Konk Life’s Political Questionnaire
Interview conducted by Mark Howell
Tell us your age, what office you’re running for and any previous offices held.
My name is Bobby Highsmith, and I am running for the Monroe County School Board, District 1 seat. This is my first time running for office.
Explain your platform and why you are running.
I am a product of the Monroe County system and I have two children currently enrolled in Monroe County public schools. Accordingly, I am keenly interested in making sure that we have the very best school system possible. My campaign platform is based upon three themes: High morale. High stakes. High standards.
High morale: Our district has suffered significant setbacks in recent years as a result of both internal and external factors. I believe we have weathered the storm and are now back on a positive track. Our teachers and our students are accomplishing great things. I think that in order for us to achieve our very best, it is essential for all of us — teachers, students, parents, support staff, administrators and the broader community at large — to feel good about our School District and to buy-in to what it is doing.
High stakes: The stakes are simply too high for us to settle for anything less than the very best for —and by — our school system. As our schools and public education go, so goes our society. We cannot afford to continue with the bickering and divisiveness and personal agendas that have plagued our district in the past.
High standards: My number-one goal is for us to have the very best school district in the state of Florida. I know that this starts with making sure that we continue to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers out there. In addition, we need to make sure that our teachers and students have adequate resources within the classroom to meet the increasing demands of our technology-driven society.
Detail how you differ from your competing candidates.
I think that my life experiences here in the Keys give me a unique ability to interact and communicate with, and thereby understand, the concerns and represent the interests of virtually every segment of our broad and diverse community. My parents were career educators in our school system. I was born and raised here and attended our public school system. My two children are currently enrolled in our system. My law practice takes me up and down the Keys representing clients and working with other legal, accounting and financial professionals. I am a member of the Navy League and the Military Affairs Committee. I have been involved with the Community Foundation, the Tennessee Williams Theatre and other charitable organizations for many years, and through this work have had the good fortune to meet and befriend many of the extremely talented and successful folks who have moved here and made Key West their home. I am comfortable speaking with anyone and I think everyone should and will feel comfortable sharing their concerns with me and knowing that I will always put the best interests of our school district first.
Tell us your personal history — education; professional career; family life — and how long you’ve lived in the Keys or the county and your relationship to the Florida Keys and/or Key West.
My family’s life in Key West started in 1966 when my parents, Kerry and Sandy, moved here from Washington, D.C., to take jobs as schoolteachers. I was born in Key West in 1969 and had the very good fortune of being raised here and attending Monroe County public schools for elementary, middle and high school. I graduated from Key West high school as valedictorian in 1987. I attended Duke University on a football scholarship and graduated cum laude with a degree in economics. I attended law school at the University of Florida and graduated with honors in 1994.
After graduating from law school, I worked with a large law firm in Miami for two years. I returned home in 1996 and partnered with Bob Feldman and Tim Koenig. With the retirement of Feldman and the addition of David Van Loon, our firm is now called Koenig Highsmith & Van Loon, P.A. I am board certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in wills, trusts and estates.
I have two great kids, Grace and Tommy, and the most amazing girlfriend/paralegal/campaign manager, Kimberley Denney.
Touch on your personal passions in addition to the above.
I am a big football fan and have had a blast coaching my son’s little league football teams. I also enjoy boating, reading, meditation and bike riding, and have recently gotten hooked on pub trivia.
Describe where, in your view, we might be going wrong in the Keys and/or Key West.
I wouldn’t say there’s an area where we are necessarily going wrong; rather, there are opportunities that we are not yet taking full advantage of. Our economy continues to rely primarily on tourism, fishing and the military. If we can attain the status as the best school system in the state, if our entire community can support our schools and buy-in to their success, perhaps we can develop a fourth estate as a destination for education. We could become a magnet for successful families looking for an ideal location to raise their children. Technology today allows many people to do their work from virtually anywhere in the world. I think a world-class school system would draw successful and talented people from all over that would enhance not only our economy but also our culture and our society in general.
Tell us the political flash points you expect to encounter if elected.
Although our economy and the revenues flowing to our school district continue to improve, I believe that our district will continue to be forced to make hard choices regarding the allocation of limited resources. As my momma always told me, “You can have anything you want, you just can’t have everything you want.” I think that our highest priority remains teacher compensation, but I recognize that there are a lot of other needs that must be met in order for us to have a top quality school system.
Tell us anything you feel you need to explain or any misapprehension you believe voters may have of you.
My sole purpose in running for the school board is to help ensure that my children and yours have the very best education possible. I have no hidden agendas or personal debts or obligations that would impair or hinder my ability to always do what I believe to be in the best interests of the school system.
Give us your view on the partisan divisiveness in politics today and any solution to it you might have.
I think the partisan divisiveness in politics today is depressing and disheartening, and that it is the result of the proliferation of special-interest groups and a political class that seeks first its own preservation and self-interest. In society in general, I believe both liberals and conservatives truly have the best interests of our nation at heart, although they have legitimately different ideas on how to get there. As with most things, I believe the solution is education. I think that sooner or later enough people will see through the rhetoric and a critical mass will develop that sees things as they really are and insists that divisiveness and politics be put aside in favor of real solutions to real problems.
Given that gender equality, income parity, voting rights and sexual preferences continue as big political issues nationwide today, tell us on which side of the aisle you stand.
To my mind, the best and probably only way to effectively deal with bias, prejudice, inequality and poverty is through education. I believe that a well-educated society, with liberty and equal justice for all, is the best solution for most of our problems. I don’t think this is a partisan political issue; it is a matter of fundamental human rights.
How about immigration, gun control and capital punishment.
Fortunately, I am running for school board and I don’t expect these issues to come before the board. My thoughts on these issues are probably best described as complex, evolving and often contradictory. For instance, I believe firmly in the Second Amendment but I am very concerned about the rash of school shootings. Although I ponder these things often, I still haven’t found what I feel are the right answers.
Name your favorite movie.
“Caddyshack”
Your favorite TV show.
“Pardon the Interruption” on ESPN
Your favorite TV talking head.
Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon from “Pardon the Interruption”
Your favorite newspaper columnist.
Kimberley Denney a/k/a Bitchin’ Paradise. Mark Howell is a distant second
Your favorite book.
The Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O’Brian
Your favorite character in American history.
Benjamin Franklin
Your favorite person in Florida Keys and/or Key West history.
Your favorite quote or proverb.
Judge not, lest you be judge
Any secret strength you’d like to reveal about yourself at this point?
I am a surprisingly good dancer.
[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]
No Comment