State schools chief Woods facing Democrat newcomer
State school Superintendent Richard Woods, Republican incumbent seeking a second term, is being challenged by Otha Thornton, a Democrat political newcomer with an impressive resume.
One of the top issues for Woods is local control. He is “committed to child-focused and classroom-centered decisionmaking that will put an end to Washington micromanaging.” And he adds, “One-size-fits all mandates are not the answer to educational excellence.” Woods cites his stand against the Obama administration’s action in 2016 requiring school districts to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms according to their gender identity under threat of losing federal funds. The policy ignited a firestorm of opposition from a dozen states until it was ended by President Trump in his first month in office.
Woods has supported legislation providing school districts wide latitude in student tests, a response to over-testing opposed by the overwhelming majority of teachers. He points to recent higher student achievement scores, saying the results affirm “that we’re on the right path as we focus on foundational skills and early literacy and numeracy.” And he says progress in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is reflected by more than 1,000 Stem-certified schools in the pipeline, highest ever.
On the issue of school safety and security, Woods cites his working with the General Assembly on legislation and expanding mandatory safety drills to include active shooter and intruder drills. In another key area, he says an audit of the education department led to its restructuring “to increase its efficiency and effectiveness” as he “pushed back against creating new bureaucracy.”
Democrat Otha Thornton brings a wide range of experience to his campaign. According to his website, after earning degrees from Morehouse College and Michigan Technological University, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served more than two decades, assigned as chief of personnel operations for U.S. ForcesIraq and earning a Bronze Star for combat operations during the Iraq war. He also was presidential communications officer and served with the White House Communications Agency under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
As an advocate for education, Thornton was the first African-american man to serve as president of the National Parent Teacher Association. Among legislation he supported was the Every Student Succeeds Act. In Georgia, he worked to defeat Gov. Nathan Deal’s ill-advised Opportunity School District, a proposed constitutional amendment giving the governor wide power to replace school boards and educators at schools deemed to be failing.
“Georgia’s education system is at a crossroads and is in dire need of bold leadership to restore hope for Georgia’s children, families and educators,” Thornton says, per his website. “For too long our state has lagged behind the nation and the world in education.” He says Georgia’s 1985 formula for funding schools “does not take into accountability true budget requirements for 2018 and beyond, technology and safety costs for our schools.”
Thornton adds: “Our politicians at the state Capitol have pushed to starve our public schools and dictated policies and unfunded mandates. This is a race to the bottom that has hurt urban, suburban and rural schools. It leaves us shortchanging our future and doing serious damage to our growth. I will work to fund Georgia schools statewide, with the state budget once again paying its fair share instead of forcing hardworking local taxpayers to bear ever-increasing taxes.”
Thornton, an unknown quantity when he jumped into the race, won the nomination by defeating Sid Chapman, a past president of the Georgia Association of Educators supported by former Gov. Roy Barnes. Thornton won impressively with 59 percent of the vote. Given his success in the primary and runoff, he could make this down-ballot race interesting, competitive and challenging for incumbent Woods.
Contact Don Mckee at 9613@aol.com.