East Village Magazine October 2020 Special Edition Flint Community Schools Board Election Candidates and their views Photograph By Education Beat I Flint Board of Education election: Twelve candidates for three six-year positions By Harold C. Ford Vol. LVIII No. 11 Special Ed. 2020 “When parents are looking at • Meeting the requirements of a Founder Gary P. Custer where to send their kids (to school), three-year (2018-19 to 2020-21) partner- Consulting Editor Jan Worth-Nelson there’s an awful lot of faith involved in the ship plan imposed by the State of Michigan Consulting Editor Ted Nelson sense that, you may not have any money, to improve test scores by 10 percent, reduce but you’re investing your kid in a school suspensions by 10 percent, and increase Managing Editor Tom Travis district. It’s the job of the school district, student attendance to 90 percent; Copy Editor Danielle Ward the challenge of the school district, to be • The erosion of staff — 78 educa- Reporters Harold C. Ford Madeleine Graham worthy of that faith.” tors departed FCS in 2019 taking with Patsy Isenberg – Paul Jordan, member Flint them 1,014 years of experience in Flint Zach Neithercut Board of Education, 2005-2009 schools — and subsequent staffing of Coner Segren classrooms with paraprofessionals and Columnists Jan Worth-Nelson The election of 2020, up and guest teachers still seeking certification; Teddy Robertson down the ballot, according to many • Adopting a strategy to rid the dis- Paul Rozycki Photographer Edwin D. Custer political pundits, is one of the most trict of at least 22 buildings already closed critical in a generation. That includes, and 16 vacant properties—including the Distribution Staff of course, the battles for control of the Northwestern campus that still houses the Director: Edwin D. Custer. Staff: Sue Bailey, Kim executive and legislative branches of district’s central kitchen; Bargy, Jacob Blumner, Connor Coyne & Ruby Coyne, Casey Custer, Caroline Fechik, Christine & the Federal Government that garner • A recent history of instability in Patrick Figgins, Marabeth Foreman, Charlie & Linda most of the headlines. But it also the central office highlighted by the & Patrick & Terrance & Christan & Jillianne Goldsberry, Ingrid Halling & Bob Thomas, Patsy includes contests at the state and local appointment of seven superintendents in Isenberg, Robert Jewell, Carol Larzelere Kellermann, levels of government. 15 years. Stephen Kellermann, Jo Larzelere, Mary LeRoy, In Flint, voters will fill three seats James & Lillian & Livia Londrigan, Alan & Julie Lynch, Ron & Mary Meeker, Robert & Nancy on the Flint Community Schools (FCS) Recent FCS success stories Meszko, Ted Nelson, Dave & Becky Pettengill, Dick Board of Education for six-year terms, include: Ramsdell, Julian Rodriquez, Paul Rozycki, Mike 2021-26. Arguably, Flint’s public • The assembling of an adminis- Spleet, Kim & Ronan & Jude Streby, Holly West, and Karen Wilkinson. schools face an existential challenge trative team under the leadership of Board of Trustees unlike anything since the opening of “home-grown” Anita Steward, some- • FaLessia Booker • Edwin D. Custer Flint High School at S. Saginaw and one with deep roots in the Flint com- • Alec Gibbs • Jack D. Minore Third Street in September of 1875, 145 munity, possessing a leadership style • Paul Rozycki • Robert R. Thomas years ago. that offends virtually no one, and an • Jan Worth-Nelson, ex-officio FCS leaders face daunting chal- apparent workaholic that seems to 720 E. Second St. Flint, Mich. 48503 lenges that include: have answers for any questions asked (810) 233-7459 • Safely providing instruction to its of her; Website: student population during a deadly pan- • Introduction of a thoughtful, eastvillagemagazine.org flexible plan, crafted with substantial E-mail: demic while navigating mixed signals [email protected] from Michigan’s state government; input from the medical community, for Layout by Ted Nelson. Printing by Riegle Press Inc., • Continuing loss of student popu- the reopening of Flint school buildings 1282 N. Gale Rd., Davison, Mich. 48423. East Village Magazine is a program of the Village lation — now reported at just more than for face-to-face/brick-and-mortar Information Center Inc., a nonprofit corpo ration. We 3,000, possibly making Flint the 8th largest instruction; welcome material from readers, but all submissions become the property of the publication and if published school system in Genesee County — and • Substantial voter approval of a 4.0 will be edited to conform to the editorial style and poli- resultant loss of state aid; millage proposal in March 2020 that should cies of the publication. All inquiries about the publica- tion should be mailed to East Village Magazine, • An ongoing precarious financial help to retire the district’s overall debt and Village Information Cen ter, 720 E. Second St., Flint, state largely caused by loss of student reduce the annual budget deficit; Mich. 48503. Distribution is the first Thursday of each month. Display advertising rates are $34 a column-inch population and legacy debt from a 2014 • Two judicial decisions that are plus any other costs. Unclassified ads are $2.50 a print- ed line or part of a printed line. Rates subject to change loan totaling nearly $20 million; (Continued on Page 3 without notice. The deadline for advertising is 10 days before each pub li cation date. Cover: FCS Administration, Building © 2020 East Village Magazine 2 ... Election despite diminishing resources and increas- calls were made; and in a few instances ing demands of the global economy.” social network sites and mutual acquain- (Continued from Page 3.) • Preparation “to speak up and tances were utilized. likely to provide additional funds for serve as an advocate for public educa- At press time, eight candidates had Flint’s special needs students; tion in your community.” responded to requests from EVM for • The adoption and implementation • A willingness “to uphold state information: Abdul-Matin; Booker; of a forward-looking balanced calendar; laws … put learning first, and give pri- Doan; Houston; MacIntyre; Ellis- • The settlement of two lawsuits ority to what’s best for children.” McNeal; Mitchell; and Moore. brought by the American Civil Liberties The MASB reminds us that Four candidates had not provided Union that will impact discipline and Michigan’s 4,000 locally elected school information: Forte; Hawk; Murphy; and funding for special education; board members “annually oversees Wesley. • A plan for infrastructure expenditures of $14.58 billion, sets poli- upgrades at all FCS school buildings cies affecting the futures of 1.48 million Paucity of information: including heating and air-conditioning; students, and makes decisions that • Provision of a safe water supply impact cultural and economic life in Other than names, addresses, and for staff and students; more than 600 communities.” contact information, virtually nothing is • Settlement of new contracts with publicly available to voters about the all three employee bargaining units — Departures candidates for the Flint board. The United Teachers of Flint, Local 517 of the League of Women Voters (LWV) no SEIU (paraprofessionals), and Congress The terms of three incumbent longer publishes its Voter Guide that of Flint School Administrators. board members come to an end on Dec. was distributed with the area’s largest 31, 2020. None of them opted for daily newspaper. Board candidate qualifications reelection. Rather, information about candi- Casey Lester, board president dates is available at LWV’s Vote411 The qualifications to run for a (with nearly two years on the board), Voter Guide website. At press time, local education board in Michigan seem Betty Ramsdell, secretary (11 years), information was available at the web- simple and straightforward. A candi- and Blake Strozier, trustee (10 years), site for only one of the twelve candi- date must be 18 years of age; a U.S. cit- take with them more than two decades dates: Mario D. Booker. The same izen; a Michigan resident for at least 30 of Flint board experience. message appeared for all other 11 can- days; a resident of the school district 30 didates: “Candidate has not yet days prior to the election; and a regis- Candidates responded.” tered voter in the school district where s/he is a candidate. Candidates for the FCS Board of EVM questions for candidates Further, a $100 filing fee payable education include: Timothy Abdul- to local clerks is required. Property own- Matin; Mario DeSean Booker; Michael In addition to a request for a brief ership is not a requirement for candidacy. D. Doan; Joyce Ellis-McNeal; Antonio biography and photo, candidates were Some felonies disqualify a candidate. Forte II; Ariana Hawk; Jaron Houston; asked three questions by EVM. Beyond the official qualifications Laura Gillespie MacIntyre; Billie D. for local boards, the Michigan Mitchell; Anita Moore; Roemon M. 1. Flint’s student count is barely Association of School Boards recom- Murphy; Leondrew Wesley. more than 3,000 at the start of this, the mends the following unofficial, yet At first glance, the dozen can- 2020-21 school year. About 15,000 important, requirements: didates collectively offer up little school-age children live in Flint but • A willingness “to take the time name recognition in terms of elective more of them attend other private and to study current education issues…” experience. Thus, East Village charter schools and other public schools • A willingness “to pursue the Magazine (EVM) has attempted to through the Schools of Choice pro- skills, the knowledge, and the training gather information and photos of all gram. What should be done to stabilize necessary to become a fully engaged the candidates to provide to Flint vot- the student population of Flint and effective board member.” ers prior to the Nov. 3 election. Community Schools? • The ability “to work as a gover- Over a two-week period, EVM made nance team member, putting personal multiple attempts to contact all of the candi- 2.