Broward School Board District 8 candidates focus on academics, equity and safety

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — Voters will decide Aug. 18 whether to give Broward County School Board member Allen Zeman another term or hand the countywide District 8 seat to challenger Sonja Azim.

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The nonpartisan race pits an incumbent touting academic gains against a former educator focused on equity, teacher pay and school safety.

Zeman is seeking to hold onto the seat he won in a runoff four years ago. He says the district has made significant academic progress during his first term.

“A year into my first four years we became an ‘A’ district. We’ve become an ‘A’ district for three years in a row,” Zeman said.

He also points to the number of students who have improved their academic performance.

“We’ve lifted over 25,000 students to above or at grade level that were below grade level before,” Zeman added.

Azim is running against Zeman. She is a former special education teacher and director who spent 14 years in education and previously served as dean of Renaissance Charter School.

Azim says Broward schools face inequities in everything from facilities and academic programs to discipline.

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“We have an equitability crisis on Broward Schools where our students don’t all have the same access or equitability to the same facility, upkeep and maintenance, academic programs, and the way that the discipline is measured out is inequitable,” Azim said.

Teacher pay is another issue where the candidates say they want to see change.

Zeman has repeatedly called for higher salaries for teachers and says he would continue pushing for raises if reelected.

“We cannot underestimate the contribution that teachers make to the well-being of our community and to the economic vitality of Broward County,” Zeman said.

Azim also says she would fight for higher teacher pay. She is making school safety another key part of her campaign.

“And we need to have a comprehensive safety training program so that everybody, every employee in Broward Schools is prepared for the next critical day,” Azim said.

The School Board District 8 race is nonpartisan, so voters do not have to be registered with a political party to participate.

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Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 18.

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