Maria Barbosa is one of eight candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 18 primary election. Barbosa is running in District 5 against Cheryl Massaro.
The three school board elections–for District 1, 3 and 5–are non-partisan races: all registered voters in Flagler County are eligible to cast a ballot in the two races–whether registered Democratic, Republican, Independent or from a minor party. The District 1 race is in effect a special election necessitated by the decision of Andy Dance to resign his school board seat in November, as he’s in a race for a County Commission seat. The winner will serve just two years, and will have to run again in 2022 to retain the seat.
You may cast a vote in all three races regardless of the district, the town or the subdivision you live in. The election on Aug. 18 will decide the winner in District 1 between Vincent Lyon and Jill Woolbright and in District 5, between incumbent Maria Barbosa and Cheryl Massaro, because both races have just two candidates each. District 3 is a three-way race between incumbent Colleen Conklin, Paul Mucciolo and Carol Bacha, known as Mother Elizabeth. The race in this case would be decided only if a candidate wins better than 50 percent of the vote. Short of that, the top two vote-getters will go on to a run-off, to be decided in the general election on Nov. 6.
FlaglerLive submitted identical questions to the school board candidates, who replied in writing, with the understanding that some follow-up questions may be asked, and that all exchanges would be on the record. Questions appear in bold, follow-up questions, when necessary, appear in bold and italics, and may be awaiting answers. When a candidate fails to answer a question, that’s noted in red. The questions and follow-ups attempt to elicit precise answers, but the candidates don’t always comply.
School board members serve four-year terms and are paid $33,950 a year.
The Questions in Summary: Quick Links
- Basics
- Purpose and vision
- Self-Evaluation
- District’s Covid response
- Schools’ reopening
- Masks
- Finances
- Successes and failures
- Half-penny surtax
- School deputies
- LGBTQ rights
- Vaccines
- Flagships
- Social media
- Background check
Place and Date of Birth: Did not respond.
Current job: Did not respond.
Net worth: Did not respond.
Political affiliation (keeping in mind that school board races are non-partisan):
See Maria Barbosa’s 2014 Live Interview.
1. What is your vision for public education in Flagler County and how are you uniquely qualified to help enact it within the limitations of the job? If you’re an incumbent, how have you enacted it in your previous years? If you’re a challenger, what have you done to prepare?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
Jill Woolbright, District 1 Carol Bacha (Mother Elizabeth) Colleen Conklin, District 3 Paul Mucciolo, District 3 Maria Barbosa, District 5 Dave Sullivan, District 3 Donald O'Brien, District 5 Bob Jones, District 5 Don Greene Milissa Holland Alan Lowe Michael Schottey Sims Jones (Dist. 1) Ed Danko (Dist. 1) Nick Klufas (Dist. 3) Cornelia Manfre (Dist. 3) Zack Shapiro (Dist. 3) See The Observer's Speedy Candidate Interviews |
2. Tell us who you are as a person—what human qualities and shortcomings you’ll bring to the board, what your temperament is like: if you’re an incumbent, what do you consider may have been a mistake or a misjudgment on your part in your official capacity—something you’d do over, differently–in the past four years? If you’re a challenger, apply the question to your work or civic involvement.
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
3. Evaluate the way the district handled the Covid pandemic so far: while the order to close in-person instruction was handed down from the Department of Education, remote instruction methods were up to the districts. Did Flagler schools pass that test? Where was the execution best, where did it fail?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
4. How comfortable are you with a full resumption of school in the fall? As a policy maker, you’ll have to approve the district’s reopening plan. What will be your guiding principles in making that decision? What programs or activities are you willing to forfeit next year, should that become necessary, as part of the plan?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
5. Would you approve or disapprove of a school board policy requiring mask-wearing on campuses and on district properties, where students and staff gather in any group? Explain your position either way.
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
6. Finances will be a challenge at least for the next two years as the state experiences a significant economic recession and its aftermath. Budget cuts may be necessary. What program areas, aside from instruction, would you cut, and what areas would you consider too critical?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
7. What are the district’s three brightest successes and the three failures that affect students most? What will be your chief priorities regarding student achievement, within the limits of the doable—that is, four years from now, what can we look back to and say: you were responsible?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
8. In 2022, the district’s half-penny surtax on the sales tax expires. The district will seek to renew it. Evaluate its worth, explaining how you see where it’s paid off, how you see where it has not. Do you support its renewal? Would you alter its scope and fund different items from those funded now?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
9. The County Commission through the sheriff pay for roughly half the cost of sheriff’s deputies in schools but it doesn’t have to: security is a district responsibility. This year, some school board members grumbled about the cost of the contract with the sheriff and suggested alternatives could be sought. What is your opinion of the district’s relationship and contract with the sheriff’s office? In light of the Black Lives Matter movement’s directions, are you comfortable with the presence of deputies on campus? If arming staff as opposed to contracting with the sheriff is the more affordable way to go, would you?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
10. Of course you support all rights for students. But LGBTQ rights were at issue this year, and may be at issue again during your tenure. Evaluate the way the district handled the matter of “gender identity” this year, keeping that wording out of its non-discrimination policy. Would you revisit the issue? If a student identifies differently from what’s on the student’s birth certificate, with regard to biological sex, what should the student’s school do, or not do, with regards to accommodate that identity?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
11. Last school year the Flagler Health Department sought to add the HPV-suppressing Gardasil vaccine to the other vaccines it already provides on campus, free, on a voluntary basis. The school board split 3-2 against. How would you vote should the issue arise again and why?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
12. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the district’s Flagship program.
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
13. Should you be held to account for what you display on your social media pages any differently than for what you would say anywhere public?
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
14. Have you ever been charged with a felony or a misdemeanor anywhere in Flagler, Florida or the United States (other than a speeding ticket), or faced a civil action other than a divorce, but including bankruptcies, or faced any investigative or disciplinary action through a professional board such as the bar or a medical board? If so, please explain, including cases where charges or claims did not lead to conviction or disciplinary action.
Maria Barbosa did not answer the question.
Percy's mother says
There’s a particular group of Republicans in Flagler County who’ve taken over the Republican Party.
This group includes: Mullins, Alan Lowe (running for mayor), Ed Danko (running for city council district 1), Maria Barbosa (running for re-election school board district 5), Victor Barbosa (running to fill Jack Howell’s vacated seat for city council), and others. This group is dangerous.
Mullins and the aforementioned others now determine who is a REAL Republican and who is NOT. The sheep follow and believe, and will follow when it comes time to vote. They’ll vote as Mullins tell them to vote.
There’s been a concerted effort behind the scenes to discredit Cheryl Massaro (running for school board District 5), who has LEGITIMATE educational credentials (Penn State), which include teaching credentials, being a past and current administrator among other things on her legitimate resume. The behind the scenes effort includes such things as insinuating that Cheryl Massaro (if elected) will indoctrinate the students of Flagler County into the LGBTQ lifestyle. The sheep and followers of the aforementioned group will follow along and keep passing the word. Of course, this is all being done behind the scenes.
There has also been a concerted effort behind the scenes to discredit Mayor Holland and Matt Morton (PC City Manager). And by this, I allude to the fact that there’s falsehood going around that the FBI is involved and that Mayor Holland is not a TRUE Republican.
There was/is also a falsehood being pushed by Alan Lowe (running for PC Mayor) that Mayor Holland was having City of Palm Coast employees maintain the property of the old Players Club down near the intracoastal bridge (now owned by the owners of Coastal Cloud). Of course, Alan Lowe says this is evidence of continued corruption by Mayor Holland. In actuality, the City of Palm Coast employees were maintaining the city’s right of way just as they do everywhere else in Palm Coast.
Even Matt Morton’s character is and has been called into question.
The truth is this:
1. Mullins . . . enough said.
2. Alan Lowe . . . if he’s using such distasteful rhetoric at present, I would question his character as it relates to his current and future dealings with the City of Palm Coast residents were he to be elected mayor. If a City of PC resident is found to be NOT a TRUE REPUBLICAN (by Mullins) or a Democrat, is that resident going to get any help from a “Mayor” Lowe?
3. Ed Danko. He’s been here around 3 years, knows nothing about the history or workings of Palm Coast, and ended up here with his tail between his legs after being forced out of the Outer Banks area of the Carolinas. He had been forced to resign from the Republican Executive Committee for threatening a future constituent in a shop . . . should he have been elected to the position he was running for, county commission, I seem to remember. Verifiable. Do some research.
4. Maria Barbosa. She has no legitimate or verifiable PhD, though continually refers to herself as Dr. Barbosa. The State of Florida does not acknowledge her fake education. She’s now posted a fake diploma on her website. Therefore, she does not have, and will never have, a State of Florida License to practice in the mental health arena, even as a Christian counselor.
Maria Barbosa has been hiding behind a particular Florida Statute regarding christian counselors, however, the Florida Statute reads as follows:
FS 490.012 and FS 491.014: (#5): No person of this chapter shall be construed to limit the practice of any individual who solely engaged in behavior analysis SO LONG AS HE OR SHE DOES NOT HOLD HIMSELF OR HERSELF OUT TO THE PUBLIC AS POSSESSING A LICENSE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS CHAPTER OR USE A TITLE PROTECTED BY THIS CHAPTER.
FS 490.12 AND FS 491.014 (b): If a salaried employee of a private nonprofit organization providing counseling services to children, youth and families . . . SO LONG AS HE OR SHE IS NOT HELD OUT TO THE PUBLIC AS A CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER, MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR OR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST.
I could go on, but the general message here is, Maria Barbosa is a complete fraud, but the Republican Party here in Flagler County continues to throw support behind this woman. She has said herself that she’s participated in family therapy and past life regression therapy.
All the things written in this post are verifiable. Anyone can go to the Florida Department of Health and click on “Verify a License”, enter the name and county and see what comes up . . . nothing.
Also, anyone is free to call the State of Florida Board of Health and ask some questions.
There’s more, but this is a long but genuinely very serious post. Please take heed and vote accordingly.
blondee says
That spoke volumes!
Bill C says
There’s a reason Barbosa won’t answer questions- she’s afraid voters will find out who she really is. Her academic credentials are very questionable and that’s why she needs to hide them. How about more disclosure and less campaign signs all over the place?
Eva Mowry says
Wow, nothing to say? Just moved my vote to Cheryl Massaro, who makes a ton of sense. Thank you for doing these, Flagler Live, it is appreciated!
Percy's mother says
Regarding Maria Barbosa holding herself out to have “license” . . . this is the Florida Statute she hides behind; HOWEVER, she hasn’t read the whole thing:
“As long as they DO NOT unlawfully hold themselves out to the public as possessing a license, provisional license, registration or certificate issued pursuant to this chapter OR use a professional title by this chapter”.
See below, directly from the State of Florida Statutes. This can be verified online by inputting Florida Statutes.
Title XXXII REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
Chapter 491 CLINICAL, COUNSELING, AND PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES
SECTION 014Exemptions.
491.014 Exemptions.—
(1) No provision of this chapter shall be construed to limit the practice of physicians licensed pursuant to chapter 458 or chapter 459, or psychologists licensed pursuant to chapter 490, so long as they do not unlawfully hold themselves out to the public as possessing a license, provisional license, registration, or certificate issued pursuant to this chapter or use a professional title protected by this chapter.
Skeptical says
Maria Barbosa is not qualified to sit on the school board. Her education credentials are shaky. Her work history is much the same. She becomes agitated easily. Despite her alleged love for children, and desire to help them, she has little experience of value in the field of education. And, needless to say, if she chooses not to respond to questions, one wonders about her motivation.
tulip says
No Answers means no vote. Ms Massaro is the real person, and deserves the vote.
Head Scratcher says
Percy’s Mom may be correct on several of topics that she addressed.
I will be the first to admit I have not done extensive research on all of the candidates. I guess I should apologize for being a single working father, therefore I do not have the time nor the inclination to dive headfirst into local politics.
BUT, it is true that Cheryl Massaro went to court to speak for the wonderful character of a young man who raped a woman a few years back.
FlaglerLive says
Regarding her testimony at the sentencing hearing of James McDevitt, Cheryl Massaro wrote in an email: “I did speak years ago on Jame’s behalf, along with Pastor Silano. I knew him as a young boy, and watched him grow, and he spent many hours with him at the Youth Center, and I was a personal friend to the family. Rape is much more than a mistake; it is a crime that is indefensible under any circumstances. He had already admitted his mistake, and was assuming punishment. I was trying to limit his term, but given 40 years was crazy. Florida has murders sentenced for less time.” [Massaro was one in a long list of witnesses on McDevitt’s behalf, including another candidate in this year’s elections, Kim Carney, who is running for county commission.]