Becki Couch points out how important public schools are while Scott Shine twiddles his thumbs

I think we re going to miss Mrs. Couch when she is gone next year as she has been a fierce advocate for our public schools and this was on display once again when it was pointed out how important DCPS was during Hurricane Irma.

From the Times Union

Board member Rebecca Couch pointed out that 11 of the 12 shelters open in the storm were public schools. District public schools have construction requirements that make them withstand storms and enable them to be used as shelters, she said.

Charter schools do not have such requirements and frequently are located in private buildings, which are not open to the public during storms, she said.

This is an important issue, she added, because the district is legally challenging a new state law which will force districts to share its school construction dollars with charter schools, even though many charter school buildings are privately owned.

http://jacksonville.com/news/education/2017-09-18/duval-schools-played-key-role-during-and-after-hurricane-irma-district

While Couch is sticking up for our schools it shouldn't be forgot that board member Shine was for House Bill 7069 a public school kneecapping bill that favors charter schools and partly because he believed union teachers would eventually lose their jobs, and voted against joining a law suit pushing back against it. Inexplicably he also called the republican delegation to Tallahassee who voted for it both gutless and uninformed as well. Saying they only voted for because they were both afraid of speaker Corcoran and didn't know what was in it

My question is, ten years from now if Shine has his way and most public schools have been replaced by charters and a hurricane is bearing down on Jacksonville where will people go? Probably just one of the many things he nor his ilk have considered.

District 2, you have to do better?