Meet Tom Edwards

Tom Edwards stands alone as the voice of reason on the Sarasota County School Board. He is its only moderate voice advocating for the freedom of teachers, the rights of ALL students and parents, and the preservation of public schools from the destructive, political winds of privatization.

In his short time on the school board, Tom is the only one who stands behind his words and has proven his commitment with the following accomplishments:

• Building creative community partnerships is one of Tom’s strengths. After many failed attempts to develop a Trades Academy in the school district, Tom partnered with the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange to create the first one at Riverview High School. Non-college-bound students have hands-on, skill-building learning leading to careers after graduation. The success of this academy is being duplicated in two additional high schools.
• Recognizing that the community is facing a shortage of healthcare workers, Tom brought the Sarasota Technical College with Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the City of North Port to develop a two-year certificate program at a future Health Care Academy. The academy is in the final phase of planning and solidifying funding sources.
• Because Sarasota County must compete with other communities to attract the highest quality teachers, bus drivers, and food care workers, Tom teamed with community leaders and the Housing Authority to develop an innovative plan to ease our housing shortage. His fellow board members chastised him for working on this issue and said they had more important ones to consider.
• Tom doesn’t just say he’s here for the students, he proves it by being the only school board member to visit every district school, interacting with teachers and principals, and attending schoolwide events. In addition, he is the most vibrant supporter of communitywide activities ranging from town hall meetings to performing art shows.