Letter to the Editor: Clay schools are in crisis

If you want to understand the crisis in Clay County Schools, then you must understand that great educators feel their profession is a calling. We believe that a strong public education system is the most important factor to a vibrant and informed democracy. We take the work home, stress over the needs of our students and the increasing demands of our job, and study to perfect our craft because we believe that teaching is a sacred trust.

The last four years have been a rude awakening for teachers in Clay Schools. In a myriad of ways teachers have come to know that Clay County schools are being run by a politician not an educator.

A politician rewards and promotes those that side with him and silences dissenters. A politician talks a lot but few of his words are genuine. A politician has an agenda to retain power at any cost. Working for a politician has left teachers feeling intimidated, disrespected, unsupported and dismissed. Teacher morale is low and teacher turnover in Clay is at its highest.

Citizens of Clay County need to understand what they are losing by having a politician run our schools. Citizens agree that one of their sacred American rights is the ability to vote for and elect individuals who reflect their vision for their community, state and country.

In fact, an article in the June 2012 Orlando Sentinel explains: “Florida voters amended the state constitution in 1998 to open primary contests to all voters, regardless of their party registration, if the winner had no opposition in the general election.”

Unfortunately, in less than two years the amendment had been undone by the political deception of the write-in candidate. Write-in candidates collect no petitions and pay no filing fee as legitimate candidates must do. When a write-in candidate is the only opposition in the general election, these sham candidates fulfill their true purpose, to disenfranchise thousands of voters.

Clay County voters were introduced to this political con in 2012 when candidate Charlie Van Zant Jr.’s friend and supporter Mr. Fred Gottshalk, became a write-in candidate and closed the superintendent’s August 14, 2012 primary to about 58,000 Democratic and Independent voters.

With so many voters disenfranchised, Mr. Van Zant won that primary by less than 1,400 votes. He subsequently won the general election against the write-in candidate for in fact, no write-in candidate has ever won an election.

This year again, Mr. Van Zant’s friend and supporter Mr. Gottshalk has filed as a write-in candidate to close the primary election on Aug. 30. Mr. Van Zant has shown himself to be everything we have come to expect in a politician. He will do anything he can do to retain power. While politicians will consider this a shrewd political maneuver, citizens know it is contrary to the very ideal of democracy.

If you are tired of politicians that steal your right to choose, and you want to exercise your American right to vote for who runs Clay County Schools, then you must vote on Aug. 30 in the primary election. If you are not registered as a Republican by July 29, you cannot vote for the superintendent of your child’s schools.

Changing your registration is easy and teachers urge you to return Clay Schools to the leadership and vision of an educator not a politician. Teachers are ready for Addison Davis, a true educator to restore the morale and focus of Clay Schools to one that is again, student centered and teacher lead.

Victoria Kidwell

Clay County School Teacher

Middleburg