Candidates: Linda Prescott, Willis Reese III, Steven Van Gorden, Mario Littman
Update: Willis Reese III has dropped out of the School Board district 2 race.
Linda Prescott
As a School Board Candidate for District 2, I am running for office because I believe that schools are the backbone of a community and directly impact our future. I am very concerned about many issues facing our schools because of state and federal mandates and a shortage of operating revenue. Student success and school grades will increase only if schools, teachers, administrators, and staff have the resources and support systems they need to provide a quality education. Classrooms should be learning centers not testing centers.
I attended elementary school through college in Florida. My educational background includes a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business education. I am ABD (all but dissertation) for a Ph.D. in business, information systems, and education. I was chosen Teacher of the Year at my Community College in California and received a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award at Hillsborough Community College for my leadership in the college’s first five-year Quality Enhancement Plan for student success, a part of accreditation by SACS.
I have been an educator for over 40 years and have had the opportunity to teach in six different states: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, California, and New York under the Regents Exams. I have taught in middle schools, high schools, community colleges, universities, private schools, adult education schools, and a Women’s Prison. Because of my extensive teaching and supervisory experience, I have been exposed to many educational challenges and opportunities to influence changes.
If elected, I want to continue working with the School Board and Pasco Hernando State College to increase dual enrollment courses if possible and workforce programs. I am a strong advocate of vocational education. All students should be prepared for and provided opportunities for life after graduation. I would encourage the expansion of volunteer and mentor programs in all schools. At School Board Meetings, I would ask teachers and students from each school to showcase a program or project they are working on for public awareness of the positive learning opportunities the district provides. Through participation on the School Board, I want to work more closely with our state representatives and legislature to find ways to increase funding for our schools. If the state provided adequate funding for K-12, then taxpayers would not have to pay again for remedial courses at colleges for students who are unprepared, or worse incarceration. When students succeed, we all succeed.
Willis Reese III
As a Hernando County home owner, a current Hernando County school teacher, and the parent of a Hernando County public school student, I am the District – 2 candidate with the highest stake in the outcomes for our school system. I passionately believe that free and equal public education is the backbone of a democracy, and we must therefore do our part to protect, support and develop our local public schools.
I will take nearly an $8,000.00 annual pay cut to step down as a teacher and begin to serve as a school board leader, but for me this only reflects the high importance that both I and my family place on making the right choices for the future of education in Hernando County. Many who seek school board appointment have other full time jobs, or life distractions that make the job less than a part time venture for them. When elected, I plan to spend the vast majority of my time visiting schools, transportation, plant management, and district offices in order to see the details, first hand, of the items that come before the board for a vote. My first order of business will be to give a hard look at the district’s financial reports to find out exactly what is coming in, and exactly where it is all going. After that the plan is to start working with the community and school employees in areas such as creative funding, safety, security, curriculum, technology, transportation, zoning, and employee morale.
Beside my passion and tenacity for the cause, I will bring to the position, a diverse education and experiential background that includes a masters degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, a bachelors degree in Criminology with specializations in administration and human services, an associates degree in legal studies with specializations in corporate, criminal, and general civil litigation. I have owned a successful business and held jobs in government security, law enforcement, transportation management, healthcare risk management and safety, and public health public relations.
In the field of education I have held leadership positions such as team leader, department chair, school based leadership team member, district level math leadership team member, and security team member. I have also coached sports, directed a marching drumline, and sponsored Student Government Association.
I want to serve this community to ensure quality, and equality in education and opportunities for all stakeholders in Hernando County.
Steven Van Gorden
His formative years were molded in the Hernando County School District — Spring Hill Elementary School, Powell Middle School, F.W. Springstead High School — and now Steven Van Gorden wants to give back.
A former teacher and administrator, Van Gorden doesn’t need to just talk about change, he knows how to implement. He’s actually been in the classroom. He’s actually sat behind the principal’s desk. He’s also a parent, who shares many of the concerns about the public school system as you do.
Education is not about poking around in the dark, hoping you find something that works. It’s a complex network of strategies — ranging from what is learned in the classroom, to how children get to school, to even what nutritious meals they eat at lunch — that requires experience at every level.
Steven Van Gorden provides that experience. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida, and his master’s in education leadership at Saint Leo University.
Now, he’s active with Century 21 Alliance Realty, and serves on the Hernando County Chamber Government Advocacy Board. He’s a past mayor of Zephyrhills, a past mayor pro tem of Dade City, and a principal of both Zephyrhills High School and Hudson Middle School.
Steven Van Gorden is a senior counselor for the Eckerd Youth Challenge Program, which works with at-risk youth through the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
Steven Van Gorden also was recognized as the Comeback Director of the Year for the Pasco County Police Athletic League for his work with area youth, participating in cheerleading and football.
While the goal always is to prepare each and every student learning through Hernando County Schools to go to college, the reality always is that not everyone will have the opportunity to go. We can’t forget about these students, and Steven Van Gorden won’t. He wants to focus on expanding vocational education through new classes, and even an apprenticeship program with local companies.
When a graduating senior walks across the stage to get her diploma, she needs to be fully prepared for what comes next. And with Steven Van Gorden representing you on the school board, the Hernando County School District will be a model all other school districts will want to follow.
Editor’s Note
Mr. Van Gorden’s teaching certificate was permanently revoked in 2014 by Florida Education Practices Commission following an FLDOE investigation of sexual harassment allegations made by multiple female colleagues while he was serving as Principal of Zephyrhills High School. He resigned as Principal, Mayor of Zephyrhills and head of the local Chamber of Commerce. Now running for District 2 Hernando County School Board Member, Hernando Sun asked Mr. Van Gorden to address this issue. His response is below.
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Working as principal of Zephyrhills High School was one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had. The Zephyrhills community was wonderful, and we accomplished a lot during my tenure there. But I did make a mistake in judgment, a mistake I have acknowledged, apologized for, and worked very hard to correct in my life.
While there is no excuse for what happened, I can only say this happened during a troubling and dark period, right after I divorced a woman I had spent practically my entire adult life with. What I did was wrong, but I can say that the media portrayed a lot of it much different than the situation eventually played out during the academic investigation.
As educators, we don’t teach students they can’t make mistakes. No, we teach them how to learn from them, that mistakes might create bumps in the road, but it’s how you recover from those mistakes and correct them which makes you a better person. And the true test of character is how one recovers. These are values I share every day as a Senior Counselor with the Eckerd Youth Challenger Program.
Eckerd, by the way, is contracted with the Department of Juvenile Justice for its work with what is called a “Level 6” residential facility — meaning these are youth who are considered habitual offenders, and most likely to carry such bad behavior into their adult lives. By working with these children, I am trying to do my part to help stem that pattern. Many believe that because of their mistakes in the past, no one will ever give them a second chance, especially if they understand what they did was wrong. I want them to see, through my example, that you don’t have to feel stuck in a rut of mistakes, that you can grow and evolve, and that society itself recognizes that people can indeed change.
I have learned a lot over the last four years, and I am extremely humbled by these experiences. I also believe that all people who recognize their mistakes and work to correct them deserve second chances.
There was never a question of my leadership ability when it came to Zephyrhills High School, Hudson Middle School or the City of Zephyrhills. Working with students, parents, teachers and the business community when I was there, both Zephyrhills High School and Hudson Middle School reached some of its highest academic scores as measured by the Florida Accountability System.
If you read some of the recent news coming out of Zephyrhills High School, I can say the way an alleged sexual assault was handled on campus is not the way it should be dealt with. And it shouldn’t take more than a year to discipline those students involved.
I am running for the school board because I bring a variety of life experiences to this great institution. I have spent my entire life dedicated to education, both as a teacher and later as an administrator. I also devoted myself to public service during that time, starting with the Dade City Commission, and later moving on to Mayor of Zephyrhills and even community service as president of the Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.
While the penance for my past mistake has been losing the career I love, I’ve never stopped being an educator. And I know I can contribute quite a bit representing the great people of Hernando County on its school board.
Of course, those mistakes might cause some voters to pause before they cast a vote, and I understand that. We, as humans, generally believe that once someone makes a mistake, that mistake defines them for the rest of their lives. And for some people, that’s true … they never learn and never regret those mistakes.
That is not me, however. I have learned from my mistakes, and we all make them. Some are worse than others. And if we simply condemned someone for past mistakes, then no one would be left to help lead our government groups, civic organizations, churches or anything.
I believe in redemption, and I believe in the people of Hernando County in recognizing someone who is redeemed. There is no question where my heart is: with the kids. Always has been, always will be.
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Mario Littman is also running for school board district 2, but did not provide a candidate statement
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