Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 11-13-15 Edition

Feature
Controversy Surrounds School Board
Reorganization Meeting On Tuesday
BY GWEN HAYES
Sentinel Editor
Groups are trying to push for a change in the process of electing the chairperson; some want to keep Susan Valdes as Chair.
The School Board of Hills- borough County will hold its reorganization meeting be- fore its regular meeting on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, 3 p. m.
Rumors have circulated throughout the community over the past few days that there’s a campaign to petition the board to change its reor- ganization process so that Board Chair Susan Valdes could maintain that office one more term.
With the current process, Board Vice-Chair Doretha Edgecomb should automat- ically move up to Chairman and one of the others will be- come Vice Chair. Some spec- ulation is that April Griffin will become Vice Chair. How- ever some are looking at other
of the School District of Hills- borough County. It’s an honor and an important time for me to be in leadership,” she said.
According to Mrs. Edge- comb, the reorganization process to bring in the new chair is done prior to any business being conducted. “We have the ceremony to thank the outgoing chair for the work that has been done, present that person with a certificate or plaque and the Superintendent conducts the meeting until the new chair is sworn in. Then we go into business and comments,” she said. The past process would elevate the Vice Chair to Chair – process conducted by the Supt.
Although there has not been a confirmation that there is a campaign to have Ms. Valdes remain as chair, Eddie Adams said there is a group “trying to get candi- dates ready to defeat her (Mrs. Edgecomb) next year. With the make-up of the School Board now, she’s (Mrs. Edgecomb) among
EDDIE ADAMS ...Campaign To Defeat Mrs. Edgecomb Next Year
the lesser group of 4- 3. As the Chair, she needs to be one of the in mem- bers. Oth- e r w i s e , she’s going to control
the agenda and not the meet- ing.”
agencies – City of Tampa and County Commission – that have gotten away from the automatic elevation.
Community activist
ing,” he says. “They are saying that Ms. Valdes has single- handed done more for Blacks and Black businesses. We do believe the reorganization process needs to change.”
Mrs. Edgecomb has also heard talk of a campaign to have the process of elevat- ing the vice chair to chair changed.
“This long standing and workable process has worked very well in the past. There is no reason why it should change,” she said. “I’m look- ing forward to continuing my work on the Board for the stu- dents, employees and citizens
Ms. Ann Jenkins is tak- ing a differ- ent approach. She’s ask- ing Black women in the com- munity to come out in support of M r s . Edgecomb on Tuesday, Nov. 17th. “As much as she has done for this community and our children, now is not the time to not support her. We’re all adults and don’t have time for children’s mess that these groups are trying to
stir up.”
Joseph
(Joe)
Robinson
was asked
about the
campaign
to keep Ms.
Valdes as
the chair-
person. He
says there is
some concern about the lead- ership of Ms. Edgecomb. “Yes, people have been talk-
ANN JENKINS
JOSEPH W. J. ROBINSON ...Change the Process
...Calling Black Women to support Mrs. Edgecomb
DORETHA EDGECOMB SUSAN VALDES ...Vice Chairman to be ...Outgoing Chairman elevated to Chairman
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A