The recent Sarasota School Board consultant approval process is flawed.

The League of Women Voters of Florida supports Florida’s constitutional requirement to make adequate provision for the education of all children that is ‘uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality.’ Hiring a consultant to help in making this happen can be a strong investment— one that requires transparency, hard work and process. 

The League of Women Voters of Sarasota opposes the hiring of a consultant for without going through a transparent and rigorous vetting and bidding process. Additionally, we support the separation of church and state in our public schools, and paid consultants should be secular and void of advocacy of a specific religion.

Our concern stems from the proposal to hire Vermilion Education for two services: 1. consulting services to the board and 2. a “District Improvement Study.” This study would have a broad mission to evaluate “the proposed policies, programs, curriculum, and sit on external candidate interviews for district administrative, support and classroom positions, among other responsibilities.”

Thus far the process initiated by the Board Chair has lacked transparency, with the initial information on the request being included on the March 21 Work Session Agenda under the Members Comments Section, simply entitled “Vermilion Education Brief.” There were no attachments describing this item on the online agenda available to the public. There was no information provided on the founder and supporters of Vermilion Education, their credentials, or their ties to Hillsdale College. 

In the following School Board Workshop on April 4, the School Board had a Zoom presentation from Jordan Adams, Vermilion's founder, which was not posted on the board's workshop agenda. "Vermilion Education Brief" was only listed under "Member Comments" for the end of the workshop.

For a contract of this magnitude, best practices must be employed including a public and transparent process with rigorous vetting of candidates and competitive bidding. Spending taxpayer funds should require evidence of previous success with public school systems.

Any consultant hired with taxpayer funds to perform the services requested in the proposed contracts should have extensive previous experience conducting comprehensive studies of school districts the size and performance level of Sarasota. 

The scope of activities described in these contracts are more fitted to a multi-phase study that employs a team approach of noted professionals in the fields of curriculum and instruction, human resources, district administration, school administration, business services, evaluation and professional development. Further, the conduct of such studies requires consultant field work in conjunction with district administrators, principals, parent support groups, community supporters and, most importantly, the teachers and professional staff who deliver instruction to our youth. 

The result of this closed and rushed process may lead to alienation of instructional staff and disrupt the educational process for literally thousands of children and result in outcomes inconsistent with Florida’s Constitutional requirement to make adequate provision for the education of all children that is ‘uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality’.

Linda Thompson is president of the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County. Cecile Scoon is president of the League of Women Voters of Florida. Jill Lewis-Spector is education action chair for the League of Women Voters of Sarasota County.