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Miami Herald
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Let professors and students carry guns on campus, Florida board of ed member says
In the wake of the devastating mass shooting at Florida State University last week, former Broward County School Board member and current Florida Board of Education member Daniel Foganholi calls for a controversial solution: allowing students and professors to carry guns on campus. Foganholi, a Republican from Coral Springs, published an opinion piece in conservative British magazine The Spectator on Wednesday arguing that 'gun-free zones do not protect our students – they turn them into defenseless, easy targets.' The recent shooting at one of Florida largest universities sent shockwaves throughout the state and brought back traumatizing memories of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, in which a former student killed 17 people and injured 17 others. In fact, several students who survived the 2018 shooting attend FSU. 'When sick individuals like the shooter at FSU attempt to terrorize campuses, they deserve swift and decisive confrontation by anyone capable of stopping them,' Foganholi writes in the op-ed. 'In other words, they deserve to be shot dead on the spot.' On April 17, a gunman killed two people and wounded several others at Florida State in Tallahassee. Within five minutes of the first shot, the 20-year-old suspect, the step-son of a sheriff's deputy, was shot by police and taken into custody. Police say the gunman used his stepmother's handgun in the attack. Foganholi is an ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration, which has appointed him to education-related positions five times. He was first appointed to the Broward County School Board in May 2022 to fill a seat vacated by Rosalind Osgood, who stepped down to run for the state Senate. Jeff Holness was elected to that seat in November 2022. DeSantis appointed Foganholi to the school board again just a month later to fill another vacant seat. In 2023, Foganholi was appointed to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission and the Charter School Review Commission while he still served on the school board. Foganholi ran in the August 2024 election to keep his seat, but came in third place in a three-way race won by Maura Bulman. That election cemented the Broward County School Board's liberal majority, which reflects Broward's status as the only Democratic stronghold in South Florida following the 2024 presidential election. (The school board's lone conservative member, Brenda Fam, announced her resignation Tuesday, citing a 'toxic environment.') Just three days after his defeat, DeSantis appointed Foganholi to serve on the State Board of Education, which sets state education policy and enforces education laws. In the op-ed in The Spectator, Foganholi describes visiting FSU's campus days before the shooting, watching students socialize and read on the lawn. 'Today, that same lawn is a crime scene – the latest gun-free zone targeted by a coward intent on terrorizing innocent lives,' he wrote. 'At FSU, the shooter used his mother's legally-owned service weapon. No law could have stopped him,' Foganholi wrote. 'But, had even one trained professor, staff member or responsible student been armed, this tragedy might have ended differently.' 'Should everybody on campus have a weapon?' Foganholi referenced other high-profile school shootings in his argument, including the Parkland shooting, when Chris Hixon, a Navy veteran and school athletic director, rushed to help wounded students. Hixon, who was unarmed, was murdered by the gunman. 'Imagine if Hixon or even one teacher had carried a firearm that day. Imagine how differently things could have ended,' Foganholi wrote. Debra Hixon, the Broward County School Board chair and Chris Hixon's wife, told the Herald that while she agrees with some of Foganholi's points, she disagrees with the idea that allowing students and teachers to have weapons on campus would make everyone safer in an emergency. She said more guns on campus, potentially in the hands of young, impulsive people, would cause more harm than good. 'You can flip the conversation. Let's say there were five students around the shooter, untrained, nervous as all get out,' Hixon said. 'They throw out their weapons. They could've killed more people. The idea that people just carrying guns all over the place makes things safer, I just think is a not an accurate statement.' Debra Hixon did agree that if her husband had a gun, things would've ended much differently. In his lifetime, Chris Hixon did agree with the idea of trained staff being armed in schools. If he were alive today, Debra Hixon said, he would've opted into the state's Guardian Program, which was enacted after the Parkland shooting and named after Chris. But, as Hixon noted, her husband was a veteran with active shooter training, not 'just someone who went and got a gun.' 'I never opposed the guardianship program. I think it's important. But should everybody on campus have a weapon?' she said. 'Just think about road rage, right? Someone cuts you off. The next thing you know, they're whipping out a gun and shooting at people. That's not the world I want to live in.' Historically, Americans have been divided over how to best address school shootings, including gun reform or arming school faculty. In 2017, a year before the Parkland shooting, data from Pew Research Center showed that Americans 'narrowly opposed' allowing teachers to carry guns. A majority of Americans say it is too easy to legally obtain a gun and 58% of Americans support stricter gun laws, though specific gun policies are politically divisive, according to 2023 Pew data. David Hogg, a Parkland shooting survivor, outspoken gun control advocate and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, told CBS News that the FSU shooting highlights the need for stronger gun laws. He criticized the efforts of some Republicans in the Florida Legislature to roll back gun reforms that were made after the Parkland shooting. 'There are a lot of students from Parkland at FSU, and what really bothers me is, in Florida, we worked in a bipartisan manner to pass reforms after Parkland,' he told CBS's Major Garrett. 'We passed a red flag law that has been used over 19,000 times to disarm people who were a risk to themselves and others.'
CBS News
22-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Broward students overcome barriers through cutting-edge tech, robotics
At just 14 years old, Musab Shafiq, once barely able to use his wrists due to a neurological condition, is now controlling a robot and even dunking a basketball, thanks to specialized technology developed for him at his Broward County school. "This will change the world," said his teacher, Gabriela McCauley. "From people who can't hold a remote to those who can't work on a flat surface." Shafiq is also competing in robotics competitions, a testament to how accessible technology is transforming educational opportunities for students with physical challenges. On Tuesday, members of the Broward County School Board observed the innovative tools firsthand while being introduced to the district's use of virtual, augmented and mixed reality in classrooms. Board member Nora Rupert described her experience watching a 3D dinosaur, complete with moving jaws and visible bones. "This is great for kids who don't have the ability to go to a museum or classes," Rupert said. "This opens an entire world to them." The technology, funded through a federal grant, is currently being used in select Broward middle and high schools, with plans to expand the program. Among the students benefiting is Chanwoo Rhee, who moved from South Korea two years ago speaking little English. At his Broward school, he created an app to help himself and other students learn vocabulary. "I wasn't good at it," Rhee said. "But now I learned it." School officials said the goal is to ensure every student, regardless of ability or background, can access tools that help them succeed.
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Broward school board's lone conservative member resigns, cites ‘toxic environment'
Brenda Fam, the sole conservative voice on the Broward County School Board, has resigned after two and a half years. Her final day as a board member is May 1. Fam, an attorney, announced her resignation Tuesday in an explosive letter to Superintendant Howard Hepburn in which Fam lambasted what she called a 'toxic environment' within the district. 'I cannot, with a good conscience, serve a school district that lacks full transparency, that does not live up to the highest moral and educational standards for students, parents and educators, nor live up to their fiscal responsibilities,' Fam wrote in the letter. 'It is time for me to move forward to where my contribution is welcomed, and my background and knowledge can bring about an effective and positive change.' A school district spokesperson sent the Herald a statement saying 'Dr. Hepburn thanked her for her service and wished her well' when she submitted her resignation letter. Fam was seen speaking with Hepburn at today's school board workshop meeting. The resignation is the latest plot twist for the Broward school district, which has seen years of politically-charged turmoil, superintendent turnovers, financial woes and declining student enrollment. Gov. Ron DeSantis will have the opportunity to appoint a new board member to fill the vacancy. Fam was elected in 2022, defeating Steve Julian for the District 6 seat, which represents Cooper City, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise and Weston. Along with DeSantis appointees Torey Alston and Daniel Foganholi, Fam was part of a conservative voting bloc that sparred with Democratic board members on charter schools, vouchers and support for LGBTQ students. That came to an end last November when Alston and Foganholi lost their elections, a reflection of Broward's status as the only firm Democratic stronghold in South Florida. Shortly after Debbi Hixon was sworn in as board chair in November, Fam objected to a code of conduct resolution that would allow the board to censure a member the majority thinks behaved inappropriately. 'I'm the only conservative on this board so it wouldn't take long to get a majority to silence me, and I've already been silenced on several occasions,' Fam said during the Nov. 19 meeting. Fam clashed with her liberal colleagues over issues like school choice and book bans. Fellow board members criticized her for actions they say were inappropriate, like offering legal help to parents who want private school vouchers, the Sun Sentinel reported. In her letter, Fam included excerpts from the April 11 resignation letter of Alec Bogdanoff, who was appointed as the chair of the Superintendent's Oversight Committee Task Force. Bogdanoff complained of a dysfunctional and hostile work environment, writing, 'Rather than working together to address real issues, the task force has been hampered by entrenched resistance, hostility to new perspectives, and a culture that too often rewards control over progress.' Fam also quoted the following excerpt from Bogdanoff's letter: 'It is deeply disappointing and honestly, sad that instead of focusing our energy on creating more success stories, so much time is spent on infighting, exclusion, and protecting turf.' Fam wrote that she agreed with Bogdanoff and shared a similar experience. She accused fellow board members of 'name calling' and unprofessional behavior. 'I have also encountered the same hostility and personal attacks for trying to improve the school climate and increase inclusivity of parents,' she wrote. 'I also observed that if an individual does not agree with the current district culture of prioritizing social justice over academics, the current recognized quid pro quo, then they are targeted, dismissed, and ridiculed.' Chief among Fam's concerns was how the district handles its finances, writing that the school district 'always appears to be in financial crisis and begging residents to pick up the tab.' 'My greatest fear is that BCSD will seek a bail-out from residents in 2026 in the form of referendum funds from Broward County residents due to the board's failure to implement a balanced budget and engaging in wasteful overspending,' she wrote. 'I have old school values and was taught that you don't buy what you can't pay for. You don't purchase things that you cannot afford. Most importantly, BCSD should not be continually looking to residents to supplement their budget and to fill financial voids while other surrounding counties are functioning with balanced operational budgets.' Fam has plans to move and listed her house in Davie for sale, the Sun Sentinel reported.
Miami Herald
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘It's not right': Parents and activists push for new plan at Broward school set to close
Banners hanging in the Broward Estates Elementary School cafeteria tout positive character traits, like ambition and wisdom. Walls display Black History Month decorations, a tree made of pink paper hearts and posters of historical figures like the Wright brothers and George Washington Carver. And on the cafeteria tables, paper packets with QR codes invited parents to learn more about the school's future as an early learning center. Broward County School Board members, the superintendent and district staff visited Broward Estates on Monday evening hoping to get community input on the early learning center that would replace the Lauderhill school. They certainly got feedback. Just not the kind they asked for. After the school board voted in January to close the school, there has been a flurry of activity in the Lauderhill neighborhood to combat — or at the very least alter— the district's plan. While some of the community members, local activists and parents gathered in the school's cafeteria offered ideas on how the early learning center could best serve the community, much of the conversation was dominated by those who opposed closing the school and questioned the circumstances that led to the board's decision. The district plans to open the new early learning center Aug. 11, the first day of school. 'I am so angry after I reviewed all of the clips that I could in reference to the closing or the repurposing [...] of the school,' Mae Smith, a Lauderhill resident and activist, said. 'You guys have done the worst that you could do to any of us when it comes to closing this school.' Closing this school — let alone any school — has proven to be quite the task for Broward County Public Schools. In the last year, the board has been trying to create a plan to close schools to address the county's declining student enrollment over the last 20 years. There are about 45,000 empty seats in the district, equivalent to about 50 schools. In 2023, most board members were in favor of closing five schools by fall 2025, but support waned as residents strongly opposed the proposed closures. In May 2024, Superintendent Howard Hepburn, who took up the task initially assigned to former-Superintendent Peter Licata, recommended closing three schools. Eventually, that dwindled to just one school: Broward Estates. In January, the board approved Hepburn's proposal to convert some other schools in neighborhoods like Hollywood and Pembroke Pines into K-8 or 6-12 schools, and repurpose Broward Estates from an elementary school to an early learning center. Parents who had not followed the school board's plans closely were shocked and confused. Members of Lauderhill's predominately Black community felt slighted since Broward Estates, the only school left on the chopping block, has an over 92 percent Black student population. And for those who don't have children who currently attend Broward Estates, the stakes feel just as high. Longtime Lauderhill residents say defending Broward Estates is about more than saving one school, its about the future of the community. For Smith, it's a matter of principal. It's just not fair, she said. 'When I started hearing about all the great things that started to happen there [at the school], I was like, 'Why would they want to disrupt this?' It's not right,' Smith said. 'In the affluent areas, people that know how to stand up for themselves can continue to get whatever it is they want. But unfortunately, at the urban neighborhoods or low income neighborhoods, parents don't know how to do the same.' A neglected but beloved neighborhood school Enrollment numbers are key to why Broward Estates has been on the district's radar since it began it's 'Redefining Our Schools' plan, which aims to repurpose, combine or close schools. On paper, Broward Estates has the capacity for nearly 700 students, but about 220 are enrolled. But parents and activists say the numbers are incorrect since the campus consists of newer buildings, constructed decades after the school opened, and older buildings from 1957 that are used for storage, not instruction. The buildings used by students today are at capacity, they argue. BCPS confirmed that the nearly 700 capacity figure includes the older buildings that are used for storage. As the school district considered which schools to close, criteria included schools with under 55 percent enrollment and facilities built before 1960. 'You allowed our school to get in disrepair,' said Delphia Kaigler, a 91-year-old resident of the neighborhood who has been advocating for the school since the '70s, at the meeting. 'You said we have a lot of areas that can't be used, yet you want to punish us because it's not used. So of course we don't have as many students as we should.' Latrisha Greaves, a community activist whose children attended Broward Estates, believes much of the school's woes stem from a history of low investment from the school district. 'The school wasn't getting the TLC it deserves,' she said. 'When you don't have the right investment going in, then you start losing students. People are searching, of course, for the best of the best.' Community members have also raised concerns over the $7 million that was allocated to Broward Estates from BCPS' troubled SMART Bond program but was never used to renovate the school. 'Not all and not most, but some money was spent,' Broward schools superintendent Hepburn said at the meeting in response to questions about the allocated money. 'That is a drop in the bucket for what needs to happen here in the pre-1960s buildings. It would probably take about $40 to 50 million to do what needs to happen at Broward Estates.' The $7 million meant for improvements was news to Cherish Meronvil, a parent of a Broward Estates student. She observed the meeting with her son Ovide, a fourth grader who has been attending the school since kindergarten. Until late last year, she said she was under the impression that the school board was going to add an early learning center to Broward Estates, not eliminate the school entirely. Meronvil said she sends her son to Broward Estates because of its programs and staff. Now, she said, she has to figure out what to do before he goes to middle school. 'It's like a family. The teachers, they know every child's name,' she said. 'The principal, she stands out there every morning when we drop the children off. She can name every child.' Ovide, 10, said he enjoys the school's drama program and hanging out with friends. 'I would hope that they change their mind and keep the school,' he said. Kenny Francois, the father of a first grader at Broward Estates, shares Meronvil's concerns. He said he feels confused about which elementary school to send his son to next and needs to arrange for transportation in the future. 'This was perfect,' Francois said. 'We live literally two minutes from here. We walk here. [...] We were looking forward to having him in first, second, third, all the way to fifth, and then the middle school is right next door. That would have been a great transition as somebody that lives in the community, but all of that now is gone.' Francois, who is Haitian and runs a community center, said he came to the meeting to get a better understanding of the situation for both himself and for parents who do not speak English. School district data shows that about 22 percent of Broward Estates students' families speak a language other than English at home. Out of 228 students, 32 reported speaking Haitian Creole at home. About 13 percent of students are categorized as ELL, or English Language Learner. 'They have no clue what's going on,' Francois said. 'It's going to impact them and they just have to accept it. That's not fair.' Can the school be saved? Hepburn, who attended the Monday evening meeting along with school board members Jeff Holness and Debbie Hixon, said the neighborhood would benefit from an early learning center, citing data that only about 35% of students within a five-mile radius of Broward Estates are ready for kindergarten. Board members pointed to the success of Gulfstream Early Learning Center, a school district-run facility in Hallandale Beach. Monday's meeting started with Lori Canning, the BCPS executive director of The Division of Early Learning and Language Acquisition, providing a presentation on what programs the early learning center may offer the community, including food and clothing banks, health services and a community garden. On the first day of school, the early learning center at Broward Estates will have programming for infants and toddlers, including Head Start and Voluntary Prekindergarten, she said. 'We know to impact the child, you can't just impact the child. It's really about the whole family, and it's about the community,' Canning told the audience. 'And that's what we're really striving to do alongside all of you.' Aretha Wimberly spoke in favor of the early learning center during the public comment section and said she looks forward to sending her 2-year-old grandchild there. She said implementing an early learning center is the best way to ensure the community's infants and toddlers are prepared for elementary school and beyond. Many of the attendees, however, said they support implementing an early learning center, but not at the expense of the elementary school. At an earlier community meeting Smith organized on Feb. 17 at St. George Park in Lauderhill, the majority of attendees agreed they want to add an early learning component to the elementary school. Though most of the attendees did not have children enrolled in Broward Estates, they said they felt personally invested in the fate of the school, like Michelle Miller, who said she was planning on sending her son to Broward Estates once he was old enough. She said she was 'appalled' to see the school board's decision, but thinks that the community can save the school so long as they band together. 'I feel like its underhanded and unfair. They had a motive behind it the whole time,' Miller told the Herald. 'They weren't clear with the community, and kids are going to suffer because of that.' And though Hepburn empathized with opponents of the school closure on Monday, he defended the district's decision. 'I understand the advocacy at this point, but we need to move forward.' 'We have something that we have to do for the betterment of kids in the community,' Hepburn told the crowd. But not all hope is lost for Broward Estates, Francois said. He anticipates more community advocacy for the school as parents get up to speed. As district staff encouraged people to scan a QR code about the early learning center, activists passed out petitions to challenge the school closure. Greaves said she has received 110 signatures. 'I don't think it's over at all,' Francois said. 'It's not nearly over.'
