Florida Keys News
Sunday, March 10, 2013
More findings from schools audit
BY TERRY SCHMIDA Citizen Staff
tschmida@keysnews.com

The Citizen today examines more of the Florida Auditor General's recently released preliminary 2012 audit of the Monroe County School District.

Seven findings were explained in Saturday's paper; this story covers the remaining 11.

Nancy S. Beckwith, a retired commercial and government banker, studied the audit and offered her comments. She said the report...

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@ Exasperated: Adult

Submitted on Wed, 03/13/2013 - 10:18am by c981872@rmqkr.net
@ Exasperated: Adult Education is as much a part of public school district governance as K-12 education programs. To leave Adult Basic Education and GED prep and testing as well as English acquisition and literacy programs and career and technical education to the community colleges is a ridiculous and shortsighted suggestion. Furthermore, here in Monroe, our Adult Education Department also includes the Alternative Education programs, which are absolutely necessary for the safety and well-being of our learners and teachers. In larger school districts with fewer geographic barriers and more customers to serve, there would be several alternative ed. locations and center schools to serve a variety of student needs. We are lucky to have Ms. Stefanowicz and her team.

Stefanowitz

Submitted on Wed, 03/13/2013 - 10:19pm by Exasperated
Wow, you sure like to toot her horn. Shortsighted and ridiculous? That is what the program is all about. Adults at the college. Period. She may need this job to pay her bills but no necessary on the tax payer back side

Toot a horn? That was my

Submitted on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 9:29pm by c883195@rmqkr.net
Toot a horn? That was my first post. I was simply agreeing with the other posters who support a solid, accountable, and effective Adult & Alternative Education Department as exists in the Big Cities on the mainland. Perhaps you should re-read the Florida statutes regarding K-20 education.

Dont be upset

Submitted on Fri, 03/15/2013 - 8:47pm by Exasperated
Dont be upset when she joins the others.

Nancy Beckwith

Submitted on Tue, 03/12/2013 - 9:08am by NativeConch67
Apparently most of you cannot read. Ms. Beckwith merely reviewed the audit and explained the findings in terms that most of you should be able to understand. She did not draft the audit. The Citizen just asked her to review the findings and explain what they mean.

Who is Nancy Beckwith?

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 10:20pm by Cafe con Leche!
Who is Paul Clarin? What is their agenda? Who are their supporters? Do they have kids in our schools? Will they live in our community in 5 years? Our community has many challenges that need to be addressed, but the Citizen has lost all credibility. This two-day opinion piece is bogus. Someone stepped in a steaming pile of schmida. What a shame.

You Are Right

Submitted on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 8:58am by yougottabekidding!
Beckwith is a part-time Keys resident, no kids EVER in the Monroe County school system. She is on the Citizen's editorial board and this 2 part article should have been on the editorial page. Funny how it wasn't disclosed that she was one of the boses of the reporter.

FYI the "new" (since July)

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 10:04pm by c883195@rmqkr.net
FYI the "new" (since July) Director of Adult & Alternative Ed. is Ms. Melanie Stefanowicz, a consummate professional with integrity to spare. She will reign in the largesse of prior administrations and ensure that her staff provides the best possible quality customer service to the clients and taxpayers.

Stefanowinner

Submitted on Tue, 03/12/2013 - 8:14pm by Sam Clemens
Stefanowicz is a great choice as head of Adult Ed. The accomplished teacher and administrator already has Adult Ed back on the right track!

Agreed

Submitted on Tue, 03/12/2013 - 7:17am by Think
No doubt about this!

Time will tell

Submitted on Tue, 03/12/2013 - 4:36pm by Exasperated
One thing about your statement is time will tell. I fully beleive the board needs to concentrate on PK-12 education and leave the adults to the college. The board is in no condition to support these programs.

There are 18 findings. The

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 9:18pm by -
There are 18 findings. The worst finding in an audit is called a material weakness. There are NONE of those. The next level of finding is "significant". There is ONE of those. The last level is additional findings. There are 17 of those. Of the 13 State findings, 10 recommendations are to "enhance existing controls". Two headline stories? What's really going on here? Who is Nancy Beckwith? HO HUM.

State Audit

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 2:50am by just ask me
Where are the posts to this article, I know they were submitted, are you trying to control th news.

April 1st joke on March 10th.

Submitted on Sun, 03/10/2013 - 12:03pm by Exasperated
There is no way on this earth these audit findings have continued, especially in adult education. The adult education program should be closed and transferred to the college where it belongs. Why is the school board funding an adult education, as a luxury, when they can't even fund their required programs? REMOVE ADULT EDUCATION IMMEDIATELY or is that too simple.

Responsibility for this mess is square on School Board

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 6:45am by Think
The board supported the charlatan superintendent when he consolidated three jobs, including adult ed director, into one and appointed a self-serving chump to "clean it up". Now, both of these fools have gone on to wreak havoc on other school districts and the new adult ed director, although competent, has a logistical nightmare to deal with. Really mr dick, whose head should roll?

Rethink

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 4:55pm by Exasperated
The adult education program has many issues and as stated is a logistical nightmare. Doesn't belong in the PK-12 world. Double paying, double counting, double time slotted classes, double double toil and trouble. Everyone said the last director would clean it up and didn't. Don't even know who the new director is but sure we will know if he stays. The district does not need the additional headache when it already has a coma.

Thank you for the practical view....

Submitted on Sun, 03/10/2013 - 11:28am by Really!?

It seems someone in the Voice section is concerned with "who" Nancy S. Beckwith is... She's the equivalent to "Joe Plumber" - an average concerned citizen willing to ask the tough questions. MANY appreciate and applaud her and the Citizen for coverage on this sad topic.

The "voice questioner" does not seem get the concept - OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT Administrators are not doing their jobs. Don't question the people providing the questions - look at those who won't change and ignore the steps for the greater good.

Keep the non-renewals coming - Principal levels next...please..

Joe the Plumber

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 3:37pm by just ask me
Lets think about, "she is like Joe the Plumber", that would be part of the, McCain, Palin, Joe the Plumber ticket, how successful was that. Now it's, Nancy the Fixit lady, sorry, doesn't work for me. A wise person once said, "keep your mouth shut and leave doubt, as to open your mouth and leave no doubt.

Beckwith is No "Joe the Plumber"

Submitted on Thu, 03/14/2013 - 8:51am by yougottabekidding!
The only thing Nancy Beckwith has in common with "Joe the "Plumber" is that they are both Republicans. She is a wealthy banker who somehow managed to buy her way onto the Citizen's editorial board. She doesn't even live here full time.

State Audit Round Two

Submitted on Sun, 03/10/2013 - 5:59am by just ask me
Lets see if I have this correct, Davidson to Beckwith to Schmida, sounds like a special interest double play combination to me. Capt Ed is grabbing a headline and Beckwith must be in the running for a polictical job and Schmida gets to make the Citizen happy by selling papers using sensationalism at the MCSD expense. They way I read the audit there was only one issue that required action other than sending a report to the state. Let Porter, the Aud/Fin committee, legal and the board do their job. Note to Capt Ed, Set down and shut up, the Randy and Monique show has closed.

I hope you're right

Submitted on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 5:44pm by Ninja Jane
About your intrepretation of the audit. However, Ms. Beckwith's version seems much more credible than yours. She has presented data whereas you have only put forward assumptions about the motivations of those who contributed the information given in the newspaper article. Her presentation is articulate and lends credence to her claims. The scandal ridden history of our school district, in recent years, makes it all too easy to believe in Ms. Beckwith's words. Now, "sit" down and watch Randy and Monique's legacy continue to affect the MCSD for many years. They will forever be a stain on our history.
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