Trails in the Sand by Peter Traceit, the Street Detective
Ol’ Pete is ready to meet the new Pete. It would seem that there won’t be a whole lot to report on until the man who showed up and showed out in the interview also shows up to work. The Detective paid close attention as the new Super laid out his plans to bring Broward schools to an A rated district by holding people accountable. The Detective lost count as to the number of times my ol namesake used the word “accountability”. But one thing is certain, and things are for sure, Super Pete has no intention of ever breaking the law.
Traceit will allow Dr. Pete to settle his contract and then settle in the dirt of Broward County Public Schools before getting dirty.
Interviewing is one thing but getting the job is another. Things are about to get really muddy for new Pete, and Ol Pete will be here to help him navigate through the sand tunnels of corruption.
Speaking of corruption, Ol Pete learned that Board members had one-on-one meetings with the three final candidates. Each Board member invited an unspecified number of people into their offices to join these very informal formal conversations. Interestingly, Ol Pete couldn’t locate his invitation. With nine sitting Board members, it would seem that Ol’ Pete would have been included in at least one room. The Detective has been scouring through the sand in search of his lost invitation.
The Detective sleuthed just who was at the table in these rooms, and it appears that this non-political process has proven to be more political than anyone could ever have expected. Former Board member and current Broward Teachers Union employee, Jennifer Gottlieb accompanied Debra Hixon. Board member Alan Zeman invited Lori Parrish, the former Broward County Property Appraiser and powerful political operative and influencer. Jeptha “Jeff” Holness had none other than former Board member and State Senator, Dr. Rosalind Osgood, in the room with him. To know one’s surprise, Oz had to be there so she could gather the necessary information to instruct Holness how to vote. The rumors about Oz held firm and true. Despite the Black power talk, her actions never align with her words.
Pete is told Holness also had at least two others in the room. Both these individuals live South of District Five, one to the Southeast and the other to the Southwest. Rumors are that one of these southerners is a disgruntled employee who was desperately scurrying through the tunnels in hopes of finding a lifeline in the sand and Holness provided the platform… or was it Oz who dictated the invitations?
Ol Pete is still digging for his invitation. While digging, he is wondering why there were no clear rules of engagement or requisite criteria of who each Board member was allowed to invite to the table. It would seem wise to Ol Pete that at least one representative from the Board member’s district should have been a requirement. But the Detective is in wonder as it becomes more clear every day that this Board operates far from what is normal and expected. Ol Pete is tickled as the new Chief of People moved cautiously through the process not knowing what his boss’s bosses would dig from the sand and throw his way at every turn.
Until the new Sup’s contract is hammered out, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of debris to sift through. Ol Pete welcomes the new Pete and is eager to slide through the sands with his new friend. Until next time, Peter Traceit, The Street Detective, will continue scurrying through the sands in search for clues and news.
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