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Herald recommends: In Miami-Dade School Board District 6, incumbent makes good case for reelection | Editorial

By the Miami Herald Editorial Board

Updated August 16, 2022 9:50 AM

Sandra Manzieri, right, a teacher at Key Biscayne K-8 Center, is running against incumbent Miami-Dade County School Board member Mari Tere Rojas. Miami Herald

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The race for Miami-Dade County School Board District 6 features two candidates with vast experience as educators. One is a well-funded incumbent who previously held leadership positions in public schools. The other is a first-grade teacher who says issues at her school are going unaddressed.

District 6

School Board member Mari Tere Rojas began her career in 1975 as a classroom teacher at Henry M. Flagler Elementary School, then became principal at different schools, including Sunset Elementary, and eventually was appointed assistant superintendent in the district’s Office of Professional Standards. Before her election in 2016, she was an aide for former School Board member Susie Castillo.

Rojas’ depth of knowledge and connections within the district are crucial at a time when schools are dealing with pandemic-related learning losses. She touts how the district did better than expected in this year’s Florida Standards Assessments, with scores improving over last year. However, she recognizes a lot needs to be done. Only slightly more than half of students earned a passing score in English and math. Rojas said she has drafted a proposal to direct the superintendent to study how primary-school students and third-graders are performing and provide recommendations to boost their achievements.

With $177,521 raised as of July 13, Rojas, 68, is a formidable incumbent. She’s got deep ties to local Republican politics as the sister-in-law of U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, the former mayor of Miami-Dade County. Perhaps for that reason she has been able to to fend off an organized effort from the political right to unseat her after she voted for a mask mandate last year — a move that required political independence. With the delta variant wreaking havoc, the Board balked at Gov. DeSantis’ threats and followed the recommendation of a panel of medical experts.

“My position at that point was to continue masking, but to monitor very, very carefully on a weekly basis, so that we could see when the [COVID-19] numbers started to improve,” Rojas told the Herald Editorial Board.

With DeSantis’ attack on local control of what’s taught in classrooms, especially about race and gender, it’s crucial that School Board members stand up against political interference. While Rojas showed independence in her stance on masks, her recent vote against the adoption of a sex education textbook was disappointing, though it might resonate with some voters in Republican-leaning District 6.

The textbook came under fire from conservative groups like Moms for Liberty, which is well connected in GOP circles, and parents who took issue with things like the mention of gender identity and emergency contraception. The materials and complaints were evaluated by a district-appointed hearing officer who recommended the School Board adopt them.

The Board reversed a previous decision to reject the textbook on Thursday after Chairwoman Perla Tabares Hantman flipped her vote. Rojas continued to vote “No.”

Rojas’ opponent Sandra Manzieri, 56, has been a teacher for 21 years and works at Key Biscayne K-8 Center. In recent months, she has been outspoken about Rojas’ handling of parental complaints about the school and its principal. Manzieri told the Editorial Board that, among other issues, students with disabilities were not receiving the services outlined in their educational plan.

Rojas said she held a meeting with the community to address those concerns. Her job as a board member isn’t necessarily to run schools but to facilitate solutions and hold administrators accountable. The principal has been reassigned to a different school, the Herald reported.

Manzieri clearly is passionate about teaching. She changed careers at 35 to pursue an elementary education degree and later a master’s degree. She wants to have trained interventionists in every school to address learning losses and said School Board members must do a better job listening to teachers and parents. She’s received the endorsement of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group best known for trying to ban books with race and LGBTQ themes. The organization has gained strength thanks to DeSantis’ efforts to insert conservative politics into education.

We encourage Rojas to take Manzieri’s criticism seriously. In the end, Manzieri’s local experience doesn’t measure up to Rojas’ district-wide background. Rojas, despite her vote on the sex-ed book, is best equipped to resist political pressure from groups like Moms for Liberty and from Tallahassee.

The Miami Herald Editorial Board recommends MARI TERE ROJAS for Miami-Dade School Board, District 6.

BEHIND THE STORY

Who decides the political endorsements?

In advance of local and state elections, Miami Herald Editorial Board members interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The Editorial Board is composed of experienced opinion journalists and is independent of the Herald’s newsroom. Members of the Miami Herald Editorial Board are: Amy Driscoll, editorial page editor; and editorial writers Isadora Rangel and Mary Anna Mancuso. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.

What does the endorsement process look like?

The Miami Herald Editorial Board interviews political candidates to better understand their views on public policy and how their policies will affect their constituents. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates before making an endorsement. The Editorial Board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. Candidates who decline to be interviewed will not receive an endorsement.

Is the Editorial Board partisan?

No. In making endorsements, members of the Editorial Board consider which candidates are better prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with our editorial stances or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, readiness for office, depth of knowledge of key issues and understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points.

This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 6:00 AM.