Five takeaways from public forum with CCS superintendent finalists: What they said

Finalists for the Columbus City Schools superintendent's job faced a range of questions from the public Thursday as they contend for the chief executive position of the state's largest school district.

Last month, the CCS Board of Education announced three finalists for the open superintendent position, including the district's current interim superintendent Angela Chapman. The other finalists are Brian McDonald, superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District in California, and George (Eric) Thomas, associate superintendent for Minneapolis Public Schools.

The event, held at the district's South Administration building on the Far South Side, was part of the "Day in the District" for the candidates, where they toured schools and met with community stakeholders. In the evening, they attended a forum where they answered questions from the public, moderated by Mo Wright, president of management consulting company RAMA Consulting.

The district is searching for a new district leader after outgoing Superintendent Talisa Dixon announced in December that she would be retiring at the end of the current academic year.

Here's five takeaways from the public forum:

Finalists share reasons they want the job, leadership styles

Chapman, who has a child who attends the district, said she wanted the permanent job because she believes in the "power of the district."

"I believe in the people; I believe in the possibility," Chapman said. "We have been through a lot of change, a lot of transition in the past couple of years, but we are primed and well-positioned to begin reimagining the student experiences here."

Chapman said she sees the district as a partnership between parents, faculty and administration that is built on the "power of relationships."

"This is who I am: I lead with my values as a value-based leader," Chapman said. "I show up, very transparently and authentically and to be very transparent and clear about our vision."

Thomas, who has spent most of his life in Cincinnati, said he has been impressed by what he has seen in Columbus and wants to bring his experience to another large urban district in Ohio. He said he would prioritize leadership and building a sense of ownership of the district by the community.

"One of the themes that came out consistently is that there is an energy, among individuals, among organizations, (and) among various entities within the (CCS) district," Thomas said. "Obviously Cincinnati is not Columbus, so this isn't a situation where you take one set of strategies and absolutely replicate it."

Thomas also pointed to data that shows while the overall population of students in Columbus has increased, enrollment has declined.

"So, no matter how we look at it, the data says whatever we are doing to create joy, care and value in the district, there's many people in the community (for which) that doesn't resonate," Thomas said, adding the district needs to make some adjustments.

McDonald said he "was drawn" to apply to the job because of the amazing things happening" in the district. After the event, he said he was interested in the position "more than ever."

He said he saw some areas of opportunity for CCS as well and emphasized his collaborative work style.

"Just to see the love for the district," McDonald said. "This is an environment, a community that cares deeply about the school system."

Thomas addresses media reports about Georgia letter alleging mismanagement in office

Thomas took several opportunities to address recent media reports about the settlement with the Georgia State Board of Education in 2020. From 2017 to 2020, Thomas served as "chief turnaround officer" reporting to the Georgia State Board of Education, in which he was tasked with working with the worst-performing schools in the state.

A 2020 letter from then Georgia Inspector General Deborah Wallace to Board of Education Chairman Scott Sweeney claims that Thomas' office was "mismanaged" and "policies and procedures in place were routinely ignored" by Thomas, The Dispatch previously reported. However, Thomas pointed to a cash settlement with the state and shared a separate letter from the Georgia Attorney General saying it could find no evidence to prosecute him.

During the forum, Thomas pointed to successes he had during his time in the chief turnaround officer position, saying 70% of the schools he worked with achieved "their highest results ever."

"That experience also gave me a really strong understanding of the political nature of a lot of things," Thomas said. "Quite honestly, Georgia is somewhat similar to Ohio."

Finalists field public safety questions

Representatives of the Mothers of Murdered Columbus Children, a local gun violence advocacy group, attended the forum and asked the candidates what the response should be for the continuing violence in Columbus.

McDonald said creating and equipping teachers with the skills necessary to mediate conflicts.

"Whenever there's an instance of violence on a campus, strong and swift action must be taken right away," McDonald said. "So that the students can feel a sense of safety and parents feel it's OK to send your kids to school."

Chapman addressed the recent loss of several Columbus City Schools students within the week, including 16-year-old Elisha Judd, who was allegedly shot and killed Tuesday by a man who said he was cleaning his gun when it went off Tuesday.

"The trauma that happens in the communities happens in our schools," Chapman said.

Thomas did not receive an opportunity to address the violence issue, but on Thursday he visited Mifflin High School, where in late April a student stabbed another student during dismissal. The student was later charged with felonious assault.

Finalists speak directly to faculty, talk labor bargaining following strike

Last August, Columbus Education Association members went on strike for three days before ratifying a contract that included raises, air conditioning guarantees and smaller class sizes. Wright asked the finalists to address the strike and how they would address bargaining and repairing relationships.

Thomas said he would work with faculty to create a sense of "ownership" in the district.

"We're going to own this together," Thomas said. "That means we're going to come to the table as equals and create something."

Chapman, who was in the district administration during the strike, said she wants teachers to know that as superintendent, she would work to repair the relationships that were damaged during the strike. Chapman also pointed to her previous role as a union steward in a previous district.

"We have to recognize that in the fall, it was hard, it was difficult for all of us — whichever side we were on — and ... it was traumatic; relationships were damaged," Chapman said. "We need to take the time to build and restore those relationships."

McDonald said he would create a labor management initiative, which would discuss issues "before they get to the bargaining table."

"I am heartbroken that there was a strike, but what that says to me is that there are underlying issues that need to be addressed," McDonald said, adding he would focus on building relationships with the labor unions. "I would want to sit down and discuss these issues and ensure we find some common ground."

Board members call 'Day in the district' a success

Board Member Michael Cole said he felt like the candidates were forthcoming and honest during the process.

"I was pleased by the transparency of our candidates about their experiences: good, bad or challenging," Cole said. "And most importantly, that there's a future. There's a future that we can have, share, working together. We're not planning for tomorrow; we're not planning for next week — we're planning for the next 20 years.

Board Vice President Christina Vera said the 'Day in the District' was a success and they had already heard "great" feedback from stakeholders involved in the event.

Final interviews will be held Monday, and the Board of Education has a special meeting planned for Friday, May 19.

"It's not a sprint for us," Vera said. "We need to make sure that we have the absolutely correct candidate for the district."

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five things to know about the CCS superintendent finalist forum