Workshop: Strategic Priorities- CYA Admit Nothing, Deny Everything

The school Board is having a workshop on Tuesday to discuss priorities for the 2014-15 Strategic Plan.

At their May 13 School board meeting Board member Candy “Malarkey” Olsen insisted that there was no conspiracy and criticized other board members for their concerns that there was a conspiracy. This was in apparent response to the board workshop only 2 weeks earlier where the board heard the following castigation:

“There were people who knew when it happened that were not held accountable. What I’d like to know is what steps were taken with employees beyond that? From what I’m understanding, there wasn’t any discipline. My concern is not that she didn’t know, but what happened after she found out behind the scenes.”

Those opposed to investigating this conspiracy to cover-up were of course Superintendent Elia’s conspiratorial voting block of – Stacy White, Doretha Edgecomb, Carol Kurdell and Candy Olson – who said now isn’t the time to revisit the coverup of student Isabella Herrera’s death from choking on a school bus. How ironic that these who consistently vote in lock step formation would claim that there is no conspiracy.

But wait, there’s more!

If you would like to check conspiracy on a larger scale in the coverup of student Isabella Herrera’s death you need look no further than the October 9, 2012 School board meeting. Note that this is only 8 months after student Isabella Herrera’s death. Keep in mind that at this point in time the public was still unaware of the tragic death of Isabella Herrera because the School District has covered it up.

Board item 7.06. It is 32 pages and more than 150 items of the district representing to the Board that they are triumphantly meeting EVERY indicator of best practices of the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) School Safety and Security Self Assessment Review. The District assessment and narrative serves to assure that Hillsborough County Public Schools is in COMPLIANCE with Florida Statute 1006.07(6), Safety and Security Best Practices. In particular Transportation items 28-30. It says that Strategies and actions were reviewed for the 2011/2012 school year by a district COMMITTEE, which included members of Safety and RISK MANAGEMENT and just about everyone else.

So we all know from Superintendent Elia’s deposition that Risk management knew of the death of Isabella Herrera almost as soon as it happened in January of 2012 and yet they were on a committee that represented that the school district as meeting every indicator without any mention of the death of Isabella Herrera. This is farcical.

We also know from Candy Olsen’s own admission that she also knew of the Herrera tragedy soon after it occurred.  But Candy says there is no Conspiracy and Stacy White, Doretha Edgecomb, Carol Kurdell back her up. At least Candy Olsen had enough sense not to run for re-election. None of these board members deserve to be re-elected and Stacy White does not deserve to be your county commissioner.