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Tom Vasquez is a Marine running as a candidate for the at-large, county-wide, District 9 seat for the School Board in Broward County. Mr. Vasquez is:
(1) a father of six children, including one with special needs;
(2) a retired officer of the United States Marine Corps after almost 30 years, having served not only in an amphibian assault battalion but also as a Drill Instructor; and
(3) a qualified professional with experience managing security and other complex operations involving large budgets.
The Tom Vasquez for Broward School Board campaign slogan should be “Put a Marine Corps officer on the School Board” or “Put a Marine Drill Instructor on the School Board.” His election will occur on Tuesday, August 20, with two weeks of early voting. Vote by mail ballots are already out.
Tom’s parents immigrated lawfully from the Dominican Republic to escape a civil war in 1965 when President Johnson sent in Marines to restore order. He grew up on the mean streets of Washington Heights in upper Manhattan, with native fluency in Spanish, and struggled in school until one teacher in high school changed everything. That teacher was a retired Marine, so upon graduation from high school, Tom joined the Corps and made his career there for almost 30 years. He advanced from a raw recruit to a respected senior officer in the Corps.
Vasquez strongly supports school choice because competition produces the best service for customers, which are students and their parents. School choice forces the traditional government schools, like the Broward Public Schools, to improve their service. If they do not, parents can move their students to competing schools, and the government schools will have to close and go out of business.
School vouchers work like food stamps, where taxpayers provide the payments for the food, but the recipients choose what private grocery stores to do their shopping. Taxpayers’ money should follow the students, not the school districts.
He believes in putting “student academic achievement” first and wants all students to focus on “bringing home the gold.” Broward Public Schools have been plagued by poor academic performance and failing student discipline. Tom points out that “education” comes from a Latin root meaning to bring out the best from within. In Latin America, education is called “formation,” which is the formation of students to succeed as adults.
He has prior experience serving on the School Board at Camp Lejeune Marine Base in North Carolina. He is a tough-minded leader who can restore trust and credibility to the Broward Public Schools. He has advised the School Board to improve its workings by
(1) decentralizing decision-making and empowering local managers to make decisions
(2) aligning systems and language to highlight problems to be solved
(3) providing basic training in business practices and avoiding bottlenecks
He has also addressed students' mental health problems due to a lack of meaning and purpose in their lives. He urges them to participate in sports, where they can learn teamwork and grit and play for each other, like Marines. Absenteeism from school and suspensions should be addressed with more parental involvement. He cites Aristotle for the proposition that we are what we do habitually.
Accordingly, students must develop good habits. The objective of discipline should not be punishment but improving behavior. This Marine Drill Instructor can instill discipline.
He also supports vocational training, including financial literacy. Local small businesses should be engaged to provide internships to high school students and provide them with permanent employment upon graduation. He reaches out to all communities in the Broward Public Schools.
Tom’s Opponent Is Debra Hixon
Debra Hixon, the incumbent in this seat on the school board, focuses on social justice rather than academic achievement. She has supported the LGBTQ and trans-sexual agenda, including letting boys compete in girls’ sports. The LGBTQ+ Resource Center in the Broward County Library, established in 2019, is named after her. She is more focused on the D-E-I’s than on the A-B-C’s.
About two years ago, she stopped working as a teacher and was hired as a salaried employee by the FTX crypto-currency exchange, headed by Sam Bankman-Fried. Her job was to be their representative for their scholarship program in the Broward Public Schools.
Mr. Bankman-Fried, however, was found to be a fraudster on the level of Bernie Madoff and is now sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after he was convicted of defrauding FTX's customers, investors and lenders. Prosecutors said that he orchestrated a yearslong fraud, siphoning $8 billion from customer accounts to finance venture capital investments, political contributions and real estate purchases according to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, FTX is in bankruptcy and has reneged on the promised scholarships. Ms. Hixon refuses to answer questions beyond an opaque prepared statement and has lawyered up. She is now subject to an ethics investigation.
Ms. Hixon is endorsed by Congresswoman Debbie Blabbermouth Schultz, Congressman Jared Moskowitz, State Senator Lauren Book, and State Representative Robin Bartleman, as well as by the Broward County AFL-CIO, the Broward Teachers Union, Broward Young Democrats, and gun control and environmental extremist groups. Even though she is endorsed by the BTU, the head of that union is on the record saying that the School Board is full of incompetent members.
Troubles Ahead In Broward Public Schools
The Broward Public Schools are losing enrollment, and administrators are bailing out. If this situation is to be resolved, a tough-minded professional like Tom Vasquez must do the job. He has experience with managing projects at senior levels. Broward Public Schools face a “drawdown,” which other large organizations like the military sometimes face. Broward needs someone with the vision and experience to manage a drawdown successfully. They need to win back the trust of the parents.
The School Board must confront and name the problem before it can work on solving it. Broward teachers are among the lowest paid in the country, so talent cannot be attracted. Success requires that the top teachers be matched with the most demanding students.
In addition, Broward Public Schools are under state investigation for how they have handled payments to charter schools and teachers’ pay. This investigation undermines the credibility of all current leadership, including Tom’s opponent.
Tom has the support of grassroots conservatives in Broward County to help turn around the School Board. He is supported by Mery Lopez-Palma, an accomplished lawyer, mother, and community activist running for Republican State Committeewoman. Tom Vasquez is a real asset for Broward County and should be elected to turn around its School Board.
