School board needs decision-makers, not finger-pointers

By NewsPress Now

Let’s just say that things have gone less-than-smoothly for the St. Joseph Board of Education in recent years. If you take away all of the recent baggage, a seat on this board still demands thick skin and a significant commitment of time. It can seem like a thankless assignment.

All 10 candidates in the April 2 election deserve credit for a willingness to take on the challenge. A 10-person list appears unwieldy, but through the process of elimination, it’s possible to pare down to a more manageable lineup of seven viable candidates. Steven Carrillo has verbally withdrawn from the race, although his name still appears on the ballot, and Kimberly Dragoo has largely observed radio silence since deciding to run. Voters would be wise to steer clear of both.

Tami Pasley brings an impressive resume as an educator and a past board member, but her term in office was punctuated with attempts to silence other board members and limit media access – squelching the ability of the public to hear from elected officials. This only added to the lack of trust in the school district. The public deserves more transparency and openness from its school board.

That leaves seven candidates worthy of consideration for three seats: Warren Ingram III, Sean Connors, Ronda Chesney, LaTonya Williams, Mike Moore, Jacob McMillian and Kenneth Reeder. They all merit a close look from the public.

This editorial outlines four candidates who have emerged from the pack as our most preferred choices:

Chesney works for Missouri Western State University and helps to train future educators. Her background and expertise would benefit district attempts to recruit and retain teachers, a task that should be considered priority No. 1 for the school board.

Moore brings experience in business and industry and has participated in citizen committees to improve education in St. Joseph. He gives a voice to the business community’s critical need for a strong public education system.

Has Reeder’s status risen in the public’s mind or has the board fallen so far that he looks good by comparison? You be the judge, but his advocacy for taxpayers, his support for teachers and his enthusiasm for vocational education make him a good choice for another term.

McMillan has both knowledge and experience. He is also an effective advocate for his positions and hits the nail on the head when he identifies accreditation as one of the top issues facing the district. He appears to be a staunch advocate for improving student performance.

Two of the other candidates, Ingram and Connors, are more unknowns who don’t earn this endorsement but also have something to offer. The same goes for Williams, who has shown an ability to thoughtfully consider the impact of school policy on all students, especially those who are underserved, but also has presided as board president over meetings that devolved into unproductive chaos.

It’s too easy to blame board dysfunction and the state of the district on a perceived lack of public support for education in St. Joseph. We believe it’s up to the next school board to stop pointing fingers and instead take an active role in making difficult decisions, improving communication and becoming a functional policy-making group.

Our preferred candidates all appear capable of moving the board forward and confronting critical issues.