Barker takes on Rose for Sarasota School Board

In what is shaping up as a contentious — and expensive — Sarasota County School Board race, newcomer Elizabeth Barker wants to unseat Karen Rose, the current chair.

This is a race voters and political junkies have been salivating over for months. Both women have said they want School Board decisions to be about students and improvement and not about politics. Yet, politics swirl around both candidates and have for a long time.

Rose is one of the most qualified School Board members in years, as far as her education background is concerned. She has the qualities to be a strong leader — yet that has not always been the case.

“The silver lining is progress on academic achievement (in the school) and that has been my focus my whole life,” Rose told the Venice Gondolier’s editorial board.

“I look at the strategic plan we have now and that gets me excited,” she said. “(Terry) Connor and his team met with the principals to monitor our progress in achievement across all areas. We had a problem no one wanted to talk about with our special education and non-English-speaking students not meeting the criteria.”

Rose said third grade reading scores were a focus and believes those scores will show marked improvement.

“I did my homework and have my own vision,” she said about hiring Connor. “I have been in education 27 years and my goal is change for academic achievement — and not personalize it.”

Rose is pleased with the new focus on dual enrollment and classes in medical careers and other opportunities that students have, or will have, soon. A $16 million grant has made that possible.

She said a new Wellen Park school has been pushed back a year because of inflated costs that weren’t anticipated and that school enrollment might be down next year and that would account for a cut in fulltime teachers.

Rose addressed the sometimes-chaotic School Board meetings.

“There are highly organized attacks on political opponents,” she said. “Support Our School and others (are involved). They are supposed to be nonpartisan but they are tied to Barker and (School Board member Tom) Edwards. And I won’t deny Moms for Liberty has done the same.”

Rose said she tells people with a political agenda that School Board meetings are not the place for them. As chair, she said she has tried to be as professional and polite as possible but there are still accusations that fly during public comment and she said they end up being sound bites for the media.

We believe Rose made the right decision voting against hiring former Clay County Superintendent Charles Van Zant as superintendent. He was, to say the least, a polarizing candidate.

There are some examples, though, of Rose not adhering to her own call to avoid politics.

The most obvious was when, as chair, she called for a vote to fire former Superintendent Brennan Asplen at the first School Board meeting in 2022 after two new conservative- leading members were elected. The topic was not on the agenda and had not been brought up at previous meetings.

Where did that come from and why was the 4-1 vote so decided?

She also called for redistricting for future elections even though the school district had gone through that just a couple of years prior.

And, finally, she has failed to quell personal attacks during public comment on School Board members Edwards and Bridget Ziegler. The attacks are nasty and have little or nothing to do with the agenda — and in most cases the school district at all.

Barker is a former school psychologist who has children in Sarasota County Schools.

“I am an educator turned mom after not being able to afford daycare for my kids,” Barker said. “I never had an interest in politics.

“Firing (Superintendent) Asplen at the first meeting of the new School Board, I said, ‘This is not what will help my family.’” Barker said Asplen’s ouster was politically motivated and the district cannot afford for those types of decisions to be made by outsiders.

“It was costly for student and staff morale,” she said.

She also criticized Rose for partnering to try to bring in a person to give input on hiring, firing and curriculum that, she said, was all about politics.

The district’s Title IX resolution was another misstep she said that could have resulted in a costly lawsuit. “The attorney even said we need to work on this, but Rose wanted it passed right away.”

Barker said she is not looking to join the board and cause problems.

“I absolutely want to agree on things. We have to focus on what is best for families and students and on achievement by using our best instructional devices.”

Attacks on Ziegler, who came under scrutiny for her involvement in an investigation of her husband (Christian) which uncovered their sexual escapades need to stop, Barker said.

“I am over Bridget. Parents are over it. If we never talk about that again, it would be too soon.”

Barker said more time needs to be spent on the district’s budget and finding out where the instructional positions went that disappeared. She claimed that Booker Elementary has 90% of its students on free lunches but is losing eight teaching positions.

She wants more professional development and believes Connor — whom she strongly endorsed — will do that.

She wants more transparency on permanent substitute teachers and more parental involvement in the issue of books in school libraries.

Barker supports “good” charter schools and trade schools.

Our editorial board likes both candidates.

Rose said she mistrusts the media, but she was kind and sincere when we met with her. We believe she loves education and is highly qualified.

But her track record of stepping into political waters is troubling and we are not sure she can turn that around. And we are turned off by nasty flyers mailed to GOP voters by a PAC supporting Rose.

We like that Barker brings a fresh perspective and has four children in Sarasota County Schools.

We recommend Elizabeth Barker for the Sarasota County School Board District 2.