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Running for the Florida Statehouse [1]

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Date: 2024-06-14  

Hello everyone! My name is Dr. Stephanie Best. I am a lifelong educator, community organizer, worldwide traveler, dancer, sister, and yogi, among other things. As of this week, I can add to the list that I am a Democratic candidate for Florida Statehouse.

Many people will likely have questions about why I am doing this. In short, the answer is simple: I believe that Florida is worth fighting for.

I also know that the Florida values that I was raised with differ strongly from the image portrayed by the aggressively gerrymandered Republican majority in the Florida state legislature. Florida needs representatives who will not cower to a governor who is more interested in waging a war against the imaginary WOKE monster than he is in serving the people of Florida. I am fighting to be an advocate for solidarity, opportunity, and security for all Floridians.

Florida needs representatives who will not cower to a governor who is more interested in waging a war against the imaginary WOKE monster than he is in serving the people of Florida. Marvel at the beauty of this view from my paddleboard as the sun sets on Biscayne Bay. Florida's environment and natural resources are worth protecting.

At a time when public education and school communities are under attack in Florida, the statehouse desperately needs the voices of teachers and educational leaders to advocate for our teachers and students.

I am a first-generation college graduate who was born just north of Orlando in Altamonte Springs and began my education journey at a Florida public elementary school.

From that starting point, I completed my undergraduate degree at (B.S.) Vanderbilt University with a double major in Health and Human Services (Health and Human Services Concentration) and Spanish literature. I then taught high school Spanish in the Nashville area for a few years while I completed my Master's in Education (M.Ed.) at Lipscomb University in the evenings and moved to Madrid, Spain, for a few years to teach bilingual education. When I moved back to the United States in 2017, I settled back in my home state of Florida in Miami, Florida, where I completed my doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Miami and worked as an instructional coach and professional development facilitator and faculty at Miami Dade College.

In my experience, life rarely goes as planned. Nothing says completing a doctoral degree in Miami, Florida, during a pandemic quite like an outdoors, socially distant ceremony repping a rain poncho and a UMiami mask.

I have seen first-hand the life-changing impact that Florida schools, colleges, and universities can have on students, families, and communities by providing opportunities. At a time when public education and school communities are under attack in Florida, the statehouse desperately needs the voices of teachers and educational leaders to advocate for our teachers and students. I am fighting for Florida teachers, students, schools, and communities because amplifying teachers' voices is especially needed at this time. As a bilingual education professional, I am further striving to be a voice that serves as a bridge for my community.

My district is a swing district and arguably one of the Florida Democrats' best opportunities to flip a statehouse seat blue. However, I will not be able to do it alone. It will take a community grassroots effort to make it happen. If you would like to support me on this journey, you can follow this link to make a contribution. Act Blue for Dr. Steph Best, Democrat for Florida Statehouse, District 114

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