The League of Women Voters' voter guide states, "The [Akron Public Schools] board is a policymaking body and members are the chief advisors to the superintendent on community attitudes. Board members do not manage the day-to-day operations of a school district; they see to it that the system is managed well by professional administrators."
The last 13 words of that statement have not been the case for a long time.
Without strong leadership, the needs of Akron's students have not been given the urgent priority currently required.
During the pandemic, APS leadership refused to push back on the teachers union and kept all buildings closed to all students for a full year. This all-or-nothing thinking was indefensible. As early as summer 2020, widely published, substantive research proved that schools were not super-spreader locations. However, keeping buildings closed to all students for so long, as was documented in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, devastates student outcomes for years.
Today, teachers and staff are dealing directly with that devastation. Vulnerable children lost tremendous academic ground and the youngest students didn't adequately learn the academic and social basics needed to function in school and beyond.
Akron needs school board members who come to board meetings not to learn about the agenda items they will vote on, but already prepared and willing to engage in dynamic discussions, debates even, so as to find the best solutions to the many important issues facing the district.
On Nov. 7, Akron voters can choose three new school board members from a pool of eight candidates, including one former and one current member.
The first is Patrick Bravo, who was a school board member for 10 years, and board president during the pandemic. Many poor board decisions, including the hiring of of former superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack, were made while Bravo was on the board. It is concerning that he has not spoken to what he would do differently if again elected.
Rene Molenaur was chosen to finish out the term of N.J. Akbar when he stepped down last April and must now run for a new term. Molenaur has impressive academic credentials including a Ph.D. in urban education and education policy. Her answers in board meetings and debates are thoughtful and well-informed. But she is not, at least yet, a leader. A strong board president would welcome her input on complex issues — which are most issues at APS.
Like a game of "tag you're it," three members of the Sykes family, Vernon and Barbara, along with their daughter Emilia, have continuously held seats in the Ohio Statehouse for four decades.
Barbara last held office in 2006. Her performances at the debates have not included any "aha" moments as to why she's come out for this race, though it's widely speculated she's positioning herself to win Vernon's state senate seat in 2024.
Gwen Bryant stands out as someone who knows the district and understands the realities of what faculty and staff face each day. Her answers in the debates were pragmatic and forthright. Like Molenaur, Bryant has a graduate degree in education. But she has more experience and has worked with several large, urban school districts. She speaks with a comfortable authority.
Phil Montgomery is the current director of finance and budget for Summit County and already knows how the district budget works and where it can be improved. Montgomery's two young daughters are APS students, which informs his keen understanding of the district's most pressing issues.
With the current and ongoing financial matters the district has on its plate, it would be a boon to have Montgomery not just on the school board, but also for him to become its president.
As for Summer Hall, Myron Lewis and Keith Mills, all three believably share a desire to see APS improve, but none has informed, thought-out plans for what issues need addressed and how they would address them. The district can ill afford to have new board members with steep on-the-job learning curves.
School board races don't always enjoy high voter turnout. But where the schools go, so too goes the city. If you live in Akron, do your homework and vote for strong leaders for Akron Public Schools.
A version of this column was first published in the Akron Beacon Journal on Sunday, October 29, 2023.
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