Teri Barenborg Is Becoming Dr. Peggy Jones' Leading Campaign Surrogate
The school board chair, who ran on the DeSantis agenda, broke her promise to its principled view by deciding early on to join Jones’ crusade of divisive politics.
The most important surrogate working relentlessly to get Jones to victory is Barenborg, the current chair. In the February 8th issue of Vero News, the blogging editor, McNulty, had surmised, “School board hopeful faces ‘optics’ problem.”
The blog postulates candidate Rob MacCallum is aligning himself with Moms for Liberty because school board member, Jacqueline Rosario appointed Mr. MacCallum’s wife, Colleen, to the book committee. Referring to Rosario as “the group’s puppet on the dais,” McNulty fearfully opines that because of the nature of Moms for Liberty’s effectiveness, this appointment “has the potential to make national headlines, especially now,” because Mrs. MacCallum “also is confronting a criminal charge.”
According to the police report, Colleen MacCallum was charged with “leaving the scene of an accident with property damage” on December 30, 2023. The driver of the second vehicle admitted to merging into Mrs. MacCallum’s path when making a lane change. Mrs. MacCallum was attempting to pass when her truck received a glancing blow from the second driver’s SUV. When questioned by the police at her home, the police report stated, “She felt an impact but didn’t believe she was involved in a car crash. She denied intentionally fleeing.”
However, McNulty’s first comment about this story of Rosario appointing Mrs. MacCallum was not from Peggy Jones. It was from Teri Barenborg, who said, “The optics are not good.”
SIDING WITH JONES AND THE WHITE HOUSE ALLEGATIONS
Barenborg has allied with Dr. Jones’ positions since before Jones launched her campaign on phony racial allegations made by the White House against the Florida Dept. of Education (FLDOE). On February 27, 2023, when Jones led the charge to fight the FLDOE on the removal of the District’s Racial Equity and Inclusion policy, Barenborg stated, “You know when this first came up, the optics of it are horrible. They really are.”
Because it was Black History Month, she added, “Especially during this month.”
Her comment ignored that the FLDOE’s request for the removal of the policy containing discriminatory practices was received on November 18, 2022. Then current chairwoman, Teri Barenborg, sat on the request and the new chairwoman, Peggy Jones, continued to do so until February 2023. For their own perception of ‘good optics,’ Barenborg and Jones have both determined to practice divisive partisanship.
Last summer, Barenborg worked alongside Jones, joining her failed letter-writing campaign against the FLDOE over the false charges surrounding the African American History standards. Her letter brazenly took it one step further than even Jones and falsely accused many African American educators of insulting their own community. Members like Dr. Frances Presley Rice, Dr. Richard Allen, Dr. Bill Proctor of Florida A&M, and others, who formulated, organized and volunteered on the Social Studies History committee. Assuming the FLDOE would change the standard in question, she wrote, “I understand the members of the task force are standing behind the INTENT of this standard, however, the wording and obvious insult to community members should be taken into consideration when revising the standards.”
While Jones never received a reply, Barenborg’s terse letter did receive a thorough explanation at the direction of Governor DeSantis from the Bureau of Standards and Instructional Support. The September 14, 2023 letter from FLDOE Director of Social Studies and Arts, John Duebel, shared that the standards were unanimously approved by the State Board of Education on July 19, 2023. This approval was preceded by a process of review conducted by the Commissioner of Education’s African American History Task Force, a separate entity from the 13-person workgroup that created them. The letter also acknowledged a review request sent to all “district social studies contacts.” That request was followed by a publicly noticed workshop referral to inform the community how to participate in a review process. Furthermore, there was a public comment open for two weeks which according Commissioner Diaz’s report to the Board of Education, “produced over 90% positive comments.”
While not addressing Barenborg’s accusation, the letter stated,
“The intent of the benchmark SS.68.AA.2.3 clarification is to show that some slaves developed highly specialized trades from which they benefitted. This is factual and well documented. Any attempt to reduce slaves to just victims of oppression fails to recognize their strength, courage and resiliency during a difficult time in American history.”
At the September 25, 2023 school board meeting, Peggy Jones declared “I would not support the teaching of the standard and the clarification,” further adding, “If a teacher has to teach the standard … it is appropriate, if a parent doesn’t want their child in there, to pull their child out of that class.”
After Jones finished her remarks, which she hoped would persuade the board to have a unified protest of the standards, she asked for other board member input. Barenborg’s hand immediately shot up in the air. Barenborg commented on the Bureau of Standards letter. She said,
“It was in defense of a lot of it. But, they did listen to the fact about the wording … I don’t agree with the unanimous approval [by the Board of Education] … I just talked about the wording and how you can just change a few words. [Duebel] didn’t really clarify that part.”
Unlike what she said on the dais, Barenborg demanded in her letter, “This standard needs to be removed or revised, and have the clarification removed.”
In response, Duebel explained thoroughly the premises of the standards Barenborg questioned and then said, “The benchmark is laid out in two simple and unequivocally true premises,” later adding, “Such allegations are false and damaging to the enduring legacy of those who fought against all odds to make good the promises of the Declaration of Independence.”
PROPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC COMMENT
Like Jones in 2021, who pushed to restrict public comment based on the National School Boards Association letter to the White House, Barenborg sought to do the same after that tumultuous August 28, 2023 meeting where books were challenged. Some board members charged the superintendent to propose new rules for public comment. Barenborg brought forth the discussion item at the September 11, 2023 superintendent workshop, where she described the optics of parents reading excerpts as “a side show” while supporting even some speech chilling measures. After reading the proposed restrictions, board member, Dr. Gene Posca commented, “It’s the kind of thing a person with a fascist ideology would support.”
COACH BARENBORG
Barenborg is not only supporting Jones’ issues. At the January business meeting, to protect Jones from embarrassment, Barenborg quite literally coached her to change her vote on an issue brought up by Rosario. It was a simple matter of amending previous meeting minutes of November 13, 2023. In the minutes, a question-and-answer exchange between Rosario and the superintendent about Moms for Liberty’s influence on the public school system was misrepresented. Rosario read her proposed amendment to correct the conversation in question. In standard procedure, the motion was granted by two board members and Barenborg called the vote. Board members, Gene Posca, Barenborg and Rosario, replied “Yes.”
Jones said nothing as she stared into her computer. Barenborg faced Jones on her immediate left, and leaned forward as to get her attention and asked, “Doctor, do you vote?”
“No,” replied Jones as she looked up toward Barenborg.
Barenborg followed, “You’re opposing?”
“Correct.” confirmed Jones and she returned to viewing her computer. Jones had stated earlier she wanted the amendment in writing for review, which the superintendent just confirmed moments before in an exchange with Barenborg.
“OK. You don’t want them amended?” asked Barenborg. Rather than accepting Doctor Jones’ twice stated vote as final, Barenborg then instructed her. She followed, “That’s all we’re voting on, to amend them and bring them back to the next meeting.”
Not aware of the optics, a flustered Jones asked, “Amend with what? With what Ms. Rosario just said?”
“Yes,” replied Barenborg.
“OK, I’ll vote ‘Yes’ then,” responded Jones finally taking Barenborg’s lead.
Barenborg then asked Barefoot for his vote. Via video conference, he said “Yes.”
The board decision was unanimous.
Moms for Liberty chair, Jennifer Pippin was in the audience ‘dumfounded’ at what she just witnessed. “Unbelievable. It’s like Teri has two votes up there.” she said.