Stand with us. Be part of the solution. Democracy needs you.

Rise With Us!

Women's Equity Day Breakfast

Tuesday, August 26, from 8:30 -10:00 am

Women's Resource Center

340 Tuttle Ave, Sarasota

Women's Resource Center, LWV Manatee and LWV SRQ are co-sponsoring this free moderated panel and audience discussion. The 5 panelists include LWVMC Action Team Chairs Terri Kondos and Nancy Hughes!

Monday, August 4, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Reproductive Rights Action Team

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss future actions by team members, our involvement with the Florida League on reproductive rights and the upcoming Florida legislative session. Click her to register for the Reproductive Action Team Meeting.

For more information, email Nancy Hughes

Thursday, August 7, 4:30 pm - 6=5:30 pm - The Combined Government and National Popular Vote Action Team

See above description of the program "Democracy at a Crossroads?" This is a special presentation. There will not be a regular meeting.

For more information, email Government Action Team Chair Holly Kennedy and for National Popular Vote, email Deb Mazzaferro

Wednesday, August 13, 4:00 pm - LWV-Manatee County (LWV-MC) Board Meeting

All are welcome! Click here to join the Board Meeting

Tuesday, August 19. 4:00 pm - Education Issues Action Team Meeting

Deputy Superintendent Derek Jensen of the Manatee School District will provide updates regarding book removals and other district happenings.

Click here to join the Education Issues Action Team Meeting

For more information, email Education Chair Merrie Lynn Parker

Wednesday, August 27, 5:00 pm - Voter Services Action Team Meeting

Click here to register for the Voter Services Meeting

For more information, email Voter Services Chair Terri Kondos

NOTES:

The Natural Resources Action Team will not meet in August

For more information, email Natural Resources Chair Randy Miller 

The Social Issues Action Team will not meet in August

For more information, email Social Issues Co-Chairs Tina Juillerat and Nina Tortelli

Back to School Month - A Good Time for All to Learn

Learn:

·     How federal funding cuts will impact our school district.

·     What kind of a superintendent our schools need.

·     Why Women's Equality Day is important.

·     The LWV US position on the federal judiciary.

Impact of Federal Funding Uncertainty on the

School District of Manatee County 

by Kelly Ford

Imagine that you get a notice from your bank that they froze your account. It’s the account you use to pay your mortgage, utility bills, car payment and all insurance premiums.   What do you do? You scurry to piece together your payments from other sources, as best you can. Just when you have a game plan you learn that the bank is unfreezing the account. All that angst and chaos!! You are relieved for now, but what about the future?

Now imagine this kind of uncertainty experienced by the School District of Manatee County (SDMC) with millions of dollars of federal funding to support public education. In June, SDMC received notice that frozen funds would include Title II (teacher and administrator professional development), Title III (ESOL/ELL or English for Speakers of Other Languages/English as a Foreign Language), and Title IV (student achievement). This represented a loss of about $5.5M for the district. The district worked to mitigate these losses in the short-term using a fund balance, other grant sources and by restricting non-essential activities and travel. Then they recently learned that the funds were unfrozen, a relief for sure, but what about the long term funding picture?

This federal funding chaos is part of the overall plan in Project 2025 to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education (USED); a bill to do so has been introduced in the Senate. Project 2025 also targets the Title I program, which provides money for schools wherein 40% or more of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch. In Manatee, 59.2% of school students qualify for free or reduced lunch and $13,138,521.67 in revenues from Title I is anticipated in the 2025-2026 school year. Although Title I is SDMC’s largest federal source of funds, it is not the only one. Overall, the USED contributed $21,894,810 to SDMC’s 2024 budget directly or through the state, including money to support the education of students with disabilities.

Eliminating the USED, Title I and other federal funds, would significantly affect Manatee County students and have financial impact on all citizens in the county. The National Education Association estimates that Florida would have to enact a 13% increase in state and local taxes to replace federal education dollars. The problem is that Florida has not historically invested in education spending. In fact, our state consistently ranks among the lowest in per-student K-12 education spending and teacher pay, often in the bottom 10 or lower. Therefore, we cannot be certain how Florida would replace federal funds. Funding our schools is an issue to watch carefully in the coming months.



A School Superintendent Manatee Needs and Deserves

by Kelly Ford

The professional at the helm of a school district is vital to fulfilling its mission and achieving its goals. A superintendent acts as the CEO of the school district, supervising all schools and district employees. They make hiring and termination recommendations to the school board. A superintendent oversees the district’s finances, creating and maintaining budgets and ensuring that local, state, and federal funds are distributed appropriately. They are the instructional leader responsible for student outcomes.  As the highest-ranking administrator, the superintendent is the public face of the school district. 

It is essential to our community that the School District of Manatee County (SDMC) have an exemplary professional in this position with competencies in areas critical to success. Included are effective communication and team building, instructional knowledge, operation knowledge, adaptability and problem solving.

Effective Communication and Team Building

A superintendent must be able to communicate with all stakeholders, including employees, families, community members, and board members across multiple communication methods. Good listening skills are a key component of effective communication. Further, they must be able to build a team, all working together and headed in the same direction to implement the district’s strategic plan.  

Instructional Knowledge

Instructional knowledge is a foundational element of the superintendent’s role. Knowing curriculum and instruction is necessary to evaluate and strengthen the district’s educational programs. To maximize student achievement, the superintendent must know and appreciate research-based practice in student learning, to lead the staff in continuously improving instruction.

Operational Knowledge

It is important for a superintendent to have a functional understanding of the many operations within the school system. They will oversee the various departments, such as transportation, food services, and human resources, as well as general, alternative and special education. Knowledge of these operations will allow the superintendent to be hands-on in problem solving and addressing issues.

Adaptability

Adaptability is a key quality of a superintendent who will have to contend with year-to-year funding changes while prioritizing spending on the most essential and pressing district. needs. Staff and student populations will fluctuate; board members may come and go and there will be changing local, state, and federal requirements. A successful superintendent must be able to manage these complexities while maintaining the district’s vision.

Problem Solving

With over 6,000 employees and more than 50,000 students, SDMC has diverse challenges. A superintendent must be able to identify and solve problems quickly, requiring critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to make sound decisions under pressure

In addition to these qualities, our school district will only thrive under a superintendent who is ethical and emotionally intelligent, and who is ultimately guided by the principle of doing what is best for all students.

We've Come a Long Way Baby, But Not Far Enough

by Diana Shoemaker

The numbers tell a sobering story about women's progress in American society. While women make up over half of the U.S. population, they remain starkly underrepresented in positions of power. As of 2023, women constituted less than 30 percent of the House of Representatives, the Senate, Fortune 500 CEOs, and governors nationwide. This disparity becomes even more concerning when viewed through an international lens—the 2023 Global Gender Gap 2023 Global Gender Gap Report ranked the United States a disappointing 43rd out of 146 countries for gender equality, trailing behind Canada and Mexico. The World Economic Forum noted that the U.S. status was due to declines in women's life expectancy and representation in senior and ministerial positions.

The persistent gender pay gap and workplace inequality continue to undermine women's economic advancement despite their educational achievements. Women in the U.S. earn less than men even when performing the same job; this disparity persists even when women have higher educational attainment than their male counterparts. Outdated gender stereotypes continue to limit women's professional advancement, with 50 percent of Americans acknowledging that women are treated differently by employers and 42 percent attributing the pay gap to women's different choices between work and family balance.

Perhaps nowhere is gender inequality more glaring than in America's approach to supporting working mothers. The United States remains the only OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) country without any form of national paid leave and shares the dubious distinction with Papua New Guinea as the only countries not offering paid maternity leave to new mothers. This lack of family-friendly policies forces many women into low-wage occupations that offer flexible hours or childcare assistance, creating a dual burden that is especially devastating for single mothers and low-income families.

The League of Women Voters has long championed women’s equality. We've indeed come a long way from the days when women were excluded from paid work and politics, but the data show we still have a way to go before achieving the equality our founders envisioned for all Americans. Celebrating Women’s Equality Day on August 26 is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to continuing the progress we have made.

Democracy Depends on Justice:

League of Women Voters Sets

National Standards for Ethics and Accountability

By Alice Newlon

The League of Women Voters takes positions on issues after “careful study and consensus.” At the 2024 National Convention, members requested and voted for an expedited study of the federal Judiciary. The comprehensive national study and consensus process involved 321 Leagues from 45 states and the District of Columbia. At the June 2025 National Council, the League of Women Voters officially adopted a new position on the federal judiciary.

The League position on the federal judiciary emphasizes the importance of judicial transparency, accountability, independence, and ethics for a strong democracy. It advocates clear standards of conduct and meaningful enforcement mechanisms for federal judges and Supreme Court justices. 

Key elements of the LWV's new position on the federal Judiciary include:

• Financial Disclosure and Ethics: A belief that federal judges and Justices should be subject to rigorous financial disclosure requirements, including non-judicial income, gifts, and investments, with penalties for non-compliance.
• Recusal and Bias: A requirement for judges to recuse themselves when there is evidence of bias or a reasonable perception of bias, and for the rationale of recusal decisions (or non-recusal) to be publicly disclosed.
• Transparency in Proceedings and Documents: Support for public access to federal court documents, proceedings, and rulings, with limited exceptions for legally protected sensitive information.
• Respect for Precedent (Stare Decisis): Recognition that the respect for precedent contributes to a strong democracy and that departures should occur only in exceptional circumstances.
• Independence: Federal judges and justices should act in accordance with the Constitution and statutory and case law, free from the influence of the other branches of government and free from shifting popular and political opinions.
• Accountability and Enforcement: The establishment of a meaningful and effective enforcement process with penalties for violations of ethical standards.

To read the full position paper click here.

ALICE Report and Regional Affordability

Don't let the name fool you. EVERYONE is welcome.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy. We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels.