Harris and Fisher for Girard Board of Education

The Girard Board of Education has certainly not been without its controversy in recent years. Health issues concerning the construction of a new school, criminal charges against a disgraced former superintendent and lawsuits have kept the district in the headlines for years.
And so we anticipated that the school board election this November would be a hotly contested one, packed full of impassioned candidates demanding answers to old questions and offering new ideas for education.
We couldn't have been more wrong.
Hardly crowded
There are only four candidates seeking three seats this election, and only two of those candidates attended endorsement interviews at the newspaper.
One of those was incumbent Jane A. Harris, who is something of an institution herself in Girard. At 80, she has been a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent at other school districts over a period of 42 years. She has served 20 years on the Girard Board of Education, not consecutively, and is currently the board president. She is a part-time weekly newspaper columnist.
And she is eager to serve another term on the board of education, saying that this is a time that the board needs a voice of experience.
Newcomer
Phil Fisher, 39, an engineer and quality manager at Metal Products Co., is making his first run for public office. He says it is time for the board to put the focus back on education and away from controversy.
He is in favor of drug testing when new employees are hired and random testing afterward. He also says that the district must demand more of its students than the state requires. Proficiency tests only define minimum standards and can't be considered proof of success. It is more important he says, that the schools prepare their students for college or other post-graduate work that is necessary for a successful career.
Harris and Fisher bring two different voices to the board, but both are committed to the welfare of the students and earn The Vindicator's endorsement. Also running are Jamie R. DeVore, 42, seeking his second term, and Myron Esposito, 55, making his first run for public office.