Representative John Legg, R-Port Richey, defending his Education Accountability bill on the House floor.
After several years of serious consideration, John Legg, a former state senator and longtime educator who co-founded one of the first charter schools in the Tampa Bay area, has decided to run for superintendent of the Pasco County School District.
“I believe the skillsets I bring are what Pasco County needs right now,” said Legg, 47, who in 2000 co-founded Dayspring Academy and since then has expanded it to five campuses.
Legg, who lives in Port Richey and earned a doctorate three years ago in program development with an emphasis in sustainable educational innovation, believes a changing society needs new educational models.
“What I see happening as a result of the pandemic is that the old model of education simply is no longer working, and new models of education are being deployed,” he said. “We’ve had success at Dayspring, and we’ve had setbacks, as any (school) that has been open 23 years will. But I think the big arc is the arc of success, as we have provided flexibility and innovation to adapt to a changing culture and changing demands of a workforce, and a changing population.”
A former legislative aide, Legg, a Republican, first was elected to public office as a member of the state House of Representatives in 2004 and served eight years. Unable to seek re-election due to term limits, he ran successfully for the state Senate in 2012.
Suzanne and John Legg
Redistricting in 2015 placed him in the same district as Wilton Simpson, then Senate president-designate for 2018-20. Legg decided not to run, and focused instead on expanding Dayspring and raising, with his wife Suzanne, the couple’s five children. He also began serving on the board of Step Up For Students, which hosts this blog.
Through the years, his name has come up whenever the district school superintendent position is on the ballot. He’s been asked whether he will run “probably several times a week” for the past few years.
“I’ve never directly said ‘no.’” Legg said. “Usually, it was ‘not yet.’ Now, it’s an emphatic ‘yes.’”
He filed the paperwork earlier today, one day after Superintendent Kurt Browning, also a Republican, announced he would not seek re-election in 2024 as head of Florida’s 10th largest school district. Browning, who spent 26 years as Pasco supervisor of elections and served as Florida secretary of state under two governors, became superintendent for the largest county in the United States with an elected superintendent in 2012.
Under Browning’s leadership, the district, which serves just over 77,000 students at more than 100 schools, expanded school choice by adding a new technical high school and the district’s first magnet schools. He also added accelerated learning programs, which earned him recognition from the College Board and Cambridge International.
Legg, who at times has criticized the Browning administration for what he sees as a failure to improve performance in lower-income areas of the county, praised the district’s expansion of choice, but called that expansion a beginning, pledging to do more if he is elected, especially in the pockets of poverty on the county’s western coast and eastern border.
He sees academics as the county’s biggest challenge and noted that schools that earned C and D grades from the state 20 years ago are receiving the same grades now, while schools in areas where more affluent families live continue to get A and B grades.
“We have to empower parents with parental choice in order to move that needle in low-income areas,” Legg said. “Pasco County has started moving more in that direction, and that needs to be accelerated. Parents need to look at what is the best fit for their students, still with accountability, still with standards.”
Legg describes his campaign in way similar to how jewelers talk about diamonds, but instead of the four C’s of cut, color, clarity and carat weight, Legg outlines the six C’s of customization, content, creativity, collaboration, community, and character.
Of those, he sees customization as the center stone.
“That doesn’t mean we’re McDonald’s and we’re going to serve burgers and serve them with mayonnaise or ketchup and pickles,” he said. “It means we’ve got to allow people to go to Chick-fil-A. If Chick-fil-A meets their needs, we’ve got to find a way to make sure the need is being met.”
That measure of choice will look different to different people, Legg maintains.
“There still needs to be accountability; there still needs to be outcome measures. But we’ve got to look at what partners we can work with to move the needle. It can be charter schools; it can be private schools; it can be public schools.”
Legg said that if elected, he will make sure all schools offer content-rich curriculum and that principals have the flexibility to be creative in meeting their community’s needs. Additionally, he will work to ensure that schools provide a sense of community to staff, students, and teachers.
An advocate of educators, Legg believes that Pasco teachers, who earn less than their colleagues in nearby counties, should be paid more. He is “100 percent” behind an August referendum to raise property taxes by a maximum of 1 mil — about $300 for a $325,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption — to improve pay for teachers, bus drivers and other staff, excluding administrators.
Legg noted that Pasco, a bedroom community for those who commute to Tampa and St. Petersburg for their jobs, is experiencing massive growth and will need solid leadership to navigate it. U.S. Census figures show that Pasco’s population, estimated at 464,697 in 2010, grew to 561,891 in 2020.
The county administrator compared the growth to the equivalent of “a good-sized city.” The county property appraiser recently announced that Pasco issued 6,420 single-family home permits in 2021 and is still averaging 500 a month this year. Meanwhile, a recent study shows that Pasco’s school enrollment grew by 6% since the start of the pandemic.
Legg and Browning made headlines recently when the Pasco County School Board approved a plan to accommodate growth that involved a partnership with Dayspring to help educate students in the Angeline development, a 6,200-acre site that is expected to house 30,000 new residents.
The area includes a 775-acre parcel that will be home to a Moffitt Cancer Center research and corporate innovation district. Dayspring would build a K-5 school in the development with assistance that could include impact fees that the district collects from developers to accommodate growth, district capital funds, or bonding.
Legg will start his campaign with slightly more than $140,000 left over from his successful state Senate District 17 campaign in 2012. If elected, he and his wife plan to gradually turn over leadership of Dayspring to others who have been groomed for that responsibility to avoid possible conflicts of interest.
After years of mulling the possibilities, Legg is convinced now is the time for him to step forward.
“I think there is a sense of urgency right now, and I want to go out there and express that sense of urgency,” he said. “We’re never going back to normal. We’ve never going back to pre-COVID. We’ve got to define what is the new normal.”
The Pasco County superintendent hopeful believes that defining the “new normal” – and spearheading and receiving approval for bold new agendas – has a better chance of success with an elected superintendent at the helm as opposed to one who serves at the pleasure of a school board.
“I would come with a mandate from the voters,” Legg said.
Around the state: Leon High recently wrapped up its annual Positively Post-It Week, Pasco county students could be expelled for fighting, and Casey DeSantis, wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis, is spearheading a campaign to bring awareness to Florida's school children about the effects of drug and substance abuse. Here are details about those stories and other developments from the state's districts, private schools, and colleges and universities.
Broward: A school board seat vacated by Rosalind Osgood has yet to be filled, and Gov. Ron DeSantis' office is not guaranteed to pick one of the four candidates. The appointed term expires in November, with an election scheduled for Aug. 23 and a runoff on Nov. 8, if needed. South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Hillsborough: The school district here is closer to evening out enrollment at its more than 200 campuses. The school board on Tuesday agreed to hire a consulting firm that will spend a year examining school boundaries and looking at socioeconomic diversity and efficiency. The school will also identify under-used schools for "repurposing." Tampa Bay Times.
Pinellas: The Pinellas County school district's chief academic officer, Kevin Hendrick, is among the most mentioned names to replace retiring superintendent Mike Grego, The Largo High graduate has worked in the district office for the past five years. Tampa Bay Times.
Brevard: A school board meeting on Tuesday night grew tense as members discussed changes to district library book policies after a request from a conservative parent's group to remove 19 titles from high school and middle school libraries. Moms for Liberty formed a library book committee to read books and ask the district to remove works that contain material they think is unfit for minors from school libraries. Florida Today.
Pasco: Superintendent Kurt Browning instructed principals here to recommend expulsion of children involved in fights and other "serious misbehaviors." Browning addressed parents and school administrators in a video message this week. School districts across the state and the nation have reported an increase in student misbehavior this year, with experts saying part of the problem is that children did not interact with others for long periods of time during the pandemic and didn't return to classrooms with the same self-control they had in the past. Tampa Bay Times. ABC Action News.
Manatee: The school district superintendent here is being disciplined for inflating graduation rates, and the NAACP is calling for her resignation. Cynthia Saunders was accused of directing her staff to improperly code dropout students between 2014-16. The Education Practices Commission accepted a settlement agreement between Saunders and the Florida Department of Education to resolve the pending case in an order that was dated March 8.
Leon: Leon High recently wrapped up its annual Positively Post-It Week. Sticky notes blanketed the school in a variety of colors. Leon has done this at least half a dozen times over the years, with school organizations and clubs lining the walls with positive affirmations. Students also made friendship bracelets and painted their faces. WFSU.
St. Johns: School administrators here are contemplating how to create an attendance zone for the district's newest K-8 school. Known as "School NN," it won't open until the 2023-24 school year, and will be located in the Shearwater development off County Road 210. St. Augustine Record.
Early literacy: Miss Lakeland 2022, Lindsey Franxman, promoted early literacy by reading to children this week. Lakeland Ledger.
Anti-drug campaign: Casey DeSantis, wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis, is spearheading a campaign to bring awareness to the effects of drug and substance abuse to Florida's school children. A website was launched this week to expand resources to help schools, teachers and parents deter kids from drug use. Florida Phoenix.
Daylight Saving Time: As Congress considers making Daylight Saving Time permanent, sleep researchers agree that ending the biannual clock adjustment makes sense, but they disagree on how. Some say adolescents need more daylight in the morning and not the evening, for example. The 74th.
University and college news: Southern Living has recognized Leon County as one of the South's Best College Towns, marking the third time the county has been mentioned. Tallahassee ranked 13th among Southern Living's 20 Best College Towns. Leon County is home to three major educational institutions: Florida A&M University, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College. Tallahassee Democrat. President Christopher F. Roellke announced that Stetson University will be providing immediate relief for employees who were impacted by inflation and rising gas prices. The university is providing a dollar-per-hour increase for all eligible bi-weekly, non-exempt, full and part-time employees, and an across-the-board annual pay increase of $1,800 for eligible full-time, monthly, exempt employees. Flagler Live. Florida's universities may be subject to stricter tenure reviews thanks to an amendment to a statewide bill. The provision would allow the Florida Board of Governors adopt a uniform standard post-tenure reviews that would be done every five years. It was added in the final days of this year's session to a bill that would also require the state's public universities to change accreditors every cycle. WUSF.
Opinions on schools: Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up for Students, interviewed Marty Leuken, co-author of a new study on the spending habits of families that use Florida's education savings account program for students with unique abilities. Doug Tuthill, reimaginED.
Around the state: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he would approve a line in the state's new budget that allocates $800 million toward upping teacher salaries, more limits may be coming on public comment at school board meetings in Pinellas, and discussions continue on the superintendent post in Volusia. Here are details about these stories and other developments from the state's districts, private schools, and colleges and universities:
Palm Beach: Nearly two dozen sheriff's deputies will soon be available to guard Palm Beach County schools if the school board approves a million-dollar agreement on Wednesday. A pending agreement with Sheriff Ric Bradshaw would provide 20 deputies and two sergeants at a cost of $100 per hour and $136 per hour, respectively. Palm Beach Post.
Orange: Residents here can share what they'd like to see in a new school superintendent, and what they see as the public school system's biggest challenges, at a series of community forums that begin today. The seven public forums are one part of the school board's multi-pronged approach to selecting a new superintendent for the region's largest school district. Orlando Sentinel.
Pinellas: The Pinellas School Board is considering more limits on comments at public meetings. When the board meets this morning, it will hold a public hearing before voting on proposed changes to its comment policy that emerged amid concerns that long and often heated speeches about issues such as masks and classroom lessons were interfering with regular district business. Tampa Bay Times.
Volusia: The school board here says it plans to decide soon whether to keep the superintendent in his post. Teachers, parents and leaders in the community say they are divided about whether Superintendent Scott Fritz should stay. School board members plan to decide if they will extend Fritz's contract beyond the end of this year in a meeting next month. WFTV.
Osceola: The county announced on Monday that all 2022 seniors will get to attend Valencia College or Osceola Technical College for free as part of Osceola Prosper. The money was set aside from what Osceola County received through the American Rescue Plan. That means that all high school students who graduate in May, whether they are in public, charter or home school graduates, can attend one of the schools for a full ride with a two-year degree.
Teacher salaries: Gov. DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran toured the state on Monday to promote initiatives they say will help recruit and retain teachers. Gov. DeSantis addressed media from the front of Fleming Island Elementary School in Orange Park to announce that he would approve a line in the state's new budget that allocates $800 million toward upping teacher salaries. The Florida Education Association worked with lawmakers to switch the funding percentage for beginning and veteran teachers. Florida Times-Union. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Lakeland Ledger. The funding is part of Gov. DeSantis' efforts to raise the starting teacher salary in Florida to $47,500. In 2020, the governor oversaw a $500 million shift in the state budget intended to move Florida to fifth in the nation from 26th in starting pay. Palm Beach Post.
Settlement talks: Teachers in Pinellas County expect a contract settlement to be reached this week. Meanwhile, the Pasco County school district also remained without a settlement. But the Friday before spring break, Superintendent Kurt Browning sent an email to employees saying the district had found budget funds to pay for a 4% across the board pay supplement. Tampa Bay Times.
COVID-19 adjustment: As protocols end, young students and educators are adjusting after two years of disrupted lessons. For veteran teachers and older students, its a return to normalcy. But for new teachers and young students, it's the first time they have experienced in-person learning without restrictions or interruptions. Chalkbeat.
College and university news: An international climate change conference in Orlando featured dozens of experts who spoke in carbon sinks, carbon traps, carbon sequestration and of being carbon neutral. Precious Nyabami, a University of Florida graduate student, was honored for her discovery that farmers can easily trap planet-warming carbon. WGCU.
Opinions on schools: Access to high quality schools should not be rationed through the mortgage market, nor kept as an unnecessarily scarce commodity. Allowing educators the freedom to create new schools and families to select between them creates opportunities for families and teachers. Matthew Ladner, reimaginED. Over the last two years, public school enrollments have dropped at about the same rate as their private school counterparts have risen, and districts that denied students in-person options for most of 2020-21 experienced some of the largest declines. Ben DeGrow, reimaginED.
