Communication and transparency are top of mind for the eight candidates running for three open seats on the Akron Public Schools Board of Education.
The contested race comes as the board has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including a reportedly contentious relationship with a former superintendent and narrowly avoiding a teachers’ strike.
The candidates faced off in a debate Tuesday at Quaker Station in Downtown Akron hosted by the Akron Press Club and Akron Beacon Journal. They took questions from Beacon Journal editor Michael Shearer and two local journalists: Cheryl Powell, managing editor of the Beacon Journal and Conor Morris, education reporter and producer at Ideastream Public Media.
The slate of candidates includes former Ohio Rep. Barbara Sykes (D-Akron), Patrick Bravo, who was the board’s president from 2012 and 2021 and incumbent Rene Molenaur, who was appointed to an open seat in April.
Two other candidates currently hold positions in local government: Summer L. Hall, a community outreach liaison for the city of Akron, and Phil Montgomery, director of finance and budget for Summit County.
Keith Mills, who is also in the running, is a familiar face in Akron politics. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District intervention specialist unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary for mayor earlier this year.
Rounding out the candidate pool are Gwen Bryant, a national instructional consultant, and Myron J. Lewis, a retired chemical dependency counselor.
Improving perception, culture of the school board
The candidates were asked about the public’s perception of the school board. A May survey showed 32% of participants said the board is doing a poor or very poor job.
Montgomery called for more transparency about the board’s decisions.
“There’s a lot more effort that needs to be done on behalf of the board, being out in the community both soliciting feedback but getting input as to how things are going, what the district needs to be doing, what the school buildings need,” Montgomery said.
The board needs to do a better job of telling positive stories to the community, Bravo said.
Sykes said the board needs communicate more effectively and be transparent with parents and community stakeholders.
Hall would prioritize listening better and finding more ways to collaborate with the community. Mills said the onus is on board members to listen better and understand what’s actually going on in classrooms.
“If board members actually knew the community, they wouldn’t make the decisions they’ve made,” Mills said.
Molenaur, who has served on the board for six months, said board members agree with each other far more often than people might realize.
“It isn’t as uncomfortable as sometimes it is portrayed for various purposes, so I think that being out in the community and encouraging positive things … as board members we can also participate and go to more events,” Molenaur said. “I try to do that as often as possible in our community reflections and just talk about the positivity in our district.”
Bryant would like to meet directly with residents in neighborhoods, at ward meetings and in the classroom to communicate better.
“Transparency [and] relationships are key to letting constituents of our district know what’s going on,” she said. “One of the things that I would like to see to happen is that the board is more into the community. People know who they are.”
The candidates were also asked about the culture of the school board, which has been a discussion topic since former superintendent Christine Fowler Mack resigned in February after just 14 months with the district.
Her relationship with some of the board at that time was reportedly contentious. The Beacon Journal reported she received negative reviews from some members in her first evaluations, including being called “insubordinate” and “a complete failure.”
Bravo said he’d work with the new superintendent, Michael Robinson, closely and focus on supporting him, rather than trying to micromanage.
Board members need to stay true to their roles as advisers, Hall said.
“I think that we, not only as a board, but as the community [need] to give each other a little grace,” Hall said. "I think everyone is trying to do the best that they can. Kind of, maybe keep your thoughts to yourself, or your committee."
Bryant outlined the importance of board members focusing on governance and policies, while the superintendent focuses on daily operations within the schools.
Sykes criticized the board for not being transparent about what led Fowler Mack to leave.
Board members need to “stay in our lanes,” Sykes said.
“When we get out of our lanes, then we end up feeling, [in] the community, that something was not quite fair here,” Sykes said.
Candidates weigh in on future of North High School
Questions loom about the future of North High School in the city’s North Hill neighborhood, which has a rapidly growing population, particularly of immigrants. The school is deteriorating and in need of significant repairs.
The candidates were asked about whether they'd vote to replace or renovate the school and if they would ask taxpayers to take on additional debt for the project.
Most candidates agreed that the school needs to be replaced, but they want to consider all other financial options before going to voters for a levy.
North High School hasn’t been given the same attention as other schools in the district, Sykes said. Sykes would like to launch an in-depth assessment to determine whether replacing or renovating is the best path forward and to be transparent to the community about the process.
“The community may not like the decision, but we had transparency, and it’s been a fair decision and everyone’s been treated the same across the board, then I think the community will accept it,” she said.
Bryant and Hall would like to exhaust all financial options and take a look at the budget before going to the voters.
Montgomery added that he’d like to look at the financial forecast for the entire district before deciding about a levy for North High School.
Lewis agreed that the school needs repairs and brought up the importance of transparency in the process.
“Go into North and say, would I want my child to be at that school? But also, we have to be smart,” Lewis said. “We have to do assessments, and then when we come to the community, we need to give them good information that will help them make the decision about investing and levies and those types of things.”
Molenaur brought up previously discussed plans to take down the school altogether and relocate students to other schools. That isn’t an option, she said.
“That community needs a building … Our district has learned, I think, the hard way," she said. "If you take a building out of a community, the community will suffer."
Safety and security at school
Safety and security concerns have plagued the district since students returned to in-person learning after being remote during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have been numerous fights and lockdowns throughout the district, and safety was one of the main concerns teachers cited during contract negotiations that almost led to a strike earlier this year.
The candidates discussed safety measures put into place within the past year, such as the installation of metal detectors and Yondr bags that lock up students’ cell phones while they’re at school.
Lewis supports the measures but said long-term, more holistic solutions are needed.
“You’re not going to be able to buy enough metal detectors. You’re not going to have enough phone bags. We’ve got to figure out what’s going on,” Lewis said. “We really need to look at what we’re doing and try to make other policies that keep us from reacting, rather than being proactive.”
Montgomery also advocated for a more holistic approach to safety. He said he would look at the safety measures already in place and brainstorm more ideas.
“Until everybody feels safe when they’re in the building, there’s more that can be done,” Montgomery said.
Sykes supports the current measures in place and would advocate for teaching students conflict management skills and gun safety.
School safety is not just a school issue, but a broader community issue, Bravo said.
“This is not something that... we can buy our way out of," Bravo said. "We really need to work with our partners in the community to come up with longer-term strategies and solutions that curb violence in our community.”
Improving academic performance, test scores
Several schools have drawn state scrutiny for their students' performance, including David Hill Elementary, Garfield High School and the I Promise School.
To help improve the district's academic results, Hall said she would work to promote trades and other career avenues — not just college. She said it's also important to get parents involved and that students have plenty of support at home.
Bryant would like to incorporate more holistic assessments rather than just relying on standardized testing to measure academic performance.
Mills wants to focus on social-emotional learning and making sure parents are working alongside teachers for students' success, he said.
“We need to make sure their guardians and parents are engaged with us,” Mills said. “It really shouldn’t be that hard to figure out why our schools are failing. It really shouldn’t be that hard. We make it harder than it needs to be all the time.”
Both Lewis and Sykes emphasized early childhood education and promoting literacy at an early age.
Montgomery wants to look more holistically at students and make sure their needs are being met outside of the classroom.
“We need to look at the whole student and come together as a community to provide the security they need to feel like they have the ability to go sit in the classroom and learn,” he said.
The debate will air on The Sound of Ideas on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023.
