Three of five seats contested in city school board race

Makoshi, Kennedy provide sharp contrast in District 5 election

When Pittsburgh Public Schools asked a few experts to take a look at the district this year, they received a withering series of responses that said student achievement trends improved little, if at all, in the last decade and that black students are punished more harshly than white children.

Observers say changing that situation is a major part of what’s at stake for Tuesday’s primary election.

The nine-member school board will be responsible for “shepherding those initiatives and holding the superintendent accountable for policies being enacted,” said James Fogarty, executive director of education advocacy group A+ Schools.

“The kids are the future adults and the future taxpayers and the potential future leaders of our city and our area,” said Tim Stevens, head of the Black Political Empowerment Project.

Three of the five seats on the ballot Tuesday are contested. Ghadah Makoshi is running against Terry Kennedy in District 5. Veronica Edwards is challenging incumbent Carolyn Klug in District 9. Sala Udin and James Myers Jr. are competing for the seat in District 3, represented by outgoing board member Tom Sumpter.

Incumbents Cindy Falls in District 7 and Sylvia Wilson in District 1 are running unopposed. (Conrad Burns dropped out of the race in District 7 but missed the deadline to withdraw.) All will appear on the Democratic ticket, and those in District 5, Ms. Falls