 Second.
1:10:13 All right.
1:10:14 Paul, roll call, please.
1:10:15 Mr. Trent.
1:10:16 Aye.
1:10:16 Ms. Wright.
1:10:17 Aye.
1:10:18 Mr. season.
1:10:18 Aye.
1:10:19 Ms. Campbell.
1:10:19 Aye.
1:10:20 Mr. Thomas.
1:10:21 Aye.
1:10:22 Dr. Rendell, will you please let us
1:10:25 know about the item under the action
1:10:26 portion of today’s agenda.
1:10:28 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
1:10:29 The action item is H1 travel approval to the FSBA FADS
1:10:33 joint 81st conference in Tampa.
1:10:35 Do I hear a motion?
1:10:36 Move for approval.
1:10:37 Second.
1:10:38 Any discussion?
1:10:40 Paul, roll call, please.
1:10:41 Mr. Trent.
1:10:41 Aye.
1:10:42 Ms. Wright.
1:10:42 Aye.
1:10:43 Mr. season.
1:10:43 Aye.
1:10:44 Ms. Campbell.
1:10:44 Aye.
1:10:45 Mr. Thomas.
1:10:45 Aye.
1:10:46 We’ll move on to the information agenda, which
1:10:48 includes an item for board review
1:10:50 and may be brought back for action in a subsequent meeting.
1:10:52 No action will be taken on this item today.
1:10:54 There are two items under this category.
1:10:56 Does any board member wish to discuss either of these?
1:11:00 Hearing now, I’m going to pass on the board member
1:11:03 reports until the end.
1:11:05 So that should be the end of the meeting, right?
1:11:08 Can we take a break?
1:11:09 Use the restroom and stuff like that.
1:11:10 Because we didn’t vote to–
1:11:11 [INAUDIBLE]
1:11:12 Yeah, we didn’t vote to put it online, so.
1:11:15 Yeah.
1:11:15 I’m thinking that right now.
1:11:18 OK.
1:11:19 Mr. Chair, I move that we go ahead and keep the cameras
1:11:24 on for our non-agenda public comment time
1:11:26 they’re about to have.
1:11:27 I’ll second.
1:11:29 Paul, roll call, please.
1:11:30 Mr. Trent?
1:11:32 Ms. Wright?
1:11:32 Aye.
1:11:33 Mr. Susan?
1:11:34 Aye.
1:11:34 Ms. Campbell?
1:11:35 Mr. Thomas?
1:11:36 Aye.
1:11:37 All right.
1:11:39 We’re now under the non-agenda public items portion
1:11:41 of the meeting.
1:11:42 We have–
1:11:43 Paul?
1:11:44 Four.
1:11:45 Four number of speakers, and we’ll each
1:11:46 receive three minutes.
1:11:48 Our attorney will give the speakers
1:11:49 in the order which way they signed to speak up.
1:11:51 Mr. Gibbs, please call the first three speakers.
1:11:53 Gregory Lund, Jim Campbell, Bernard Bryan.
1:11:59 Good morning, Dr. Rendell and distinguished board members.
1:12:11 My name is Greg Lund.
1:12:13 I am a resident of Cocoa Beach, and I’m
1:12:15 running currently for city commissioner seat number
1:12:18 four in Cocoa Beach.
1:12:19 One of my main platforms and priorities
1:12:22 has been e-bike safety and education for our kids.
1:12:25 I haven’t really just talked about it.
1:12:27 I’ve built a program, and I’ve published it
1:12:29 for every one of you to read.
1:12:31 One is the summary of the program.
1:12:33 The other one is actually the written exam.
1:12:36 Here’s how it works.
1:12:37 A student who rides an e-bike to school
1:12:40 should take a 25-question written exam
1:12:42 on real Florida law, e-bike classes and speeds,
1:12:46 helmet rules, hand signals, stop signs, school buses.
1:12:51 Then they take a practical riding test, seven stations
1:12:55 on a closed school lot, hand signals while riding,
1:12:58 shoulder scans without swerving, braking at e-bike speeds,
1:13:02 and a simulated street course with a stop sign
1:13:05 and a crosswalk pass.
1:13:08 If the kids pass both, then the student
1:13:12 earns a safety certificate.
1:13:14 A few cities in Florida have versions of this program.
1:13:17 Winter Park requires certificates,
1:13:19 but there is an online course only, no riding tests.
1:13:22 Volusia and Nassau County schools
1:13:24 require students to pass a course
1:13:25 and display a permit sticker before they can ride on campus.
1:13:30 Florida law section 316.20655 authorizes local governments
1:13:35 to provide exactly this training.
1:13:38 And the best part is that FDOT’s Safe Routes to School program
1:13:41 funds it, the trainers, the equipment, even officer time,
1:13:45 at no expense to the county.
1:13:48 No school in Brevard County has a program like this.
1:13:51 Cocoa Beach can be the first, and it wants to be the first.
1:13:55 The Brevard County School Board should show its leadership
1:13:58 and its forward thinking ability by endorsing the program
1:14:01 and giving us permission to use the schools to take the test.
1:14:04 We’ll work with the Sheriff’s Department, the Cocoa Beach
1:14:06 Police Department, and the principal
1:14:09 of the junior senior high school so
1:14:11 that we can make this happen.
1:14:13 My ask is simple, instituting this program
1:14:15 will save a lot of injuries and maybe a few lives.
1:14:18 It’s only a matter of time before we see someone get hurt
1:14:21 or even die.
1:14:22 I hope you’ll take this opportunity
1:14:24 to endorse this program, work with the city of Cocoa Beach,
1:14:28 and let it move forward.
1:14:30 Thank you for your attention to this matter.
1:14:33 Thank you, Mr. Lund, if you’ll hang around after the meeting.
1:14:36 Thank you.
1:14:37 Jim Campbell, Bernard Bryan, Sean Griffiths.
1:14:45 Katie, I remember being our first campaign
1:14:48 with us trying to figure this stuff out in Central Middle
1:14:50 School’s orchestra teacher going on maternity leave
1:14:53 without a set.
1:14:54 And you looking at me, telling me
1:14:56 they couldn’t have a concert if somebody didn’t step in.
1:15:00 And we had to shut the campaign down for three months
1:15:02 while you jumped in and made sure those kids had a concert.
1:15:05 I remember you falling asleep on the couch every night,
1:15:09 reading every page of every agenda, legal document,
1:15:12 or policy, or whoever it was to make
1:15:13 sure you did the job right.
1:15:15 How many people stand in here going gloves off on you
1:15:18 and you never return it in favor?
1:15:21 It’s amazing how arrogance and ignorance go together.
1:15:26 I remember being at 7-Eleven and you
1:15:27 texting me how you had to run the Riviera right
1:15:30 now because something tragic had happened.
1:15:32 And you spending the rest of that day and the next day
1:15:35 comforting kids and filling in wherever you could.
1:15:38 So many moments like that.
1:15:40 I remember wise decisions regardless of party pressure.
1:15:42 Either way, you made both sides of the aisle mad at one time
1:15:45 or another while still keeping their respect, which
1:15:48 means you did it the right way and they all know it.
1:15:52 I remember all the teachers and school personnel
1:15:54 who cornered you for prayer and counsel professionally
1:15:58 and personally.
1:15:59 You’ve been there any time they’ve asked, day or night.
1:16:03 I know about your handwritten prayer list
1:16:05 where you pray for people that you like
1:16:07 and also people that don’t like you very much.
1:16:10 I remember you answering the same questions over and over,
1:16:13 staying in your lane and still getting the job done,
1:16:16 listening to any tone of voice with grace and respect
1:16:18 because this is about serving the community, not holding
1:16:21 a title, which you got from your mom and your dad
1:16:23 as they serve the military, businesses, churches,
1:16:26 and nonprofits and still do to this day.
1:16:29 I remember you taking involvement in organizations
1:16:31 like Take Stock, JA, Children’s Hunger Project seriously
1:16:34 with your time and your money and making a point
1:16:36 to be in the schools personally and at as many events
1:16:38 as you could to encourage the people both in front of
1:16:40 and behind the scenes.
1:16:42 And I’ll end it with this because it seems appropriate
1:16:44 to you and your time here.
1:16:47 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it
1:16:51 for finishing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus,
1:16:54 the work of telling others the good news
1:16:56 about the wonderful grace of God.
1:16:58 Love you, baby.
1:16:59 You did a great job.
1:17:00 - Yeah, that’s all.
1:17:02 (audience applauds)
1:17:05 Bernard Bryan and Sean Griffiths.
1:17:11 - Good morning.
1:17:12 My name is Bernard Bryan and I represent
1:17:14 the South Brevard branch of NWCP,
1:17:17 as well as the concerned citizen of South Brevard.
1:17:21 I’m standing before you today because this week
1:17:24 has been a very good week for us,
1:17:26 and I’d like to thank Dr. Rendell and his board.
1:17:29 I had a chance to visit University Park on yesterday,
1:17:32 and those children performed a fifth grade debate team.
1:17:37 And I was so proud of those kids.
1:17:39 And they debate subject was the Constitution
1:17:44 at a fifth grade level.
1:17:45 And I was so proud of those kids and the students,
1:17:49 as well as the team.
1:17:51 I was also proud of Palm Bay High School.
1:17:55 The leadership team visit Macedonia Baptist Church,
1:18:00 and they talked about the CTE program.
1:18:03 So I just wanna say I was so proud of the energy
1:18:06 that they brought to basically encourage our parents.
1:18:10 So I do appreciate what this board has done,
1:18:14 the staff has done as well.
1:18:17 But I also would like to create some opportunities here.
1:18:20 My background is aviation, looking at Six Sigma,
1:18:24 it’s my background.
1:18:26 And I believe in serving all students with excellence.
1:18:30 And I’m hoping that this team will put on your agenda
1:18:33 our risk ratio, discipline risk ratio.
1:18:37 I’ve been looking at that now for four or five years,
1:18:40 and looking at the African American discipline rate
1:18:44 is 2.4, and to me, there’s opportunity there.
1:18:50 And I hope that this board will make that
1:18:55 as part of your strategy when we meet
1:18:57 as a discipline team within the community.
1:19:01 I’m also, as I mentioned last time,
1:19:06 concerned about the opportunity of growing our market share.
1:19:10 You know, when I look at home school,
1:19:14 they had $71 million of revenue
1:19:16 that they took from the public domain.
1:19:19 When I looked at scholarship program,
1:19:21 that’s $151 million that is not in our bucket,
1:19:26 in the public school bucket.
1:19:28 When I look at private school, that’s $106 million
1:19:32 that is not in our bucket to really capture
1:19:35 for all of our public school needs.
1:19:38 So my plea to you is, you know, share with us a plan,
1:19:41 because what’s gonna happen over next year or two,
1:19:44 you’re gonna be faced with some tough decisions.
1:19:47 But I think there’s an opportunity
1:19:49 to recapture those market shares.
1:19:51 So I’m asking that there be a plan
1:19:53 that you share with the public
1:19:55 on how you’re planning on increasing the market share.
1:19:59 You know, what is the SWOT analysis
1:20:01 so that we can grow our public school?
1:20:02 I’m a public school guy,
1:20:04 and you know, that’s kind of where my background is,
1:20:07 but I hope I can see a plan that is shared from the board
1:20:11 in terms of what your strategies are.
1:20:13 - Thank you, Mr. Bryant.
1:20:15 - Sean Griffiths.
1:20:26 (clears throat)
1:20:29 - All right, Ms. Campbell,
1:20:30 since this is your final meeting after eight years,
1:20:32 I thought I’d give you a performance evaluation.
1:20:34 We evaluated the superintendent,
1:20:36 so why not the people evaluating him?
1:20:38 Seems fair, right?
1:20:40 And I brought the rubric, your own campaign website.
1:20:43 You promised quality education,
1:20:45 responsible spending of taxpayer dollars,
1:20:47 and making sure parents, teachers, and staff
1:20:48 had a voice in decisions.
1:20:50 So let’s see how we did.
1:20:52 First, responsible spending.
1:20:54 I recently asked you what the district projected
1:20:56 it would save by closing Cape View Elementary
1:20:58 after accounting for cost transfer to Roosevelt.
1:21:01 You gave me some numbers, some operating costs,
1:21:03 funding figures, and explained that actual savings
1:21:05 wouldn’t be known until the fiscal year ended.
1:21:07 That was cool and all, but that’s not what I asked.
1:21:10 I wasn’t asking for the final bill.
1:21:12 I was asking for what the board expected to save
1:21:14 before closing a school that had served its community
1:21:16 for more than 60 years.
1:21:18 Surely someone ran those numbers before the vote,
1:21:20 and I’m still waiting to see them.
1:21:22 Next, making people’s voices count.
1:21:25 That promise has to include everyone,
1:21:28 not just the people who agree with you politically.
1:21:30 Answering a Facebook comment is nice,
1:21:32 but responding isn’t the same thing as answering,
1:21:34 and listening isn’t the same thing
1:21:36 as simply waiting to respond.
1:21:39 Parents, teachers, staff, and community members
1:21:41 should not have to share your political views
1:21:43 to be heard, taken seriously, or treated with respect.
1:21:47 Finally, quality education.
1:21:50 We’ve spent an extraordinary amount of board time
1:21:52 on book controversies, religion, and ideological arguments,
1:21:57 while teachers and sports staff are struggling
1:21:59 and ESE families are asking for help.
1:22:02 I can’t help wondering how much attention
1:22:04 those problems might have received
1:22:06 if they were treated with the same urgency.
1:22:08 Now, I don’t think every decision you made was wrong,
1:22:11 and I’m sure there are accomplishments you’re proud of,
1:22:13 but this isn’t about whether you meant well.
1:22:15 It’s about what eight years of leadership delivered.
1:22:18 So as you leave this board, I hope you’ll consider
1:22:20 whether you lived up to those promises
1:22:22 you made to the families of Brevard County,
1:22:24 because these standards are not standards
1:22:26 I invented to criticize you, Ms. Campbell.
1:22:28 They’re the ones you asked voters to judge you by.
1:22:31 Thank you.
1:22:38 - Yeah, I can speak for you, Katie,
1:22:40 being the longest serving school board member
1:22:42 that you have done an amazing job,
1:22:45 and would love to debate anybody
1:22:46 who says anything otherwise.
1:22:48 All right, that means that we are now
1:22:50 on to our board member reports.
1:22:53 I think we have a couple of things,
1:22:54 but Dr. Undell, you wanna go first?
1:22:56 - Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair.
1:22:57 I’d like to go first and maybe circle back
1:22:58 from our praise for Mrs. Campbell after this.
1:23:02 So today I wanna provide an update to our school community
1:23:05 regarding the tragic accident involving a Promethean board
1:23:09 that resulted in the loss of one of our students.
1:23:12 First and foremost, our hearts remain
1:23:14 with the student’s family, friends, classmates, teachers,
1:23:18 and everyone affected by this devastating loss.
1:23:22 No words can adequately express the sorrow we feel
1:23:26 or the profound impact this tragedy has had
1:23:28 on our entire community.
1:23:31 Immediately following the incident,
1:23:33 the district began a comprehensive review
1:23:35 of all classroom Promethean boards across all of our schools.
1:23:40 That inspection has now been completed
1:23:43 and included more than 3,000 boards district-wide.
1:23:47 Based on the findings to date,
1:23:48 the district found no pattern of improper installations.
1:23:52 The district is currently awaiting
1:23:54 the final inspection report,
1:23:56 which will provide additional information
1:23:58 and recommendations.
1:24:00 We are committed to reviewing those findings carefully
1:24:03 and taking any actions necessary
1:24:06 to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
1:24:09 Now, in addition, the district has retained outside counsel
1:24:12 to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
1:24:17 The Palm Bay Police Department continues its investigation
1:24:20 and the district has cooperated fully
1:24:23 by providing access to information,
1:24:25 facilities, and personnel as requested.
1:24:28 We remain committed to understanding
1:24:30 exactly how this tragedy occurred.
1:24:33 While the investigations are ongoing,
1:24:35 it would be inappropriate
1:24:37 to speculate about causes or conclusions.
1:24:41 We will continue to be transparent
1:24:42 and share information with our community
1:24:45 as it becomes available
1:24:46 and as permitted by the investigative process.
1:24:50 The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff
1:24:52 remain our highest priorities.
1:24:54 We ask that you continue to keep the students’ family
1:24:57 and loved ones in your thoughts
1:24:58 during this extraordinary difficult time.
1:25:01 Thank you, Mr. Chair.
1:25:03 - Thank you, Dr. Rendell.
1:25:05 Going into board member reports.
1:25:06 - I’ll go first. - Okay, Ms. Campbell.
1:25:08 - I’ll go first, but I might wanna circle back, too.
1:25:12 Just stepping off of what Dr. Rendell just shared,
1:25:16 I wanted to thank all the support team,
1:25:19 the crisis team that came down to Riviera
1:25:22 and the therapy dogs from Palm Bay Police
1:25:25 and the Broad County Sheriff’s Office
1:25:27 and all the people who went
1:25:30 over the next few days and weeks after that event
1:25:33 and just to support the school.
1:25:36 I thank you to our principals across the district
1:25:39 as I’ve gone to school visits.
1:25:40 I’ve asked them, do you have parents reach out?
1:25:42 And they did such a good job communicating with families
1:25:45 the information that you shared
1:25:47 and I know that many parents were appreciative of that.
1:25:51 Today is not just my last meeting,
1:25:53 but it is also, I think Major Klein was in the room earlier.
1:25:57 He’s making his transition,
1:25:58 but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate
1:26:01 Major Bobby Klein.
1:26:02 He’s been the third.
1:26:04 We’re about to have, are having our fourth now,
1:26:06 head of security from the Sheriff’s Office
1:26:08 since I’ve been on the board
1:26:09 and appreciate the work that he’s done,
1:26:12 the team player that he has been and how much,
1:26:14 I know he’s, when you’re part of the Sheriff’s Office,
1:26:16 you’re all Sheriff’s Office, right?
1:26:19 But you have to be all,
1:26:20 I don’t know how it could be 100%, 100%,
1:26:22 but however that math works,
1:26:24 it’s the way it works in this office
1:26:26 and so I appreciate him so much.
1:26:28 I wanted to thank him for his years of service
1:26:29 to the district and I wish him the very best
1:26:31 in his next assignment.
1:26:34 On October 7th, Endeavor Elementary
1:26:36 had their walk to school day
1:26:38 and I’m telling you guys,
1:26:40 the whole city of Cocoa showed up,
1:26:42 except for the people who were at Saturn with you.
1:26:45 We had the mayor, we had city council members,
1:26:48 we had Mr. Wilson and I think,
1:26:51 I don’t remember how many former principals,
1:26:52 but we had a few.
1:26:55 And you know, the cheerleading team from Cocoa
1:26:59 and some of the football players
1:27:01 and it’s not a very long walk
1:27:02 from the Save-A-Lot to Endeavor,
1:27:04 but it was a great walk and even in the rain,
1:27:07 even in the rain, so it was a great morning
1:27:09 and I just appreciate the city of Cocoa
1:27:10 and I love the way that they support their schools.
1:27:15 You guys know I’m the chairman this year
1:27:17 of the Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition
1:27:20 and wanted to bring to the last agenda that we had,
1:27:25 which was last Monday, the topic of early childhood,
1:27:29 especially with all the changes
1:27:30 that are happening with Head Start
1:27:33 and so I ask our very own Adria McDonough
1:27:35 from Curriculum Instruction and Terry Barlow,
1:27:38 who is the head of Head Start,
1:27:39 we hear from them regularly,
1:27:41 to put together a presentation
1:27:42 for our fellow school board members
1:27:44 and district leaders across the Central Florida area.
1:27:47 They did a fantastic job,
1:27:49 not just showing off what Revard does well
1:27:52 about VPK and Head Start because we do it uniquely here.
1:27:56 There’s not a lot of districts that do full-time VPK,
1:27:58 there’s not a lot of districts
1:27:59 that do all the Head Start within their schools,
1:28:01 they just have private providers,
1:28:03 outside providers who do that.
1:28:04 But I just appreciate them so much
1:28:06 and the challenge they gave to all our colleagues
1:28:08 across the Central Florida area to really think about,
1:28:11 even if they’re not doing those things,
1:28:13 how do they partner with their local
1:28:15 early childhood organizations to make sure
1:28:17 that they are doing the right thing
1:28:19 and preparing the students for kindergarten.
1:28:21 And then I just wanted to highlight
1:28:24 the Marching Band Music Performance Assessment,
1:28:26 which was a couple Saturdays ago.
1:28:28 Man, every school did such a fantastic job,
1:28:31 small or large, it was just a fantastic day.
1:28:35 And kudos to all of our directors
1:28:39 and our parent support organizations, our students,
1:28:41 especially to Space Coast Junior Senior High School
1:28:44 and their Band Parent Association because they hosted it.
1:28:46 They usually do three years in a row,
1:28:47 this was their third year.
1:28:49 And they did such a great job
1:28:51 with that influx of people all day long.
1:28:53 They might have run out of pizza, I don’t know.
1:28:55 I’d be surprised if they didn’t.
1:28:57 But it was a fantastic day showing off
1:28:59 just wonderful performances from all of our schools,
1:29:03 and you guys would be very, very proud.
1:29:08 - Okay.
1:29:10 - Mr. Chair? - Yes, sir.
1:29:11 - So I have two things.
1:29:12 First of all, just to piggyback on what Dr. Rendell said
1:29:17 about Riviera, I just wanted to thank him
1:29:19 for calling for the Outside Council.
1:29:21 I think that was a great step as far as making sure
1:29:23 that there’s no question as far as the independence
1:29:25 of the investigation, so I appreciate that very much.
1:29:31 And I did want to say I was in Detroit
1:29:33 when the incident happened,
1:29:35 and obviously we lost three kids that day,
1:29:38 two in the other tragic incident.
1:29:40 And the entire staff from Dr. Rendell through his team
1:29:45 and the team at Riviera, I cannot say enough thank yous
1:29:49 for how you guys handled that.
1:29:51 Nobody can imagine, there’s no playbook
1:29:54 on how to handle situations like that,
1:29:55 especially two in one day, but you guys were remarkable,
1:29:58 and I just wanted to express my appreciation
1:30:01 to you guys publicly, and then thank Ms. Campbell
1:30:04 and Ms. Wright for coming down to Riviera.
1:30:07 I know the entire board was going every which way
1:30:09 with those incidents happening,
1:30:11 but Ms. Wright to come all the way down from Titusville
1:30:14 to Riviera and Palm Bay for that was exceptional,
1:30:17 and I appreciate everything you guys did
1:30:19 because honestly, I was in Canada,
1:30:21 and I felt like I was stuck there
1:30:23 not being able to do anything,
1:30:24 and you guys being there made me feel a lot better,
1:30:27 so I really appreciate you guys doing that.
1:30:30 Second thing is, on a more positive note,
1:30:32 I wanted to say a few words about Ms. Campbell
1:30:35 because Ms. Campbell, you are truly a standard
1:30:41 for all school board members to follow,
1:30:43 and the words I’m saying, everybody would speak nicely
1:30:45 about you even if we didn’t like you,
1:30:47 but I will tell you that what I’m telling you
1:30:49 is from the hard and sincere,
1:30:51 and I totally disagree with the public comment
1:30:54 about what was said about you
1:30:55 because if I could say anything
1:30:58 is that you are not political.
1:31:00 We may disagree, and we’ve disagreed on things,
1:31:02 but it’s never been political.
1:31:03 It’s principle, and you do your research.
1:31:07 There’s nobody that does the research more on issues
1:31:10 that the board faces than you,
1:31:12 so I don’t know what we’re gonna do when you’re gone
1:31:14 because you do your homework, and you know the topics.
1:31:18 You get intimately involved in the schools
1:31:21 beyond what anybody could ever imagine,
1:31:24 and your character and integrity are second to none,
1:31:28 so I consider you not only a colleague,
1:31:32 but a friend within the constraints of the Sunshine Law,
1:31:34 but I consider you a friend,
1:31:36 and just know that I’m here for you
1:31:38 as a voice for you on the school board moving forward.
1:31:41 You know my number.
1:31:42 Call me anytime.
1:31:43 I’m your representative, yes,
1:31:46 and so many of these seats,
1:31:48 we’re all irreplaceable on the board,
1:31:51 but Katie, you truly aren’t irreplaceable,
1:31:53 so I just wanna thank you for everything.
1:31:57 - Gene.
1:31:59 - All right.
1:32:00 We’ll start with Katie.
1:32:02 All right.
1:32:05 Yeah, you will not be replaced, honestly.
1:32:08 It doesn’t matter who’s down there.
1:32:10 John, you said it perfect,
1:32:13 and this isn’t out that way.
1:32:15 It’s over here, and just big respect,
1:32:21 and I mean, this is, and we didn’t agree on everything,
1:32:24 and I think that’s what made my respect
1:32:27 for you grow even more.
1:32:29 I mean, you gotta be careful
1:32:30 the people who agree with you all the time, honestly,
1:32:34 and you didn’t waver.
1:32:36 I mean, you were Katie Campbell
1:32:38 from the minute I met you to the minute now
1:32:40 you’re gonna be off here, and it’s total respect.
1:32:43 The amount, Jim, that was just wonderful words,
1:32:47 and the amount of work you do outside of this board,
1:32:51 I don’t believe anybody out there,
1:32:53 if you tried to tell them, they wouldn’t believe it.
1:32:56 You were just a model board member,
1:33:00 and we run across a lot of people,
1:33:04 and they’ll bring you off to the side and say,
1:33:06 let me tell you really about this person or that person.
1:33:10 Never had that once with you,
1:33:12 because the people that run into you,
1:33:15 that was Katie Campbell that they saw,
1:33:17 and that was the Katie Campbell that they knew.
1:33:20 There weren’t two sides of Katie Campbell.
1:33:24 Early on, we probably didn’t know
1:33:26 how we were gonna work together.
1:33:27 I’m a better school board member because of you,
1:33:30 and I appreciate that.
1:33:33 Thank you.
1:33:34 - That’s good.
1:33:36 All right, so we have, today is like a goodbye day,
1:33:39 it feels like a little bit,
1:33:40 which I don’t like this part of it,
1:33:42 so Major Klein is not in the room,
1:33:43 so he’s probably avoiding his public embarrassment of this,
1:33:47 but that’s okay.
1:33:48 So I just wanna thank him for his service
1:33:49 to Brevard County Public Schools.
1:33:50 He’s become a personal friend of his family,
1:33:52 his personal friends of ours,
1:33:53 and just dedicated individual that has served tirelessly
1:33:56 and left our county in a better position than he found it.
1:33:59 So we are safer today than we were
1:34:01 prior to him being a part of our organization here.
1:34:04 So thank you so much for the years of service
1:34:05 that you provided here.
1:34:06 Good luck on your next endeavor.
1:34:08 It is not a goodbye, I’ll see you soon.
1:34:11 - All right, on to Ms. Campbell, my cat, yay.
1:34:13 That’s what we jokingly said,
1:34:15 because her name is spelled a little uniquely,
1:34:16 if everybody ever sees that.
1:34:17 So Ms. Campbell, I have to say,
1:34:20 honestly serving with you has been an honor
1:34:22 and a privilege for four years.
1:34:23 So I know when I came on the board,
1:34:25 it was a whirlwind of chaos,
1:34:27 and I think you jokingly had said,
1:34:29 “This is the hardest time I’ve ever been a board member.”
1:34:31 It was a lot, right?
1:34:32 But the heart behind the ideas
1:34:34 and the things that we were bringing forward
1:34:36 was 100% always trying to make our school system
1:34:39 a better school system.
1:34:40 We might disagree on things on how to get there,
1:34:42 but you are a champion for public education.
1:34:45 You really are.
1:34:46 No one can ever question your dedication,
1:34:48 your loyalty, your research, the amount of work you do.
1:34:51 And Jean, you said it perfectly.
1:34:52 I am a better board member because of you.
1:34:54 So I have seen you show up time and time again.
1:34:56 I have seen you walk through personal health crises
1:35:00 with your daughter while you were on this board,
1:35:02 and you still showed up to everything,
1:35:03 and you still were 100% all in.
1:35:05 And so I just thank you.
1:35:07 I pray for whoever is sitting in that seat next
1:35:10 to be, if they’re half as good as you,
1:35:12 that’s gonna be 100% of a board member,
1:35:14 that’s all I can say.
1:35:15 So thank you for the years
1:35:16 that you have given to Brevard County,
1:35:18 your love for schools, your love for the staff,
1:35:20 for the people here.
1:35:21 It’s unwavering, and you are gonna be missed so much,
1:35:24 my friend, so.
1:35:25 But you have done well.
1:35:26 Good job, faithful servant.
1:35:27 It’s one of those moments you have done an exceptional job,
1:35:29 and we just appreciate you and love you.
1:35:33 - So it’s my turn,
1:35:35 as being the longest school board member serving with you
1:35:37 all the way back, not many people know the battles
1:35:41 that we had to go through with the public organizations
1:35:44 and everything else, and the policies.
1:35:47 You can pretty much take a watermark of when,
1:35:51 like when Miss Campbell became the school board member,
1:35:55 school board prior to that was run a certain way.
1:35:58 And then after, when she came on, we had Majori Stoneman
1:36:02 and the entire world for school board switched.
1:36:04 All of a sudden, everything, policies, everything,
1:36:07 it became the largest safety initiative
1:36:10 in the history of school districts,
1:36:12 and changed the public face.
1:36:14 All of a sudden, you didn’t have the parents
1:36:17 inside the classrooms as much because of security problems.
1:36:19 You had fences going up.
1:36:20 It was just completely different.
1:36:22 The public started coming in.
1:36:24 They’re more concerned.
1:36:25 And then all of a sudden we roll right out of that
1:36:27 as we just get under our feet, and here comes COVID.
1:36:30 And all of a sudden we have all of those instances
1:36:32 that happened where people for the first time
1:36:34 are seeing things that are going on in their schools.
1:36:36 And I mean, it has been one heck of a ride.
1:36:39 And if you say, like, when you came on, it changed.
1:36:43 It did.
1:36:44 And I’m glad that you were here during that time
1:36:46 because you bring, whereas I think everybody kind of hinted
1:36:49 to it, you do your research.
1:36:51 And there’s a lot of times when people come
1:36:54 and they say things that are not true.
1:36:57 And a lot of times we don’t respond
1:36:59 because we don’t want to argue.
1:37:01 But a lot of other times, we don’t have the time
1:37:03 to research it, but you did.
1:37:05 And that, however you plan ahead,
1:37:10 if you’re just researching through it and everything else,
1:37:12 you do an amazing job there.
1:37:14 And you get complete credit for that.
1:37:16 I think that your commitment to the organizations
1:37:20 that are attached to our school district,
1:37:22 from the Children’s Hunger Project
1:37:24 to all of the other areas that you’re in, are incredible.
1:37:28 And you don’t just do it.
1:37:29 You sign up, you say what you’re gonna do,
1:37:31 you complete what you’re gonna do,
1:37:32 and you lead from a school board’s perspective,
1:37:34 and people respect you for it.
1:37:36 I don’t ever get a call that you’ve acted inappropriately.
1:37:39 I don’t ever get a call
1:37:40 that you’ve said something inappropriately.
1:37:42 Your standard that you have through there is incredible.
1:37:46 And the fact that you show up to almost every single event
1:37:50 because you care.
1:37:51 And that goes to what your husband was speaking to.
1:37:54 And he said, not only do you pray with people when you,
1:37:58 he went through all the things you’re doing,
1:37:59 I’ve seen it firsthand with all of the events
1:38:03 that you show up to, all the people that you know,
1:38:05 all the respect that you get.
1:38:07 When they say that a half of a Katie Campbell
1:38:09 is a strong 100% school board member,
1:38:11 I think that that’s 100% true.
1:38:14 It has been an absolute honor working with you.
1:38:17 I look forward to nominating you for as many committees
1:38:20 when you’re off, when you’re not here.
1:38:22 And I’m serious about that.
1:38:24 One of the things I asked your husband before you left
1:38:27 this morning when we came in was I said,
1:38:29 “Hey, are you guys taking off?”
1:38:31 And he goes, “No.”
1:38:31 He says, “We love it here.
1:38:32 “We’re gonna be here forever.”
1:38:33 So there needs to be a transition.
1:38:37 He did, he did.
1:38:39 He’s as long as he’d been here and everything else.
1:38:41 And I just said, I’m honored to have worked with you.
1:38:44 And I hope that you continue in some of these regards.
1:38:47 I hope that you work inside of our system
1:38:49 and I’d be honored to champion any cause with you
1:38:52 and fight for anybody that you ever need,
1:38:56 especially the arts.
1:38:57 Because I’ve been trying to get in singing
1:38:59 with all kinds of people on the board
1:39:02 and I look forward to doing it.
1:39:03 So thank you for the years.
1:39:04 Thank you for all the work that you did
1:39:06 and I truly appreciate you.
1:39:07 Thank you.
1:39:10 - Mr. Chair, if I could have a couple of minutes.
1:39:12 - Back to you, Dr. Rendell.
1:39:13 - Yeah, so first of all,
1:39:15 I’m gonna share a couple of stories about Mrs. Campbell
1:39:18 that some of you may not be aware.
1:39:20 And it shows her level of talent with music.
1:39:25 So two stories I’m gonna share.
1:39:26 One, we used to accompany,
1:39:29 the board members used to accompany me on school visits.
1:39:32 And I remember we were visiting Heritage one time
1:39:34 and we walked into a music classroom
1:39:36 and Mrs. Campbell just jumped on the piano
1:39:39 and started playing in the music class
1:39:42 without any rehearsal or practice or anything.
1:39:44 She just, you know, the music was up on the sheet there
1:39:48 and she just went to town.
1:39:49 And the students responded.
1:39:52 It was like she was in her element.
1:39:53 It was fantastic.
1:39:55 The other time we were at the bus driver training in August,
1:40:00 we’re getting ready to open the bus driver training
1:40:03 and they needed someone to sing the national anthem.
1:40:07 And Mrs. Campbell sang the national anthem acapella,
1:40:11 right from the jump without knowing
1:40:14 she was gonna be singing the national anthem.
1:40:16 She did a fantastic job.
1:40:18 One of the best I’ve ever seen, just off the cuff.
1:40:22 So besides being an incredible school board member,
1:40:27 she’s an incredible musical talent and teacher.
1:40:30 So I hope that she kind of weaves that into her future,
1:40:34 get back in front of kids and help them learn
1:40:37 how to perform musical instruments so much better.
1:40:40 I echo a lot of the comments that have been made
1:40:43 as far as a school board member, she has set the standard.
1:40:47 I’m honored to have got to work with you
1:40:49 for the past few years.
1:40:51 And everybody who’s in a leadership position
1:40:54 faces criticism.
1:40:55 There’s the speech, the man in the arena,
1:40:59 and if you haven’t, if you’re not familiar with that,
1:41:00 you should Google it.
1:41:01 But it’s very appropriate for people who stand in the gap
1:41:05 when they’re in leadership positions,
1:41:07 face criticism and still stay true to their ideals,
1:41:10 their values and their morals.
1:41:12 And that’s what she has done.
1:41:13 So thank you for your service.
1:41:15 Thank you.
1:41:17 - Yeah, I was gonna ask a friend to come up
1:41:19 and do the ROTC thing too, so.
1:41:25 - Thank you guys very much.
1:41:28 I thought about what I might say today
1:41:30 and I thought about writing it all out.
1:41:32 I’m like, eh, I’m not gonna do that.
1:41:34 But I’ll say some of the things that I always say.
1:41:37 One is, and this is still true to this day,
1:41:40 this is the hardest thing that I’ve ever done.
1:41:42 But I’ve known every day that I’m where I’m supposed to be.
1:41:45 Now that’s ending in a few weeks,
1:41:46 so I know I’m supposed to be somewhere else.
1:41:50 But as hard as it’s been, there have been so many joys
1:41:54 ‘cause there is a joy that you find
1:41:56 when you’re right where you’re supposed to be.
1:41:57 And that makes it easier to do the hard things, right?
1:42:02 You’re not kidding.
1:42:02 I remember Dr. Mullins in the first couple years,
1:42:04 like every couple weeks he’d say,
1:42:05 I’m sorry, he apologized to me.
1:42:07 I’m like, why are you apologizing to me?
1:42:08 It’s hard for you too and you just got this job too.
1:42:13 But the joy has not been in the role.
1:42:17 The joy has been in the people.
1:42:19 - And the relationships.
1:42:20 And the other thing that I frequently say,
1:42:22 because it’s still true,
1:42:24 is I thought the biggest impact I would have
1:42:27 would be the decisions from the dais.
1:42:29 And I realized very quickly,
1:42:30 and I want you to remember this,
1:42:33 that the biggest impact that I had
1:42:34 was actually the one-on-one conversations with people.
1:42:37 Whether it’s people in the audience
1:42:39 who needed a problem phone call,
1:42:41 a frantic parent or a staff member who was struggling
1:42:44 and needed to know which way to go.
1:42:47 And if I felt like the Lord,
1:42:49 you know, we’re school members,
1:42:50 we have a little more freedom when it comes to stuff,
1:42:52 I felt like the Lord would leave me,
1:42:53 open the doors and I would end that conversation
1:42:54 with, can I pray for you?
1:42:55 And every single time it was a resounding yes.
1:42:59 Principles, encouraging them,
1:43:00 those kind of things I felt like made the biggest impact
1:43:03 and they made the biggest impact on me
1:43:04 because those one-on-one conversations
1:43:06 led my thinking frequently.
1:43:08 So I wasn’t just listening to the loudest voices
1:43:11 in the meeting, but I was hearing the people
1:43:13 and hearing their heart.
1:43:15 And so that was the joy,
1:43:16 is connecting with people.
1:43:18 I’m a people person.
1:43:19 So, you know, that was always something that helps me.
1:43:27 Thank you, Jim, for your encouraging words.
1:43:31 And I remember September of 2017
1:43:35 was where it kind of all began.
1:43:36 I really was the January before that
1:43:38 when someone challenged me to run for school board
1:43:39 and I said, I pray about it, ha ha.
1:43:41 But come September, nine months later, I came to Jim.
1:43:45 We were both working out of the house
1:43:46 and I said, I think that I need to do this.
1:43:49 And interestingly, and I’ll just tell you guys
1:43:52 a little insight into our family.
1:43:54 He’s a pastor, many people know that, that’s not a surprise.
1:43:56 He was doing a sermon series on storms.
1:43:59 Unbeknownst to us, we were actually about to have a hurricane
1:44:01 in a couple of weeks, so it was just appropriate.
1:44:06 But I said, I need you to seriously pray about this with me
1:44:10 for the next week and let’s come back together
1:44:12 and decide if this is what we need to do.
1:44:14 And he said, he came to me before the week was even over
1:44:17 and said, I’m doing this sermon
1:44:19 about Jesus in the boat and the storm.
1:44:21 And I had the thought like, would Jesus intentionally
1:44:26 lead, go in the boat, lead his disciples out in the lake
1:44:29 knowing there was going to be a storm?
1:44:31 And the answer is, yes, he would.
1:44:33 We had so much going on in our life at the time.
1:44:38 But the answer was, if Jesus leads us to the storm,
1:44:42 he will lead us in a situation
1:44:43 knowing there’s gonna be storms coming
1:44:44 because there is a peace that you can’t really know
1:44:48 until you know peace in the storm.
1:44:52 And so, yeah, it’s been much more of a storm
1:44:53 than we realized it was gonna be,
1:44:55 but the peace has absolutely been there.
1:44:57 I give, I’m so thankful to my husband, to my family,
1:45:00 to our kids, to the people who have taught them
1:45:02 and served them and who have almost without exception
1:45:06 not treated our kids differently
1:45:08 because they were school board members’ kids
1:45:11 and almost without exception.
1:45:13 But we’ve been so blessed to be a part of this organization.
1:45:18 But I am very thankful, very honored.
1:45:23 This has been the honor of a lifetime
1:45:25 to have served the community in this role.
1:45:27 I’m not done, I’m not quitting.
1:45:29 I will probably be answering emails all the way
1:45:31 until they take my computer away
1:45:33 on November the 16th or whatever day.
1:45:35 - We can make sure you have a computer.
1:45:37 - And then I’m done.
1:45:38 I’m putting a nice autoresponder on there and I’m done.
1:45:42 But thank you to the people in the back of the room
1:45:45 and around the corners who lead
1:45:47 under Dr. Rendell’s leadership.
1:45:49 Thank you, Paul.
1:45:53 You have been a great partner to this board.
1:45:55 Thank you for always answering my phone calls
1:45:57 unless you’re literally in court,
1:46:00 sometimes literally on the way
1:46:01 the doctor still answers the phone.
1:46:03 I’m like, “Where do you call it
1:46:03 “when you answer my phone call for?”
1:46:04 Thank you.
1:46:05 Thank you, Dr. Rendell.
1:46:08 It has been an honor of these last four years
1:46:10 to continue to work alongside you
1:46:12 and to see your dedication to our schools.
1:46:16 Thank you, board, for allowing me
1:46:20 to talk a really long time sometime, including today.
1:46:24 But I very much appreciate it.
1:46:26 I am not disappearing.
1:46:27 I am working for Florida School Board Association,
1:46:30 so I will be training school board members across the state.
1:46:33 I just love that job.
1:46:34 I will be playing the piano for people more,
1:46:37 but I will also be taking a break shortly,
1:46:41 as soon as I can turn my computer in.
1:46:44 But I am very proud of this school district,
1:46:46 and you guys do have hard decisions to make in the future.
1:46:50 I mentioned this for our administrators back in the summer,
1:46:52 but the prophet Samuel said to the people of Israel
1:46:56 before he retired, “Far be it from me
1:46:59 “that I should ever sin against the Lord
1:47:00 “by ceasing to pray for you.”
1:47:01 And I will continue to have,
1:47:03 you guys have been on my prayer list the whole entire time,
1:47:06 and I will continue to pray for you
1:47:09 as you move forward in these decisions,
1:47:13 because it’s tough, and we need more
1:47:15 than just human wisdom to solve the problems
1:47:17 that we have to deal with.
1:47:18 So thank you to the teachers and staff
1:47:20 and the thousands of people
1:47:22 who are part of this organization,
1:47:23 and the tens of thousands of parents
1:47:26 and community members who support our county,
1:47:29 hundreds of thousands, right,
1:47:31 who support our school district.
1:47:32 So I, and thank you for this extra time, Mr. Chair,
1:47:36 and I will be plugging all the, no senioritis here,
1:47:40 I’m gonna be plugging away all the way to the end,
1:47:43 and very much appreciate all you guys.
1:47:47 - Mr. Chair. - Yes, sir.
1:47:48 - Will you? - Yes, good job,
1:47:50 Ms. Campbell. (audience applauding)
1:47:59 - Flowers, the page.
1:48:02 (faint speaking)
1:48:05 Should we take a short recess to?
1:48:08 - And then come back for the?
1:48:10 - We’re done, right? - We’re done
1:48:11 with the board meeting, now we’re on to workshop.
1:48:14 - Yeah, I was gonna bring something up,
1:48:15 but I think that wasn’t worth it.
1:48:16 So let’s, this is great, thank you so much.
1:48:19 Appreciate you. - We like you.
1:48:20 - Thank you.
1:48:22 (gavel bangs)
1:48:23 - All right, so I can.
1:48:25 (upbeat music)
1:49:02 (silence)