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Guest Column

Our kids pay price of group's mismanagement

By MARC J. YACHT
Published June 12, 2006

Mismanagement and incompetence have reigned following the merger forming the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties Inc.

Influences from the Office of Early learning led to what has become a debacle for Pasco's poor children. Several members of the coalition from both counties obediently followed misguided directions that ultimately forced the closure of 17 Pasco public school prekindergarten classrooms. Whatever the spin from the coalition's chairwoman, 300 poor children lost vital services. Pasco schools terminated certified teachers and a 20-year program, noted for excellence, was disbanded. One cannot forget the loss of significant federal match dollars.

Also, prior to the sitting of the new combined board was a failed effort to break a long-standing contract with Youth and Family Alternatives. Efforts of the executive director of YFA to defend his program resulted in him and a number of coalition members being accused of Sunshine Law violations.

Those accused had the gumption to question complaints against YFA's efforts. YFA had been the centerpiece of the newly formed Pasco Early Learning Coalition.

The executive director successfully established what would become Pasco's coalition before the misguided merger. Pasco's coalition was stellar in its efforts to address the needs of Pasco's qualified children. The merger took place, I thought, to help Hernando because of its need for a partner. The real agenda ran much deeper.

Adding to the poisonous atmosphere was a memo written by Jim Garrett, the former coalition's executive director, to Dave Marshall, then president of the coalition, that the Pasco school representative was the enemy. Mr. Marshall, to his credit, was appalled by the memo and came to understand quickly the direction of the merged coalition.

More recently, the Youth and Family Alternatives contract was not renewed and the new direction of the joint board was complete: No quality dollars to Pasco public schools and no contract with Youth and Family Alternatives. Perhaps the other vendor offered a better deal. Who knows? It would be appropriate to investigate the contracts.

Pasco schools now have a few sites offering a 10-hour-a-day program with no transportation and questionable design. As to not having waiting lists, a favorite response from the joint coalition chairwoman when bragging about successes, one has to ask who is applying for services and question whether the lack of parent interest in the program drives the lack of waiting lists. Some are served, it is true, but are they the vulnerable kids we are targeting for help?

You know what Mark Twain, quoting British Empire Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, said about data: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.''

With all this bellyaching, what should be done? There are a number of alternatives that could re-establish appropriate attention and resources to our children.

Ideally, Pasco should reform its own coalition. It functioned superbly before the merger and would function in such a fashion again. It would challenge inappropriate advice from the Office of Early Learning. After all, OEL wants to do the right thing by our kids. Pasco would see its dollars used in Pasco by a board that understands much better this community than the blended board. The 17 classrooms will not be reopened but certainly other projects could surface in a friendlier public-private partnership environment.

The second option would be for the chairwoman and executive board to step down. The executive director should resign because of ongoing problems and lack of skills. As I had suggested when Garrett left, an appropriate search for an executive would assure the joint coalition of talented leadership and guidance. The job pays enough. A new executive board and chairman should be formed by the joint coalition with an eye to listening and resolving bitterness. The OEL representative should be replaced with someone more sensitive to both counties' issues.

Members of the board who miss more than 20 percent of meetings should step down voluntarily. There are those on the board who have not kept their obligation to attend meetings.

The Legislature should take a hard, honest look at the coalition and make sure it is satisfied that appropriate objectives have been met to meet the needs of Florida's vulnerable children. The money is scarce to meet those needs and any coalition that finds itself giving away $300,000 because of mismanagement and poor planning cannot glibly state that it has made mistakes and blame growing pains.

The Pasco Hernando Early Learning Coalition is a disgrace. It requires new leadership; it requires action on the part of the board members to make it happen - in the sunshine, of course.

Marc J. Yacht is a former member of the board of the Pasco Hernando Early Learning Coalition.

[Last modified June 12, 2006, 07:43:24]