Herald endorsement: The best choice in Miami-Dade School Board District 3 race | 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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Miami-Dade School Board District 3 runs from Aventura south along the Atlantic coast and Biscayne Bay to sections of Coconut Grove.
In the Aug. 20 nonpartisan primary, five candidates are vying for the open seat vacated by Lucia Baez-Geller, who is running for Congress. They are: former state Rep. Joe Geller; former school board member Martin Karp; North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham; special education teacher Gustavo Ortega and former teacher Hayley Ross.
Ross and Karp did not attend the Herald Editorial Board’s candidates meeting.
The School Board needs fresh thinking and new approaches to serve an increasingly diverse student body. Our choice is Latham, a self-described “collaborator” who, as mayor of his small village, worked to bring a soccer training program to his town through a partnership with an Argentine soccer organization. The new soccer training facility for students would be a plus for the surrounding community, though unresolved legal wrangling persists against the mayor, the village and the school board.
Latham, 48, wants to press for more community partnerships in the school district to expand programs from culinary arts to technology; advocate for more public funding and avoid the “slippery slope” of more public dollars going to private schools; and push the School Board to make decisions with more urgency. His two children attend a public school and a charter school in the district.
The Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust and the State of Florida Commission on Ethics both looked into a complaint that Latham accepted a trip to London from a lobbyist. No action was taken on the allegations. The state found Latham received inaccurate guidance from his town’s legal counsel before taking the trip.
Karp, 59, served on the school board for four terms. He did not seek reelection in 2020 after the school district’s Office of Inspector General issued a 977-page report on lax oversight of some after-school programs run by a Jewish center that Karp’s office helped to gain free access to school facilities even though the privately-run program charged students and, thus, did not qualify for free use. The OIG report also found that required background checks were not conducted for dozens of program employees. Karp disputes the findings and denies any wrongdoing.
Geller, 70, (no relation to current board member Baez-Geller) is a lawyer and served on the House Education Committee. He is a strong proponent of increasing teacher pay, making pre-K universal and keeping Tallahassee politics out of the classroom. He has a well-financed campaign, thanks in part to his many years as an elected Democrat.
Ortega, 44, teaches first-graders on the autism spectrum. His two young children attend public schools. He is an advocate of universal pre-K starting at age 3 and raising teacher pay to start at $65,000 instead of the current average of $52,000, and said teachers with 10 years experience should earn $100,000. Ortega is energetic and affable and we would encourage him to continue to stay involved.
Ross, 63, taught English in private or public elementary schools for 26 years. From her campaign mailers, she advocates for parental rights, school choice and curriculum that focuses on the basics.
At this crucial moment in Florida education, the best candidates are those who think outside the proverbial box without partisanship or rancor.
The Miami Herald endorses BRENT LATHAM for Miami-Dade School Board District 3.
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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