The three candidates seeking the superintendent of schools seat offer a study in contrasts. The person who will succeed retiring David Hickey will be either:
- Sandra "Sam" Himmel, a School Board member whose best asset, her strong community ties, is portrayed by her opponents as a blinding weakness;
- Ansel Briggs, a visionary activist whose unique outlooks are better suited for the policy-making side of the school system, the School Board;
- or Ted Sgouros, a newcomer to Citrus County with such impressive educational credentials that he considers it "an insult" that he even has to run against such a paltry field.
The ideal candidate would combine the best attributes of all three hopefuls. That candidate, however, is not on the ballot.
For voters, then, the decision turns on their view of the school district. If you believe that the district needs a complete overhaul, then Briggs or Sgouros are the best candidates, with Sgouros' credentials and experience giving him the edge.
If, however, voters recognize that while changes are needed and that accountability is sorely lacking in the upper echelons of the administration but that there is more right than wrong happening within the district, then Himmel is the better choice.
With reservations, the Times recommends Himmel to be the next superintendent of schools.
Those qualms stem from three areas.
First, while the school system has wrestled since May with arguably the biggest crisis in its history, the Homosassa Elementary School construction scandal, Himmel has been largely on the sidelines. This shameful episode has been a golden opportunity for her to demonstrate her leadership skills, but she has stayed in the shadows.
Himmel says she has been working behind the scenes on the issue because she faces a political Catch-22 (criticize at board meetings and be accused of grandstanding or opportunism; say little and be assailed as weak). That explanation, however, places the focus on the job she is seeking and ignores the obligations of the position she holds now, that of School Board member.
Second, her opponents appropriately question her allegiances within the community, particularly her relationship with School Board attorney Richard "Spike" Fitzpatrick, who is both a relative and neighbor. Fitzpatrick has become a lightning rod for critics of the district's handling of the Homosassa project based on his strong direction to the elected leaders, with some calling him the unelected sixth School Board member.
Himmel points out that these are unfamiliar and risky legal waters for the district and the board would be foolish to ignore the advice of its longtime attorney. In a sideswipe at Hickey, Himmel says that Fitzpatrick has had to become more involved because of an absence of leadership from the superintendent.
As for her opponents' claims that she is part of the "old guard" or "good ol' boy" system because of her family's powerful political ties, Himmel makes no apologies for having deep roots in Citrus County and asks, "What else can they attack me for?"
Finally, her education and professional training, while sufficient to do the job, pale next to the credentials that Sgouros has accumulated in a nearly 40-year career. Himmel taught for four years at Crystal River Middle School in the late 1970s and has managed the family office supply company in Inverness for 22 years. A 1972 graduate of Citrus High School, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and a master's degree through the University of Phoenix online program.
Sgouros was a school superintendent for several years in New York and Colorado, and he has been a college professor and administrator. He holds a doctorate and two master's degrees from Columbia University, master's degrees from the University of Nebraska and Colgate University, and a bachelor's degree from Pace University.
Briggs' formal education includes a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, but he places more value on the lessons he has learned by living a diverse life. He has worked in a number of fields and for much of the past two decades he has been a vocal advocate for children, the elderly and working families.
All three candidates pledge to review administration job descriptions, to look for waste in the budget, to press for more accountability, and to improve the curriculum and student performance. They all agree that mending communication gaps between the superintendent and the School Board must be a priority.
The question then returns to how much of a shakeup is necessary, and who knows the Citrus County school system well enough to make the appropriate changes?
After eight years on the School Board and a lifetime in Citrus County, Himmel knows the community and the people in the district, an asset that helped her win the endorsement of the teachers union. Sgouros is largely unknown in Citrus, a deficit he says he can make up faster than Himmel can learn what it takes to run a district.
Briggs lacks the management experience necessary to oversee the day-to-day operations of the largest employer in Citrus County. Nor would that be the best use of his talents. With a platform of progressive ideas such as establishing a communitywide reading program and a light industrial arts academy, Briggs offers a different perspective of education to go with a sincere interest in helping children.
The next superintendent will inherit the aftermath of the Homosassa Elementary debacle and will have to make many tough choices. The pitiful in-house investigation by district officials, in which everyone was found to have done their jobs and no one was punished, showed clearly why drastic changes are needed. Faced with the realities of a disastrous construction project, that finding clearly shows the inability of district leaders to hold people accountable. (High-ranking officials, that is. The district has had little trouble over the years slamming food service workers, bus drivers, teachers and students).
Citrus County needs someone who can make the tough decisions that will be needed if the district is to emerge from the Homosassa experience stronger. But the community also needs someone to build on what is going right. Neither Sgouros nor Briggs has much to say about the programs, workers and students who are performing at high levels. Himmel is right to note that this is not a district in full-blown academic crisis.
In the end, this race may be decided on personality. Himmel is down-to-earth with a quick wit, while Sgouros can be arrogant, such as when he chided the district for not having invited him to tour its facilities, saying he would fire the entire School Board if he could and saying that comparing his resume to Himmel's is like comparing "a Cadillac to a soap box derby car." Briggs does not take himself too seriously. But is the community ready for a superintendent who campaigns by walking along U.S. 19 on stilts while wearing an Uncle Sam outfit?
Given Himmel's widespread support as evidenced by her enormous lead in campaign contributions, she is likely to win in what will be a countywide popularity contest. With the hope that she will demonstrate the tough leadership qualities that will be needed to make Citrus a showcase school district, the Times recommends Sandra "Sam" Himmel as superintendent of schools.
