NPE Action endorses India Palencia for Lee County School Board District 6. 

NPE Action endorses India Palencia for Lee County School Board District 6. As a substitute teacher currently working in Lee County classrooms and a community advocate for over two years, Palencia brings the direct classroom experience and grassroots organizing expertise desperately needed on the school board. Her candidacy represents a clear choice between corporate-backed establishment politics and genuine advocacy for public education.

According to Palencia, her opponent, incumbent Jada Langford Fleming, left the classroom approximately ten years ago, has voted with the majority in all but one instance during her tenure, and is identified as a Moms for Liberty candidate. Her time on the board has been marked by a lack of meaningful initiatives, while Lee County’s public schools have suffered from chronic underfunding and mismanagement.

The contrast could not be starker. Palencia’s platform centers on the fundamental priorities that NPE Action has championed nationwide: protecting public education from privatization, ensuring fair compensation for educators, and demanding transparency and accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent.

Lee County faces a teacher pay crisis of staggering proportions. Despite having a budget nearly the size of the DEA, the district has the lowest teacher pay in the nation. Rather than address this crisis honestly, the district has cut teacher positions, required educators to cover multiple classrooms, and claimed to offer record raises that still leave teachers unable to afford a decent living. Palencia advocates for paying teachers and staff a thriving wage as a non-negotiable priority, understanding that without competitive compensation, the district cannot attract and retain the quality educators students deserve.

On budget transparency, Palencia proposes redirecting excess spending from administrative bloat back to classrooms to afford more paraprofessionals, mental health professionals, coaches, and media specialists. She supports instituting blind bidding on all projects and ensuring that budget overruns are absorbed by contractors rather than the district. 

Palencia’s opposition to education privatization aligns directly with NPE Action’s mission. She expresses significant concerns about charter schools due to a lack of oversight and mismatched standards, and she warns about the Schools of Hope Legislation, which allows charter schools to take over or coexist in public school spaces. She strongly supports requiring charter schools that receive public funds to disclose their finances publicly, stating simply: “Public funds mean public accountability.”

On vouchers, Palencia recognizes what NPE Action has documented nationwide: the voucher system drains critical resources from public schools while providing government assistance to private enterprise with minimal accountability. Florida struggles to track voucher funding, and the program systematically handicaps public schools while claiming to offer choice.

 She proposes reducing class sizes to 15 students or fewer, establishing community town halls for genuine dialogue, and protecting student data privacy without exception.

Palencia has committed to championing public schools and fighting for policies and funding that make public schools “the best choice in school choice.” Her hands-on classroom experience, combined with her community advocacy and clear positions against privatization, make her the candidate who will stand up for students, educators, and the broader community. Please come out and vote for India Palencia for school board on August 18. 

Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Authorized and paid for by Network for Public Education Action, PO Box 227. New York, NY 10156. 646-678-4477.