Arts and Cultural organizations are on fire this season in Sarasota County. Conversations with virtually all of the area presenting and performing organizations indicate record attendance and the highest volume of ticket sales in history.

The Arts and Cultural Alliance has been poling organizations throughout the region this past week as a part of our mid season assessment. Every organization is reporting significant increases in ticket sales and attendance over last year with most groups running at near capacity seating for every performance. Not only are locals turning out in record numbers but box offices are reporting tourist sales to be somewhere between 40 percent and 51 percent of total sales. 

Sarasota has been branded as the Cultural Coast of Florida for many years and for good cause. That cause is more about quality than just sheer quantity. Whether your preference is theater, visual arts, dance, opera, orchestra or other, the quality of the performances and presentations that we are fortunate to have here is equal to or better than that found in other communities throughout the nation that are much larger than here. The artists, artist directors and business managers of our local organizations are true professionals and take great pride in the level of work that they produce.

As always, the great quality and success of our arts and cultural organizations is not a one way street.  They could not afford to develop this level achievement if we did not have the level of sophisticated audiences and nurturing donors that we do in our region. Great art truly requires the effort and participation of an entire community.  The Arts and Cultural Alliance and our member organizations are truly grateful to the philanthropists, community and private foundations, businesses and the people of our region for helping create this Mecca for the arts and helping us earn the distinction of being the Cultural Coast of Florida.

Thank you.

Jim Shirley is executive director of theArts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.

I received a letter last week from a national organization deploring the fact most college students could not identify James Madison as the Father of the U.S. Constitution (most chose Jefferson) and that 40 percent did not know that Congress has the power to declare war. Their solution: a course on civic literacy required of every college student.  

A couple days later, I talked with a delegation of students concerning the lack of intercultural competence among their fellow students. Some of their classmates use phrases that have been used historically to demean others and are ignorant of the chilling effect of such speech. Their solution: a course on cultural competence required of every college student.   

Other groups decry college students’ lack of mathematical and quantitative literacy, of historical knowledge, of basic financial knowledge, of writing skills. Common to all is the proposed solution: a new required course.  

Some observers of higher education go even further. They advocate, usually in the name of efficiency, carefully planned curricula with little student choice, one course leading to another, and lots of requirements.   

Good intentions surely, but a path that courts disaster. Required courses almost always become bad courses.  

Why? Colleges are marketplaces: ideas are exchanged, professors vie for students and students for professors. The currency is not dollars, but student enrollments. Make a course required and you remove the incentive for whoever is teaching that course to make it attractive to students. Professors are busy and need to allocate their time carefully. Subsidizing a course by guaranteeing enrollment will cause a professor to devote more attention to other, unsubsidized courses. Moreover, because departments also care about enrollments, they will not place their most gifted faculty members in a course in which enrollments are guaranteed. They will use their best faculty members to attract students to the major or to get students through the hardest courses

If you doubt this, think back to some of the worst courses you ever had. Or note that taking a course does not guarantee a student will learn what the courses purports to teach. Civics courses are required in most high schools. It they worked, college students would not be lacking civic knowledge.

I’m not suggesting that there should be no requirements. Just as unregulated free markets concentrate capital, unregulated curricula concentrate enrollments. Think massive, entertaining, undemanding lecture courses. But the opposite, centrally planned, highly sequenced curricula with lots of top-down requirements, are essentially Marxist economies. And we all know how those work—poorly. 

Markets function best when there is equal and easy access to information. And students must have good information about what they can expect to learn in a class, and why it is important. Transparency is as important to universities as it is to financial markets.  

But the way regulations are structured also matters.  

Think back to the best educational experiences that you have ever had.Common to most such experiences will be serendipity: the intervention of a gifted professor, reading a spell-binding book at exactly the right time, taking an inspiring course or excitedly talking over an idea with a friend in a residence hall. This is the reason that distribution requirements, which require students take courses in different disciplines, are important. It’s not just about breadth and exploration. Rather, a good institution goes to great trouble to hire gifted faculty, and distribution requirements spread students over that faculty. They increase serendipity by increasing the odds that a student will encounter a gifted faculty member who changes his or her life.  

In addition to maximizing opportunities for serendipity, a good university will make it difficult for students to miss learning material they will need subsequently. Rather than simply requiring a course, a good institution will make sure that the outcomes desired of students are reflected in many of the courses those students will take. To ensure that students write well, for example, students must practice writing in most courses they take. The same goes for civics or intercultural competence. This is the job of a good faculty working together to align many different courses. It is not easy, and it requires a deft touch and thoughtfulness.  

Higher education, like the economy, would be simpler if a benign leader could just require things.  But it wouldn't be better (and it wouldn't be higher).

Dr. Donal O'Shea is president of New College of Florida. 

The Sarasota County School Board has been tasked by its students to grant equal access to the bathrooms and dressing rooms for all “trans” students based on the sex that they identify throughout all of the Sarasota County Schools. After several school board meetings, with both the defenders and detractors having their say, the Sarasota County School Board decided to punt their responsibility onto the principals and the students who dare to “out” themselves by asking for their right to use the bathroom and dressing rooms like everyone else.  

Stephen P. Covert, Ph.D., principal, Pine View School for the Gifted, made a bold step when he granted transgender students of all of the schools under his care the access to specific bathrooms for their use. A grand gesture, but a move that did not go far enough, in my opinion. For the limited time that students are given to travel between classes, not only does it provide an unnecessary journey to use the designated facility, it can also cause physical illness and undue stress to the student who has to make it across campus to use the bathroom or change for gym class.  

When transgender students are required to use separate facilities, they are essentially “outing” themselves in public, and it does not go unnoticed by other students. While designated bathrooms may seem like a compromise, “separate, but equal” still shows a misunderstanding of a transgendered person. “Medical opinion is unequivocal that gender identity is not a choice,” states Daniel Tilley, staff attorney of the American Civil Liberties Union.

It has been estimated that at least 700,000 adults (0.3 percent) identify as Transgender. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey reveals that 41 percent of transgender participants had attempted to take their own lives: “Sexual assault was the biggest cause, followed by physical assault, harassment in school, and job loss due to bias.” In 2014, The Williams Institute did an analysis of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that more than half of people who have been bullied at school due to anti-transgender bias had attempted suicide. These numbers are said to be underreported due to the fact that many are still in hiding.

In addition, The Williams Institute survey shows that “15,500 transgender individuals are serving on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve forces. We also estimate that there are an estimated 134,300 transgender individuals who are veterans or are retired from Guard or Reserve service.”  

It’s not just about doing the right thing for equality. It’s also about school funding. In a recent letter sent to the Sarasota County School Board by the ACLU, it states that, “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) prohibits discrimination based on sex in any education program, such as a public school, that receives federal financial assistance. Federal courts have ruled that Title IX’s prohibition on discrimination “on the basis of sex” protects students from discrimination based on their gender identity, gender nonconformity, or transgender status. Likewise, many courts—including in the Eleventh Circuit, whose rulings govern Florida, Georgia, and Alabama— have also recognized that discrimination against transgender people is sex discrimination under other federal laws.” Stating case law, it puts the school board on notice the ACLU is watching to see what the school board will do. 

It was young high school students who taught me that the acceptance of a transgendered person was understood and that the real problem was of my generation, not theirs. Let’s not make this a big deal. The school board needs to be the adult in the room. Don’t make each student ask for what is rightly theirs. Give transgender students equal access to the bathroom and changing room with the sex they identify with. And don’t wait until someone decides to take this up in court.

Susan Nilon is the host of The Nilon Report and a member of the American Civil Liberties Union. Contact her at  

Susan.Nilon@Gmail.com

What does our future hold? And, how are we preparing for it? It’s indisputable the speed in which change is occurring, knowing today will look different than tomorrow and even more drastically in 10, 20 and 30 years. It is mind-blowing to read forecasts on population growth, where the population  in the state of Florida alone is projected to increase by 30 percent with an additional 6 million people living here by 2030 (The total population of Florida was 6 million in 1970). Add to the population growth the fact that people are living longer than ever before, and it’s easy to determine that’s a whole lot of people converging together to impact roadways, wetlands and other natural resources. Businesses, non-profits and governmental agencies are addressing the pressing demands of globalization and technological advances in a 24/7 world. More people than ever are shopping online with companies tracking shopping behaviors to make future purchase predictions. Socio-economic class gaps are growing at a faster pace than ever before with visible evidence of the widening disparities in the economic spectrum. Protecting our nation from domestic and international harm is a harsh reality we face, and this presidential election alone has illustrated the tenor of the American people and their fear and uncertainty of this very future. 

So what are we to do? Dr. Seuss said it best in The Lorax: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” 

The opportunity before us is magnificent indeed and that is to create the future that lies before us, and we need your help. 

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County, a non-profit philanthropic partner of the Sarasota County Public Schools, is committed to prepare every student for success in tomorrow’s world. As such, when I began my role as the executive director of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County four months ago, I embarked on a listening tour to better understand how the Education Foundation can better serve its community and prepare for the future by supporting our public schools, teachers and students with our very best efforts. Educational attainment for all children has never been more important than now. 

Education is also a community issue and the Education Foundation is ready to ignite a conversation to that end. We seek to dig deeper, engage a multitude of voices, learn together and raise the volume on the value and importance of education for all children in today’s world. We seek solution-oriented people who are willing to have honest conversations and unite together while embracing the tenets of 21st century skills we are instilling in our children—creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and character. We hope you will join us on this exciting learning journey. There’s so much more to come and we look forward to learning, innovating and transforming with you. 

Are you ready to dive in? Cannonball!

Jennifer Vigne is the executive director of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County 

CONA, the Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations, on Monday, March 14, will present Compatible development outcome after fifteen years of wrangling on the bayou and host a panel of participants in a protracted effort that has led to a compatible development project on a historic boat works property affecting two bay front neighborhoods separated by Whitaker Bayou. 

The veritable saga began in 2001 with representatives of Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores defending the concerns of neighbors about their property values and quality of life as well as the ecology and habitat of the bayou. The effort provoked the formation of the Tahiti Park neighborhood association and influenced the careers of elected officials, and is ending with a charming development that is sensitive to its neighbors and the special nature of the site. The range of contentious issues that arose include almost every type of issue a neighborhood may encounter during a major development nearby on within its boundaries. There are lessons for all to learn from the telling of this fascinating history of perseverance. 

James Bridges, the developer of the Jebco Ventures project now being planned for the parcel, and planning consultant Joel Freedman will join Jennifer Ahearn-Koch, Kafi Benz, Don Farr, Pola Sommers and Yvonne Lacey to discuss this notable example for neighborhoods and developers that has rewarded the best efforts of both.

Please join CONA as we document the successful efforts by neighbors to resist incompatible development and celebrate the reward of those efforts with a compatible development that respects the character of abutting neighborhoods, the privacy of the neighbors, and the special ecological and habitat conditions of Whitaker Bayou. Meet the developer that luck has bestowed upon these patient negotiators and examine his plans. 

See www.conasarasota.org/meetings.html for more details. CONA was founded in 1961 and its meetings are free and open to the public as well as members of the more than seventy associations the organization represents and its individual members. 

The meeting will be held at the Sarasota Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts in Sarasota, which is at the intersection of Tamiami Trail, south of the Municipal Auditorium. Parking and the entrance are reached from Van Wezel Way.  

A social will precede the meeting at 6:30pm, and the meeting will begin at 7pm.  

Kafi Benz is president of the Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations, vice chair of the citizen advisory committee of the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization and the founder and president of Friends of Seagate.  

The multi-talented Lee-En Chung,  Engineer, Huffington Post Blogger and SRQ Women in Business Leadership Circle member, attended Opening Day of The Orioles spring training at Ed Smith Stadium on March 2 and celebrated the event by demonstrating her fabulous footwork. Lee-En was invited to dance with The Oriole Bird atop the first base dugout during 7^th inning stretch and in keeping with her orange cowgirl hat, seemed to dance on air to the tune of John Denver’s “Thank God I’m A Country Boy.”  

Orioles in Sarasota

Circus Arts Conservatory co-founders Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs-Reis were recently honored with the One World Award at the Sister Cities One World Award Luncheon at Michael's On East. One World Award is an international honor that recognizes a remarkable individual/organization that has enhanced the understanding and respect of citizens around the world through "extraordinary work or volunteer service."  Sister Cities of Sarasota include: Dunfermline, Scotland; Hamilton, Ontario Canada; Merida (Yucatan), Mexico; Perpignan, France; Siming (Xiamen), China: Tel Mond, Israel; Treviso Province, Italy; and Vladimir, Russia.

Circus Arts Conservatory

Don't miss the inaugural Marianna's Wine Club on Thursday, March 16 from 6:30 to 8:30  at Café L'Europe. Join the Café L'Europe Grape Squad for an informative evening featuring 5 expertly selected wines and a variety of tapas designed to enhance each wine. The evening will be hosted by Café L'Europe sommelier Marianna Stragapede and a panel of wine experts including Brent Thomas of Stacole Fine Wines, and Café L'Europe owner, Betsie Coolidge.  

Cafe L'Europe

Goodwill Manasota

Child Protection Center recently spoke to parents at the "Talking to Your Child About Personal Safety”workshop hosted by Forty Carrots Family Center. The workshop was designed to teach parents how to equip, inform, and empower their children and prevent the occurrence of child sexual abuse. “We go into schools to teach personal safety to children, but with agencies like Forty Carrots, we have the ability to connect with parents from all walks of life and answer their concerns and questions,” said Ella Lewis, Director of Child Protection Center's Personal Safety and Community Awareness.  For more information about prevention education workshops and training, contact Ella Lewis at Child Protection Center at 941-365-1277, Ext. 106. 

Child Protection Center

Jannon Pierce has been promoted to Vice President of Resource Development for Easter Seals–SWFL. Pierce will continue managing the marketing, development, events and corporate partnerships responsibilities, but will have additional accountability for managing the Human Resource staff, programs, and initiatives. This change will provide additional focus and resources in support of Easter Seals Employer of Choice initiative. 

Easter Seals SWFL