Questions for School Board Candidates
There are two candidates for School Board in the 5th district: Maurice Henderson, the incumbent, and Mamie Taylor, the challenger. How can we differentiate them from one another and make sure the winner of November's election is going to represent our interests? I am going to try to get them to answer a series of questions to clarify their
vision for Richmond and its school system. Won't you contribute a question? It could be generic to both of them, or specific to one or the other. As soon as a good number of questions have been posted here, I'll compile them and submit the interview to both candidates. Hopefully, I'll get prompt responses and post them here.
This subject really deserves public attention. When people are calling for the ouster of the whole school board, it should be made clear what exactly our expectations are of our elected officials. They shouldn’t be in or out based on their political alliances. We should request a peek at their vision of a high-functioning school system and their proposed steps to get us there. We’ve had heated debate around the rezoning issue, its effect on open enrollment, and widespread concern over equitable distribution of resources. So, here are a couple questions:
How would you vote on the rezoning task force’s proposal that unified Byrd Park, if it the vote hadn’t been suspended?
Do you think Cary Elementary should be closed? Why or why not?