Is Caroline Zucker wholly owned by the Teachers Union?

A number of ethical questions are being raised about career politician and current Sarasota County School Board member Caroline Zucker and her cozy relationship with the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association (SC/TA).

Pat Gardner

It appears from an email thread shared with Pat Gardner, the SC/TA president on June 29, 2016 that Zucker met with Gardner and union staff to discuss her campaign seeking a fifth term on the school board.

School board members Shirley Brown (D) and Jane Goodwin (R) along with Lindsey Nickel, Zucker’s public relations person, and Scott Ferguson, Communications Specialist for the Sarasota County Schools and strangely a Booker High School student Owen Leonard who is Zucker’s campaign website designer, were also part of the email thread.

Here are some ethical questions that demand answers:

1. Why is Zucker asking Teachers Union President Pat Gardner to organize comments on social media against her opponent Teresa Mast?
2. Why did the SCTA indicate that they will be backing Caroline? What did Zucker promise the union at the June 29th luncheon meeting to gain their endorsement and their help to defeat Teresa Mast?
3. Why did Scott Ferguson, Communications Specialist for the Sarasota County Schools, create a “Google Alert” on Zucker? Why did he send an article to Zucker about a debate between Zucker and Teresa Mast, her opponent, directly to Zucker using his district email account? Does this violate district policy?
4. Why are Zucker, Goodwin and Brown having a luncheon meeting with SCTA staff to discuss the endorsement of Teresa Mast by Kelly Caldwell and others?
5. Is it ethical for school board members to use the union to help defeat an opponent? When they do are Zucker, Goodwin and Brown beholding to the union or independent representatives of the parents, students and taxpayers?
6. Given the above, will the union require a quid pro quo when time comes to negotiate a new classified/teacher contract? Will the best interests of the board and public be sacrificed in order to pay off a political debt?
7. Is it appropriate for Zucker to put a student’s name on emails given such wide district distribution? Does this put the student at risk? Why is Zucker using a student to design her website? Is there an ethical issue using Owen Leonard, a student, rather than a professional web designer? How will teachers treat this student? Will Leonard receive special treatment over other Booker High School students given his close relationship to Zucker?
8. Zucker has hired Nickel Communications, which is according to their website offers “a variety of tools to provide outstanding marketing and Branding services for our clients. We start by conducting client and audience research and coordinate a communication audit of current and previous outward-facing materials including print, radio, television, direct mail, website, social and editorial media” firm. Why aren’t they doing Zucker’s campaign website?
9. Why are Zucker, Goodwin, Brown, Ferguson and the union working together to undermine Teresa Mast?

Given all of the above questions voters must ask themselves who is Zucker loyal to? Who does Zucker represent, the union or the people?

Finally, will Zucker do anything to stay in office?

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