School board candidates lay out issues at League of Women Voters forum

Chuck Basye drew groans from the audience when he claimed no one in the legislature is trying to ban history during Tuesday's League of Women Voters of Columbia-Boone County school board candidate forum.

The seven candidates each appeared individually in the full Friends Room at the Daniel Boone Regional Library. They answered four questions provided in advance to them, then one question from high school students that they didn't get in advance.

In addition to the full room, moderator David Lile said there also were 60 on Zoom. Candidate April Ferrao said it was their largest forum so far.

The question Basye answered differently from the other candidates: "There are efforts in Missouri to ban history topics, teachers' speech and certain books. At the same time, students are being killed in classrooms. What do you think is the most pressing issue facing public schools and how do you propose to address it?"

Basye focused on the preamble to the question, saying he disagreed with the premise 100%.

"There is no effort to ban history by the state legislature or anybody that I know of," Basye said to groans of derision from some in the audience. "If anybody is changing history it's CPS."

He said the school district removed the name of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a building that had the name on it for more than 100 years.

The school's autonomous board asked the district to remove the name after white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Va. It's now Locust Street Express Arts Elementary School.

No one in the legislature is seeking to ban history, Basye said.

"That is not what's happening," he said.

James Gordon called the legislature's efforts "toxic elements within our culture that are part of an anti-public education and public education and anti-literacy agenda.

"Knowledge is self-determination and they know that will be their undoing," Gordon said.

Critics have pointed to the so-called Parents Bill of Rights as one effort by the Legislature to censor history.

Candidate John Lyman had a history minor when he was a student at MU and he still loves history. The 1619 Project presents history as it really was, he said.

"The 1619 Project is a fantastic read," Lyman said. "We have to have those things in our schools."

The Republican sponsor of the Parents Bill of Rights has said his bill doesn't prohibit teaching The 1619 Project.

Another question was about the role of teachers.

"The role of the teacher is to change the world," said Chris Horn, an incumbent school board member. "It sounds cheesy, but it's true. They're charged with creating critical thinkers. They build relationships. They build relationships with students. They build relationships with parents. And they're bridge builders."

A student asked April Ferrao what steps are needed to improve student and staff mental health.

The staff has mental health resources, but it's not always easily accessible, Ferrao said.

"I think all of our buildings need mental health professional in them" for students, Ferrao said. "We definitely need more mental health support in our schools, every one of them."

A student asked John Potter what he meant at a previous forum when he said he would be the voice for parents who aren't heard. Whose voice isn't heard, the student asked.

It's parents with conservative ideologies, Potter said.

"The district and the teachers' union is always pushing its social justice stuff," Potter said. "They listen to the teachers' union instead of the parents."

A student question for Paul Harper was about protections for transgender students.

"We need to make sure all our students are supported," Harper said. "We should be caring for our children, not making it harder for them to learn."

Lyman, who mentioned again he was Truman the Tiger when he attended the University of Missouri, said the election is important.

"There's going to be a major cultural shift on our board this election and I want to be part of it," Lyman said.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: School board candidates make their case during LWV forum at library