School board candidates debate issues of equity, safety
Candidates for Shelby County Schools board debated Thursday night on issues like school safety, equity and discipline.
Most of the 15 candidates for four seats came to Bridges USA for the only forum before the Aug. 2 election. Hosted by education journalism nonprofit Chalkbeat, the candidates took questions from students and the audience about issues important to them.
In the second of two panels, featuring candidates in Districts 6 and 9, most agreed suspensions for children in kindergarten through second grade should be banned.
“I can’t imagine anything that a 5-, 6-, 7-year-old could do to warrant that type of action,” District 9 candidate Rhonnie Brewer said.
A question to the first panel, for Districts 1 and 8, asked how to improve equity in the Optional Schools program, where parents have to be online at a certain time during the day to submit an application to ensure a spot.
“I would like to see more parents and families get their first choice,” District 1 incumbent Chris Caldwell said. “And the way you solve that is having more quality schools.”
Michael Scruggs, who is challenging Caldwell, said he’s not against Optional Schools, but doesn’t want to see students left out of those opportunities.
“We need to make sure all of our kids are receiving the same curriculum across the board,” he said.
Current board members Mike Kernell, District 9, and Shante Avant, District 6, answered questions about what the district has done in response to grade tampering investigations that revealed systemic issues with teachers passing undeserving students.
Kernell noted the board supported bringing in outside investigators to understand the scope of grade-changing issues that began at Trezevant High School in 2016.
“We have sent the message that if there’s going to be problems, we’re going to look into it,” he said.
Avant said the board has to “continue to be open and transparent” through the investigation, but that a part of the grade-changing issue is teachers not feeling pressured to pass students who don’t deserve it.
“Our teachers need to be supported in this environment,” she said.
On issues of school safety and providing supports for students who have endured trauma, Caldwell noted there are times students walk past crime scenes to come to school.
That’s why, he said, the district added behavioral specialists and guidance counselors to the coming year’s budget.
Candidates agreed that factors outside of school often lead to issues in school, and it’s incumbent on the school to get to the root of problems.
“Before there’s a problem, let’s have some intervention on the front end,” District 1 candidate Michelle Robinson McKissack said.
“Our kids have so many issues when they come to school, and we expect them to sit like robots and learn,” Scruggs said.
Candidates on the first panel struggled to answer two questions about how they would make sure immigrant and LGBTQ students feel safe at school.
Jerry Cunningham, a former teacher challenging Billy Orgel’s District 8 seat, said English as a second language classes are the key to success for immigrant students. He also said he did not believe LGBT students have been targeted in SCS.
“There is no abuse that I’ve seen,” Cunningham said. At that answer, several members of the audience yelled, out, “Wrong!”
“Somebody says I’m wrong? Well, I haven’t seen it,” Cunningham responded.
With the same question posed to them, members of the second panel said schools should work to protect those students from harassment and bullying.
Percy Hunter, a candidate for District 6, said conversations should be had within schools to foster that support for LGBTQ students.
“I do support that we have to embrace diversity,” Avant said.
Reach Jennifer Pignolet at jennifer. pignolet@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @JenPignolet.