Brevard Parents Form Political Action Committee
BREVARD COUNTY, Florida -- A group of Brevard County parents announced
today the formation of the Brevard Parents Political Action
Committee. Organizers say the PAC is a non-aligned, non-partisan organization designed to provide
parents of students in the Brevard Public Schools system a formal,
independent mechanism to participate in decisions surrounding public
education in Brevard County, Florida.
“Over the last few months it has become apparent that
perhaps the largest stakeholder group in BPS, the parents of the 70,000
children in the system, are the least represented in decisions
surrounding public education," Chairman
David Rees said. "Decisions are taken by a small group of
people on the recommendations of a small group of staff without real
oversight and accountability to the people most affected by these
decisions. Their only real accountability is every four years at
re-election time, and our mission is to provide independent information
to parents and voters based on careful and ongoing oversight of Board
members’ performance.”
According to organizers, the PAC's
initial focus will be on evaluating the performance, accountability,
and responsiveness of parents concerns by serving board members;
however, as Brevard School Board members come up for re-election, it will also evaluate
candidates for each district, providing contributions and endorsement
to those candidates who the Committee determines are likely to provide a
stronger voice for parents in the school system.
“The
concept is very simple,” said Vice Chair Margaret Goudelock “these
Board members appoint the supervisor, set policy and make decisions that
affect thousands of families across the county. They need to be
monitored to ensure their decisions are made with the best interests of
the county in mind. They haven’t done that, we intend to provide more
transparency and accountability.”
Membership
of the Brevard Parents Political Action Committee will be open to
parents or guardians of students in the Brevard Public School system. Organizers say that the PAC
will not align with or accept contributions from any other stakeholder
organizations or political parties.
RELATED STORIES:
RELATED STORIES:
