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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Steve Crisafulli, lifetime Merritt Island resident, local businessman and former Speaker of the House of Representatives announced on Monday that he is supporting Charles Parker for Brevard School Board, District 2. “I have seen Charles interact with his students firsthand.   His commitment to their success is clearly his number one goal as a classroom teacher.   With this commitment and his extensive experience in our schools and in our community, my family and I feel that there is no better choice to represent District 2 on the Brevard County School Board than Charles,” Crisafulli said. Parker, a Republican running for the non-partisan seat, started teaching in 2004 after successful careers in tourism, aerospace, and ministry.   He has taught World Cultures, English, and currently teaches Engineering as part of Merritt Island High’s da Vinci Academy of Aerospace Technology, in which he is also the director. Parker also spent two years working with many
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Parker Calls for "Deputized Marshals"

With a contentious school safety meeting upcoming this week for the Brevard School Board, one candidate for a board seat is floating an idea he calls “a sensible middle way.” Charles Parker, who is running for the open District 2 seat, said over the weekend that he believes it is not an either/or proposition to meet the state mandate to have an enhanced armed presence on Brevard’s school grounds – either hiring new deputies or arming school employees. “I propose that we institute what could be called a Deputized Marshal program,” Parker said.   “We could negotiate with Sheriff Ivey to hire and train qualified individuals to protect the schools that do not currently have School Resource Officers. “These individuals would not be full deputies so they would not need radio cars and other equipment required for deputies, but they would not be current school employees either.   Hence, they would not cost as much and we would not have all the concerns and logistics problems that
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 　 Charles Parker, candidate for Brevard District School Board District 2, said today that the school system should not fund any new projects until there is a Brevard deputy in every school. "Regional busing should be postponed, centralizing school accounts should be tabled, and a variety of other projects shelved until we fund SRO's across the county," Parker said. "We can make a better deal with Sheriff Ivey than $130,000 per year per deputy." Parker, who currently heads a choice program at Merritt Island High School, is a supporter of regional busing, but notes it is not a priority over safety. "Helping kids access our great programs is important," Parker said. "And when the time is right and money is plentiful, it will be wonderful to bring it back. But now is not that time." Parker said that the current board should have waited on a vote to contract armored cars. "There was some odd rush to
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Charles Parker, candidate for School Board District 2, said today that teacher and support staff salaries should coincide at a minimum with Cost-of-Living-Adjustment increases. “Not only should teachers and staff earn a living wage,” Parker said, “but the pay should keep up yearly with how much it costs to live.” The COLA for 2018 is 2.0% - higher than the 1.5% raise teachers and staff ended with after bargaining sessions with the Brevard Federation of Teachers. “COLA should be a starting point.   Of course, there are many issues such as planning time, comp and flex time, and insurance.   But base salary should have some steadiness, consistency, and reasoning behind it. “The union did a pretty good job for teachers this year.   Using a time-honored and legitimate method such as COLA could make it even better,” Parker said. Parker officially filed with the Supervisor of Elections on Wednesday and is currently assembling his campaign team. “I already have commitments
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