EDITORIAL: Political Division Is What Drives The Desegregation Order.
It is not about Unitary Status.
Last Monday night's display, concerning the SDIRC/IRC-NAACP Workgroup appointment, made it clear that accusing Jackie Rosario of being a divisive figure is baseless.
If it showed anything, most of her colleagues are disingenuous toward her, facilitating the propagation of unfounded, derogatory and unaddressed attacks against her character. The discussion of the appointment clearly demonstrated that the political context of the desegregation order is more pivotal than its conclusion, even at the cost of Unitary Status in a school system that is fully integrated.
Rosario agrees with the Superintendent that the School District is entitled to Unitary Status. In her time on the Workgroup, she also advocated for the process agreed to by both sides. The petulant tirade of accusations by Merchon Green on Monday, who is a member of the Workgroup, were completely disingenuous in their presentation.
Speaking as an individual and “not as a member of the Workgroup,” she said, “Since Ms. Rosario’s appointment, the atmosphere has shifted. The interactions have gone from collaborative to somewhat contentious.”
Perhaps Green needs to be reminded that the IRC-NAACP launched an all out media blitz after her appointment and then refused to meet for the next 7 months. Green referenced the question that Rosario had concerning the court approved membership of the Workgroup. On February 25, 2022, Judge Kathleen Williams of the US District Court - Southern District of Florida, approved the membership agreed to by both sides. In the order’s Exhibit A, Section 3 titled, Work Group Composition it reads:
“A. Membership
(1) Four (4) members appointed by the IRC-NAACP
(2) Three (3) members appointed by the Superintendent
(3) One (1) School Board representative.”
At the October 28, 2024, Workgroup meeting, Rosario challenged the assumption that legal counsel are formal members of the Workgroup. The District’s attorney, Matt Carson, readily supported Rosario to the Workgroup. He commented how, in prior meetings, he had reminded them about this rule. Yet, he was continually ignored. IRC-NAACP President, Tony Brown, said he 'knew the rules' by interrupting and telling Rosario she did not have to read them. He and the IRC-NAACP lawyer, Jodi Avila, fought against the ordered membership. Toward the end of the discussion, Green said, “It's OK, Matt [Carson]. You have until November 19th, [2024] and Rosario will be off the Workgroup.” (SEE CLIPS)
Rosario addresses the Workgroup and is interrupted.
Green and Defendant’s response:
Green was obviously referencing the political calculations and blatant divisive action of David Dyer’s proposal to overturn the resolution concerning Rosario’s original appointment in April of 2024, before he was elected. In September, after his victory, Dyer sent an email threatening legal action against the school board for allegedly denying his right to vote on a resolution concerning the Workgroup board seat.
Once installed as a board member, Dyer pushed for a motion to rescind a resolution concerning Rosario’s appointment. The passage of that motion weakened the position of the School District, the defendant in a 60-year-old case, and soured all negotiations going forward during Rosario’s time on the Workgroup.
It soured it so much, the IRC-NAACP wouldn’t even vote for Jennifer Idlette’s Transportation to receive Unitary Status. Ms. Idlette is the daughter of Joe N. Idlette Jr., one of the original plaintiffs in the case. In 1969, he, with the other plaintiffs, won the litigation. His sons, Joe Idlette III and Anthony Idlette were named plaintiffs and were part of the first integrated class at Vero Beach High School.
It was Rosario who led in bringing Ms. Idlette in to present Transportation and her exemplary work to serve all students and families. She hoped to build a bridge for Unitary Status. Ms. Idlette's work was not recognized by the IRC-NAACP. Instead, their lawyer, Christina Dines, demanded questions concerning the Equity of Transportation. One example, in a March 22nd email to the SDIRC attorney, she demands, “Data related to actual pickup locations and equity with respect to pickup location.”
BREAKING: IRC-NAACP Refuses to Vote on Unitary Status for Jennifer Idlette's School Transportation
Ms. Idlette just finished explaining that not only does SDIRC serve all required students going to their assigned schools, but at further expense to the school system, all families participating in school choice. Every bus stop is equitable.
WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE CONTENTION?
The IRC-NAACP president has been combative against Rosario from the start. Instead of trying to maintain the integrity of the process after her appointment, President Brown griped to the media. When Rosario was appointed to the Workgroup, Brown went to Vero News and accused her of being divisive before she even had an opportunity to sit in a meeting.
On May 2, 2024, after the April vote to appoint Rosario to the Workgroup, opinion writer, Ray McNulty wrote a column titled, “Divisive Moms’ agenda a blight on School Board.” The article quoted Brown. He said, “We expect she’s coming in to be divisive and disruptive, but now she’s got to deal with what’s already memorialized in court, a judge who doesn’t tolerate nonsense, and a pretty good team of lawyers. She’s not going to be able to get away with the stuff she pulls on the School Board.”
However, the money quote in the article was an anonymous ‘schools official’ whose identity has yet to be confirmed. Coordinated anonymous leaks are as politically lowball as it gets. McNulty wrote, “We knew this was going to happen as soon as they got a majority,” one prominent schools official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "This is just the beginning. It’ll get worse.” (McNulty, Ray, “Divisive ‘Moms’ agenda a blight on School Board,” Vero Beach 32963, May 2, 2024, pgs. 1-6.)
The presumption is that ‘prominent’ means executive team or higher, which would be school board. On the school board, that would leave just one of two who would have been responsible for such divisiveness, Peggy Jones or Teri Barenborg. If it came from the executive team, then Dr. Moore should have had his own investigation, which was never formally conducted. Of course, as The Sunshine Journal noted at the time, the writer could have just made it up. It was immediately brought to the attention of the school board at the subsequent meeting, and no denial was made.
So, who is the “prominent schools official?” Is it the new member of the Workgroup, Teri Barenborg, who was nominated by Dyer and sought unity for her appointment, despite not defending the integrity of her fellow board member? Or, is it the other who attended via video conference, Peggy Jones? Is it Dr. Moore or an executive team member that stirred the pot?
What is knowable is that the political division remains.
As mentioned at last Monday’s school board meeting, after Dr. Moore left the April Workgroup meeting, the legal representative of the IRC-NAACP ignored court ordered membership requirements to read into the record questions that were responded to with clarity by Dr. Kyra Schafte and Ms. Idlette. Dr. Schafte testified that both of them had previously reviewed them together. It is obvious to anyone involved, the legal strategy of the IRC-NAACP team is to use the Workgroup to build evidence and not settle Unitary Status in good faith according to the 2018 Joint Action Plan. This strategy would be consistent with President Brown's attitude toward the 2018 Joint Action Plan, calling it a “ceremonial” document when it was passed. See the link below.
LINK: Tony Brown speaks to WPTV about the approval of the 2018 Joint Action Plan
He told Dr. Moore to "not throw the 2018 Plan in my face" during the March 7, 2024, Workgroup.
These tactics continued for another 5 meetings, where Dr. Schafte presented the Mentoring program. She supplied overwhelming data that surpassed agreed to Key Performance Indicator (KPI) metrics, provided documentation and answered all questions with precision and clarity. Brown called the entirety of her presentation, which extended back to March 7, 2024, “lacking.” Furthermore, the IRC-NAACP responded that they did not agree to a KPI as defined, even though they did in a publicly called meeting as mentioned by Dr. Moore.
The moving of the goal post has caused the contention. That is the real reason for the two sides going back to mediation. Even now, the lawyers for the IRC-NAACP are trying to prevent mediation. In an email obtained by The Sunshine Journal, Dines wrote SDIRC attorney and said, “On mediation, and as we hope you would agree, discussion does not mean disagreement,” adding, “We had thought our side was clear on the intention and definition when we proposed the KPI. It is under that lens that we have been reviewing the documents you have provided. The District’s new interpretation does not align with our prior conversations on the matter.”
It sounds like the constant meddling of lawyers has confused everyone. It surely wasn’t the posture of Rosario asking people to honor the process.
LASTLY…
The desegregation order has been used as a sledgehammer to advance failed school policy. The CRT based Courageous Conversations initiative, which was ultimately stopped by Rosario in 2020. The implementation of the professional development designed to explore white biases and privilege was an attempt to appease the Plaintiff. The creation of a six-figure salaried Equity Officer in 2020 was pushed by Brian Barefoot for the same purpose. Policy 2260.02 - Racial Equity Policy was rightfully recognized by the state as discrimination. Among other things, it once compelled Dr. Moore to view the District wholly defined as systemically racist and manage it through “a system-wide racial equity lens…”
Policy 2130, was 3 years in the making and an infinite number of years in its implementation to deal with the achievement gap to appease a political organization, the IRC-NAACP. Meanwhile, minority grade scores and graduation rates are growing faster than imagined, making the once dormant policy useless. Its repeal was completely justified. As Dr. Moore said in the September 9th, 2024 workshop, “If I am not doing this work, then fire me.”
It is another reason why he was awarded the Superintendent of the Year.
That Rosario stood behind all of these repeals and the Superintendent through using basic accountability measures is not divisive. The lying and the political backstabbing is what led to the last Monday’s meeting being so vitriolic toward her.
It is no wonder Rosario didn’t support it with her vote.
OK, so there is politics in everything. But there should also be some measure of mature responsibility and commitment to the principle and goal.
Unfortunately, this workgroup is exclusively a political exercise. NAACP proved that they will allow nothing to close out this lawsuit. They gain something by dragging it on forever. What is it?
Dr Moore would benefit from ending this expensive waste of time. But, he doesn't seem to want to 'pay the price' with the NAACP in order to force it to an end. Is it really worth antagonizing them when he has them in the palm of his hand? Or, they have him.
What about the School Board?
Well, what can you expect when these Board members' voter base is the NAACP and sympathetic liberals. They do NOT get a 'win' by wrapping this up. They DO 'win' by pandering to their base and kneeling to the plaintiff, our opponent in this lawsuit.
Voting in Barenborg seemed, at first, to be a new attempt. But when you think about it, that is confirmation for the ongoing scam. She shares the same base as Jones. There is no way that she would hold the plaintiff's to account. She has an election in two years. This is a campaign event for her. The District's legal opponent now has another protagonist.
So, with Rosario out of the way, no one will push this to an end.
This is now just a waiting game until the plaintiff finally gets tired, or until they run out of free legal council. I wouldn't hold your breath for either.
And really, what's $100,000 a year when you can always raise taxes?
I’m fed up. 60 years and counting. $100,000-$150,000 a year from taxpayers. The students are happy and progressing. The superintendent said we’ve met all requirements. The NAACP and work group are petty and unreasonable. Time to consider contacting Florida civil rights group/attorney general and/or the DOJ and Leo Terrell. ENOUGH!