Today another good guy decided he had enough and withdrew his re-election bid for his seat on the Duval County School Board.
Scott Shine’s statement speaks volumes and once again…a good guy just couldn’t take it anymore. It’s hard to try to make a difference, change things for the better and bring good business sense to governmental boards. Scott and many others have tried and realized it’s hard to turn that ship around when agendas get in the way of success.
We applaud your efforts, Mr. Shine, and others who came before you who tried too. We appreciate the try. We appreciate your sacrifice.
And for those who seek to serve out of the desire to make a difference — go for it. We need you.
And maybe one day the children will matter more than the system.
Scott Shine: Statement on withdrawal from 2018 Election Cycle
4/25/2018
With much thought, I have decided to withdraw from re-election to the Duval County School Board. I originally filed to run for re-election over a year ago. That was prior to Dr. Nikolai Vitti leaving the district. Dr. Vitti and I worked well together and we became good friends – we remain so, today. Among the reasons I ran for School Board was to work with Vitti and his team. The results speak for themselves: record Florida Achievement scores, record graduation rates and the top rated urban school district in America (NAEP). In all honesty, I have been on the fence about continuing on the board since Dr. Vitti’s departure.
Over the past month, I have been in discussions with one of Jacksonville’s most promising young leaders about running for my seat. His credentials are among the best you will find and will bring new and impactful ideas to the school district. There should be an announcement on this soon.
While I have worked successfully in many different settings in life, I found the School Board to be somewhat strange and foreign to the experiences I have had working in the business community or as an appointed official with the City of Jacksonville. There are many challenges on the School Board and the ability to make forward progress and productive change is inconsistent with my personal goals and level of ambition. There are many ways to support our community and I am looking forward to new and impactful public service in the future.
I continue to be optimistic about our schools and our city. I love Jacksonville and I enjoy my life here. I am elated at the prospect of adding time back in my day to pursue the things I enjoy about the First Coast. My outlook is positive and I am ready to move forward.
