Herald endorsement: Our pick in Miami-Dade School Board District 9 | Opinion
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Miami Herald Editorial Board’s 2024 Election Endorsements
In advance of the upcoming primary elections on Aug. 20, 2024, the Editorial Board interviewed and researched candidates to better understand their views on various issues and how their policies will affect their constituents. The goal is to give voters a better idea of who’s the best candidate for each race.
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The race for Miami-Dade School Board District 9 pits the youngest member of the board against a challenger who said she’s running partly because the district has spent too much time focused on social justice issues.
This is a nonpartisan race but it’s got the partisan tinges that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has inserted into education. District 9 stretches from Pinecrest to Homestead.
There are clear differences between the candidates.
Incumbent Luisa Santos, 33, is against a proposed state constitutional amendment that would make school board races partisan, forcing candidates to run as Republicans, Democrats or independents. If approved, the proposal would take the focus away from nonpartisan issues that truly matter to parents.
Challenger Kimberly Beltran, 53, supports the measure that the Legislature put on the November ballot.
During her tenure, Santos has opposed the state’s efforts to exert more control over local school boards. Yet she’s also kept an open mind on issues such as a controversial law that allows religious chaplains to provide counseling at schools, raising constitutional concerns. She voted to study if the program would be feasible in Miami-Dade, but a final vote on whether to implement it has not happened.
“Our local constituents, when I speak to them, a lot of times they’re not worried about [political] parties,” Santos said. “They’re worried about their schools, transportation, their kid’s lunch, their student’s teacher and so school boards need to stay locally controlled.”
The biggest achievements Santos cites received broad support from her board colleagues: revamping Wi-Fi networks at schools and providing new digital devices; a commitment that the district switch to “clean energy” entirely by 2030 and revamping the district’s career and college advising program. She boasted that her office closed 3,500 constituent cases with a “91% satisfaction rate,” and that the district’s student-to-counselor ratio fell by 30%.
“I’ve been a bridge builder on the board in a really divisive time for education,” Santos said.
Beltran, a claims supervisor at the Ferraro Law Firm, said one of the biggest issues Miami-Dade’s district faces is deferred maintenance of school buildings. She said parents feel their concerns about bullying and inappropriate book content are ignored by school officials. She pointed out that, despite record-high graduation rates, a large portion of district students still cannot read at grade level.
Beltran criticized the amount of time the School Board spent discussing a resolution to recognize LGBTQ history month. Indeed, the discussion last year lasted several hours but mostly because dozens of members of the public signed up to speak, many of them in opposition to the proposal that ultimately failed.
“The experience you have from being a mom or a dad is different than any experience that you can gain from a textbook or in a classroom, even if you’re working with children,” Beltran said.
Beltran is passionate about parental involvement, but she doesn’t make a strong case to unseat the incumbent. The Herald Editorial Board endorses LUISA SANTOS in Miami-Dade School Board District 9.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWho 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 August 1, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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