It’s not your boring, run-of-the-mill school board meeting. From mask mandates to book bans, Brevard County’s school board has become a political battleground and the birthplace of a national movement. There is now a movement to dispel that image. The uproar began over a mask requirement at Brevard Public School Board meetings. Over the past three years, the rift has deepened and the debate has become even more heated. It was around the time that teacher Jennifer Jenkins was running for a seat on the school board. Ms. Jenkins said her husband is also a teacher, so she wanted to fight for better pay. “No one expected me to, but I ousted the founder of Mamas for Liberty. I beat her by 10 percentage points in this very conservative county,” Jenkins said. Told. . Jenkins leans to her left. “As soon as I sat down, there was minimal harassment at first, what you might call stupid high school bullying, and then it quickly escalated from there, with intimidation and death threats.” said Jenkins. That gave her a more political seat on the board. Jenkins says that means political pressure from groups like Mothers for Freedom. She accused larger conservative groups in Florida and elsewhere of leading them. Tina Deskovich, whose school board election she won, is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty. “We’re a grassroots organization. If anyone knows that, the people of Brevard County know it. That’s where we started,” Deskovich said. “This conservative group now has chapters in 48 states. “The chapter here is fighting the issues that are going on in school boards. You can’t talk to other organizations, certainly at the national level. There are organizations pushing the agenda, but there is no mothers’ organization.” Ms. Jenkins will not run in the board election scheduled for November. “She will remain in public education, but will not say what role she will take. “I’m very concerned about the future of this school system, and to be honest, I’m very concerned about the future of this school system. I’ve thought so ever since, because I saw that we were the birthplace of the ‘public education culture war crisis,”’ Jenkins said. But she is proud that her voice has inspired others to stand up in their communities. “We value integrity. Be sure to analyze who is doing this for the right reasons, because that is the person who will ultimately listen to you and be willing to shake your voice.” ‘Because he’s a person who is trying to do something,'” Jenkins said. Will the Brevard School Board shake its identity as the front line of the national culture wars? Those who want to be part of it in the future are trying to remove politicians from the board. A year and a half ago, then-board president Matt Sussin launched a new discipline program in front of the county jail. “What do we need to do going forward? One of the things that people don’t talk about very often, I think that’s the most important thing.”We’re in a politically divisive situation like no other in the school board’s history. ,” Susin said. He has been on the board for eight years, but said there have only been discussions in the last three years. “We are not going to go into the trenches anymore. We are not going to fight a fight that is being politically driven by groups. There are a lot of misconceptions by people,” Sussin said. But he has competition for his own spot, including a senior from Viera High School. “Our students should be our number one priority. It shouldn’t be politicized. What we’re seeing in a lot of that controversy is board members pulling the plug on Congress. “It’s about the left or the right, and we need to find a middle ground,” candidate Max Madl said. Avanese Taylor is also running for District 4. The single mother was “called to action” last year when her son was harassed by his football buddies at Viera High School. “I think politics should come out of the school board. And the school board shouldn’t be in the news every day or every time you turn around, it shouldn’t be in the national news,” Taylor said. Crystal Casey also recently joined the race for the same seat. “I don’t think it’s the board’s place to censor, and it shouldn’t participate in a way that’s unbecoming of county leadership,” Kazee said. From many sides there is a desire to close the chapter of the fight. But that can only be confirmed at the first board meeting after the election.
It’s not your boring, run-of-the-mill school board meeting.
From mask mandates to book bans, Brevard County’s school board has become a political battleground and the birthplace of a national movement. There is now a movement to dispel that image.
The uproar began over a mask requirement at Brevard Public School Board meetings. Over the past three years, the rift has deepened and the debate has become even more heated.
It was around the time that teacher Jennifer Jenkins was running for a seat on the school board. Her husband is also a teacher, so she wanted to fight for a better salary.
“I ousted the founder of Mamas for Liberty, and no one expected me to do that. I beat her by 10 percentage points in this very conservative county.” said Jenkins.
Jenkins leans to the left.
“As soon as I sat down, there was minimal harassment at first, what you might call stupid high school bullying, and then it quickly escalated from there, with intimidation and death threats.” said Jenkins.
That gave her a more political seat on the board.
Jenkins says that means political pressure from groups like Mothers for Freedom. She accused larger conservative groups in Florida and beyond of supporting them.
Tina Deskovic, who won the school board election, is a co-founder of Moms for Liberty.
“We’re a grassroots organization. If anyone knows that, the people of Brevard County know it. That’s exactly where we started,” Deskovich said.
The conservative group currently has chapters in 48 states.
“Our chapter here is fighting the issues that are going on in the school board. We can’t talk to other organizations. There are certainly organizations at the national level that are pushing national agendas, but Mamas for Freedom We’re not like that,” Deskovic said.
Mr. Jenkins will not run in the board election scheduled for November of this year. She plans to continue working in public education, but she has not specified what role she will take.
“I am very concerned about the future of this school system, and to be honest, I have been since I took this position, because we are the birthplace of the public education culture war. “Because I saw it,” Jenkins said.
But she is proud that her voice has inspired others to stand up in their communities.
“Value integrity. Be sure to analyze who is doing this for the right reasons. In the end, that person is the one who will listen to you and be willing to follow your input and opinions.” Jenkins said.
Will the Brevard School Board shake its identity as the front line of the national culture wars? Those who want to be part of it in the future are trying to remove politicians from the board.
A year and a half ago, then-board president Matt Sussin launched a new discipline program in front of the county jail.
“I think one of the things that people aren’t talking about is what we need to do going forward. This is the most politically polarized situation in the history of the school board.” said Susin.
He has been on the board for eight years, but said there have only been discussions in the last three years. Hoping to turn back time for him, he’s running to defend his District 4 seat.
“We are not going to go into the trenches anymore. We are not going to do the fighting that is being politically driven by groups. There are a lot of misunderstandings among the people,” Susin said.
But he has competition for his spot, including a senior from Viera High School.
“Our students should be our top priority. We shouldn’t make it political. What we’re seeing in a lot of that discussion is that board members It’s that we’re being pulled to the left or to the right, and we have to find some kind of compromise,” Max said. Candidate Muddle said:
Avanese Taylor is also running for District 4. The single mother received a “call to action” when her son was harassed by his football buddies at Viera High School last year.
“I think politics should come out of the school board, and the school board shouldn’t be in the news every day or every time you turn around, or national news,” Taylor said.
Crystal Kazee recently joined the race for the same seat.
“I don’t think it’s the board’s place to censor, and it shouldn’t participate in a way that’s unbecoming of county leadership,” Kazee said.
From many sides, there is a desire to close the chapter of the fight. But that can only be confirmed at the first board meeting after the election.
