Pinellas County School Board elections are on August 23rd. This election is critically important to ensure strong and accessible arts programs in our schools.

Arts for a Complete Education, an umbrella organization of the St Pete Arts Alliance, asked School Board candidates to complete a survey so our community can gain a better understanding on their perspectives and prioritization of a strong, sequential, and equitable arts education for K-12 students in Pinellas County Schools. 

Ten of the eleven candidates responded to the survey. 

To ensure the health and vitality of our arts community, it is imperative for all of us to be informed and to vote!

ACE has taken the lead on these school board candidate surveys for more than 20 years.  For more on ACE, go to stpeteartsalliance.org/education/ace-pinellas.

For additional information on School Board candidates, as well as candidates for other Pinellas County offices, please see https://www.vote411.org/  This is a non-partisan resource provided as a service by the League of Women Voters. 

School Board Candidate ACE Survey Results

 

1. I support arts courses (music, theater, dance, visual arts) as part of the core curriculum in Pinellas County Schools.  

Carl Zimmermann	Strongly Agree	District 3
Brian Martin	Strongly Agree	District 6
Lisa Cane	Strongly Agree	District 2
Kimberly Works	Strongly Agree	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Strongly Agree	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Strongly Agree	District 3
Dawn Peters	Strongly Agree	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Disagree	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Strongly Agree	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Strongly Agree	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

 

2. I support equal access to quality arts (music, theater, dance, visual arts) in all schools.

Carl Zimmermann	Strongly Agree	District 3
Brian Martin	Strongly Agree	District 6
Lisa Cane	Strongly Agree	District 2
Kimberly Works	Strongly Agree	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Strongly Agree	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Strongly Agree	District 3
Dawn Peters	Strongly Agree	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Neutral	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Strongly Agree	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Strongly Agree	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

 

 

3. Have you ever personally participated in arts courses in school?

Carl Zimmermann	Visual Arts	District 3
Brian Martin	Music	District 6
Lisa Cane	Music	District 2
Kimberly Works	Music	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Music	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Music	District 3
Dawn Peters	No Experience	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Music	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Music	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Theater	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

 

 

 

4. Have your children or grandchildren participated in arts courses in school?

Carl Zimmermann	Visual Arts	District 3
Brian Martin	Music	District 6
Lisa Cane	Theatre	District 2
Kimberly Works	Theatre	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Music	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Music	District 3
Dawn Peters	Music	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Music	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Music	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Music	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

 

 

5. Participation in the arts has had a positive impact on me.

Carl Zimmermann	Strong Agree	District 3
Brian Martin	Strong Agree	District 6
Lisa Cane	Strong Agree	District 2
Kimberly Works	Strong Agree	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Strong Agree	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Strong Agree	District 3
Dawn Peters	N/A	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Agree	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Strong Agree	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Strong Agree	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

 

 

6. Participation in the arts has had a positive impact on my family (children, grandchildren or other family members).

Carl Zimmermann	Strongly Agree	District 3
Brian Martin	Strongly Agree	District 6
Lisa Cane	Strongly Agree	District 2
Kimberly Works	Strongly Agree	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Strongly Agree	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Strongly Agree	District 3
Dawn Peters	Strongly Agree	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Agree	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Strongly Agree	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Strongly Agree	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

 

7. I support providing ample resources and empowering teachers to structure arts curriculum* to provide rich, diverse experiences for all students.

*The Florida Arts Curriculum Standards include the following big ideas: Critical Thinking and Reflection Skills, Techniques, and Processes, Organizational Structure, Historical and Global Connections, Innovation, Technology, and the Future.

Carl Zimmermann	Strongly Agree	District 3
Brian Martin	Strongly Agree	District 6
Lisa Cane	Strongly Agree	District 2
Kimberly Works	Strongly Agree	District 6
Caprice Edmond	Strongly Agree	District 7
Dr. Keesha Benson	Strongly Agree	District 3
Dawn Peters	Strongly Agree	District 3
Bronson Oudshoff	Neutral	District 2
Brad S. DeCorte	Strongly Agree	District 2
Stephanie Meyer	Strongly Agree	District 6
Maria DiFiore Solanki	No response	District 7

 

Additional Comments: 

 

Carl Zimmermann 

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

Improving the climate with genuine climate surveys, using courses and programs that students are interested in to improve attendance and make school more meaningful, make Pinellas schools a preferred choice over other choices such as private and charter. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

I taught TV production, broadcast journalism, film production and screenplay writing in Pinellas for 33 years. I have lived the struggle to protect the arts programs when that should be the center of education for many students. In times where many students no longer see a reason to attend school, we need to keep the classes that are the main reason so many do attend - the arts!

 

Brian Martin

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

My top three priorities on the school would be to depoliticize public education, enhance school safety, and to increase parental involvement. 

Public education is supposed to be a bipartisan effort to improve the lives of our children and in turn our future community. Public education is currently mired in partisan political distractions. Pinellas County Schools already cover many of the political issues through long standing school policies (controversial issues - code 2240, instructional materials - code 2510, and sex education - code 2417). School board members should be focused on improving public education and ignoring partisan politics. 

School Board members can increase the safety of our students by continuing the effective programs associated with the Sandy Hook Promise. We teach our students to be more inclusive which reduces social isolation. We train our teachers and staff on becoming trusted adults giving our students an outlet to voice concerns, warning signs, and threats. Every school in the district has a site-based team trained on how to address incoming tips and the appropriate way to respond. The board can supplement these programs by increasing access to mental health services. The ratio of students to counselors (1:434), social workers (1:780), and psychologists (1:1,089) are far below recommended standards. 

Parents know what is best for their children. The top influencing factor in a student’s success is parental involvement in the education process. Parents should have clear and open access for communication with teachers and administrators. Teachers should be given additional planning time to interact with families to help educate our children in a collaborative environment. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

I am the only candidate in district 6 with children enrolled in Pinellas County public schools. I am endorsed by the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association (PCTA) and the Pinellas Educational Support Professionals (PEPSA). I earned these endorsements as a staunch proponent of public education. I feel strongly for educating our students as well rounded individuals with experiences in the arts. I was a proud band member and participated in dance during my own education. My children are also currently involved in music and dance. 

Please reach out as I would be happy to speak with you.

Thank you!
Brian

 

Lisa Cane 

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

My Top three priorities if elected are expanding and enhancing arts education in middle and elementary schools, expanding career technical education and certification programs, and striving to reverse policies that place too much emphasis on test scores and statistics detracting from student education. I choose these platforms because they are so important to me and to my family. As the founder and owner of The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Academy and a voting member of NARAS (THE GRAMMYS) music and the arts have played an intricate and vital part of my entire life. I believe that the arts and humanities are the most important subject in school as they draw all of the other subject matters together. I feel that career technical education is important as well because all students are gifted in their own unique ways and I believe that we need to foster their interests and talents as young as possible. Finally, I feel as a parent and community member far too many students and teachers have been adversely affected by the immense amount of testing and score keeping that occurs as part of our education system. I hope that by reducing this we can reignite not only the teachers passion for teaching but the students passion and joy in learning. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

Awards: Recognized and awarded Internationally by Music Theater international and Freddie 'G' Gershwin as an outstanding theater teacher 2018. In 2015 self-produced album 'Merry Christmas with Love' was considered for a GRAMMY award. Also, a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. 

 

Kimberly Works

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

Work with Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department on current issues. I am the mother of 2 sons with Autism that are graduates of Pinellas County Schools and the grandmother of a current student with Cerebral Palsy. I have previously worked with the ESE Committee within the district. With up to 15% of our student population falling into ESE and gifted geographic I am invested in the program processes. 

Work to improve Parental and Community Involvement with our students in aiding them to re acclimate to the in school climate. With additional programs and clubs that would include performing, visual, and digital arts involvement, we can work with our students to assist them in working together in group projects and in doing so they will improve their social and emotional skills. Studies have shown that those that have been involved in their communities, and in the arts are empowered and engaged students. 

Educators and support staff support. In the last 2 years we have had a serious strain with our staffing. We have had a strenuous turnover rate of educators for a multitude of reasons. I would work as part of an initiative to help improve our outreach to programs including job fairs to communicate why Pinellas County Schools is a great place to work. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

I was in my first play in elementary school. I spent my entire 4 years in high school playing in the high school marching band and concert band. I was also in multiple theater plays and musicals. I was in chorus, women's ensembles, quartets, and performed at state competitions as well as county honors chorus for 4 years. I graduated the highest point holder for all Thespians in my high school. After graduation I performed in multiple productions in summer stock theater for another 4 years. As recently as the last 2 years I have performed at Largo Community Center with Encore performers. I am a lover of the arts and support the arts. My daughter was a finalist for American Idol in 2018. My youngest son was a graduate of the digital arts magnet at Dixie Hollins High School, and my middle son currently creates board games and creates comic characters for Pokemon that he is in the process of submitting for copyright. I say all of this not to toot my own horn but to let you know how the arts have played a vital part of my life and I fully support them in any fashion in our schools. 

 

Caprice Edmond

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

As a School Board Member, my top priorities are academic success, recruitment and retention and family and community engagement. These will continue to be my priorities. 

I selected these issues based on my experiences and education. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked with youth residing in foster care and saw the impact that education could have in their lives. I decided to transition to teaching. As an educator, parent and Guardian ad Litem, I began to see academic and behavioral issues among students. Stakeholders also brought forth their concerns. All of these experiences have influenced my top priorities. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

It has been my honor to currently serve as Pinellas County School Board Member, District 7, where my experiences have reinforced my belief in the life-changing experience the arts can have on our students. I’ve been an educator, Guardian ad Litem and am currently a Florida School Boards Association Certified School Board Member. I’ve seen through various perspectives the importance of the role of the School Board when it comes to establishing priorities in many areas, including the arts. From funding the arts to increasing partnerships and exposure to the arts for all students, we have many opportunities to show our support. 

My broad-based education has underscored the role that arts play in a young person’s learning. I earned a BA in Psychology, MA in Elementary Education, MEd in Educational Leadership as well as, a certification in Infant Family Mental Health from the University of South Florida (St. Petersburg). 

Experiences in the Arts can be life changing for students. Whether taking an elective class, performing in a school production or competing on a district, state or national level, students learn so much from their experiences. I am proud to share that I have supported the arts both in my role on the board and in my life as a parent and member of the community.

 

Dr. Keesha Benson

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

- Providing wraparound support to students, families, and school personnel (e.g., providing high-quality afterschool, summer programming, and local specific programming in collaboration with the community; addressing pay inequities and personnel shortage; etc.

- Ensuring equitable and accessible early childhood, workforce and higher education preparation that lead to social mobility and a living wage.

- Allowing educators to teach to the needs of students, and addressing mitigating learning loss through student-centric interventions. addressing achievement gaps by providing transparent outcomes of kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading levels, and high school graduation rate disaggregate across race. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

I am running for school board because I believe in healthy children, strong families, and engaged communities. Six generations of my family live in Pinellas County, my mother was an educator in Pinellas County Schools (PCS) for 37 years, I attended K-12 in PCS, and I have three young children currently enrolled in the district. The arts played an important role in my childhood development and I specifically chose an arts centered program for my childrens' education. As a leader, I bring a systems level viewpoint and a cradle-to-career outlook to the School Board. As the former Director of Thrive by Five Pinellas I worked with systems leaders across the county to ensure an equitable and accessible early childhood system. I have also served as a college professor for over a decade and excel in classroom facilitation, inclusive pedagogy, and faculty development. Public education is the basis for social mobility and generational advancement. As a Pinellas County resident, I want to ensure an educated workforce as the future of our community.

 

Dawn Peters

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

1) To improve literacy gaps for all students.

2) To be a real voice for parents, students and teachers while building relationships with other school board members, administration and staff.

3) To promote trade & and other free certification programs in our schools to give our students more options & skills to promote confidence and give options outside of the 4 year college model. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

Increased promotion and funding for our arts programs is a priority. My daughters were both so positively influenced by music and theater which helped them, as introverted students, come out if their shells, express themselves more freely.

Minimizing and reducing these programs in our schools only harms our children.

 

Bronson Oudshoff

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

Restoring parent's rights and promoting parent choice, returning transparency to the school system, and reducing the burden in the classroom for teachers and students. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

None

 

Brad S. DeCorte

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

1. Safe, secure, and healthy schools: I chose this issue because as a classroom teacher, I saw how students were struggling coming back from Covid and virtual learning. They needed help which wasn't always available. I have been able to travel to Tallahassee as a member of the Pinellas County Teachers Association - Government Relations Committee and have advocated for more mental health professionals in our schools for several years to help all students struggling with issues. Students have many issues to deal with and having a mental health professional in schools more than once or twice a week would be a great help for our students. We also need to ensure that all our schools are as secure as possible. We need to be proactive instead of reactive.

2. Recruiting and retaining qualified and quality educators: We are seeing educators (this includes teachers, staff, bus drivers, maintenance workers and all invested in helping our students) leaving our schools in droves. We cannot continue this way. Our employees need to feel respected and that they are being heard, as well as compensated properly. It is also hard on students when having to deal with changes to their routine so often.

3. Community Involvement: We need to reach out to the community and make them feel that they are welcome and seen as a vital part of our students' education. We need to reach out to parents and make sure they know how to help their children. Equity is a big part of this also. We need to make sure that ALL students get what they need to succeed. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

I do understand the importance of the arts in our schools, and it has been an important part of my own two sons' education. My sons were both involved in the band program at Tarpon Springs High School when in school. I was a dedicated volunteer for 7 years during that time. I helped load the truck, get equipment on and off the field, and I also traveled with the band on trips. My wife and I always said that our boys being in that band was one of the best things about coming to Florida. My oldest continued to play in a band after graduating, while my youngest son majored in film while at the University of Tampa and then USF.

 

Stephanie Meyer

What are your top three priorities if you are elected as a school board member? Why and how did you select these issues?

Parental rights, supporting teachers and focusing on academic achievement. 

Please share any additional relevant information:

Please visit votestephaniemeyer.com for more information about my credentials, experience and platform!

 

Maria DiFiore Solanki

No response.