For Youngstown BOE: Atkinson, Murphy, Drennen, Haire-Ellis

There are six candidates, in- cluding three incumbents, seeking the four seats on the Youngstown Board of Education in Tuesday’s general election. Because the district’s future depends on whether it shows improvement in next year’s state report card, we believe Richard Atkinson, Michael Murphy and June Drennen, should be retained. Having met with the state superintendent of education, they know that the (academic) status quo is not an option.

As members of the board of education, Atkinson, Murphy and Drennen played leading roles in pulling the district out of fiscal emergency, and now they’re focused on removing the academic distress designation imposed by the state. A special commission is leading the recovery effort and has been told by Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Stan Heffner that the system must move up from academic watch to continuous improvement in the 2012 report card, or the state could take over .

Atkinson and Murphy, who have been on the school board since 2008, and Drennen, who was appointed in 2009, are confident that with the hiring of Dr. Connie Hathorn as superintendent, and the reorganization of the schools, especially Chaney and East, students in the district will improve academically.

Drennen is a former principal of JFK High School in Warren, and as such has a deep understanding of education and the role the central office staff, principals and teachers play. She says there are some weak links in the Youngstown system — the union leadership hasn’t embraced all the changes taking place — and feels the superintendent must evaluate the principals and teachers to determine if they have been assigned correctly.

Atkinson, a former member of Youngstown council, is well aware of the challenges that confront many students because of their home lives and is adamant that the system has the responsibility to do all it can for them when they’re in school.

Atkinson says he’s excited about the changes taking place and is confident the district will meet the state’s expectations.

Cutting costs

Murphy, who works in the city’s water department, has been involved in cutting operating costs as chairman of the business committee. The board slashed over $36 million to get the district out of fiscal emergency.

Murphy says it’s much easier to work with Superintendent Hathorn than it was his predecessor, Dr. Wendy Webb, and he thinks the academic recovery plan will succeed.

The three incumbents have the knowledge and wherewithal that make their continued service on the board essential.

For the fourth seat, there are three qualified candidates who would be valuable additions to the board of education. Marcia Haire-Ellis, Jackie Adair and Brenda Kimble all have a history of involvement in the school system and are well aware of what is required to change its academic fortunes.

In evaluating the challengers, we looked at their own educational and professional qualifications and their participation in the academic life of Youngstown. We find that Haire-Ellis, who retired from the city schools after 35 years as a teacher and counselor, is best suited for service on the board.

She was on the startup team and worked at Youngstown Early College and was a part-time instructor at Youngstown State University.

Her priorities, if elected: work with the superintendent to improve academic achievement; increase parental participation by promoting community friendly schools and explore new communication ideas; and, increase fiscal accountability by reviewing the performance audit and budget.

The Youngstown City School District is at a crucial point in its history, and the role of the board of education has never been more important.

The Vindicator endorses Atkinson, Murphy, Drennen and Haire-Ellis and we urge voters to do likewise on Tuesday.