Parental Rights: Parents have the ultimate decision and control over their child's education. They have the right to participate in the selection process of curriculum; they have the right to look at whatever manuals, ancillary materials, online programs, and testing questions that teachers have access to. Parents have the right to exempt their child from classes teaching material counter to their sincerely held ethical and/or religious beliefs. (However, in the case of science courses discussing evolution, it will be understood that the standardized test may refer to Darwin's Theory of Evolution). Students, of Middle School age and higher, may be asked to complete anonymous climate surveys regarding their experience within the school system without obtaining parental consent. Surveys requiring personal information from the students will require parental review and consent. Parent consent will be required before physiologically testing, treating, evaluating, and counseling a student (with the exception of suspected abuse). This consent may be implicit: that is, if a parent wishes their student to be exempt from such, they are responsible for making said request in writing.
Discipline: Students, unless mentally incapacitated, who cause bodily harm to another student or teacher will be reviewed for expulsion. A zero tolerance for bullying of any kind--will be maintained at all times--with students and parents given a clear and distinct definition of bullying. There will be no special interest groups allowed on campus as advocates for students. Any advocacy done on behalf of students will be performed by parents and guardians directly with administration.
Educational Standards: A classical education (reading, literature, writing, math, science, history, geography, foreign language, art and music) should be the focus of our curriculum.
Practices associated with Eastern and New Age religious practices should not be exampled or implemented in the classroom, just as other religious instruction is prohibited.
While the affective domain is important to a child's learning process, it should only be addressed through positive educational interactions between student and administration/student and teacher/and parents and teacher. That is, students' self esteem will be positively affected as they are assisted through instruction, discipline and accomplishment. This is best accomplished through close communication between school and home.
Explicit and separate character education should not be part of the curriculum. Teachers and administration will, of course, recognize and promote honesty and integrity, but explicit teaching of morals and character belongs within the parental purview.
Evolution may be taught as a concept, but should be taught within its historic perimeters. That is, Charles Darwin theorized that all life forms developed from a common origin. Students should be able to answer any questions regarding the theory--both in its strengths and weaknesses. Personal beliefs about creation, whether a literal six day event, or an event set in motion and occurring over time, or any other personally held belief will NOT be mocked or ridiculed by an instructor. The student will only be responsible for answering questions regarding the evolutionary theory, not for espousing the belief thereof.
When teaching Western Civilization, curriculum that presents historical fact without bias of revision will be used. The history of America, including all of its inhabitants: indigenous, exploratory, involuntary, and immigrant will be taught with a positive emphasis on the contributions of each that have made it a leader among nations.
Florida Standards/Common Core:
The US Federal Government does not have localized control over the states and district curriculum. Relinquishing local control of education in hopes of receiving ever decreasing amounts of Federal Monies is akin to selling our children's educational future.
The FSA (test given by the American Institute for Research) is an unacceptable test. It provides no feedback on specific student skills or knowledge. The cut off scores are arbitrarily decided. No college or post secondary institution is interested in a student's FSA score. These tests are designed to collect information regarding demographics, and to arbitrarily grade student and teacher performance through one measure. Parents should be allowed to opt out of the test, and be given an alternate assessment that accurately reflects curriculum material covered within the grade level and school year. Academic advancement should not be by one means only. It should be a consideration of student portfolio and assessment. Intensive data collection is not a guarantee of student success. The only data necessary is that relating to academic performance and in school discipline--as aggregate data--not connected with any personally identifiable information.
NO COMMON CORE CURRICULUM SHOULD BE ADOPTED IN CLAY COUNTY.
Life: As a Superintendent of Schools my explicit views on the issue of human life are not relevant to the position. However, I personally belief that life does begin at conception. I believe that there should be a ban on late term and partial birth abortion. I do NOT believe that any school personnel should counsel a pregnant student to seek an abortion. I do not believe any tax dollars should fund abortions. I believe in personal responsibility of both males and females and/or their respective parental/legal guardians.
Religious Freedom: Biblical history, the Bible as Literature, may be offered as elective courses or taught within the context of other subjects. That is, discussing Biblical allusions within the context of literature, art and music is perfectly permissible and may be vital to understanding of the work. Religious displays on school property will follow the precedents set forth by the US Supreme Court. (Please see my previous blog entry for more elaborate explanation). Holidays will be celebrated within the American tradition; however, there will be alternate non related activities, and areas available for those who do not wish to participate in any holiday celebration. The Ten Commandments, as well as other ancient roots of our judicial system (Code of Hammurabi for example) may be displayed in its historical context. Regarding what is permissible with regard to prayer, I would again recommend reading my article on the Separation of Church and State (what it really means for your child). However, I will provide an excerpt from that blog here: "Although the Constitution forbids public school officials from directing or favoring prayer, students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate," [ 9 ] and the Supreme Court has made clear that "private religious speech, far from being a First Amendment orphan, is as fully protected under the Free Speech Clause as secular private expression." [ 10 ] Moreover, not all religious speech that takes place in the public schools or at school-sponsored events is governmental speech. [ 11 ] For example, "nothing in the Constitution ... prohibits any public school student from voluntarily praying at any time before, during, or after the school day," [ 12 ] and students may pray with fellow students during the school day on the same terms and conditions that they may engage in other conversation or speech. "
Regarding after hours rental of property: Churches and other groups shall be allowed to use the property per the rental agreement.
Regarding the personal religious beliefs of historical people: These may be individually researched by students for projects if they wish. No particular instruction on the religious beliefs of historical figures beyond that mentioned in historical context is necessary.
Taxes
Public schools are primarily funded by "required local effort." That is, your local tax dollars. Some funding is provided by the State of Florida, a small portion is provided by the Federal Government. Therefore, if there is insufficient funding for local education, it is up to the community provide sufficient funding. This is usually done in the form of taxation; however, it should not be done without community hearing, involvement, participation and vote. Priority considerations should be given to the school system for funding: that is, a quality school system will attract new construction and provide improved county infrastructure and commerce.
Fiscal Responsibility
School districts are required to maintain a 3% reserve fund. There are consequences and penalties for failure to maintain this fund. These consequences were experienced recently when our reserve fund fell below 3%. Gambling of any kind should not be implemented to fund public education; past lottery funding has been limited to specific kinds of educational funding by county and in Clay has been limited to Bright Futures Scholarships and Capital Outlay (Building of New Schools). These dollars have no impact on existing classrooms, and retrofit needs. Below is a table of what monies have been provided to Clay County from the Florida Lottery. Bright Futures Scholarships provide a varying discount per credit hour depending on the type of post secondary institution.
| Year | Preschool | K-12 Grade | Community College | University | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | $0.00 | $680,818.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $680,818.00 |
| 1988-89 | $0.00 | $2,517,552.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2,517,552.00 |
| 1989-90 | $385,836.00 | $6,142,593.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $6,528,429.00 |
| 1990-91 | $310,907.00 | $6,110,172.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $6,421,079.00 |
| 1991-92 | $450,980.00 | $5,018,416.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,469,396.00 |
| 1992-93 | $446,085.00 | $5,059,814.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,505,899.00 |
| 1993-94 | $421,991.00 | $5,236,098.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,658,089.00 |
| 1994-95 | $616,468.00 | $5,582,553.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $6,199,021.00 |
| 1995-96 | $608,222.00 | $4,760,898.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,369,120.00 |
| 1996-97 | $602,749.00 | $4,826,620.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,429,369.00 |
| 1997-98 | $603,082.00 | $4,652,322.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,255,404.00 |
| 1998-99 | $612,722.00 | $2,052,880.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2,665,602.00 |
| 1999-00 | $627,519.00 | $2,170,029.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2,797,548.00 |
| 2000-01 | $633,837.00 | $3,073,666.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,707,503.00 |
| 2001-02 | $0.00 | $4,489,044.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,489,044.00 |
| 2002-03 | $0.00 | $3,704,036.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,704,036.00 |
| 2003-04 | $0.00 | $4,212,892.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,212,892.00 |
| 2004-05 | $0.00 | $4,593,907.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,593,907.00 |
| 2005-06 | $0.00 | $4,481,412.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,481,412.00 |
| 2006-07 | $0.00 | $5,091,017.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,091,017.00 |
| 2007-08 | $0.00 | $5,388,740.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5,388,740.00 |
| 2008-09 | $0.00 | $4,926,732.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,926,732.00 |
| 2009-10 | $0.00 | $4,545,376.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4,545,376.00 |
| 2010-11 | $0.00 | $3,640,675.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,640,675.00 |
| 2011-12 | $0.00 | $3,524,768.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,524,768.00 |
| 2012-13 | $0.00 | $3,924,727.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,924,727.00 |
| 2013-14 | $0.00 | $3,776,987.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,776,987.00 |
| 2014-15 | $0.00 | $3,285,024.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,285,024.00 |
| Total | $6,320,398.00 | $117,469,768.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $123,790,166.00 |
| Bright Futures College Scholarships | $65,311,539.00 | ||||
| Funding for School Construction | $92,662,438.00 | ||||
| Total Education Funding | $281,764,143.00 | ||||
Rather than depend on gambling, our Clay County Community should come together to elicit ideas on how to increase our funding for education, and how we can become better stewards of the funds to which we have already been entrusted.
Current Events
As Superintendent of Schools in Clay County, I have no positional authority to address issues of same sex marriage. Those issues are decided by the courts of the United States. My positional authority is limited to serving ALL of the families of Clay County, and their children, regardless of their gender and sexual orientation. My personal viewpoints on the subject should not and will not hinder the quality of education received by any student, nor will it or should it lessen the quality of service received by any family unit.
The pledge of allegiance to the United States is currently recited every day in Clay County classrooms. While respectful behavior is mandatory, participation is not. This should not change.
Issues of foreign policy are not within the purview of the Superintendent of Schools.
The Department of Homeland Security exists to prevent acts of terrorism from any threat, foreign or domestic. Clearly, there is a perceived threat to the United States since the events of 9/11.
There should be no law in force within the boundaries of the United States other than that which has been Constitutionally enacted of the people, by the people and for the people: this applies to any type of additional codes, customs, or religious beliefs.
The current policy of allowing transgender students to use a private, single occupancy bathroom on campus will be upheld. Provision of said private, single occupancy restroom facilities will be reviewed to ensure they are convenient, comfortable, and safe.
The legalization and regulation of any drugs (tobacco, liquor, prescription narcotics, medical marijuana) for sale in the State of Florida is not within the purview of the Superintendent of Schools. These are decided by legislation.
Regarding who may address the school board: Clay County residents, CCSB employees, Parents/Guardians of CCSB students, and non-Clay County business partners should be allowed to address the board. It is not the responsibility of the board, nor should it be, to investigate the personal background of each person eligible to address the board.
There is no reliable means for determining who is a "terrorist" or indeed what constitutes being labeled a "terrorist." Arbitrary decisions about who may use public facilities or address a public meeting of the Clay County School Board are not constitutional, and as such, should not be considered.
My campaign has had no endorsement of any kind of the teachers union, nor have I accepted funds from the teachers union. I have no issue with teachers belonging to the union. The union provides legal representation for teachers to ensure they receive due process under the law in case of suit.I understand the historical bases for unions. I am not a member of the CCEA, nor have I been since 2008. I would gratefully receive the support of any teacher regardless of their affiliation.
I left the teachers union at that time due to ideological conflicts with partisan politics and the dogged determination to support those partisan politics with sample ballots, and political endorsements. To me, partisanship has no place when it comes to deciding the future of our children's education. That is why I have chosen to run as a "No Party Affiliation" candidate.
I believe that the people should have a right to vote for their Superintendent of Schools.
If you have further questions, or would like clarification on an issue, I encourage you message me through my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ShivelyforSuperintendent this will give you the quickest response. I thank you for your consideration and would very much appreciate your vote in November.
Dr. Rebekah Shively
