Do Not Pass Go. . .Do NOT Let Them Get What They Seek
I'm not being baited into it
Update: As of noon the following day, the post we refer to has received less than 50 responses (which possibly includes bots.)
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein
Incredibly there’s a Sarasota School Board Member who writes incendiary posts on her Facebook page and good people are taking the bait and responding. The posts present the optics of an underlying motive that goes well beyond the message. It certainly appears theses posts are written in a way so we’re lured in to reply. But once you’re a fish on the hook, it’s hard to not be fileted and eaten for dinner.
We have responded to her extremely similar posts before in the thousands. Thousands. That’s likely change in this school board member’s pocket, as most professional pages are now monetized. I don’t want to contribute even a penny. But, that’s me.
One anonymous advocate texted me this:
Our community recognizes her constant need for attention. Like a toddler mid-tantrum, negative attention will do when relevance is slipping away.
Many of us are exhausted by her performative victimhood, especially as she continues to drag our children and teachers into chaos.
How do we stop her brand of hate and division? We stop feeding it. I urge everyone to deny her the oxygen she seeks by refusing to engage in her social media.
Every comment fuels the algorithm and prolongs an evil agenda and prolongs her relevance.
Silence is what starves narcissists. If we want to end her political ambitions, we do so by making her irrelevant.
There is a recent submission of a bill in the Florida legislature that reads a lot like this school board member’s resolution that she wrote. I believe there is a direct correlation. On the subject matter, Tamara Solum posted this:
I look at what’s right about public education on school board member Liz Barker’s professional Facebook page. This is the message I want parents to see when they’re wondering where to enroll their children.
I look at school board member Tom Edwards’ Facebook page. This is the algorithm I want to feed.
However, please note the word ‘I’. There are pros to commenting on a school board member’s page, where their views don’t reflect those in the community. I think we’ve already “been there, done that” and the board member feels empowered, rather than discouraged.
I’m trying to keep my eye on the prize. To quote Superintendent Terry Connor, it’s our duty to help put “more cheeks in the seats” of our district schools. Enrollment is the focus, not a Facebook page that distracts from the goal.
Let me think. . .1,000 comments on board members reading to kids - or 1,000 comments on fueling a fire to burn public education down. The choice is yours.
Thanks to Wendy Rosen for the meme.
Great advice. Keep your eyes on the prize of great public education. Good work.
Dear Bubbie - Thank you, once again, for sharing your common sense take in dealing with her outrageous accusations. We know she has a “team” that weaves these narratives to bait those who support keeping our schools safe and protecting children from possible trauma. No one wants to interfere with LEGAL actions of law enforcement. It’s the harmful impact of armed and untrained agents being sent without warrants onto our school campuses that puts fear into so many of us. She can deny it all she wants, but we have seen the verified stories through multiple news sources. We know the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences. I’d much rather have a teacher read “And Tango Makes Three,” than have a team of camouflage-clad, masked and armed agents barking orders at our schools’ multicultural community, in an attempt to meet their quota-driven arrest docket.