Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
July 19, 2016 12:20 p.m.
More than a hundred people comfortably filled meeting space at the FSCJ Bean Center Monday night to hear from two Republican women who want to be elected Nassau County School Superintendent. Janet Adkins and Kathy Burns will go toe-to-toe in the August 30 Primary. The winner of that contest will go on to face Libertarian candidate Cheryl Reynolds James in the November 8 General Election.
The Fernandina Beach News Leader sponsored the debate, which was moderated by Marcia Ladendorff, senior instructor in communications and media issues at the University of North Florida. Ladendorff has more than 22 years in broadcasting experience, including 7 years as anchor between 1986-1993 at First Coast News in Jacksonville.
In introducing the event and the candidates, News Leader editor Peg Davis reviewed the ground rules and informed audience members that the third candidate—Libertarian Cheryl Reynolds James—had declined the opportunity to participate. Davis stressed that this was an opportunity for the candidates to provide the voters with information.
Differences between the candidates and their approach to the debate became apparent during opening statements. Adkins began by attacking the status quo, citing the high turnover of teachers, the School District’s drop in state rating from A to B, discipline problems, cronyism and a need to end “wasteful spending” while offering competitive wages to teachers. “I know what is possible,” she said, “and we can do better.”
Burns took a different tack. She said, “Education is not my next job; it’s my life’s work.” She recapped her career in teaching as well as her managerial experience at ARC Nassau and volunteer work with Take Stock in Children. She said that she has spent 15 months knocking on doors and listening to community concerns about education. She said that she has dedicated herself to providing quality education and as School Superintendent would continue that dedication.
Moderator Marcia Ladendorff spent an hour asking the candidates 14 questions that covered a wide range of topics, including budgeting, relationship with the union, common core and campaign financing. She asked follow up questions, when answers did not appear to be clear or forthcoming.
The candidates took different approaches in their responses. Adkins, who seemingly came armed with voluminous information on everything from check numbers to donor numbers, preferred to attack Burns, criticizing her as a representative of the status quo. Burns avoided attacking her opponent, preferring to concentrate on answering questions.
On more than one occasion, Adkins reminded her audience that she was the only “true conservative” in the race, at one time adding that she was pro-gun and pro-family. She leveled charges against the current District administration and School Board for allowing “lavish spending” on travel, cumbersome and expensive public records response procedures, no-bid contracts and cronyism. She devoted considerable response time to two issues: transgender bathrooms and sexually explicit content in educational materials.
Burns suggested that her concerns center on what goes on in the classroom. She said that her classroom experience is not 30 years old, but reflects her experience as a teacher in the recent school year just completed. She said that it is important for everyone in the school system, including administrators, to spend time in the classroom where learning takes place. She talked about the state’s having changed educational standards three times since 2011.
In response to Adkins’ charge that the school district’s rating had dropped from an A to a B, Burns said that only one point accounted for the difference in rating, and that the school system is working hard to make up that point.
Transgender bathrooms
In response to a question about whether the school system should provide transgender bathrooms, Burns said that for reasons of safety, she believed that girls should use girls’ bathrooms and boys should use boys’ bathrooms. This generated audience applause. Adkins jumped in to say that whereas Burns used the word “should”, she would use the word “will.” The audience snickered at the distinction. Later in the debate Burns used the word “will” in the same context, and Adkins accused her of changing her position. Adkins said, “We will work to defend our values.” While generally in agreement Burns added that after talking with a concerned parent of a transgender student, “We will make accommodation where necessary.”
Libertarian candidate
The moderator asked a question regarding the rumors circulating that Libertarian candidate Cheryl James had been put up to run by one of the other candidates to insure that the election would be decided in the Republican Primary. Burns, who had the first opportunity to respond, said, “It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? More than 2,000 voters have changed registration to be able to vote in this race.” Adkins replied that there has been a lot of “loose talk” and that she has been accused of many things. “I do not know Ms. James, she said. “I had nothing to do with [her candidacy].”
Campaign donations
Moderator Marcia Ladendorff went on to the topic of campaign donations, asking what donors should expect for their contributions. Adkins claimed that she and Burns each had 97 Nassau County donors. She said that as a result of her service in the legislature she has made many contacts that resulted in campaign contributions. In acknowledging that contributions had come from charter school proponents, Adkins said that she has always supported parents’ right to choose the best education option for their children, adding that Nassau County is too small for a viable charter school. She said that her donors had no expectation of return for their contributions.
Burns cited her lifelong residency in Nassau County and said, “You cannot buy relationships. I am not for sale.” She said that if she is elected, her donors could expect that they will be getting “an educator dedicated to the success and improvement of schools.”
When Adkins suggested that the Tallahassee connections are important to securing school funding, she criticized the current Superintendent and School Board for never being seen walking the halls of Tallahassee seeking support. Burns replied, “I’m not sure we would have been listened to.” She went on to imply that because Adkins, a former School Board member and legislator was already in Tallahassee, she thought the county did have a voice in Tallahassee.
Community values
As the debate winded down, the moderator asked a question regarding values, a theme that had been brought up in various responses. She asked if school curricula should be aligned with values or if the job of teaching values belonged to the parents. Adkins strongly supported aligning community values with textbooks, claiming that a 6th grade textbook currently in use teaches the Five Pillars of Islam. Burns said that she believed that teaching beliefs and values was the job of the parents. She asked for the title of the textbook that Adkins referenced.
The moderator followed up by asking if it is the job of the school superintendent to “personally object” if his or her values are not part of the curricula. Adkins replied, “We need to protect community values.” The moderator asked, “Who decides what those are?” Adkins replied, “The voters.”
Wrap-up
In brief closing remarks, Adkins went first and stressed a sense of urgency in improving county schools. She said she is focused on student success and is the only candidate with an MBA and Tallahassee experience, as well as being the only true conservative in the race. Burns closed by saying that she has been accountable for achieving educational outcomes and will continue to be as Superintendent of Schools. She said, “I will continue to make education my life’s work.”
Following the hour-long debate, many audience members grumbled that since Adkins appeared to read her responses, they believed that she had been given the questions in advance. Both Davis and Ladendorff denied the charge. Ladendorff said that she had been forwarded reader questions submitted to the News Leader and read up on issues in formulating the questions, which had not been provided to the candidates in advance. She suggested that Adkins had probably anticipated questions and done her homework accordingly.
The audience was overwhelmingly supportive of Kathy Burns. In addition to giving her greater applause following the introduction of candidates, they applauded her responses to questions on several occasions.
Opportunity to attend the debate was limited to subscribers of the News Leader who obtained tickets in advance. Tickets were claimed within several days of the announcement of the event. The News Leader rented the FSCJ facility for the occasion. Davis said that the News Leader will excerpt the debate for YouTube viewing in the days ahead.
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.
So bottom line: Adkins is a career politician; Burns a career educator. Not too hard to choose.
I’m old enough to remember the Hays Commission of the Movie Industry. Censoring Movie scripts and Actors actions on screen. This is the type of Censorship Ms. Adkins is Proposing in the State Legislature, and what she would like to bring to the Nassau County School system. To take away the responsibility, and options of our Teachers to have a say in their Teaching Curriculum. She talks about Teachers leaving our School system to Teach some where else. That (Censorship) more than Pay, more than State Required Testing, More than the Bureaucratic BS our Teachers have to Endure. Will chase the Good Ones away. Make sure you have a Vote in the Republican Primary.
Thanks to all that worked to put this event together. A clear contrast between the two candidates. The failure of Ms. James to participate only shows her candidacy is a sham despite her protests to the contrary. I suspect the truth about this will come out at some point in time.
At the debate, Adkins was asked about her ties to Charter School money (contributions). She stated that Nassau County was too small for Charter Schools. I’ve reposted to this page some research I did on charter schools in small rural counties in Florida. Interesting.
“Can anything she says be believed? Several weeks ago she was asked about her campaign contributions from organizations with ties to Charter Schools. She stated that Charter Schools are not usually put in rural counties. In the 2000 census there were 33 Florida counties designated rural. The 2010 census showed only 30 counties. Nassau was no longer listed as a rural county. Of the 33 original counties, 20 of those counties had Charter Schools. Several counties had more than one. So much for not putting Charter Schools in rural counties. Between 1998 and 2014 282 Charter Schools were closed in the state. Last year 30 more closed their doors. In Tallahassee, Adkins consistently voted for Charter School expansion and supported school vouchers.”
What, no Democratic candidate? Must FB and NC remain in the hands of the rethugs?
Question one is why is the Nassau County Superintendent of Schools an elective office?
Question two is if the Superintendent is an elective office why is the election a partisan rather than a nonpartisan election?
The present selection process unduly politicizes an office that should not be political.
Several years ago the voters had the opportunity to change the status of the elected school superintendent to one appointed by the School Board. The referendum failed. If Nassau County citizens were to move toward becoming a Charter County, there could be many changes with respect to partisan vs. non partisan elections, as well as moving more functions under the Board of County Commissioners and possibly eliminating some direct elections for constitutional officers. But there is apparently no interest currently in moving in that direction.