Many Sources: School Board’s Jennifer Gottlieb to Quit
BY BUDDY NEVINS
A second member of the School Board – Jennifer Gottlieb – will quit as early as today, numerous sources say.
Jennifer Gottlieb
Member Dave Thomas announced his resignation yesterday.
Gottlieb’s decision to quit was first revealed on Browardbeat.com yesterday without mentioning her name. I can now name her because the news is spreading through political, School Board and community circles.
Gottlieb has been absent recently from Board meetings.
Sources report she will say she is quitting to spend more time with her family.
Gottlieb took office 2006, beating incumbent Darla Carter to win one of the School Board’s two countywide seats. She is a former teacher and a former Broward Teachers Union official.
She won re-election in 2010’s primary by a razor thin margin against two candidates — one supported by the Tea Party. She got 50.03 percent, avoiding a general election by a hair.
During the campaign she was attacked as being too close to lobbyists and the construction industry.
Her role in pushing construction of an unnecessary Hollywood school was criticized in the highly negative February Grand Jury report on the School Board. Although Gottlieb was not named, it was clear that jurors were discussing her promotion of the Beachside Montessori Village, which staff members opposed as not needed.
Another source says she has been chaffing under the direction the Board has taken after the election last year of four new members.
However, Gottlieb was one of those who helped push long-time Board Attorney Ed Marko out the door.
The political world has already moved beyond Gottlieb, who is now considered old news.
The question is: Who will be appointed to replace her and member Dave Thomas, who is quitting today because of the health of his wife?
The departure of Gottlieb gives Gov. Rick Scott a chance to place conservative voices on the Board.
I wrote yesterday that the appointees would surely have little chance to win re-election in Democratic Broward. One political consultant had a problem with my analysis.
His reasoning:
Since there is no primary battle driving Ds to the polls, the consultant said that Republicans could have the same turnout as Democrats in the August primary next year. Republicans are facing a turbulent U. S. Senate race among well financed candidates.
This consultant said the turnout among Democrats could be 10 percent, while 25 percent of the county’s Republicans could vote in the primary. School Board members run in the primary.
“A moderate Republican could win in the primary,” the consultant said. “There will be nothing on the ballot to get Democrats to the polls. A Republican could win in the primary, but only in the primary. If there is a runoff to the general, the Democrat wins.”
Gottlieb’s departure continues the dramatic change in the membership of the School Board which began with the arrest and conviction of Bev Gallagher and continued with the departure of veteran member Bob Parks last year. Gottlieb’s ties to Broward’s old politics are not shared by the new members on the Board.
Remaining on the Board from the past are former state teachers union boss Maureen Dinnen, one-time principal Ben Williams, former Weston pol Robin Bartleman and Ann Murray.
The school system also has a new superintendent and attorney.
Gottlieb’s departure is another opportunity to help remake the school system. Unfortunately, voters will have to wait until next year’s election because I fear most will not be happy with Scott’s choice.
Dinnen and Bartleman are running for re-election next year.
Oh, boy!
August 12th, 2011 at 10:48 am
Told ya so….
August 12th, 2011 at 11:14 am
dear jenn, see ya. did we ever get clarification about that dude at state conventions who was sending those “cute” texts to you on your school board paid for phone?’
August 12th, 2011 at 11:15 am
Well, change is good! Let’s see who gets installed into the two vacant seats; whether appointed by Rick Scott or the political machine. Either way, there are a lot of appointed employees who must be quaking in their “at will” boots with the political powers (tectonic plates) ever shifting. The head bobbers are in an unfamiliar landscape and it is funny to watch.
August 12th, 2011 at 11:39 am
The consultant would be correct had term limits not been upheld. It seems easy to assume there will be a dem primary for the Rodstrom and Lieberman seats. Depending how they look after redistricting they will bring out more dem voters in those areas.
FROM BUDDY:
As of now, there will be a Democratic primary for sheriff, too. So you can take the consultant’s ideas with a big grain of salt.
However, a sheriff’s race or a county commission race will not pump up the turnout like a U. S. Senate race.
August 12th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
FROM BUDDY:
One name being mentioned for Thomas’ seat is 2010 candidate Bob Sutton.
Sutton — he came in third in a field of six in the primary in the seat won by Thomas — was 2009-2010 teacher of the year at his high school.
August 12th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Dave Thomas was Stephanie Kraft’s shill anyway.
She helped elect him after she was charged with criminal activity.
August 12th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Good Point about the primary, guess Dems will just have to run two candidates in both races.
August 12th, 2011 at 1:23 pm
I don’t think that idiot Sutton was Broward’s Teacher of the Year, maybe just at his school. Wasn’t even a finalist for the district position, don’t think.
Sutton is a tea party idiot who has lots of grandiose ideas and no substance. God help us all if he is appointed, but I wouldn’t put anything past that scary governor.
August 12th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Is Gottlieb under federal or state investigation? Didn’t her husband just win a judicial seat? Is he quitting?
August 12th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
LOL.. Not even so much as a mention of Stephanie Kraft? You are such a joke.
August 12th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
Jennifer Gottlieb is talking, talking, talking, talking, talking. If I was certain lobbyists I would worry.
August 12th, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Governor please send us a big hairy, caveman of a Republican. Someone profoundly stupid and angry, of course. If they can also be spiteful and arrogant about it all that’s a big plus. Send us someone who can tell comforting stories about how the private sector is so smart and government people stupid. Someone who will fire those damned teachers and let our kids learn on their own to help build their character. Let’s teach these kids a lesson and give them the tough love they deserve. In fact, let’s close down the schools and let kids learn from their computers at home. If Lincoln could become a lawyer from a log cabin so can they. Save me, ah, society some money and give that education money back to the citizens in the form of a tax break. Please send us someone that likes tax breaks and won’t be fooled by this silly notion of trying to teach kids who won’t learn anyway. In fact, send someone only interested in cutting taxes so we can teach these liberal socialists a thing or two. Oh, and I almost forgot, we want smaller government at all times. It is always too large. And no gay marriage because that’s just bad social behavior.
August 12th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Something is terribly wrong here. She was planted by BTUseless as their pawn! I want the real truth why!! Did she have a fall out with BTUseless and did not do what she was planted for????
Someone please tell us!
August 12th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
@ Mr. G – perhaps the better question is what has happened with the BTU? They are in as much disarray as the school board. I think it’s connected in a “big” way. I think we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
August 12th, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Hammer is right. With the impending audit of BTU and two Board members abruptly stepping down, I can’t help but wonder if it’s all connected.
When I got laid off despite my seniority, and the Board and BTUseless did nothing, I prayed karma would bite them all in the ass and that I would live long enough to see it. My prayers have almost been answered. There are still a few corrupt rats hand-picked by Notter and his Deputy HR flunky roaming around the Crystal Palace that need to go.
August 12th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
And all I can say is-
The beat goes on, the beat goes on…..
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain…..
La de da de de, la de da de da