Varied Board Candidates Show Passion, Genuine Concern for Schools

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - In Brief:
-More than 180 candidates applied to unified school board
-Applicants all eager to better education
- Final vote for appointments is Monday, March 28
-7 Commission votes needed to confirm appointment

It was a day when the silent majority in Memphis not only found its voice, but they echoed the same message: We want to help improve education for all children in Memphis and Shelby County.

"I'm an honest graduate from East High School where I was enrolled in the college preparatory engineering program," stated candidate Keisha Malone.

"A Doctorate in Divinity. A Masters in Theology. A BS Degree in English from Tennessee State University. I think educationally I am uniquely qualified for the job," Elton Hymon stated.

"The quality of the candidates. The passion they have for our school system. The genuine desire to serve with no personal or political agenda is really refreshing," remarked Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter.

Yes, whether the process of the Shelby County Commission's appointment of a unified school system board holds up in court or not, Tuesday's interview process in Commission Chambers was an eye-opening experience. The more than 180 candidates, who included MCS Board member Stephanie Gatewood and Shelby County School Board member Ernest Chism, displayed a wide cross-section of educated, articulate and successful people, young and old, who seemed to sense an opportunity to be a part of a new beginning for the future of education here. There were no demonstrations of partisan politics. There were no negative, vitriolic statements about what should have been done in the past. It was chorus of "can do's" of what can be brought to the table to make things better.

"My training and experience as a lawyer has made me a problem-solver. That's what I do. I solve problems," said candidate Stacie Smith Winkler. "I take very difficult situations, look at the whole and decided what we need to do from there."

"It is time to move on and in light of everything that's going on we need someone who is focused on the changes before us," said Stephanie Gatewood. "This is not an easy job we're about to undertake."

Even for those who didn't get the nod, like Memphis businessman and father of three, Steve Basar, just the chance to appear before the Commission as a candidate was still satisfying.

"I just hope that all the people who are involved now will stay involved. Even if you don't get one of the slots, you keep the focus on education and focus on the accountability for the people who do get into those jobs," he said.

But, how do we keep people like those who graced Tuesday's proceedings in the education loop? These were people who aren't politicians and don't want to be, people whose only agenda is what's best for the kids. Should what happened Wednesday be a sign we need to go in a different direction when it comes to deciding who should be a school board member?

"You haven't had an open process like this before, where this type of constituency can come out," said Commissioner Henri Brooks. "Generally what we've had are elections, and people choose not to be spending money in elections."

"I hope that we can plug those who don't make the unified school board into some other activity education-related within the community," added Carpenter.