EX-SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DIES
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Darla Carter, the Broward School Board member from 1996 to 2006, has died.
That’s the word from two Facebook pages — Carter’s daughter and a South Broward High alumni page. There were no other details.
Carter’s ties to the local community starting with her graduation from South Broward High was the genesis of her political involvement.
She was an activist in Parkland in the 1990s, where she lived. She was a leader in the Broward Democratic Party.
It helped get her elected.
Her connections and comments recalling her past that resonated with those 1996 voters: “I think a person who was raised here can see the growth and the changes and the people. … I want my schools back.”
Darla Carter’s campaign photo, 1996
The sad thing is little has changed since then, despite Carter’s valiant efforts over a decade.
Now there is talk about closing maybe 25 schools and busing the children to new schools. Carter would have been appalled.
After many, many years of watching the Broward School Board through stumbles, mismanagement and downright corruption, I’ve come to wonder: Maybe the public school system is just ungovernable.
But thankfully, there will always be good people who believe they can help the schools do better.
They are not the trolls who infest the Internet. Tolls who seek attention to add meaning to their pitiful lives.
They are not the politicians and their mindless followers who want to marginalize minorities by banning books and speech.
No, there are those working positively to boost our schools.
Those honored few include the teachers, who hold thousands of classrooms together while helping kids to learn.
They include are the scores of volunteers in every corner of the schools.
And they are parents like Darla Carter, who took her activism one step father and became a School Board member.
It wasn’t easy for the upper-middle class Parkland parent. Her ideas about making the system more transparent and more responsive to the public were admirable. But they were often overshadowed by her gruff, call-it-as-I-see-it, in-your-face style.
She was plummeted by the public and the media, including this Sun-Sentinel columnist.
But at least Darla’s heart was in the right place.
She tried. She tried to improve the schools and the community.
That’s more than can be said about most.
R.I.P., Darla.
July 6th, 2023 at 11:24 am
strange eulogy. I know nothing about Ms. Carter but being head of the Broward Democratic party speaks volumes (and not in a good way). The last time I remember Broward schools being any good were under Frank Till. After that, it devolved into massive corruption, mismanagement and incompetence. “politicians and and mindless followers who want to marginalize minorities by banning books”? That pretty much sums you up. A far left liberal who was a good writer at one time who turned into a smuck parroting the left wing agenda. Guess you support racism and pushing the gay agenda on little kids. Pretty sick Buddy. You really need to retire.
FROM BUDDY:
I retired long ago from paid journalism. Browardbeat.com is a hobby.
As far as Frank Till, he was superintendent when the school system made questionable land purchases, failed to build needed schools and was accused of poor communications with the public and his bosses, The Board.
It is spelled SCHmuck. Not smuck.
July 6th, 2023 at 5:50 pm
I remember Darla well. Her son and my grandson were in the WWAASP program that was incredibly abusive. We consoled one another as we struggled to get them out. She did try to make change, but no one person could change that corrupt system. She needed a majority to do it and she didn’t have it. She was NOT head of the Democrat party, as Tom posted. She was one of the leaders being an elected official. And Tom, Frank Till was a devious person who cost the district millions in federal fines because of his actions with ESE money. He didn’t last long in the Boys and Girls Clubs that gave him a job after he left the district. I’ll never forget when Darla came down from the dais to try to calm an angry parent who didn’t want to hear it. The parent yelled “Israel (the person in charge of the meeting room) come get your member out of my face!”
July 7th, 2023 at 3:48 pm
Beautiful tribute. Darla Carter was one of a kind and she truly cared for children, unlike many others who only care for keeping their position and following the commands of lobbyists. .
July 15th, 2023 at 11:09 am
Well written and very heartfelt. We have lost a very special person and public servant. RIP Darla
July 20th, 2023 at 1:36 am
I feel sorry Mr Nevins has to deal with Thomas D James. I never heard or read a good word by intelligent or fiscally responsible people about Till as mirrored by Mr Nevins’s comments.BUT THIS SHOULD BE COMPLIMENTS About A CIVIC MINDED VOLUNTEER – DARLA CARTER! I am sure at the Pearly Gates she will be well received. Mr Herbert gets it!