County education

Voters have two easy choices in this race for volunteer trustee positions.

Think of the Harris County Department of Education as a membershiponly warehouse store for Houston-area schools. Sure, the average homeowner pays about $12 each year in membership, but it saves millions in the long run because it allows more than 20 school districts in Harris County to buy in bulk.

It isn’t just pens or notebooks that they’re purchasing. The HCDE helps out with Head Start pre-K programs, specialty schools and counseling services. It also draws down federal grants that otherwise would go somewhere else.

However, the HCDE has been the longtime target of anti-government advocates who want to shut down the entity without considering the consequences. It is admittedly a bizarre entity that lives off a long-eliminated statute in state law. But at a time when HISD is facing state recapture of its already limited funds, our schools need all the help they can get.

Although candidates for the volunteer trustee positions are required to have an R or D next to their names, this election should be viewed as nonpartisan school board elections. We encourage voters to look for candidates who will take their job seriously and understand the role that HCDE plays in our neighborhood schools.

County School Trustee, Position 1, Precinct 2: Sherrie L. Matula

We emphatically endorse Sherrie L. Matula in this race to replace George Moore, a respected trustee who lost in the Republican primary. Matula, 65, has the resume of an education expert, working for decades as a school teacher in Clear Creek Independent School District and Pasadena Independent School District. She also served two terms on the CCISD Board of Trustees, on the board of the Texas State Teachers Association and as president of the Galveston County Education District.

Meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board, Matula exhibited an encyclopedic knowledge of specific problems at individual schools in Harris County. She emphasized the need to ensure that students are on the right path at an early age. HCDE contributes to this goal by providing teacher training, getting experts into classrooms and running specialty schools.

The Republican candidate, George Moore, did not meet with the editorial board.

County School Trustee, Position 2, Precinct 4: Marilyn Burgess

In this race to replace Board President Angie Chesnut, our strong choice is Marilyn Burgess, a certified public accountant. As the former director of the Texas Parent Teacher Association, Burgess, 62, would bring a valuable educational perspective to this board as well as financial expertise. If elected, Burgess, a Democrat, promises to make sure the county gets the most out of every dollar spent and to increase the classes available for high school dropouts to complete their diplomas, as she says these classes fill up the day that they open.

Eric Dick, a Republican perennial candidate, did not articulate a coherent view of his goals for the department or the means by which he would reach these goals. He doesn’t display the collaborative temperament necessary to serve on a board and improve it. His lack of consistency is also troubling. During the primary, he favored consolidating the department into the local independent school districts. At the most recent screening, his priority was abolishing Houston Independent School District. Burgess would be part of making the department better. Dick would … well, no one knows.