Voters on Tuesday will choose three candidates among seven running for school board
Voters in Columbia Public Schools on Tuesday have seven school board candidates to choose among. The top three vote-getters will have three-year terms on the Columbia Board of Education.
John Potter
Potter works in the construction industry and has three children in CPS. He doesn't have a high school diploma, but has a high school equivalency diploma. An outspoken critic of the school district, he started the group CoMo Citizens for CPS Accountability & Transparency on Facebook.
He opposes standards-referenced grading and district equity efforts.
From his campaign website: "Columbia Public Schools Administrators and School Board Members make all their decisions under the guise of 'Equity.' Some people call it wokeness, wokeism, Identity-based Marxism, CRT, DEI, etc. We understand these terms mean different things, to different people."
He supports increased pay for teachers and increasing the number of lottery schools in the district.
Chuck Basye
Basye, a former state representative, successfully sued the district to be placed on the ballot and now is seeking payment of attorney fees from the district. He has led in fundraising throughout the campaign.
In a candidate forum, he complained that the graphic novel "Flamer" by Mike Curato was available in middle-school and high-school libraries in the district, saying it had language that is inappropriate for students. A district official defended the book's presence in school libraries.
In his answer to a Tribune questionnaire, he expressed dissatisfaction with student achievement in the district, saying there was too much attention paid to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
"I wasn’t surprised with the annual performance report." Basye wrote. "The district’s academic achievement has been in decline for a decade. Discipline is practically nonexistent in Columbia Public Schools and the teachers are not supported by the present administration and the existing board of education."
April Ferrao
Ferrao has worked in information technology and real estate, but a focus of her campaign has been on her volunteerism in schools.
From her campaign website: "For over a decade, I have devoted my time and energy to the kids, teachers, and parents of CPS. My years of experience serving as a parent volunteer includes advocacy for families and school communities navigating everyday challenges, policies, and an historic pandemic. I am proud of the transparency and communication I have been able to provide while serving in Hickman and Ridgeway PTSA officer roles since 2010. As my youngest son prepares to graduate, I am excited to bring my experiences and skills to the Board. With my 14 years of experience as a committed volunteer, I am eager to serve families from across Columbia. I know CPS can be the best school district in the state."
If elected, Ferrao states on her website that she will focus her efforts on improving student achievement, creating a "top-notch" working and learning environment in schools and optimizing financial and human resources.
James Gordon
Gordon moved to Columbia 10 years ago. He has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and teaches data journalism and accountability reporting. He's the husband of Molly Housh Gordon, pastor of Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbia. They have two daughters, one a student at West Boulevard Elementary School.
He lists on his campaign website priorities of equity, accessibility and trust.
"All kids are hard-wired to learn and engage creatively with the world around them, and we have incredibly talented and passionate educators capable of meeting kids where they are," Gordon wrote. "The role of district leadership, then, is to remove these barriers to learning, beginning first with meeting the basic needs of students struggling against social and economic inequities and a lack of accessible resources.
When I talk about equity, I mean I want every student — no matter their circumstances or zip code — to enter any school in Columbia where they will receive all the support they need to pursue any learning opportunity we can offer. I want this especially for those kids who have the greatest needs.
When I talk about accessibility, I mean that we must design and implement resources with a focus on students who have the greatest barriers to access."
Chris Horn
Horn, vice president of the school board, is the only incumbent among candidates. He has a bachelor's degree in math from MU and works in the insurance industry. His wife is a teacher in CPS.
From his campaign website: "Our educators, staff, and administration enrich our students in so many ways. We need to focus on the recruitment and retention of our high-quality educators by continuously improving benefits and salaries, attracting support staff as passionate as our educators, and investing in professional development.
The board of education is the maestro to the orchestra that is Columbia Public Schools. The district, and subsequently the community, will follow the direction it gives. A good board is concerned about everything that occurs in our district and about every kid navigating our system. A great board does that while remaining focused on the responsibilities we are elected to shoulder. It is imperative that the board is united and focused on the governing responsibilities that guide the district and community to the desired outcomes we all want.
To that end, Columbia Public Schools needs to eliminate all disparities in discipline, in educational opportunities, and in achievement. We must see the inherent value of each and every one of our kids and educate them accordingly, and we must do the same for each and every one of our employees and support them accordingly. Inclusion needs to become the norm so that we can ensure achievement for all."
Paul Harper
Harper is an attorney working as legal counsel for the Office of Childhood in the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. He has two daughters, one a graduate of Rock Bridge High School, the other a senior at Rock Bridge.
His campaign is focused on teachers, students and accountability, he says on his campaign website.
"Public education must prepare our children for success," he wrote of the student focus. "And all students deserve a chance to succeed. I will work on ensuring that our school district has the resources and policies to ensure that all students in the district can thrive."
About teachers, he wrote:
"Our district has great teachers. Our focus should be in providing teachers with the policies and resources that aid them in ensuring student success. I will work to ensure that teachers have these resources, and will work to reduce bureaucratic impediments to successful learning. As the fifth largest district in Missouri, we need to be a competitive employer not just regionally but statewide."
John Lyman
John Lyman is a product of Columbia Public Schools, graduating from Rock Bridge High School in 1998. He's a graduate of MU, where he was Truman the Tiger for three years. He works at Veterans United Home Loans. His wife is a teacher in CPS.
His campaign theme is "forward, together."
From his campaign Facebook page: "We need to move forward. As a CPS school board member, I will work on ensuring that all of our students are getting the best experience they can, while receiving the best education they can, in order to be prepared for life after graduation. I am a student of history. I love to know how we got to where we are. It helps us figure out where we want to go, and how best to get there. It’s important for us as leaders to review what happened in the past, and use those experiences to move us forward into the future. Our society is constantly evolving, we can’t simply go back to how it was. We have to continue to move the district forward."
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbliatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Here are the seven candidates for Tuesday's Columbia Board of Education vote
