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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > September > 20 > Entry
Editorial: Isaacs, Lee, Thompson, Lacey best picks for Dayton school board
2009 ELECTION
Dayton schools continue to struggle, but there are signs of hope.
Since a reform team known as Kids First won four seats on the school board in 2001, changes for the better have been sustained. The district is more professionally run, money is more likely to be spent on instruction, and families have better options among their school choices.
During the same period, the school board also has made blunders. It overpaid for too much downtown office space. It waited too long to ask for a levy, and then asked for too much, resulting in the request going down. Devastating cuts resulted. Overall, academic performance remains very poor. Dayton needs a school board with focus and energy.
The four incumbents seeking re-election — Yvonne Isaacs, Ronald Lee, Stacy Thompson and Joe Lacey — have mostly learned from mistakes and built on successes. Lacking a strong challenger this year, Ms. Isaacs, Mr. Lee, Ms. Thompson and Mr. Lacey are the best choices on Nov. 3.
Jim Weir, the only other candidate seeking one of the four seats, is the parent of a special needs student and seems genuinely interested in the success of the district. But he hasn’t immersed himself in the schools’ business, and he doesn’t have any concrete ideas to push. He isn’t ready for the job.
A more aggressive, better prepared challenger might have had a case to make against Mr. Lacey, who landed on the school board in 2005 following failed bids for other elective posts. Frequently, Mr. Lacey has been an obstacle, endlessly debating process questions and seeking to score political points. When given the chance to use his talents to help the board, he rarely comes through.
When Mr. Lacey complained, for instance, about the board’s process for reporting financial data to the state, his fellow board members responded by naming him head of a new audit committee. Mr. Lacey, an accountant, never formed the committee or held any meetings.
His signature concern on the board has been trying to save old buildings like Roosevelt and Julienne high schools from demolition. His interest in historic preservation is admirable, but board members should primarily be focused on student learning. He points to little evidence of his attention to that issue.
If he’s serious about being a school board member, Mr. Lacey must start to demonstrate more interest in what matters most.
Stacy Thompson and Ronald Lee have been quality players on the board, although primarily behind the scenes. Mr. Lee is the board’s point person for the district’s highly successful school construction program and has played a crucial role resolving a debate about requiring union wages on district projects. Ms. Thompson, as head of the board committee that evaluates the superintendent and treasurer, pressed for explicit review of efforts to make course work more challenging and standardized across all schools.
Both show genuine interest in focusing school leaders on student achievement. Ms. Isaacs blossomed into a leader as school board president for two years, and she remains a key voice in the board’s big decisions. During her tenure — this would be her third, four-year term — she has developed hard-earned insight. One of her strengths is her ability to learn from both mistakes and successes.
Collectively, the incumbents have made better decisions during the past two years. Recovering from the levy defeat in 2007, the board sought a smaller levy (which passed) and picked Kurt Stanic for superintendent (who has earned good reviews).
The school district can make a comeback if it builds on ideas that are working. Yvonne Isaacs, Ronald Lee, Stacy Thompson and Joe Lacey are the best choices to do that.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: City of Dayton, Editorials, Education, Scott Elliott
Comments
By Joe Lacey
September 20, 2009 8:18 AM | Link to this
I thank the editorial board for their endorsement. I do wish they had talked to me about some of the stories they report. What process question did I endlessly debate? On what issue did I try to score polictical points? My primary focus as a board member has been fiscal responsibility in an attempt to focus our resources on the classroom. I never complained about the process for reporting data to the state. The district does an excellent job of reporting data to the state. I have explained to the board my problems with the audit committee in that it doesn’t meet best practice as described under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As the audit committee is set up now it attempts to delegate the board’s fiscal responsibility duties to others. According to best practice, board members should be the voting members of an audit committee.By daniel
September 20, 2009 8:21 AM | Link to this
some of them on there now cant even speak proper english and are on the school board! i think they should speak proper english before they are even considered for the job!!and also the teachers!!!By charterschoolhater
September 20, 2009 10:37 AM | Link to this
I agree that the board needs to be focused on student achievement. That is whay I beleieve we need some new blood on the board. Under this board student achievement has languished as among the worst in the state. Mr. Lacey should be lauded for his concern about the practices of the audit commitee. As the only CPA on the board, they should defer to his concerns and make the changes he wishes. Sadly the majority has been hostile to Lacey since he came on the board and they will not heed his advise. Maybe this charactereristic of the majority is part of the rason student achievement has not improved much under their watch. Time to clean house. It is ashame not enough people cared to run.By Joe Lacey
September 20, 2009 11:12 AM | Link to this
Our financial team has done a wonderful job of reporting financial data to the state. Our five year forecasts have been models of fiscal responsibility. The district’s annual report for this past fiscal year will be prepared in house by our financal team for the first time in decades. I pushed for in house preparation to save money, money that can be rerouted to our classrooms, and so that in the process our financial staff will gain a more intimate knowledge of our financial position. I look forward to their report.By Joe Lacey
September 20, 2009 12:59 PM | Link to this
Our fincial team have been champions at keeping the board informed about the district’s financial position and operations. I look forward to the day when the board can take a more active role in the budget process. The Evergreen Report calls for the district to adopt specific budget procedures. I have been advocating for this since long before the Evergreen Report and I have provided research on best practice in budgeting to the district. We may not be there yet but we are getting there.By Joe
September 20, 2009 10:31 PM | Link to this
Joe, quit whining and so something constructive as a board member and maybe you will get a ringing endorsement next time.By George
September 21, 2009 10:31 PM | Link to this
I was disappointed that the DDN didn’t consider Mr. Weir’s experience as an advocate for special needs students. A board deals with special needs mandates from the state and could use Mr. Weir’s expertise.By Jeffrey J. Mims, Jr.
September 23, 2009 10:59 AM | Link to this
I thank the Editorial Board for the endorsement of Thompson, Lacey, Isaacs and Lee in their well-deserved bid for reelection! As a team we have committed ourselves to group training since January. We, along with the superintendent, treasurer and deputy, have developed a new vision and a strategic plan that will serve to guide us in becoming a Championship School District. This team of Seven has made significant progress. Our children, our staff and our community deserves the hard work and unity that we have displayed as a team. More is needed — more on the way!