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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Manatee School Board meeting to focus on superintendent's resignation or termination, board member says
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Manatee County School Board has called a special meeting for Tuesday. The focus will be on the superintendent's contract. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now School board members selected Dr. Jason Wysong May of 2023. He had previously been a Deputy Superintendent with Seminole County Public Schools since 2021. A source within the district said the special meeting will either be about the resignation or termination of the superintendent. He did not go into further details. 'When public education is done really well, it's an economic driver, and it's a civic driver for community success,' said Wysong in July 2023, when he was sworn in as superintendent. Hernando High teacher charged with giving student Kratom Less than two years later, the school board called a special meeting. It was posted on the calendar on Friday, May 16. The agenda shows the 'Purpose: conduct business relating to educational issues.' It was initiated by School Board Chair Chad 8 On Your Side spoke with Choate, he wrote, 'It is a discussion on his contract. Where that goes will depend on the board discussion.'Vice Chair Cindy Spray told me she had no comment. She suggested for those curious to attend the meeting or watch it via Zoom on Tuesday at 9 a.m.'Which is not much notice and a difficult time for parents and the community who work most people to attend,' said Robin Taub Williams, president of Democratic Public Education Caucus of said concerned parents alerted her of the special meeting over the weekend.'There's a lack of transparency and a lack of time, and from what I've heard from good sources that the intention is to terminate the superintendent, that's not explicitly stated on the agenda item,' she Manatee County School District told 8 On Your Side anything before the meeting would be deemed as speculation and would not comment further. 8 On Your Side questioned School Board Member Heather Felton about the special meeting. She cited Sunshine Laws preventing her from going into detail outside of school board chambers.'In terms of academic metrics, things have been improving under [Wysong's] leadership,' said from the Florida Department of Education shows the Manatee District Graduation Rate in 2023 was 82.3% and the following year that rate rose to 85.7%. In response to the FDOE school grades released Superintendent Wysong released this statement on July 25, 2024: I am pleased with the academic progress made by Manatee County students and schools during the 2023-24 school year, as measured by results from the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) progress monitoring system initiated by the state in 2022. With support and inspiration from talented teachers, staff, and administrators, students across the district demonstrated significant growth in reading and mathematics. This year, 20 SDMC schools earned an A grade. Additionally, fifteen schools earned a higher grade in 2024 than either 2022 or 2023. We are especially proud to celebrate Abel Elementary (improved to A; first A since 2011), Ballard Elementary (improved from D to B; first B since 2011), Tillman Elementary (first A grade in school history), and Parrish Community High School (first A grade in school history). Manatee earned a district grade of B, finishing just two percentage points away from an A. We look forward to building on this momentum as we enter the 2024-25 school year! Williams questioned if the special meeting boils down to budget, but no matter what unfolds she wants transparency for parents and the community. 'I just think the public needs to have time to find out what the facts are here, and there shouldn't be this rush,' Williams said. The district source said a compensation package will need to be decided following the outcome of Tuesday's meeting. Once that's finalized, he said the school board will either choose an interim superintendent or appoint one. Wysong replaced former Superintendent Cynthia Saunders, who retired in June 2023 after 34 years in public education in Florida. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sunshine Week: 9 key takeaways from our reporting on government transparency
Mar. 18—Editor's note: Every Sunday Josh Sweigart, editor of investigations and solutions journalism, brings you the top stories from the Dayton Daily News and major stories over the past week you may have missed. Go here to sign up to receive the Weekly Update newsletter and our Morning Briefing delivered to your inbox every morning. The week of March 16 is Sunshine Week, when this news organizations and others across the nation raise awareness of Sunshine Laws. Sunshine Laws are protections for citizens to ensure government agencies are transparent about what is going on inside their offices. Journalists use the laws to request documents, track agency decisions and report stories. Here are nine key takeaways from our reporting on public records laws: 1. The story: Reporter London Bishop and I reviewed the state of public records laws in Ohio to note how lawmakers and courts have chipped away at government transparency measures. Read the full story here. 2. Steps forward: Last October, an Ohio Supreme Court ruling opens up more public access to juvenile court records. Transparency advocates also note that member of the public now can challenge public record denials in the Ohio Court of Claims. 3. Steps back: A state law meant to protect crime victims is routinely used by police departments here and across Ohio to withhold from the public details of deadly officer-involved shootings. 4. Body cam: State lawmakers passed a measure — with no public notice or debate — to allow law enforcement agencies to charge up to hundreds of dollars for police body camera footage. Several local police departments say they plan to do so. 5. Coroner's records: Another place where transparency took one step forward and two steps back is access to county coroners' records. We used access to records like this in our investigation of the Takoda Collins tragedy, which led to changes in state law. 6. Unintended consequences: In April, a bill goes into effect that prohibits the public from accessing public employee timesheets. — The bill last year was amended to preserve journalists' access to the records after a Dayton Daily News report listing 11 examples of how public employee timesheet and payroll records have been used by this news outlet and others to investigate concerns such as public employees misreporting their time, working a second job while on the clock or taking excessive vacation time or overtime. 7. The quote: "There's been retrenchment," said Jack Greiner, an attorney and leading authority on Ohio Sunshine laws. "Ohio, for many years, has been very good about transparency and public records ... but some of these other developments have maybe unintended consequences." 8. Prior reporting: A Dayton Daily News investigation last Sunshine Week found nearly 30% of government agencies across our nine-county region were found out of compliance with Ohio public records and open meetings act laws in state audits in recent years. 9. Upcoming event: We are hosting a lunch-and-learn virtual panel discussion on Wednesday, March 19 as part of our Sunshine Week coverage. Our panelists (myself included) will talk through their experiences with records requests and answer questions you might have about the process.
Miami Herald
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Bring back the sunshine: Florida's public records crisis demands action
For almost two years, state insurance regulators sat on a report showing that property insurance companies were raking in billions — even as they lobbied the Florida Legislature for financial relief. Instead of making that information public, officials buried records requests until long after lawmakers approved massive industry bailout packages. When journalists finally exposed the truth recently, legislators were outraged and demanded answers from the insurance industry. But where is the outrage over the government's role in concealing this information? While lawmakers rail against insurers, few seem troubled that state officials deliberately withheld a report that Floridians had a legal right to see. The sad truth? This wasn't an anomaly — it's the new normal. Floridians have a constitutional right to access public records, but in practice, that right has been all but gutted. Agencies routinely ignore requests, impose exorbitant fees and delay responses indefinitely. As secrecy spreads, government officials operate with less oversight. This isn't a partisan issue. Transparency is a foundation of good government, whether you lean Democrat, Republican or somewhere in between. Floridians deserves to know how their tax dollars are spent, how decisions are made and what their leaders are doing behind closed doors. It wasn't always this way. Florida once set the gold standard for open government. Our Sunshine Laws were the envy of the nation — a model for accountability, transparency and public access. These laws were never mere suggestions; they were designed to keep government honest and ensure the public's right to know. Yet today, state agencies — led by the Governor's Office —increasingly treat compliance as optional. Delay, deny, ignore — this is the new playbook for blocking access to information. This obstruction isn't just frustrating — it's illegal. Chapter 119 of Florida Statutes requires officials to provide public records in a timely manner. But delays that once lasted weeks now stretch into months or even years. The government's attitude seems to be: If you want these records, sue us. Meanwhile, lawmakers act as if nothing is amiss. There are now more than 1,200 exemptions to Florida's public records laws on the books. During this 2025 Legislative session alone, more than 130 bills have been filed that would restrict public access or weaken government accountability. The impact is clear: A 2024 study from the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida confirms what transparency advocates already knew — Florida is no longer a leader in open state now ranks 31st in the nation for compliance with public records laws. But as we mark Sunshine Week, March 16-20, a time to celebrate government transparency, there is reason for hope. A new bill — Senate Bill 1434, sponsored by Sen. Darryl Rouson (D-Tampa) — would force agencies to stop stonewalling the public. It's one of the few bright spots in this year's legislative session — a rare, meaningful effort to restore government accountability. If passed, SB 1434 would: Require agencies to acknowledge public records requests within three business agencies from charging fees when they fail to respond in a timely penalties on those who ignore or obstruct public records requests. The bill represents one of the strongest attempts in years to fix Florida's dysfunctional public records system. Yet SB 1434 is far from guaranteed. It currently lacks a House companion bill and faces an uphill battle in Tallahassee. The fact that it's even on the table is a step in the right direction — but it won't pass without public pressure. So, this Sunshine Week, take action. Whether you care about the water quality, how your child's school is funded or what's happening with that vacant lot downtown, make a public record request— your right to know is at stake. Speak out. Call, email and write your state representatives. Demand they support SB 1434 and take a stand for transparency. The information our government holds does not belong to politicians — it belongs to you. Let's fight to bring the sunshine back to Florida. Bobby Block is executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 1985 to protect and advance the rights of free expression, protest and the press, as well as to promote open government and access to public records. Visit
