CMF Public Media

Orange County School Board Chair Candidates

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:30:40 +0000

To a series of questions posed by the League of Women Voters of Orange County Florida, hear answers from candidates who qualified to run for Orange County Public School districts’ first voter-elected board chair. Each is heard unedited in this program. The candidates are Homer Hartage, Leona Rachman and Bill Sublette. In addition to opening and closing statements from each candidate, each is asked to respond to a series of thirteen questions asked by the forum’s moderator. The Q&A portion of this forum runs 45-minutes in addition to 4-minutes of League announcements and an explanation of event rules.
Feature Length — 00:55:02

Recording assistance provided by Marshall Simmons

This event — known by the League as a “Candidate Forum” — was held Thursday evening, August 12, 2010 at the Orlando Repertory Theatre. The forum drew more than 70 league members and members of the public. It was preceded that evening by a forum for Orange County School Board Candidates.

The Orange County School Board chair will serve a 4 year term — instead of the position being elected annually by the board from among its 7-members. The position pays an annual salary of $37,000. The chair will be the eighth member of the board. The new chair will answer to all Orange County voters not just to those in a particular district.

The creation of this position – by an act of the Florida Legislature and confirmed by Orange County voters in a November 2008 ballot referendum – will seat a person who will have more power than the other School Board members, because the chair’s vote will prevail in the event of a tie vote. The office is non-partisan. Orange County voters may vote for this office at their precinct on Tuesday, August 24.

Kaia Forget, co-chair of the League’s Education committee hosted the forum. The candidate Q&A segment was moderated by Sarah Sprinkel. The forum was co-sponsored by the Orange County Arts and Education Center and the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools.

Key Participants

Kaia Forget

co-chair of the league’s education committee

Sarah Sprinkel

moderator

Candidates for Orange County School Board Chair

Contact information was provided by the candidate to the League or is taken from candidate promotion material.

	Homer Hartage 4862 Indialantic Dr., Orlando, FL 32808 407-235-5960 email \| website		Leona Rachman P.O. Box 781806, Orlando, FL 32878-1806 407-383-5523 email \| website
	Bill Sublette P.O. Box 2926, Orlando, FL 32802-2926 407-426-8551 email \| website

Pictures

Photos courtesy – CMF Public Media

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos.

Additional Useful Links

Commentary

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:30:25 +0000

A feature of every Central Florida Matters is a 3-minute commentary presented by a voice that matters on an issue that voice believes matters.

The voice you’ll hear is that of Stephen McKenney Steck in his role as president of Carroll McKenney Foundation for Public Media commenting on the first anniversary of CMF Public Media.
Feature length – 04:00

Central Florida Matters encourages you to post your own reaction to this commentary. Below, you will find useful links related to the commentary, including a transcript, biographical information and related pictures.

Should you wish to be considered for a commentary segment on Central Florida Matters, please click on the “contact” link to send us an email which should include adequate information for us to understand your issue. And please include a daytime telephone number where we may reach you.

Additional Feature Information

Vogel: 1-on-1

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:29:50 +0000

In Seminole County, Florida, kids enrolled in the county’s public schools have just returned to the classroom from their summer vacation. That occasion warrants this 1-on-1 interview with Seminole’s Superintendent of Schools’ Dr. Bill Vogel.

We ask Vogel about a range of vexing issues facing the school district. Those issues include the recent statewide controversy surrounding FCAT – the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, the pending statewide class size amendment, merit pay and the federal Race to the Top initiative, the proposed half cent sales tax to benefit the district, and the seemingly always present budget challenges.
Feature length – 23:16

(Produced, reported and edited by Stephen McKenney Steck)

Superintendent Bill Vogel, who is appointed to this position by a 5 person publicly elected school board, presides over a three-quarter billion dollar a year budget, a student population of 63,500 enrolled in 37 elementary schools, 12 middle schools and 9 high schools. The district employs approximately 4,450 teachers and a support staff of approximately 3,150, making the district the largest employer in Seminole County. A link to Vogel’s bio is below.

This opening week mark’s Vogel’s 7th during his tenure as Seminole’s superintendent and numbers more than 40 in his extensive career as an educator.

For this feature, this one-on-one interview lasts just under 20-minutes, though below, we have also included a link to the 70-minute extended interview from which this feature was extracted. In that interview Vogel addresses the dust-up surrounding his participation in the state’s DROP program and whether or not he’s irritated by the media treatment…the choices he has made to delay consideration of his employment contract renewal… the districts’ holding pattern in which they and many other employers in Central Florida find themselves regarding the health insurance benefit stand-off between Florida Hospital and United Health Care…the potential new FCAT graduation standards…the manner by which the district reports its adult education graduation rate…and Vogel’s view of future changes in classroom teaching in the 21st century.

Useful links to issues discussed by Dr. Vogel

Resume of Dr. Bill Vogel
Seminole County Public Schools
Pearson (the FCAT testing company)
FCAT Results (search by school and district)
FAQ on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
Florida Department of Education
Florida Association of District School Superintendents
Florida Class Size, Amendment 8 (2010)
League of Women Voters of Florida’s Pro/Con Guide on the Amendments
Oviedo High School’s Bio Science Program
Half cent sales tax issue

Links to other features produced by CMF Public Media related to issues discussed by Dr. Vogel

Extended Interview & Pictures

Click on the picture(s) to enlarge.

	Dr. Bill Vogel and Stephen McKenney Steck Extended interview (01:08:09)

Seminole School Board Candidates – District #5

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:28:15 +0000

Voting Smart features excerpted answers to questions recently asked at a public forum of the three candidates running for election as school board members in District 5 of Seminole County, Florida. Those candidates are Tina Calderone, Becky Erwin and Jeanne Morris – the incumbent. If one of these 3 candidates receives 50% plus 1 vote, that candidate will be elected in the August 24 primary with no need to go forward to the November general election. However, if none receive more than 50% plus 1, there will be a November 2 runoff between the top 2 vote-getters in this race. Two other candidates running for district # 2 are featured in a separate Voting Smart segment now on line. The event was recorded Wednesday evening, July 28, 2010 at Crooms Academy of Information Technology, a magnet high school in Sanford, Florida. Feature length – 33:22

(Produced, reported and edited by Desta Horner)

In 2010, three of the five seats on the Seminole County School Board, are up for election. Only two seats are vacant as the incumbent in the 3rd seat — Diane Bauer, had no candidate opposition by qualifying deadline and will therefore automatically be seated for another term. The two remaining seats are for District # 2 and # 5. District seats are elected county wide and are non-partisan.

If you are a typical time-starved but interested voter, this feature is produced just for you. It’s a 27-minute version of a much longer voter forum. That 90-minute forum is presented on CMF’s Heard in Central Florida page. It features the candidates from both districts at the same time in an extended Q and A session where their answers are all taken together in one setting.

Since the credentials of these candidates in district 5 – Calderone, Erwin and Morris — have no bearing on your vote for the candidates in the other district, this feature presents Calderone, Erwin and Morris as a one district-standalone…just like they are grouped on the ballot which asks you to vote for one over the other two.

The excerpts are from a voter forum sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Seminole County and the Seminole County Council of Parent/Teachers. In keeping with our agreement with the League — we present their forums in a gavel-to-gavel style on the Heard in Central Florida page. Yet, in this Voting Smart feature we slim down the forum without harming the essential content, while preserving the unedited characteristic of the 90-minute presentation.

In addition to an opening statement from each, the candidates are asked to respond to 8 questions which hit on such subjects as teacher salaries, performance based pay, the proposed half-cent sales tax, and budget challenges. Candidates Calderone, Erwin and Morris are also asked to address questions related to their vision for the school district, the use or not of federal stimulus funds flowing to the district, the class size amendment and why each thought they’d be a better choice than their opponent. Those questions are posed by event moderator Wayne Weinberg, president of Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole.

Below, we provide links to other programs on our site which feature races involving candidates for Casselberry City Commission, Seminole County seats in the Florida House of Representatives, and district and county judges. Additional programs feature discussion and debates regarding the impact – pro and con — on proposed Constitutional amendments as are features regarding the state of municipal leadership, the role of the Seminole County Election Supervisor, highlight of local issues facing voters and candidates, women in politics, and various assessments — from the point of view of local legislators and political pundits — of results from the March-April 2010 state legislative session.

Now in production are features regarding the candidates in the race for Winter Springs and Oviedo for City Council and mayor seats

Principal Participants

Candidate contact information provided by the candidate to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections or from candidate promotion material.

	Tina Calderone District #5 P.O. Box 953491 Lake Mary, Florida 32795-3491 407-509-2346 email \| website		Becky Erwin District #5 P.O. Box 952855 Lake Mary, Florida 32795 407.833.8404 email \| website
	Jeanne Morris District #5 1921 Wingfield Drive Longwood, Florida 32779 407-782-6592 email \| website		Wayne Weinberg forum moderator President – Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole resume

Links to other features produced by CMF Public Media featuring local candidates, races, interviews, forums and commentary

Additional Useful Links

Seminole School Board Candidates – District #2

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:27:55 +0000

Voting Smart features excerpted answers to questions recently asked at a public forum of the two candidates running for election as school board members in District 2 of Seminole County, Florida. Those candidates are Paul J. Ackerman and Karen Almond. Neither candidate is the incumbent, as the current office holder – Sandy Robinson, is not seeking re-election. Your vote will elect one of these 2 candidates in the August 24 primary. No voting will be necessary for this seat in the November general election. Three other candidates running for district # 5 are featured in a separate Voting Smart segment now on line. The event was recorded Wednesday evening, July 28, 2010 at Crooms Academy of Information Technology, a magnet high school in Sanford, Florida.
Feature length – 23:57

(Produced, reported and edited by Desta Horner)

If you are a typical time-starved but interested voter, this feature is produced just for you. It’s a 17-minute version of a much longer voter forum. That 90-minute forum is presented on CMF’s Heard in Central Florida page. It features the candidates from both districts at the same time in an extended Q and A session where their answers are all taken together in one setting.

Since the credentials of these candidates in district 2 — Ackerman and Almond — have no bearing on your vote for the candidates in the other district, this feature presents Ackerman and Almond as a one district-standalone…just like they are grouped on the ballot which asks you to vote for one or the other.

The excerpts are from a voter forum sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Seminole County and the Seminole County Council of Parent/Teachers. In keeping with our agreement with the League — we present their forums in a gavel-to-gavel style on the Heard in Central Florida page. Yet, in this Voting Smart feature we slim down the forum without harming the essential content, while preserving the unedited characteristic of the 90-minute presentation.

In addition to an opening statement from each, the candidates are asked to respond to 8 questions which hit on such subjects as teacher salaries, performance based pay, the proposed half-cent sales tax, and budget challenges. Candidates Paul Ackerman and Karen Almond are also asked to address questions related to their vision for the school district, the use or not of federal stimulus funds flowing to the district, the class size amendment and why each thought they’d be a better choice than their opponent. Those questions are posed by event moderator Wayne Weinberg, president of Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole.

Now in production are features regarding the candidates in the race for Winter Springs and Oviedo for City Council and mayor seats

Principal Participants

Candidate contact information provided by the candidate to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections or from candidate promotion material.

	Paul J. Ackerman district # 2 candidate 1634 Tiverton Street Winter Springs, Florida 32708 407-619-3438 email \| website		Karen Almond district # 2 candidate P.O. Box 180006 Casselberry, Florida 32718 email \| website
	Wayne Weinberg forum moderator President – Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole resume

Links to other features produced by CMF Public Media featuring local candidates, races, interviews, forums and commentary

Additional Useful Links

Central Florida Matters #17

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:25:51 +0000

All 5 contenders for 2 Seminole County Public School Board seats face the issues. Candidates for Casselberry’s city commission explain their differences. Seminole County School’s superintendent, Bill Vogel addresses FCAT, budgets and the half-cent sales tax. And CMF’s founder offers commentary on the occasion of CMF Public Media’s first anniversary.

These are the issues and voices featured in a traditional radio-style format in this 1st anniversary edition of Central Florida Matters, posted on line 8/19/2010.
Feature length – 01:55:07

(Presented and hosted by Stephen McKenney Steck and Desta Horner)

Orange County School Board Member Candidates

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:29:14 +0000

To a series of questions posed by the League of Women Voters of Orange County Florida, hear answers from candidates who qualified to run for the 3 out of 7 seats as a member of the Orange County Public School board. For district # 1, the candidates are Joie Cadle the incumbent and current board chair, and her challenger, Jacqueline Centeno. For district # 2, the candidates are George Collins and incumbent Daryl Flynn. A 3rd candidate in this race did not attend. He is Valentine C. Okonkwo. For district # 3, the candidates are Robert A. Lynn and incumbent Judge “Rick” Roach. In addition to opening and closing statements from each candidate, each is asked to respond to a series of 7-questions asked by the forum’s moderator. The Q&A portion of this forum runs 57-minutes in addition to 4-minutes of League announcements and an explanation of event rules.
Feature Length — 01:06:08

Recording assistance provided by Marshall Simmons

This event — known by the League as a “Candidate Forum” — was held Thursday evening, August 12, 2010 at the Orlando Repertory Theatre. The forum drew more than 70 league members and members of the public. It was followed that evening by a forum for Orange County School Board chair candidates which is also on this web site.

Orange County School Board members are elected for four year terms by the voters in that candidate’s specific geographic district. Board members are paid an annual salary of $40,932 as set by the Florida Legislature.

Key Participants

Kaia Forget

co-chair of the league’s education committee

Sarah Sprinkel

moderator

District #1

Joie Cadle

incumbent and current chair of the board

P.O. Box 1091, Winter Park, FL 32790-1091
407-376-0191
email | website

Jacqueline Centeno

3903 Stonefield Dr., Orlando, FL 32826
321-217-2764
email | website

District #2

George Collins

2585 Corbyton Ct., Orlando, FL 32828
407-924-5335
email | website

Daryl Flynn

incumbent

736 River Boat Cr., Orlando, FL 32828
407-823-8680
email | website

District #3

Robert A. Lynn

5832 Malcross Dr.
Orlando, FL 32812-1634
407-432-9002
email

Judge “Rick” Roach

incumbent

5019 St. Germain Ave., Orlando, FL 32812
407-854-6274
email

Pictures

Photos courtesy – CMF Public Media

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos.

Additional Useful Links

Seminole County School Board Candidates

Webmaster — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:40:17 +0000

To a series of questions posed by the League of Women Voters of Seminole County, hear the responses from candidates qualified to run for election or re-election to the board of the Seminole County Public School System. All 5 of the qualified candidates spoke at this event. Each will be heard unedited in this program.

In district 2, candidates speaking are…Paul J. Ackerman and Karen Almond. Neither candidate is the incumbent. In district 5, candidates speaking are…Tina Calderone, Becky Erwin and Jeanne Morris. Jeanne Morris is the incumbent.

The candidate portion of this feature runs 1 hour 17-minutes in addition to 5-minutes of event rules and League announcements.

Feature Length — 01:28:28

One of the 2 candidates in district 2 will be elected on August 24 with more than 50% of the vote. One of the 3 candidates in district 5 will be elected on August 24 PROVIDED the winning candidate receives 50% plus 1 of the votes cast. If not, a run off election between the 2 district 5 candidates receiving the most votes will occur on November 2nd

Not participating was district #1 incumbent Diane Bauer. She had no candidate opposition by qualifying deadline and was therefore automatically seated for another term.

The winning candidate in each district will be seated on the school board at its meeting after the November general election.

Early voting will begin August 9. Absentee voting is now underway. Voting at precincts in Seminole County will take place on Tuesday, August 24.

The school board member office is non-partisan. The term of each of the 5 public school board members is 4 years. A member may serve an unlimited number of terms if re-qualified and elected. A school board member’s annual salary is set by the Florida legislature at $ 36,000 which is the equivalent of the district’s compensation for a first year teacher with a baccalaureate degree.

This event — known by the League as a “Voter Forum” — was held Wednesday evening, July 28, 2010 at Crooms Academy of Information Technology, a magnet high school in Sanford, Florida. The forum drew more than 125 League and PTA members and members of the public. The event was hosted by Deana Schott, immediate past president of the League, and Laura Joralemon, president of the Seminole County Council of PTA. The Q/A portions were moderated by Wayne Weinberg, president of Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole.

Key Participants

Deana Schott

immediate past president, League of Women Voters of Seminole County

Wayne Weinberg

president, Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole.

Candidates for Seminole County School Board

Contact information was provided by the candidate to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections or is from candidate promotion material

District #2

Paul J. Ackerman

1634 Tiverton Street
Winter Springs, Florida 32708
407-619-3438

website | E-mail

Karen Almond

P.O. Box 180006
Casselberry, Florida 32718

website | E-mail

District #5

	Tina Calderone P.O. Box 953491 Lake Mary, Florida 32795-3491 407-509-2346 website \| E-mail		Becky Erwin P.O. Box 952855 Lake Mary, Florida 32795 website
	Jeanne Morris 1921 Wingfield Drive Longwood, Florida 32779 407-782-6592 website \| E-mail

Pictures

(Photos courtesy – GK Sharman and CMF Public Media)

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos.

Additional Useful Links

Panel Discussion Summary

Program Summary (to be posted here when provided by the League)

Seminole County’s State House of Representative Candidates

Webmaster — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:39:01 +0000

From questions posed by the League of Women Voters of Seminole County, hear unedited answers from candidates running for election to the Florida House of Representatives in the districts serving Seminole County Florida — #25, 33 and 34. Eight of 13 candidates attended this event. None of the candidates are incumbents. In the order in which they are initially heard, the candidates are Larry Metz, Frank Lane Wood, Leo Cruz, James DeCocq, Ellen Paul, Jeff Deen (for Alice Sterling), Franklin Perez and Steve Barnes. The candidate-portion of this feature runs 46-minutes in addition to 5-minutes of event rules and League announcements. This event — known by the League as their Hot Topic Luncheon — was recorded Thursday, July 22, 2010 at Sergio’s Italian Restaurant in Sanford, Florida. Deana Schott, immediate past president of the League of Women Voters of Seminole County facilitated the event.

Candidates not participating were district # 37 incumbent Republican Scott Plakon who is unopposed in both the primary and general election, in addition to 4 other candidates not appearing – Republicans Rick Joyce (district # 25), Jason Brodeur (district # 33), incumbent Chris Dorworth (district # 34) and Tea Party candidate John DeVries (district # 34). Devries and Dorworth have no primary opposition.

State Senate candidates have been invited to speak at a separate League event, which will also be presented on the Heard in Central Florida series.

Feature Length — 56:49

Photos courtesy – GK Sharman and CMF Public Media

Key Participants

Deana Schott

Immediate Past President, League of Women Voters of Seminole County

District #25

Larry Metz

Republican

P.O. Box 57
Yalaha, Florida 34797-0057
352-324-9752
email | website

Frank Lane Wood

Democrat

P. O. Box 1273
Eustis, Fl., 32727
352-589-4702
email | website

District #33

	Leo Cruz Democrat 407.902.9853 email \| website		James DeCocq Republican 1906 Torchwood Dr. Orlando, Florida 32828 407.285.1776 email \| website
	Ellen Paul Libertarian (321) 257-9725 email \| website		Franklin Perez Libertarian 4250 Alafaya Trail, #212-170 Oviedo, Florida 32765 407-694-7805 email \| website
	Alice Sterling (represented by Jeff Deen) Republican 407-341-1213 email \| website

District #34

Steve Barnes

Democrat

400 West Crystal Drive
Sanford, Fl 32773
407-417-1628
email | website

Pictures

Photos courtesy – GK Sharman and CMF Public Media

After you launch the slideshow below, click “Next” and “Previous” to rotate through the photos.

Additional Feature Information

Panel Discussion Summary

Summary written by League member Patricia Graves

The League of Women Voters of Seminole County invited all of the candidates for Florida House seats in districts 25, 33, 34 and 37 to speak at their Hot Topics luncheon held on July 22. The League felt that this venue would be a good way to introduce the candidates and give them some time to speak about topics important to the people of Seminole County. This is an exciting year with many of the candidates having primary races wanting to get their message out to the voters.

The format was set to be as non-partisan as possible – candidates were selected to speak first in numerical order (by District), and if there was more than one candidate in a District, they were selected alphabetically within their District. All candidates were given a set time to answer two questions that had been posed to them (earlier) by the League and at the end of the program, by questions from the audience. The time was divided equally among the candidates and the League had two of their members monitoring the time – one with a timepiece and the other with flash cards letting the candidate know when they had 30 seconds left, and when to stop. The moderator was Deana Schott, First Vice President of the Seminole League. She posed the questions and helped keep the candidates within their time limits.

Candidates attending were: District 25 – Larry Metz (R) and Frank Wood (D); District 33 – Leo Cruz (D), James DeCocq (R), Ellen Paul (L), Franklin Perez (L), Alice Sterling (R) – represented by Jeff Deen and District 34 – Steve Barnes (D).

Not attending were Rick Joyce (R- 25) who had another speaking engagement, Jason Brodeur (R 33) RSVP’d to attend but had to cancel, Chris Dorworth (R 34), John DeVries (T 34) and Scott Plakon (R 37) who is unopposed through the November election.

Here is some of what the candidates spoke about:

Metz talked about the need to downsize government and reform Medicaid, as well as not raiding trust funds.
Wood said he will fight for children by investing in education, budgetary fairness and protection of our natural resources.
Cruz looks to expand Florida’s economic base with jobs in the biotech, green and other industries and believes in fiscal responsibility.
DeCocq spoke about the need for government efficiency, with zero-based budgeting the top priority.
Paul said she was not a politician, but approached this as an ordinary citizen looking for smaller government, smaller taxes and more personal freedom.
Perez spoke about creating a school voucher system, ending ‘corporate welfare’, and decriminalizing ‘victimless crimes’.
Sterling (Deen) said the main focus is jobs, Medicaid reform and changing the culture of government.
Barnes is looking to apply commonsense solutions to government and focusing on creating jobs as a top priority.

With so many candidates on the ballot this year and so many important issues facing Seminole County, it was important to get the views of our potential Representatives. The League thanks the candidates who participated. The Florida Senate race and candidates is the next Hot Topics to be held on August 19 at Sergios Restaurant in Sanford. There will also be a Forum for the County Commission race August 18 and events discussing the constitutional amendments and Fair Districts coming in September. Visit the League’s website at lwvseminole.org or their blog at lwvseminole.wordpress.com for more information on upcoming events.

Commentary

Webmaster — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:34:16 +0000

A feature of every Central Florida Matters is a 3-minute commentary presented by a voice that matters on an issue that voice believes matters.

The voice you’ll hear is that of Gil Bankston, General Manager of the Oviedo MarketPlace commenting on his plans for the mall.
Feature length – 03:24

(Produced, reported and edited by Stephen McKenney Steck)

Central Florida Matters encourages you to post your own reaction to this commentary. Below, you will find useful links related to the commentary, including a transcript, biographical information and related pictures.

Extended Interview & Pictures

Click on the picture(s) to enlarge.

	Tina Calderone District #5 P.O. Box 953491 Lake Mary, Florida 32795-3491 407-509-2346 email \| website		Becky Erwin District #5 P.O. Box 952855 Lake Mary, Florida 32795 407.833.8404 email \| website
	Jeanne Morris District #5 1921 Wingfield Drive Longwood, Florida 32779 407-782-6592 email \| website		Wayne Weinberg forum moderator President – Leadership Seminole and Envision Seminole resume

	Leo Cruz Democrat 407.902.9853 email \| website		James DeCocq Republican 1906 Torchwood Dr. Orlando, Florida 32828 407.285.1776 email \| website
	Ellen Paul Libertarian (321) 257-9725 email \| website		Franklin Perez Libertarian 4250 Alafaya Trail, #212-170 Oviedo, Florida 32765 407-694-7805 email \| website
	Alice Sterling (represented by Jeff Deen) Republican 407-341-1213 email \| website