Slats Murphy, Senior SCW columnist

Every totalitarian regime eventually crumbles under its own weight, and it looks as if the walls are starting to crack at the School Board headquarters on Lake Mary Boulevard.

After years of ignoring constituency concerns and imposing their will on county students and parents, School Board members got a bit too comfortable and secure with the belief in their own power. 

Their arrogance has pushed their constituency a bit too far, and now, having realized it, they are circling the wagons, piling up the sandbags and taking any other action that may aid in their defense.

The constituency has had enough.  The School Board has finally gone too far, and now they are trying to put the genie back into the bottle.  They can rub all they want, but the final wish looks as if it will belong to parents across the county who are finally appropriately saying "enough is enough."

It is no longer isolated pockets of dissent that represent no threat to the School Board's autocratic hold on power.  Now the parents are uniting, joining forces to exert pressure.  And the School Board is feeling the force that is mounting and will eventually come down upon them.

Parents in Longwood are holding hands across the county with parents in Oviedo, and the chain has links at many points in between.  The School Board and its five Republican members have even gone so far as to energize the dormant Democratic Party of Seminole County.

Last Thursday, the Democrats held a meeting that focused entirely on the School Board and its arrogant, autocratic use of power.  Not only were there Democrats present.  Among the nearly 100 residents (and registered voters) estimated to be in attendance were Republicans and independents as well.

Their message was unified, joining them across partisan distinction and across the entirety of Seminole County.  The School Board has gone too far.  Enough is enough.

Coverage of the meeting by WDBO radio sent the School District into a tailspin and an attempt at full-force damage control.  Superintendent Bill Vogel denied that the School Board acted in an imperialistic and autocratic fashion. 

Vogel and the five Board members are right, the superintendent declared, and the many people who are upset with us are wrong.  Yet again, they showed they remain clueless as to the effects of their behavior, despite knowing something is going on and their rule is being threatened.

Having been accused of acting imperialistically, the School Board's response, through Vogel, is to say, "That is not true.  We are right and they are wrong."  Need more be said?

Vogel did make a valiant attempt at damage control, giving his phone number to the radio station over the air and saying he is always available to anyone who wants to call.  His grandstand attempt at openness, however, was transparent on several levels, and most of the public knows it.

For one, giving your phone number during a quick radio newsblurb affords very little opportunity for most people to write the number down, and, more importantly, Vogel knows most of the public is beyond attempting to even talk with the School Board, which has clearly shown it will not listen.

It's guaranteed that Vogel will now say the lack of response to his offer indicates no true dissent from the majority of Seminole County's population.  It's how the PR game is played, and that is one thing the School Board is most adept at doing:  playing games.

For those of you who missed it, Vogel's cell number, as given over the air by the superintendent, is 321-299-2452.  Use it, as the superintendent invited you to do, and send the clear message that enough is enough.

In addition to calling, share the number and your message with as many people as possible, to get them to call and send the clear message that enough is enough.

Parents and students across Seminole County are joining together after having been victimized by the Seminole County School Board's imperialistic behavior.

Their message is that even though it is too late for them, it is not too late for the others whose future may hold a similar fate.   Their concern extends beyond themselves, with the fear you and the children in your neighborhood may be the next to be affected. 

The parents have learned a painful lesson and are hoping others do not have to endure a similar fate.  The sides are clearly drawn between an imperialistic School Board that rules by decree, and a public seeking a modicum of respect.

It's your decision as to on which side you stand.  Hopefully, you will make the "call."

Send an email to Slats Murphy

Check out Slats' Slants, Slats Murphy's daily blog

Be sure to check out past news and commentary regarding the Seminole County School Board in the pages of Seminole County Watch.