Christian non-profit leader Alicia Farrant, who was elected to the Orange County Public School Board to represent District 3 in November, is promising to get OCPS back to the basics.
By Jacob Engels
Despite a hard fought campaign that featured scurrilous attacks on her character and faith, parental rights advocate Alicia Farrant is not letting the negativity from the midterm elections take her focus away from doing what is best for the schoolchildren of Orange County.
Christian Non-Profit Leader Running For Orange County School Board
“I look forward to uniting and working with my colleagues for the sake of our children, families, and teachers. I am here to unite, as well as protect every child who walks through the doors of our schools each day.
While I will be working to raise the standard of excellence in all areas of OCPS, there are a few that will take precedence: school safety, transparency in education, and building unity,” Farrant told the Central Florida Post.
Earlier this year, she was recognized by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis when he signed HB1467 into law, which demands parents have more control over the curriculum being taught to their children and set term limits for school board members in Florida.
School safety is at the top of her list since being sworn in a few weeks ago. Mrs. Farrant said that parents, students, teachers, and staff must have confidence in our schools ability to keep everyone safe from harm not only from the outside, but from within.
“We must provide a safe learning environment to help every child recover from learning losses due to the pandemic. Test scores are currently at a thirty year low and bullying is at an all time high. I am proud to have the backing of our local law enforcement and I plan to meet with our School Resource Officers to see how we can improve,” explained Farrant.
Another focus of hers is to give the parents in Orange County transparency from the leadership of OCPS, something Farrant felt was lacking during the past several years. Like thousands of other concerned parents.
Farrant regularly attended OCPS board meetings to express her frustration over mask mandates, remote learning, and appropriate curriculum being taught or sexualized content being available in school libraries.
“Parents and taxpayers deserve to know exactly what is being taught to our students at every grade level. Additionally, we have to show them how funds are being spent.”
The mother of five, who along with her husband and children, does Christian ministry work around the world through her husband’s church and non-profit. Mrs. Farrant wants OCPS to represent the “beautiful tapestry” of so many amazing cultures.
“Sadly though, many of our students feel invisible when they go to school. They go throughout their day and never connect with anyone. My goal is to work with my local principals to build unity through character building.
I have already been in contact with several who have implemented incredible programs. When our kids feel a sense of belonging, we will see an improvement in their grades, mental health, and overall well being.”
A first-time candidate for office, Farrant does not have the baggage or bad habits of a career politician or interest in political maneuvering in her capacity as the OCPS Board Member for District 3.
“I am a mom with a servant’s heart. I will lead with integrity and continue to partner with parents as we strive to raise the standard of excellence in our education system. In the words of Mother Teresa… “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Jacob Engels is an Orlando based journalist whose work has been featured and republished in news outlets around the globe including Politico, Infowars, MSNBC, Orlando Sentinel, New York Times, Daily Mail UK, Associated Press, People Magazine, ABC, Fox News, and Australia’s New Dawn Magazine, LauraLoomer.US, and The Gateway Pundit.
Mr. Engels focuses on stories that other news outlets neglect or willingly hide to curry favor among the political and special interests in the state of Florida and beyond.
