Disclaimer: There are no facts in this blog post…I just want to be upfront about that. While I do hope to inform our community about the things happening within it, I really need an outlet.

Because Sarasota is confusing. It’s full of truly wonderful people and places and potential. The schools – and especially the people within them – are obviously amazing. Like A+ for 20+ years outstanding.

But it feels like the strengths of our community are also the most contested. As someone who grew up in Sarasota, I’ve also seen Sarasota grow. I’ve seen it transition from a local-first vibe to a place that centers tourism and development in that growth. And it’s all just confusing.

I’m no expert in community development, however. That’s not my lane, and it’s just really not my fight.

But I do try to understand what it means to be a community; in centering the very real experiences that guide everyday decisions and how they interact with the collective experience. When you work in the non-profit community, it’s hard not to center that or want more energy around it.

My fight is non-existent, really. I don’t have the time, energy, or desire for a fight. That is all syphoned out of me by 9:00 am in the daily battle to get out of the door for school. My kids work hard (!!!) to make sure my energy never returns to its default setting through the nightly battle of dinner and bedtime as well.

However, I do have a desire for a stronger community. I also have some energy for that, so I am trying to find the time. But trust me…there’s not a lot of time to give either.

Anyway, here’s where I’ve been putting my time and energy lately…and why it’s started to matter so much to me:

First, I’ve been listening more…to parents, to classrooms, and to the in-between conversations that don’t make it into headlines. It’s shown me things like PTO’s paying for critical learning programs because the district can no longer do so. Or like a teacher being surplused despite her 6 YEARS as a teacher. Or like what happens after a group of parents save their school – and continue to work together to strengthen their efforts and their children’s experience.

And when I talk to parents, the message is clear: All I want is for my child to be safe, loved, and educated.

That matters a lot. In fact, it is ALL that matters. And I realized it’s really all that matters to our educators and school leaders too. So why doesn’t it feel like that is our experience?

Well, I am a nerd, so I started taking notes. And I saw a very clear pattern:

Parents who have kids in public schools have very clear priorities.

And somehow, in a state where parents are explicitly guaranteed “the right to direct the education and care of his or her minor child” “without obstruction or interference from the state, any of its political subdivisions, any other governmental entity, or any other institution”, they aren’t driving the conversation. Honestly, it’s hard to see where we have been in that conversation at all.

So I took some of those priorities and created a survey to test them. Not to approve them, but to see if these priorities could unite us under a broad belief that doesn’t make the noise louder, but quiets it instead.

I’d love for you to take it.

It will be used to inform our community about the people and policies that align with those priorities. I expect – and really, really hope for more iterations of these priorities.

Another disclaimer: This survey is not for everyone. It’s for parents who have kids currently in -or will soon be in – Sarasota County Schools. It’s for parents who want to partner, parents who want to protect, and for parents who want to stay positive through the process.

And for parents who want to build a community of us along the way.

I want to be clear one last time here: this isn’t about politics. Maybe the clearest pattern I’ve seen is that parents are tired of politics shaping conversations about our schools. This is about making sure parents, educators, and leaders can stay in step with what matters most: our kids.

If there’s one thing I’m hoping for, it’s this: that we can keep our schools grounded in people, not politics or parties. And in a shared commitment to the kids who connect all of us

Let’s see what happens. So far, it’s been nothing but the community I was hoping to – and needing to – find.

If you’re looking for next steps, you’ll find them at the playground all summer long. Details coming soon!

❤