Hoskins-Brown pursues fourth term on Savannah school board after 13 years in office
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on incumbents and challengers running in the four upcoming Chatham County Board of Education district representative elections. The non-partisan School Board elections will be held on May 21 in conjunction with county primary elections. The advance voting period is April 29 through May 17. The registration deadline was April 22.
Chatham County School Board District 2 - Incumbent
Introduction
Dionne Hoskins-Brown’s bio on the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) board member’s page sums up a life of accomplishment and servant leadership. Born in Virginia but raised in Savannah, she came up through SCCPSS schools ultimately graduating from Alfred E. Beach High School. Earning a Bachelor and Doctor of Science in marine sciences, she embarked on a career in higher education, first as a Marine Science Postdoctoral Fellow at Savannah State University (SSU). She would later develop the first Cooperative Marine Education and Research program at SSU (or any historically black college or university for that matter). She oversees National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sponsored programs at SSU.
Outside of her roles in education and as the current District 2 school board representative, she is active in the Savannah community through multiple nonprofit organizations and local boards. She calls the Live Oak neighborhood home.
She has been on the school board since 2011 and is seeking her fourth full-term as the District 2 board representative.
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Background
Hoskins-brown was first appointed as the SCCPSS school board District 2 representative in September 2011. The last time she faced a challenger for her seat was in 2012, when she ran against Malinda Hodge and Daniel Frazier. Hoskins-Brown overtook Frazier in a runoff election securing the seat. With no qualifying challenger, this upcoming election marks her third time running unopposed since 2016.
She credited her staying power to District 2 constituents valuing her professional credentials. “It may not actually be an asset, but I think there's a perception of the asset of those credentials of being a college professor, of advanced education.” She also believes that perception of her educational skills translating to a role on the school board is tied to her actual performance in office. She believes people in her district see her as “communicative, accountable and objective.”
With 13 years of experience on the board, she has seen a great deal of change. She feels that her longevity allows her to note when a new idea might not be so new. She can provide insights on the obstacles that might have been encountered by a past strategy or proposed solution as it reappears in board discussions.
She also values the perennial support of people within her district, making a point to note that her constituents on the eastside of town might not be the most vocal. “But that's not the only currency that demonstrates you care about your school district,” she said. She expressed that the board needs to remember that and pay attention to the other ways that families show up and participate in their schools and in the process beyond simply voting in board members.
Platform
Like many incumbents Hoskins-Brown feels there is work yet to be done. At the top of that list is her wanting to support Superintendent Denise Watts’ efforts to “identify and amplify what we do well we as a district.” On the other hand, Hoskins-Brown acknowledges that there are “some things that need answers that we don't have all the answers to.” She expressed a desire to continue addressing the ongoing attendance, transportation and literacy challenges.
The district’s profile page on Hoskins-Brown sums her vision for the district, which “is one that is inclusive and that uses its resources to meet the needs of all its students and staff.” She values accountability and transparency, noting her position as chair of the District Accountability System Committee as well as serving on the Board Audit and Wellness committees as key markers of her commitment to those values. She specifically highlighted the implementation of the district’s Chevron Reports through the board accountability system as one of her major contributions. The reports require district leaders to compile data into school performance snapshots for each school, which assists the board in making data-driven decisions.
She also wants to continue to contribute to a climate of dignity and decorum on board that creates a model of “unified servant leadership.” She said, “I'm one of the people who was on the board when we didn't have a unified board.” During that time, she saw how disunity affected operations and progress because too much time was focused on trying to “maintain peace and accord” rather than focusing the board’s intellectual energy on the district’s challenges.
Hear the candidates in person
A candidate forum, hosted by Voices for Schools and Deep Center, will take place Sunday, May 19 at Front Porch Improv, 210 West Victory Drive, Savannah. Hoskins-Brown will not be speaking since she is running unopposed. Candidates for the other districts will be engaged in dialogue, however. District 1 will start at 2 p.m. District 3 will start at 3:15 p.m. District 7 will start at 4:30 p.m.
Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: SCCPSS District 2 school board rep runs unopposed for third time
