For Broward School Board: Velez, Carter-Lynch, Julian

Mark the date: Nov. 8.

That’s the day Broward voters take back their schools from Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Election Day, voters will decide runoff elections in four of nine county School Board races.

Three will replace temporary board members appointed by DeSantis in August to replace those he suspended after a grand jury report faulted their oversight of the sixth-largest school system in the U.S. The report should be taken very seriously, but allegations of incompetence and neglect are too vague to justify removal of four elected officials.

One of the four races is the District 8 seat in which we recommend Allen Zeman of Fort Lauderdale, chief executive of a data analytics firm, over Donna Pilger Korn, who was appointed in 2011 and was elected three times since then. This countywide race is open to all voters. The other three contests are in districts in central and south Broward. Our endorsements follow in those three races.

District 1

Marie Murray Martin and Rodney “Rod” Velez would both serve capably, but Velez,

51, of Hollywood, would be a more forceful advocate for parents.

Martin, 59, a site coordinator for the school district and former teacher, would give teachers another voice on the board, but they are already represented by three members with teaching experience — two of whom, Debbie Hixon and Sarah Leonardi, support Velez.

Velez emphasizes accountability and transparency and has two children in public schools. Nearly three decades ago, he was convicted of aggravated battery after a 1995 altercation, which was reported by the Sun Sentinel in June. That conviction means he can’t volunteer in schools he would help oversee, but he has been a Boy Scout volunteer and member of city and School Board advisory panels.

Velez’s right to vote was restored by Amendment 4, which voters approved in

2018. DeSantis and the Cabinet voted last year to automatically restore civil rights including the right to hold office to felons who completed all terms of sentence, including payment of fines and fees.

District 1 includes parts of Hollywood,

Hallandale Beach, West Park, Pembroke Park and Pembroke Pines. School Board members serve four-year terms at a salary of $47,189 a year.

District 5

Among seven candidates in the primary, voters reduced the field to Ruth CarterLynch and Jeff Holness.

They should finish the job and choose Carter-Lynch, whose history on the county Education Facilities Committee and as director of grassroots advocacy for the Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools gives her a strong base of knowledge of school issues and her communities.

District 5 includes parts of Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Plantation and Sunrise, and it deserves a vibrant voice that speaks for Broward’s minority communities.

“As an African American female, I have been ‘woke’ all my life,” Carter-Lynch, 69, of Lauderhill, told the Sun Sentinel. “Growing up in Mississippi, I have seen and endured enough oppressive policies ... As a parent I know my rights, and I just want to be able to live in a fair and equitable society with justice for all.”

District 6

By far the most combative of the three School Board races is in District 6 in Cooper City, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise and Weston, where the winner will replace a DeSantis appointee, Manuel “Nandy” Serrano. Steven Julian, 33, of Plantation, is a Broward native studying for a master’s degree in clinical mental health at Nova Southeastern and plans to seek a Ph.D. in that field.

Julian hired an attorney who served a cease and desist order on Julian’s opponent, Brenda Fam, for alleged false statements that he had served prison time. Fam denied making such statements.

Julian said Fam supporters publicly circulated a book with sexually graphic images at polling places, and he provided photos of the book being circulated. “I know they (supporters) were using the book as a fear tactic,” Julian said.

Fam denied that, and said parents have told her the book in question, Gender Queer, is available to students in Broward schools.

Broward schools spokesman John Sullivan said the book is not available. Fam said if a book is donated to a school by a parent, it would not appear in the school catalog.

Julian opposed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to suspend four School Board members after release of a highly critical grand jury report. Fam said the suspensions were justified.

Fam supports passage of state laws allowing parents to seek removal of books and the so-called “Don’t say gay” bill. Julian opposes those laws and called them “politically motivated.”

Julian supported the School Board’s decision to defy DeSantis and enforce a mask mandate during the COVID pandemic.

“The board had a responsibility to protect our students,” Julian said.

Fam supported the legal challenge to the mandate and said the School Board “acted irrationally.”

Fam, 61, of Davie, is an attorney and former student teacher and substitute teacher who said she has offered free legal work for students for 10 years. She cites her own working-class roots as sound preparation for board membership.

Her campaign website included accusations of children cross-dressing in Broward schools and second-graders watching LGBTQ movies without parental consent. But when she was asked to provide specifics in a recorded interview, she could not. Fam is on much stronger ground when she talks about the number of students who can’t read at grade level.

DeSantis has endorsed more than two dozen conservative School Board candidates around the state. But he has not endorsed Fam, and we asked her why. “I guess I’m not conservative enough,” Fam said.

We disagree. Fam is far too conservative for the community she wants to represent. Julian is the better choice.

Julian