The following is Mrs. Burney’s candidate statement from the supervisor of elections web-site, see if you can figure out what is missing:
Betty Seabrook Burney is a member of the Duval County School Board where she represents school board District 5. She holds an undergraduate degree from University of Miami and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. Ms. Burney is the former Director and Owner of Kidsville Learning Center, Inc. where for 14 years she devised a cutting edge curriculum that ingrained in students the notion that they were ‘smart, intelligent and good’. In 2000, she collaborated with The Honorable Jimmie Johnson to create The Project Reach Foundation, Inc.; a non-profit corporation designed to assist 33 academically challenged schools in empowering and motivating students to achieve excellence. As Executive Director of The Project Reach Foundation she developed several signature programs which produced city-wide participation. Two of the signature programs include: Project PASS (Parents and Students Succeeding) which trained parents to understand the state’s benchmarks for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) while tutoring children on those benchmarks. Another signature program was the CHAMPS program which encouraged civic and community leaders and school officials to walk door-to-door and empower parents eith tools to assist their children. Currently Burney is an Education Consultant whose sole mission is to empower, motivate and inspire all children to unleash their inner greatness! In 1999 she started the first transition camp in Jacksonville, Florida to prepare students for Middle School Success.
Betty Burney is an active volunteer in the Duval County jail where she serves as a motivational mentor for youth ages 13-18 who have been incarcerated as adults. She is the author of “If These Chains Could Talk” which is a compilation of letters from juvenile inmates that offers an action plan to prevent teenagers from entering the criminal justice system. Burney also volunteers as a tutor and mentor to children throughout the city.
In her role as a consultant for TPG, Inc. Burney travels the country motivating students who are at-risk for failure and un-motivated to learn. She also serves as a motivational speaker for parents and teachers.
Since 2007, Burney has served as a consultant for the Center for Reform Governance (funded by the Broad Foundation) and provides technical assistance to school boards and Superintendents desiring to positively impact student achievement.
One of Betty Burney’s projects in 2008 is the creation of the SOLDIERS (Success Oriented Students who are Driven, In-control, Empowered and Ready to Serve) Clubs in three high schools in Duval County. The SOLDIERS Club provides leadership training for young men who aspire to transform their high school’s culture and to transform their lives.
Betty Burney’s latest project is the “I’M A STAR” Foundation which empowers youths to realize their potential, graduate high school and become productive citizens. “I’M A STAR” offers a unique approach that meets youths and their caregivers at their current level and infuses programs, resources and technical assistance that will take them to higher levels of productivity and personal excellence!
Ms. Burney is the recipient of numerous awards from schools and community associations for her commitment to bettering the lives of young people.
A fairly impressive list of credentials but did you notice what was missing? Her accomplishments from being on the board that is what.
Where is her, and since I have been on the board, here are all the wonderful things that have happened. She’s been there for 8 years, surely there has to be something?
Crickets.
The truth is she can’t really point to any accomplishments that have happened while on the board and everything she could mention would fall apart under inspection. If she did mention what has happened under her watch it would actually hurt her bid for reelection. The county has regressed under her leadership. Think for yourself, is the district better off now than it was in 2004 because that is the only thing you should be thinking about when you sit down to decide who you are going to vote for.
I have met Mrs. Burney and I find her earnest sort who really does care about kids. I don’t question her heart or her commitment; I just question her results which have been abysmal.
Jacksonville it is time for a change, we don’t need years 9, 10, 11 and 12 to realize she just couldn’t get the job done.
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