Four candidates vie for District 4 seat on Brevard's school board: Here's what to know
Two former teachers, an active-duty U.S. Navy member and a recent high school graduate are vying for the District 4 seat on Brevard's school board.
Incumbent Matt Susin will face off in August against Avanese Taylor, mom and member of the Navy; former teacher Keith Schachter; and Max Madl, a 2024 Viera High graduate. Unless one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff with the two top vote-getters, and a board member will be elected during the Nov. 5 general election.
District 4 covers the central Brevard area, making up the Viera, Suntree and Satellite Beach area and part of Rockledge.
The position, as one of five Brevard School Board members, has a four-year term and a salary of $48,725 a year as of June 2024. The race is nonpartisan, meaning candidates run without their political party affiliation appearing on the ballot.
Susin, a former high school history teacher, was first elected in 2016. He won his reelection bid in 2020 against retired university professor Dave Worrell, and served as board chair during the 2022-2023 school year.
Candidate goals
The candidates have a diverse collection of issues they're running on, from parental involvement to school board decorum to student mental health and more.
All four express a goal of increasing resources for mental health for students in the district for their safety and success.
Susin, Taylor and Schachter also said parental involvement is a core aspect of their platform. Schachter wasn't specific about his vision for what this could look like, but for Taylor, it's a matter of allowing parents and teachers "open communication and mutual respect" so they can collaborate together, according to her website, with the goal of providing students the best learning environment possible.
As for Susin, his focus goes beyond teachers and more to the school board. He hopes to increase the involvement of parents in the board's decision-making processes, according to his website, as well as parents' collaboration with teachers.
Susin, Madl and Schachter want to expand career and technical education opportunities. Schachter wants to involve more local businesses with the district to help "shape and implement curriculum initiatives that serve their interest in the workforce," according to his website. Susin didn't say exactly what he hopes to expand, but spoke to the advantages of participating in CTE programs, saying they often appeal to students who may not otherwise thrive in traditional classrooms. As for Madl, he believes CTE programs need more funding to better provide students with the most opportunities possible.
Both Schachter and Taylor brought up issues with district leadership. Schachter addressed decorum at the school board, saying there needs to be less "arguing, name-calling and childish behavior" from board members, while Taylor said she wants to build a culture of "continued improvement and success" at the district, with accountable leadership and transparency.
Schachter also mentioned issues such as getting rid of testing, addressing teacher and staff pay and recruitment, and making the district more competitive.
Endorsements and donations
The candidates have received donations from a variety of sources, with Susin capturing the most funds.
Overall, Susin has received a total of $61,043 in monetary contributions, including $10,150 from himself. Some of his donors include Mike Haridopolos, former president of the Florida Senate and current Republican candidate for Congress; Commitment to Opportunity Action and Community Health, $1,000; K4 Strategic Enterprises, $1,000; lobbyist John Costello, $500; lobbyist John Cerra and Cerra Consulting Group; former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Steve Crisafulli; Local Home Builders PAC; Local Union 295; The Viera Co.; lobbyist Sheela VanHoose; lobbyist Richard Lindstrom; Leo's Concrete; lobbyist Corrine Mixon; lobbyist Jessica Janasiewicz; lobbyist Scott Ross; and Florida Pipe Trades Council.
Susin has spent $28,539.91 on his campaign so far, as well as a $1,500 in-kind contribution.
Taylor has received the second-most funds, with a total of $11,784 in monetary contributions to her campaign, including $800 she donated. Some of her donors include school board member Jennifer Jenkins; Elizabeth Mikitarian, founder of Stop Moms for Liberty; Keith Yarbrough, a former candidate for the District 2 seat on Brevard's school board; and attorney Alton Edmond.
Taylor has spent $8,924.56, as well as in-kind contributions totaling $98.13.
Madl and Schachter have received nearly the same amount in contributions, with Madl receiving a total of $4,226.10 in monetary contributions to his campaign — including a donation from Mark Pieloch, founder of American Muscle Car Museum, and a $1,050 contribution from himself. Schachter received a total of $4,595 in monetary contributions, including $1,800 from himself. Madl has spent $3,448.31, as well as a total of $203.64 on in-kind donations, while Schachter has spent $3,445.15, as well as a total of $548.59 as in-kind contributions.
Susin holds the most endorsements of the four candidates, with endorsements from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Florida Education Association, Brevard Federation of Teachers, Business Voice of Florida's Space Coast, Florida Pipe Trades Council, Coastal Florida Police Benevolent Association, Space Coast Association of Realtors, Central Florida Associate Builders & Contractors and Space Coast Home Builders and Contractors.
Brevard Federation of Teachers backed Susin over the other three candidates, saying he has "consistently advocated" for teachers.
"He supports us in our contract proposals, labor-management issues, votes against unfair terminations, and helped beat back massive health insurance increases," union President Anthony Colucci said in an email sent to BFT members. "On the majority of issues, Mr. Susin has demonstrated that he is strong supporter of our union."
Taylor has been endorsed by Educated We Stand, a political advocacy organization launched by Jenkins with the goal of "blunting the progress of far-right school takeovers," according to its website. She was also endorsed by Futures PAC on Tuesday, with a spokesperson promising a donation of $1,000 to her campaign.
At this point, Madl and Schachter have received no official endorsements.
Tuesday's forum: Teacher salaries, guardian program were hot topics
At a candidate forum hosted Tuesday night by Brevard's chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative parental rights group, all four candidates spoke to a crowd of around 200 about their goals should they be elected. There was a heavy focus on advocating for teachers by all, especially for better salaries.
Asked by co-founder of Moms for Liberty Tina Descovich if they would support a millage referendum during the next election, all candidates said they would, though Schachter emphasized that the district should look into other types of funding.
"I call it the Band-Aid," he said. "We need to reevaluate our funding sources."
Despite not supporting the millage referendum in 2022, Susin said, he has always supported the millage, adding that he's been advocating since he was a teacher.
"There's never been a time in our school district's history, or as a teacher, that I did not advocate for the highest amount of raises for my teachers that they could ever have," he said.
Taylor, however, called his continued support into question.
"I don't think you supported the millage the last time," she said, adding, "just because you have the endorsement (from BFT) doesn't mean you have the support of all teachers."
Susin replied by saying he has always been supportive of teachers, speaking of his experience as a former teacher and coach.
"I work and I advocate and I fight, which I have, over and over again, for the past 20 years in the school district," he said.
Candidates were also asked if they support the guardian program, which allows non-classroom employees at Brevard Public Schools to volunteer to carry guns after undergoing training. A memorandum of understanding between BPS and the sheriff's office was approved at a May school board meeting after multiple members of the media and the public were told that it would not be voted on at that time.
Susin supported it, while Schachter and Madl both said they felt they needed input from the community, and Madl raising concerns about liability issues.
"I would like to hear some community feedback before we fully implement the program in Brevard Public Schools," Madl said. "My question is: Why did the board recently approve this program?"
Taylor, who described herself as unafraid of guns, said she was on board with the program until the board opted to allow anyone to volunteer, as long as they weren't assigned to a classroom.
"If it was my child, I would prefer it to be someone who was a professional, and not a volunteer," she said. "We all want our kids safe, but the thing that differs is probably how we would go about it, and I've talked to law enforcement who are on both sides of the coin."
Max Madl
Occupation: Kids' camp counselor
Education: High school diploma from Viera High; associate of arts from Eastern Florida State College; will be attending the University of Florida in the fall.
Political/government/civic experience: Helped found Viera High School's political clubs, volunteer with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and volunteer teacher assistant during the 2023-2024 school year.
Age on Election Day: 18
Campaign email: [email protected]
Campaign phone number: 321-209-3030
Campaign website: www.maxmadl.com
Facebook page: Max Madl for School Board
Keith Schachter
Occupation: Self-employed; owner and founder of B2K12 Branding Solutions, contracted advertising agency with school districts
Education: Master of Arts in educational leadership, Nova Southeastern University, 2012; Bachelor of Arts in sociology, FAU, 1999
Political/government/civic experience: 17 years serving in Broward and Brevard counties as a teacher, magnet school coordinator and assistant principal
Age on Election Day: 48
Campaign email: [email protected]
Campaign phone number: 321-917-3961
Campaign website: www.fixbps.com
Facebook page: Keith Schachter for Brevard School Board District 4
Matt Susin
Occupation: Current school board member, insurance
Education: Bachelor's degree, dual majors, political science and history, Florida State University
Political/government/civic experience: Current Brevard School Board member, previous board chair; former teacher at Space Coast High School, Viera High School and Eau Gallie High School
Age on Election Day: 49
Campaign email: [email protected]
Campaign phone number: 321-758-2030
Campaign website: susin4students.com
Facebook page: Matthew Susin, Brevard County School Board Member, District 4
Avanese Taylor
Occupation: Active duty in the United States Navy for 17 years and 10 months; completing her last tour of duty before retiring on the Space Coast. Her campaign, she said, is not endorsed or sponsored by the U.S. Navy.
Education: Capella University, doctorate in general psychology; Liberty University, Master of Arts, professional counseling; Clark Atlanta University, Bachelor of Arts, psychology
Political/government/civic experience: Attending school board meetings and actively participating in the District Discipline Work Group, where community members worked together to benefit all BPS students, resulting in the approval of the 2024-2025 Code of Conduct; participation in the District BIPOC and Community Leader meetings, where community members collaborate and share resources and ideas; mentoring students in Take Stock in Children and Top Teens of America; involved with the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Council; volunteer with The Children's Hunger Project; contributor to community welfare as the secretary for the Central Brevard NAACP; member of Top Ladies of Distinction Inc.
Age on Election Day: 41
Campaign email: [email protected]
Campaign phone number: 321-345-8199
Campaign website: avanesetaylor.com
Facebook page: Dr. Avanese Taylor for Brevard County School Board, District 4
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at [email protected]. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Meet the candidates running for District 4 seat on Brevard school board
