School Board Candidates Participate in First Forum

 

School Board candidates discuss COVID-19, inequity

• MADISON STEPHENS
 
• Feb 4, 2021

Columbia School Board candidates discussed the Columbia Public Schools' response to COVID-19, advisory boards, the superintendent hiring process and community concerns, including inequity and transparency, at a Columbia Board of Realtors candidate forum Wednesday night.

Teresa Maledy is the only incumbent in the race, facing candidates Lucas Neal, Aron Saylor, Katherine Sasser and Jeanne Snodgrass for two open seats in the April 6 election.

KFRU host David Lile moderated the forum, which was livestreamed to 34 viewers.

COVID-19 response

Lile asked how candidates thought the district had adapted to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the potential long-term effects and what they thought the rest of the school year should look like.

The pandemic has affected kids' education, Saylor said. He raised concerns that students have lost quite a bit of education, especially for those who don’t have the same economic opportunities as their peers. Sasser, Snodgrass and Neal echoed Saylor's sentiment, and Snodgrass pointed out the pandemic has highlighted inequities that already existed in the community.

However, the impacts weren't all bad. Sasser and Maledy discussed the positive things that have come out of the district’s pandemic response. Maledy said the teachers and staff accomplished extraordinary things with little time, and Sasser said the shift to virtual school has given the district the opportunity to innovate and reimagine what school looks like.

All five candidates said that, for the rest of the school year, the district should stick to the hybrid plan it is currently on. Sasser and Snodgrass said this continuity is important for teachers and students, while Neal and Maledy advocated for reevaluating after all teachers have had the opportunity to be vaccinated.

Superintendent hiring process

Communication skills are an important characteristic for a new superintendent, all five candidates said.

Maledy, co-leader of the search committee for the position, said she is looking for someone with big ideas who will represent the diversity of Columbia and be able to bring the community together.

Experience in educational leadership was another priority for Neal, Sasser and Saylor. Sasser said specifically that she values a history in prioritizing equity in education.

Snodgrass said collaboration is an important criteria as well.

“(The new superintendent should be) someone who brings their own expertise and experience but also recognizes the expertise that is already here,” she said.

Advisory boards

The candidates all emphasized the importance of parent and community input. While Sasser, Snodgrass, Neal and Saylor said new parent and student advisory boards should be created to prioritize underrepresented voices, Maledy said existing avenues for community involvement, such as PTAs and focus groups, should be used and improved.

Regarding the organization of the groups, Sasser, Snodgrass and Maledy said creating groups centered around specific issues made the most sense. Neal advocated for creating groups for specific school buildings, as issues are often unique to the building. Saylor echoed that sentiment.

Transparency and inequity

Even though they all agreed transparency is important regarding education decisions, the candidates differed on how to achieve it. Maledy said transparency means different things to different people.

Context was important for Snodgrass and Neal, who emphasized the importance of it in board decision-making and suggested providing the community with more information on the process.

Snodgrass said that while the district has done what it can to be open, it needs to prioritize providing communication throughout its processes, not just after a decision has been made.

The district’s current level of transparency is hindered by technological issues, Saylor said. This includes unreliable streaming services for board meetings and a website that is difficult to navigate.

“We are having the kids go to school online, but we can’t even (navigate) the CPS website,” he said.

Sasser said the biggest effort in transparency should be through translating complex educational terminology and processes.

“We have to be translators for parents,” she said, adding that the district should not expect parents to be experts on the language.

All five candidates said inequality in the district is a top concern.

Neal said racial disparities in the district are one of his primary focuses, specifically citing the disproportionate number of suspensions for students of color compared to their white classmates.

Saylor agreed and added that it is important to recognize that different school buildings in the district have different economic dynamics at play.

Sasser addressed the experience of students from marginalized communities and said we cannot talk about the achievement gap without first acknowledging the historic harms that create barriers for students.

“We have to move away from buzz words and to actions,” she said.

Maledy discussed the steps the district has already taken to address inequality in schools. She said incremental changes are key to lasting effects.

For those unable to attend the candidate forum, a recording of the event can be found on the Columbia Board of Realtor’s YouTube channel.