News from Reaching Heights

Meet and question candidates for the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District Board of Education Monday, October 12, at 7PM at Cleveland Heights High School, at a forum sponsored by Your CH-UH Schools and the CH-UH PTA Council, to be moderated by former Beachwood Schools Superintendent Paul Williams.
Your CH-UH Schools is a group of Heights residents that interviews all recognized candidates and shares the results with the public, but does not endorse candidates.

Five candidates for the CH-UH board on are the ballot for the Nov. 3 election, running for a four-year term: Karen Gorman-Jones, Sheronda Isler-Hunter, Ronald Register, Tori Weisberg-Smith, and Kal Zucker. Three of the board's five seats are being contested. Register and Zucker are incumbents.

According to the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) a school board

"sets educational goals and establishes policy for the school system based upon state laws and community values. Perhaps the most important responsibility of a school board is to employ a superintendent and treasurer and hold them responsible for managing the schools in accordance with the school board's policies."

OSBA defines a good board member as one who:
    * Knows that he or she can legally act as a board member only when the board of education is in session. No one person, unless authorized, should speak on behalf of the board.
    * Avoids administrative decisions or attempts to second-guess the administration. The superintendent is the chief administrator and the board has no administrative function.
    * Is well acquainted with school policies.
    * Should vote at all times in the best interests of the children of the school district.
    * Is flexible and realizes there are times when changes must be made, when tradition cannot be honored and when pressure must be ignored.
    * Remembers that board business often requires confidentiality, especially in processes involving students, personnel, land acquisition, negotiations and security.
    * Is interested in obtaining facts, but also remembers that the administration has responsibility for operating the schools, rather than spending all its time making reports to an individual board member.
    * Is a good listener at board meetings, on the street corner, in the church or anywhere else approached, but never commits himself or herself, the board or the administration.
    * Knows that the reputation of the entire school district is reflected in his or her behavior and attitude.
    * Is able to support a decision when it is made.

Don't forget to vote Nov. 3, or vote by mail. Details here.