Charlotte Observer endorsements: Start cleaning house on the CMS school board?
Thirteen candidates are on the ballot this fall for three at-large spots on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. That’s an uncommonly large field, one that’s both an opportunity for voters and a message to those currently on the board. A large field generally is a signal of dissatisfaction with the status quo - a real possibility with a school board that’s on its third superintendent in five years, launched into an unnecessary escalation of hostility with suburban towns, and has regularly shut the public out of policy deliberations and decision making. The board is perceived by many - including some public officials in the city and county - as bumbling and secretive. CMS is hurt because of it.
That’s where the opportunity comes in. Board chair Mary McCray is leaving, along with board veteran Ericka Ellis-Stewart. Voters have an opportunity to take the first steps of a fresh start in this election, and it would be tempting to begin cleaning house in this election. Should they?
Voters have several strong candidates to choose from, including but not limited to incumbent Elyse Dashew, longtime teacher and administrator Lenora Sanders Shipp, International House director of education Jennifer De La Jara, education advocate and former attorney Stephanie Sneed, and Jordan Pineda, a non-profit leader and Teach for America recruiter and coach.
Among the newcomers, Jennifer De La Jara and Lenora Sanders Shipp stand out and get our endorsement.
De La Jara is a former ESL teacher in Cabarrus County who now oversees literacy partnerships with CMS at International House. She exhibits a thorough grasp of the issues facing CMS and urban school systems, and her experience with the growing Latino community is something the board could sorely use. For the first time, Hispanic enrollment at CMS has caught up to white enrollment with each group accounting for just under 27% of the student body, according to WFAE. Those families should be better represented, and De La Jara would be a strong advocate.
As a former administrator and teacher, Shipp knows the issues facing CMS from the ground up. She has a record of improving student performance, she knows both the political and education landscape, and she has a thoughtful, deliberate approach to questions that would serve the board well.
Incumbent Elyse Dashew presents a unique challenge for voters. She is the most qualified at-large candidate and among the county’s most astute public officials. She also brings a history of collaboration and relationship building that’s earned her the respect of educators and other public officials.
Dashew has, however, been a willing participant in the secrecy of the current school board. Under McCray, the board has lied about a superintendent dismissal and intentionally maneuvered to shut the public out of important policy discussions. The result has been poor board decisions — including the ill-conceived Municipal Concerns Act that further fractured relationships with the suburbs — and significant trust issues with the public.
Should Dashew get re-elected, she would be a favorite to be board chair. Would her leadership bring more of the same lack of transparency? She says no. “I am wired to be a collaborative and inclusive worker,” she told the editorial board.
Would that inclusiveness include the public? “Yes,” she said.
We think voters should give her the chance to show it.
HOW WE DO OUR ENDORSEMENTS:
Charlotte Observer editorial board members Kevin Siers and Peter St. Onge conduct interviews of City Council, mayoral and CMS Board of Education candidates in contested primary and general election races. The editorial board also talks with others who know the candidates and have worked with them. When we’ve completed our interviews and research, we discuss each race and, in consultation with Publisher Rodney Mahone, decide on our endorsements.
This story was originally published October 27, 2019 at 5:00 AM.