Voters: Board Of Education Candidate Selection Is As Easy As 1, 2, 3

I’ve been collecting some pretty impressive “resumes” in the form of campaign literature from local School Board candidates over the past few weeks. But when it comes to making my final selection(s) for Election Day, November 8th … it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

By referencing the Lakewood City Schools Board of Education Bylaws, Section “123,” Code of Ethics/Code of Conduct, and thinking of it as the “job description” for the position, I have been sorting out the best “hire(s).”  You can read the full text of the code at http://www.neola.com/lakewood-oh/.

I have assumed that all of the candidates are law-abiding, decent, mature people, capable of complying with the majority of the code. However I have selected the alphabetical items from the code that cause some concern with certain “applicants.”

A. Remember that my first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of all students attending the public schools;

I am afraid that the highest priority may get lost amongst the difficult financial circumstances facing the district and the unfinished Master Facilities Plan.  “The educational welfare of all students” must be safeguarded and remain the focus through all other circumstances.

G. Encourage ongoing communications among Board members, the Board, students, staff & the community;

I have witnessed and experienced breakdowns in communication among current Board members and between the Board and the community on important issues. This dysfunction leads to a lack of consensus on the Board, a lack of acceptance in the community and a lack of trust all around. With the majority of the Board serving their 4th, 5th or 7th terms and and their contacts going back decades, who is communicating with those who weren’t here way back when? Who is communicating with those that are not part of their long-established intimate network? The Board must represent ALL residents, including the many first generation transplants that are just as fully invested in the community. This may be most easily remedied in the short term by diversification on the Board. For the future, perhaps term limits and representation by neighborhood school district should be considered.

H. Render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment rather than succumbing to the influence of individuals or special interest groups;

I won’t rehash Phase III of the Master Facilities Plan here but it is a perfect example of why item H is so important. Many citizens believe that facts were ignored and individuals and special interest groups were allowed to dominate and influence the process the Board went through to make their decisions regarding which schools should be included. You can read more at www.lakewoodobserver.com. Go to the menu on the left, under PRINTED ISSUE IN PDF click on Volume 6, Issue 3 & Volume 6, Issue 4. You can also search the Observation Deck under “Phase 3.”

I. Make every effort to attend all Board meetings;

J. Become informed concerning the issues to be considered at each meeting;

K. Improve my boardmanship by studying educational issues and by participating in in-service programs;

Although items I, J & K refer to members of the Board, not candidates, a candidate that has been paying attention to the current issues in public education is ready to serve. Having attended many BOE meetings in recent years, I can say that aside from the incumbent candidate, only one other candidate has been consistently attending Board meetings. The others have made (an) occasional appearance(s), some very timely, some very beneficial to the community.

N. Avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof;

Lastly, while I think it is vital that Lakewood citizens, the City, the Schools and all Lakewood organizations work together for the good of our community, there are enough qualified, willing residents to serve the interests of the schools exclusively without having to “avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof;” due to the overlap and relationships that exist with certain candidates.

Before casting your ballot, I encourage you to consider the “job description” when reviewing the candidates’ “resumes” arriving on your doorstep this campaign season.

Please vote responsibly. Lakewood’s future depends on it.