ElectAllenZeman.com<\/a><\/p>\nDate and place of birth: Nov. 6, 1963 \u2013 Gainesville, FL<\/p>\n
On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 the highest), rate the job performance of Superintendent Howard Hepburn, emphasizing his strengths and weaknesses.
Dr. Hepburn\u2019s job performance ranges from a 3 to a 5, across a set of executive competencies. In some executive competencies, he has got room to grow, but in others I have observed high levels of performance.<\/p>\n
As a communicator, Dr. Hepburn is a 5. He is clear, articulate, and thoughtful in his communications across audiences. I have observed him communicate very well with elementary school students, student advisors to the Board, to teachers and other educators, school leaders, academic experts, Board members, and the broader community.<\/p>\n
As the senior operational leader for Broward County Schools whose main objective is academic performance, he\u2019s also a 5 in core mission success. Our academic system has realized continuous improvement while he was in the Deputy Superintendent and Superintendent positions. His focus on data-first academic decision-making and on improving academic success across all schools and all classrooms led directly to the overall improvement in the district.<\/p>\n
As the leader responsible for recruiting, retaining, and inspiring executives, Dr. Hepburn\u2019s performance has been a 3. He has recruited highly qualified executive talent for some positions, but he has also recruited executives with checkered histories. He has retained executives (as well as administrators and school leaders) who are performing below standards.<\/p>\n
Regarding administrative staff, school leaders, teachers and other educators, and all Broward Public School\u2019s employees, I have observed his human capital leadership on a range from 4 to 5. He has improved our recruiting processes and inspired many of our 24,000 employees to perform at higher levels. Virtually all our staff find him accessible, humble, direct, and appreciative of their individual contributions. On the \u201cneeds improvement\u201d side, he has not examined the root causes of growing teacher absenteeism and has retained a poorly performing contractor who operates our substitute teacher system.<\/p>\n
The Broward school district received an \u201cA\u201d grade for the third straight year for student academic performance. Who deserves the most credit for this?
There are three parties who deserve the most credit, although academic success is the result of the entire Broward County team\u2019s collective efforts.<\/p>\n
First, I\u2019d give credit to the students who do the work. They study, do the homework, pay attention in class, and take the assessment tests.<\/p>\n
Second, I\u2019d give credit to the those who deliver the education \u2014 particularly our 13,000 Broward County Public School teachers.<\/p>\n
Third, I\u2019d give credit to those who helped the students and the teachers perform well \u2014 the parents, guardians and others who encourage and enable students to perform well.<\/p>\n
But this is a classic team effort. A compelling body of evidence exists to demonstrate the contribution of school leaders, the Principals and Assistant Principals, who recruit, retain, and inspire the school staff, and set the daily conditions for success. Administrators who support Principals and other school leaders contribute as well, as do central-office leaders and staff, the Superintendent and the senior leaders who work for the Superintendent. Even the nine members of the School Board, who make policy and resource decisions to support long-term success, contribute to the district\u2019s academic success.<\/p>\n
Voters will decide whether to extend a school property tax increase. If it passes, the School Board will allocate 90 percent of the money for raises for teachers and school-based staff. Do you agree or disagree with this decision and why?
I agree with the School Board\u2019s decision to allocate 90% of referendum funding to teachers and other school-based staff. Like most school districts in the United States, Broward County Public Schools pays teachers and educators far less than the massive value they provide to the community\u2019s well-being and economic vitality. If local governments allocated resources based on public benefit and economic return on investment, teachers would receive substantially higher compensation. At the same time, we are currently funding mental health and safety \/ security with referendum funds and should continue to do so with the other 10%. Mental health is clearly an area where we need to increase capability (and allocate more funds) to mitigate the crisis that our students are experiencing.<\/p>\n
Will you vote for or against the tax extension and why?
I will vote for the property tax extension which is estimated to provide over $300 million per year for the 2027-2031 school years. I will do this for two reasons. One, elected officials ought not to say one thing and do another \u2013 I am a frequent speaker about raising teacher and educator pay and I know that is not likely to happen without increases in the revenue that comes from the extension of this one-mil tax. Two, I have seven children who were all educated in public schools, and I appreciate what the schools have done for their development and success.<\/p>\n
A series of fiscal missteps in the past year has placed the school board and the administration on the defensive. How well has the district responded to these controversies?
The district has responded well, but let\u2019s be clear: these \u201cfiscal missteps\u201d should not have occurred. They were all self-inflicted \u2013 each misstep was the result of actions taken and decisions made by incompetent leaders and staff. The missteps erode the public trust in Broward County Public Schools and limit our ability to improve our performance.<\/p>\n
The School Board and the public have grown tired of the missteps and continue to press for change in the leaders and the leadership. We should not, and cannot over the long-term, hide incompetence from the public.<\/p>\n
I have seen responses to the missteps which are generally in the right direction and of the right magnitude, but the system has not adjusted with sufficient agility or speed. It is still too hard for the current leadership team to identify missteps and determine the root causes. That is perceived as protection of long-term colleagues, in spite of the clear, damning evidence. To make the matter worse, it still takes too long to dismiss senior staff (or encourage their resignation) when it is obvious who is responsible for the missteps. While the system is improving, the current leadership team remains less decisive and agile than required.<\/p>\n
One such controversy involved using past referendum money to pay large bonuses to highly-paid administrators. Should those who received bonuses have been required to refund the money? Why or why not?
Unfortunately, the bonuses were technically approved by the school board.<\/p>\n
The staff presentation to the board was vague and misleading about who was in each of the occupational categories, and the board should have asked more questions given the magnitude of the decision. When the board was informed that the Superintendent turned down the bonus, the board should have asked whether other senior leaders were also eligible and receiving the bonuses. Now, there is far more vigilance and triple-checking by the board when funding decisions are presented, but the damage has already been done.<\/p>\n
To reduce a financial deficit, the board approved a reorganization plan that critics say is unfair because it eliminates front-line positions while leaving bureaucratic jobs largely untouched.\u00a0 Do you agree or disagree with this criticism and why?
I agree with this premise \u2013 we should continue to reduce positions that are not school-based. We need to go further and reduce very senior administrative positions as well. Recently, at direction from the Broward School Board, the Superintendent presented a plan which reduced 1,000 positions from positions not in schools. It is very likely that we will be forced to reduce staff in the future and I will always advocate for prioritizing the reduction of positions outside of schools.<\/p>\n
We should also look everywhere in every budget category to reduce costs before we make cuts in school staff.<\/p>\n
The school board has voted to close six underenrolled schools to save money. Do you think the district should close more schools or not, and why?
Yes, Broward Schools should close more schools. The evidence in support of closing schools is compelling. Broward\u2019s small schools cost over $16,000 per student, while larger schools cost between $8,000 and $9,000 per student because the fixed costs to operate a school, regardless of enrollment, are between $1.5 million and $5 million per school per year. It is also true in general that schools closer to their enrollment capacity achieve higher academic performance. These economies of scale suggest that we should continue to close schools, with a priority on those which are under enrolled, costly, adjacent to available capacity, and in greatest need for facility improvements.<\/p>\n
I have led on this issue for the past four years while serving on the Broward School Board. That was not a popular position in the beginning, but I am heartened that my colleagues now agree that closing or thoughtfully repurposing additional schools creates a better overall educational system. We discuss which schools to close now, not whether we should close schools. I am also gratified that the Broward community, based on multiple county-wide polls, now understands this message \u2013 to be the best school district, the community understands that we should close and repurpose schools, eliminate unnecessary costs, and allocate the remaining funds on the things that deliver even better education.<\/p>\n
Going forward, we have more facilities data and more experience analyzing which schools can be consolidated, repurposed, or otherwise changed so that we better serve the needs of the community. I am struck by the opportunities to expand technical schools where the demand is strong, and resources are available as we add enrollment. I am also struck by some of the creative ideas for expanding school capacity in places where there is great demand for public schools and we have school which have been persistently outstanding. I have directed the Superintendent to bring data to the Board on the larger Live Local developments in Broward County so that we can identify any solid opportunities to expand school capacity near these to serve the students who are likely to be attracted to the units set aside for affordable housing.\u00a0 Lastly, Miami Dade created a school with affordable housing for teachers and staff all in the same building. That is something that we could consider as well.<\/p>\n
List in reverse chronological order each college or university attended, with years of attendance.
2010 \u2013 2011: George Mason University, Executive Coaching Certification Program<\/p>\n
1981 \u2013 1989: The Florida State University, BS in Economics and Business, MS and PHD in Economics with specialties in Econometrics and Labor Economics<\/p>\n
List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
2022-2026: School Board of Broward County, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Member at-large.<\/p>\n
2009 \u2013 2026: The Center for Human Capital Innovation (CHCI), Fort Lauderdale, FL. CHCI offers training, leader development, consulting, executive coaching, and advanced human capital analytics.<\/p>\n
Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
Voters should elect me because I:<\/p>\n
have delivered. Broward became an A-rated district while I served on the Board and has remained an A-rated district for 3 years.
\nam committed to pay teachers at a level that is consistent with their significant contributions to the well-being and economic vitality of the community.
\nam committed to serving others, having served my community, city, state and nation.
\nam committed to making Broward Schools the best school district in the nation over the next 4 years.
\nam ready to continue to serve the school district at a time when experience will help us improve academic performance, buttress our school safety, and improve student mental health.
\nbase my decisions on the understanding that great local education systems build great communities.
\nam committed to ethical behavior and transparent decision making, something that continues to be needed \u2013 we must maintain and grow the trust in our elected Broward County school leaders.
\nhave experiences \u2013 26 years in executive positions \u2013 that would enable me to be an effective executive leader on the Broward County School Board.
\nattended Broward County schools from K-12 grade.
\nhave three children in Broward County Public Schools. The youngest (twins) are starting seventh grade this fall, so I am the only candidate in 2026 who is directly involved and sees the consequences of our decisions by being a parent of three public school students. (I have seven children, but the older four children have graduated from college.)
\nhave extensive experience having led the largest training and education organization in the world (the US Navy Training and Education).
\nknow how to oversee the allocation of budget resources in large systems.
\nam fully qualified to hold Broward County Schools leaders accountable for operating an effective system.
\nam educated as an Economist and work as a Data Scientist who will use sound educational research and advanced analytic techniques to inform decision making.
\nwill take office and immediately pledge to uphold federal employee ethics standards.
\ncan hit the ground running on November 22, 2026.<\/p>\n
What in your life experience best qualifies you to serve as a school board member?
My commitment to servant leadership. It is part of my nature to serve others. I saw this daily in my family where my father worked for Broward County Public Schools for three decades. I saw this with my mother who earned her high school degree when she was 28 and then went on to earn her PHD and teach for decades at FAU. My personal choice to have seven children and be actively\u00a0engaged with them is largely due to my commitment to servant leadership.<\/p>\n
I experienced what it means to serve as a civilian working for the US Navy where I took the most demanding assignments and learned the hardships of being forward deployed, including living away from my family for one year in an active combat zone. I was often the staff person who was asked the hard questions by others. I was the senior executive who helped hundreds of Admirals and General Officers transition into their first senior leadership assignments and then help them later in their careers, as they transition to civilian life. Service brings me joy while individual recognition feels shallow. Through multiple applications of servant leadership, I have led diverse teams that worked with diligence to attain significant, measurable outcomes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to serve as a member of the Broward County School Board to make my father proud, prove that my mother was right after all, and continue to serve my three school-aged children who attend our schools and all the students in Broward County..<\/p>\n
Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
Yes. I was involved in a lawsuit which I filed in 2011. The case involved a collections dispute after my company was not paid for services rendered. It was resolved out of court in my firm\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n
Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
No.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Name: Allen Zeman Campaign website: ElectAllenZeman.com Date and place of birth: Nov. 6, 1963 \u2013 Gainesville, FL On…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346772,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[483,249,251,250,482],"class_list":["post-346771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-commentary","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}