School board candidates speak at candidates forum

ALBANY — Candidates running for the Dougherty County District 2 School Board seat answered questions at the candidates forum held at the Albany Law Enforcement Center Thursday.

Kenneth Florence and Debra Wiley are challenging incumbent Milton Griffin, who has been on the board of education since 2000. All three candidates are running as Democrats.

The forum consisted of opening statements, three rounds of questions, a few audience questions and closing statements.

The moderators asked the school board candidates, “What policies, procedures, strategies or mechanisms would you use to hold school administrators accountable for implementing the parental involvement plans they have submitted?”

Florence’s approach centered on follow-up.

”Follow up after the case has gone through,” he said. “Do follow-up to make sure it was done correctly.”

Wiley stated that research and communication are necessary for success.

“Assess (the situation), and then go in and re-evaluate and restructure it with the people with whom those plans would be impacting, including the teachers as well as the parents so that the parents themselves have a role,” she said. “Even the students (should be involved) in what’s going to be taking place with effective implementation of any parent engagement program.”

Griffin said that honoring the policy is important.

“Right now, our main thing is policy, and I’m not going to make a policy and try to satisfy you with it,” he said. “I’m gonna stick to the policy whether you like it or not. But then I’m gonna try to satisfy (the situation) with you.”

The moderators’ second question for the school board candidates was, “What can you do to promote teachers using multiple pedagogies to address the differences in student learning?”

Florence said he thinks children learn better in a one-on-one environment.

“Hearing about the system we have now, you can teach a class from California right in your own classroom because of the technology we have now,” he said. “I think that is good in a sense … but I feel like the one-on-one small classrooms where a teacher can really reach the kid instead of going through these new programs that (are) coming to Dougherty County.”

Wiley responded that she would like to focus on making sure educators understand what is being expected of them.

“Oftentimes, policies as well as different methodologies are presented to teachers along with the different curriculum, but they don’t have time to properly prepare themselves before they’re being asked to implement them,” she said. “For example, the math curriculum here in Dougherty County has been changed multiple times. The teachers are given it and expected to just jump in.”

Wiley said her educational background and understanding of the science of education would help her bring in people who could help educators grasp different teaching techniques.

“The other thing I want to say about that that happens too often is that the expertise that educators have is too often diminished or ignored, so you’re going to have to give some attention to understanding that a lot of the expertise we need already exists within the educators themselves,” she said. “So let’s start giving them an opportunity to teach each other and then expand what they’re doing with our children.”

Griffin said he would like more support for teachers.

“What I would ask for some of y’all to do (is) come to some of our board meetings and just see what the teachers are doing. The teachers work real hard,” he said. “Starting now, I plan to work a little harder. I always supported them, and they know I was there, but I plan to do a little more if I’m re-elected. … I’m gonna ask the board to back them. Let’s support our teachers a little more.”

During the third round of prepared questions, the moderators asked the panelists, “What will you do to promote students’ success, not just in passing tests, but in overall educational development to promote students’ success in elementary, middle, high school and on into college?’

Florence said that how well a child does in third grade is an indicator of future progress, since that is “when they really start their learning curve.”

“I heard the saying that if a child is bad in third grade, they’re almost ready for the pipeline to (the) prison system,” he said. “We need to address that student with his parents, with his school, with the principal, give them some new avenues to reach him.”

Wiley said that mastering content is one of the first steps in promoting student success.

“If the students are mastering content and they’re mastering it well, they can take that content and they can apply it in any way that you ask them,” she said. “We have to make sure that mastery of content is taking place and that our teachers are not afraid of how they’re going to be evaluated based on assessments.”

Griffin answered that parents being involved in school board meetings would help.

“When we have our school board meetings, the only time (we hear from you is) when you got a complaint,” he said. “As far as that goes, just come in there and sit and see what you can do to help our school board. We would love to see you come. And we wanna hear what you have to say. We’ll be glad to see you bring it to our board.”

The final round of questions came from index cards audience members submitted before the forum began. The question addressed to the candidates read, “Besides jobs and revising crime, what can be done to keep younger and more professional residents here in Albany and Dougherty County?”

Florence started his answer by saying young people leave because the area does not have enough entertainment sites and well-paying jobs.

“[Young people] leave Albany because there’s nothing to do here,” he said. “When our college students get out of college, they need high-paying jobs. We lost (industries), and those kinds of jobs make people stay.”

Wiley answered that she looks to education and community involvement when it comes to enticing young people to stay in the area.

“Education is a core element of economy, professional as well as personal enhancement,” she said. “[Also,] you’ve got to make things lively, you have to allow them to take part in the processes of change and hear their voice. Give them an opportunity to speak. Give them an opportunity to be engaged and utilize their agency in being able to make a difference. But none of that is going to happen without education.”

Griffin responded that companies not wanting to train recent graduates pushes young people to move away.

“When someone retires, the first thing we do is call them back,” he said. “Let’s give those jobs to those kids coming out of college. Rather than send those kids out of town, y’all help me work on getting them a job right out of college. That’s been the number one thing for me for the longest.”

After the forum, all three candidates said they enjoyed participating in the event.