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District 1 Candidates Clash On School Board Member Roles

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 5, 2008

TAMPA - David Schmidt and Susan Valdes have never run against each other for school board, but they share a unique political link.
Valdes got elected four years ago by beating Janice Torgersen, a longtime educator, in a close race. Schmidt is married to Torgersen.

He ran the first time two years later on a similar platform to his wife's in a countywide school board race but lost. Now it's his turn to face Valdes in the Aug. 26 primary to represent District 1 on the Hillsborough County School Board.

Schmidt, 59, has raised questions about actions Valdes took during her first term, from running up a $50,000 travel bill to placing personal calls on her district cell phone. He has challenged her ethics and said she "misplaced the public trust."

Valdes, 43, reimbursed the district $400 for the personal calls - an oversight, she said. She said her travel bill, the highest among the board members, was a "rookie mistake" in her enthusiasm to do a good job, and she won't err again. She said she was pleased the board is writing travel guidelines so future members don't get carried away accepting invitations to conferences.

"I think that I work very, very hard," Valdes said. "My opponent is running a campaign not on what he's going to do but a smear campaign on me."

Schmidt said Valdes spends too much time criticizing the district and not enough offering solutions.

"She wasn't really looking to advance student achievement as she was in finding things wrong with the district," Schmidt said. "If you're going to run for school board, it has to be under the umbrella of what we can do to increase student achievement. I don't think my opponent was doing a good enough job to advance the issue."

Although Valdes has the board experience, Schmidt said he gets called the race's "insider." He has worked for a decade for a district program that helps immigrants learn English and job skills.

As the Caribe Refugee Program manager, Schmidt has overseen grants and budgets, and become familiar with problems immigrant families face, which he said gives him a perspective that would help him on the board. His previous career in manufacturing also equips him with business skills, he said.
Valdes had managed a medical clinic, leaving when she was elected.

"I need to be able to focus on doing the job right, rather than two jobs halfway," she said. "I'm not sitting at home collecting my check."

She visits schools and attends pep rallies and dances. She set up a community meeting in March for parents concerned about new attendance boundaries. On the board, however, she said she feels singled out for not conforming politically. She said she and her friend April Griffin, who won the seat Schmidt sought in 2006, are "trying to make change" and have clashed with board members who resist.

Shared Interests
Valdes and Schmidt share interests in dropout prevention, and bilingual and adult education. Schmidt is pushing to increase parental involvement and to better serve students who are not college-bound. He would like to hire more counselors for middle and high schools to work with those students.

He also was appalled to hear that teachers at low-income schools spend their own money on classroom supplies.

"That is going to stop if I'm on the board," Schmidt said.
Valdes wants to expand nontraditional business partnerships, such as the relationship Chamberlain High School developed with Outback Steakhouse that resulted in a classroom modeled like the restaurant.

She wants to see language immersion programs, similar to a Spanish one at Alexander Elementary, at more schools, perhaps for Chinese or Japanese. She also said hiring practices should be more transparent, and that too many employees get jobs based on who they know, not their skills.

Biggest Differences

One of the candidates' biggest differences is their philosophy about the position.
Valdes has dropped in on schools unannounced, and when parents call her for help, she arranges meetings and makes calls on their behalf. She doesn't think she oversteps her bounds; she sees her role as a child advocate.

Schmidt thinks board members need to interact with parents and teachers but should not confuse themselves with school administrators. Board members should provide policy and oversight, he said, and take concerns to the superintendent, not program managers or principals.

"They are not on-site managers to their schools," Schmidt said.

He posted on his campaign Web site a letter from Trinity charter school that said in May that Valdes was harassing and intimidating school employees and families. Valdes said she was investigating parent complaints and organized a private meeting for two parents and district staff.

For donations, Valdes has outearned and outspent her competitor during this election cycle. She has raised $18,066 and spent nearly $14,000, according to campaign finance reports. Schmidt has raised $5,225, not including loans or in-kind contributions, and spent about $2,877.

Schmidt received a $500 contribution from Albert Elia, the superintendent's husband. Valdes did not. She said it did not bother her: "I don't represent the superintendent or her husband. I represent the people of District 1."

Schmidt noted a $500 contribution Valdes received from the private Manhattan Hair Academy as a conflict of interest. Manhattan competes with Erwin Technical Center and other district programs. Valdes said the donor is a friend, and the academy has accepted students on Erwin's waiting list.
Valdes has endorsements from the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association and Hillsborough Schools Employees Federation. Schmidt has endorsements from Tony Morejon, Hillsborough County's Hispanic liaison; Carlton Lewis, a Town 'N Country neighborhood activist; and two of his former opponents from the race against Griffin.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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