First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak Tuesday morning at a campaign stop at Barbara Goleman High School in Miami Lakes.
But not if Miami-Dade School Board Member Renier Diaz de la Portilla can help it.
“The use of public schools whose only focus should be to educate our children for political gain is downright wrong,” the baby of the DLPs said in a statement released Monday afternoon. “Don’t these liberals have boundaries? Our schools are places for learning, not places for politicking.”
Diaz de la Portilla said school board policy specifically prohibits any political activity in tax-payer funded public school buildings and he said asked the school district Superintendent Alberto Carvalho — who better pay attention if he really has political aspirations like everybody says — to cancel what he called Obama’s “liberal political machine” event.
It is true that the Michelle Visit has been announced as a “grassroots supporter event” on Obama/Biden campaign letterhead and has already been used to enlist volunteers at the Pinecrest Obama for America office by the Democrats of South Dade Club. There was a “sign-painting party” there Monday morning in anticipation of the event. The email sent by Obama Biden has the political advertisement disclaimer, “paid for by Obama For America,” at the end.
And it does seem funny that such an obviously partisan political campaign event would be held in a public school. Let alone that it’s Democratic party event in an area where voters mostly elect Republicans.
But try as Ladra might, Ladra cannot find the particular prohibition of political events at public schools that Diaz de la Portilla referred to. The school board does charge organizations rent to use their facilities temporarily — and God knows they could sure use the money. But the rental rules on use of district facilities does not mention political campaign activity as a banned category.
It can’t be found, however, in any of the categories that are allowed, either.
“District grounds and facilities should be made available for community purposes, provided the use does not infringe on the original and necessary purpose of the property or interfere with the educational program. Temporary use of these facilities for non-school educational, civic, cultural, recreational, artistic, or charitable programs may be approved by the administrative staff,” the rule states, leading up to all the provisions that groups must follow. But note it does not include the word “political” as a pre-approved use.
Ladra sent an email to School Board Attorney Walter Harvey to clarify the difference and why this event would be allowed.
“There is no prohibition with regards to political or religious groups renting our facilities,” Harvey told me over the telephone and even suggested that School Board members could have campaign events at county facilities, as long as they paid the rental fees. Ladra can’t believe that’s true, though. “If they want to they an apply to lease a facility. They have to have the proper insurance.”
But Harvey also admitted he couldn’t remember it happening before — with local or national candidates.
“I can’t say there is any precedent,” he told Ladra.
When I asked him to tell me which pre-approved category the event applied to — “educational, civil, cultural, recreational, artistic, or charitable,” as stated on the rules — Harvey couldn’t answer that, either. “No, you’re right. It doesn’t seem to fall under any of those.”
But he was adamant that there is no outright ban of political events. “We don’t ask questions with regard to whether it’s political or religious. Religious groups rent space all the time,” Harvey told Ladra.
School Board Member Carlos Curbelo sent an email to Harvey earlier Monday asking him to reconsider his legal opinion.
“I was disappointed to learn over the weekend that Barbara Goleman Senior High School will serve as the setting for a political campaign event tomorrow and that you issued a legal opinion clearing the way for such an event to be held at one of our facilities,” Curbelo wrote.
“Our schools are institutions of learning where teachers are required to educate our students in the subjects of civics and government absent of political bias. Allowing the First Lady of the United States to use one of our schools explicitly to benefit the President’s reelection campaign is inappropriate and sends the wrong message to our students, employees, and to taxpayers – even if the President’s campaign is willing to pay for all costs resulting from the event,” he added.
“I respectfully request that you immediately reconsider the opinion you have issued which makes Barbara Goleman Senior High available to the President’s campaign. Going forward we should turn away any candidate or campaign that wishes to use our facilities – paid for and maintained by the public – for personal political gain,” Curbelo wrote, adding that he plans to present an item to the school board seeking a review of policies for such political campaign events, which he says are different from official government events.
“I was proud when President Obama visited Miami Central last year along with US Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan and Former Governor Jeb Bush for the express purpose of highlighting the successes achieved at that surging institution. I also appreciated the First Lady’s visit to discuss childhood obesity and health and nutrition issues which are fundamental to our education system,” Curbelo said.
“This is different,” he continued. “We are approaching the height of the election season and the President’s campaign wants to use one of our schools as a platform to promote his candidacy. There are numerous other venues both public and private available to the President’s campaign and to any other political campaign that wishes to visit our community. Why risk the reputation of our schools and the integrity of the district by associating the good name of Miami-Dade Public Schools with any political candidate?
“If School Board Members do not use our facilities for political purposes, no one should be permitted to do so,” Curbelo said.
Ladra knows from experience that School Board members are not allowed to use school facilities for their own campaign events. Read-alongs? Sure. A “meet your School Board donuts with the PTA”? All the time. And do these become fodder for complaints that they use their incumbency to an advantage. Yes. That’s why you sometimes see restraint in the heat of an election cycle. Even school employees and PTAs are not allowed to have fundraisers for their favorite board candidates at their schools. While Ladra would not advocate for this — because it clearly gives the incumbent an advantage — I think allowing or advocating in favor of this event for Obama/Biden, is hypocritical.
“I cannot recall the last time any politician held a campaign event at a public school,” Diaz de la Portilla told me over the telephone. “A town hall meeting? Yes. An informational community event? Yes. But not a blatant get-out-the-vote activity.”
He said he, too, would bring up the issue before the board and supports introducing a ban if it’s not already in the policy. “If it’s not strict enough, then we should change it.”
Of course, Baby DLP is running for a seat in the State House in newly redrawn 103 and is casting himself as the real Republican or better Republican in the race — and this gives him a little steam for that. And, for that matter, Curbelo — who coasted back into his seat sans opposition after a potential real challenge withdrew and conveniently changed seats (more on that later) — is a political strategist that works mostly with Republican candidates and issues.
But it is true that the Michelle Obama visit never came before the board for a vote and, in fact, it came to their attention over the weekend just a few days before the event. In some cases, by pure accident. DLP heard about it from a friend of the family after he went walking all day in Hialeah and Miami Lakes.
“It caught all the school board members by surprise,” Diaz de la Portilla told me.
Ladra has requested public records on what Obama For America paid for rental of the facility and the related costs — which, I only assume, are going to be 80 percent or so security. Harvey, the attorney, kept dwelling on the fact that this was a paid event and not prohibited. Let’s see when the school board staff gets back to me on that. I’ve also asked how the request for the event came in, when and to whom. Ladra will get back to you, dear readers, with that information.
In the meantime, this seems like an odd, risky and controversial move for Carvalho, who is widely considered to be eyeing public office. In fact, dicen las malas lenguas that he may only have decided not to jump into the county mayor’s race this time because the numbers favored incumbent Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
But maybe, also, he wants to wait for his window of opportunity with a choice post in Washington that adds nice padding to his bio and doing a favor for the Obamas could assist him in that endeavor.
And “former U.S. Secretary of Education” looks pretty darn good on a political resume or candidate’s website, don’t you think?
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