School Board member runs for fourth term

Linda Lerner, a Pinellas County School Board member since 1990, has filed paperwork to seek her fourth term representing District 2.

Lerner, 58, said her knowledge of the district, schools and community is needed during the transition from neighborhood zoning to a school choice plan. She said she is as enthusiastic and challenged today as she was when she was first elected.

"The system is going in the right direction," Lerner said. "I want to keep it that way."

District 2 includes the portion of the county generally west of Belcher Road, from Redington Beach north to Clearwater Beach. The board member must live in the district but is elected countywide. Board members serve four-year terms and make $35,391 annually.

During her time on the board, Lerner has pushed for improved public access to the district, including holding night board meetings, audio taping workshops and putting out information that explains complicated subjects in a simple way.

Lerner said she thinks schools should have more flexibility to make their own decisions. She also wants the district to ensure that all teachers have the basic materials and resources they need. Lerner, who voted against Superintendent Howard Hinesley's new contract and has questioned a reserve fund for choice, said money must go toward improving student achievement and safe schools.

She is an outspoken advocate for state tax reform and changes to the state's system of handing out school grades. She is a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state's use of taxpayer funds for vouchers to private schools.

She is active in numerous community organizations, including the Suncoast Center For Community Mental Health, Family Service Centers, and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

Lerner is married with two adult sons who graduated from Pinellas public schools. She has a bachelor's degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, Mass., and a master's degree in special education.

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