Which Keller school Place 2 trustee candidate can cool down the district? | Opinion
Keller is in desperate need of a temperature reset. If the political tensions and national attention on the school board’s rabid extremism weren’t enough, its disruptive, controversial and secretive attempt to split the district further risked the board and community delving into chaos.
We appreciate how Place 2 school board incumbent Joni Shaw Smith showed conviction when it mattered most, refusing to go along with her colleagues’ poorly conceived, secretive, possibly illegal and plainly detrimental district split scheme.
During her discussions with the Editorial Board, Smith correctly addressed the need for healing within the community, moving past “nonsense Keller” and towards “excellence Keller,” and stressed her desire to provide cultural diversity by helping integrate the full spectrum of nationalities and backgrounds into its schools.
Vying for Smith’s current trustee role are Jennifer Erickson and Jade Holbrook. Erickson, a 45-year-old communications specialist and former journalist, also offers a correct diagnosis of many of the problems with the current makeup of the board, alongside thoughtful approaches to improving the district’s financial situation, and has been an active participant in the life of the school through various Parent Teacher Associations.
While Erickson is a strong candidate for Place 2 in her own right, we believe Smith’s recent track record at a pivotal juncture in the district demonstrates important qualities: judgment and independence.
Jade Holbrook, a 32-year-old attorney who received board president and Keller split architect Charles Randklev’s endorsement, expressed no position on the split to the Editorial Board. Given how unpopular Randklev’s gambit was, this was likely her most savvy political move. But we found her approach insufficient for this board and the community it purports to represent.
Keller ISD covers the entire city of Keller along with north Fort Worth and pieces of surrounding suburbs. School board members are elected to three-year terms. No runoff is necessary; the candidate with the most votes will win, even if it’s not a majority overall. Members are elected at-large and represent the entire district.
Early voting starts April 22, and Election Day is May 3.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bradford William Davis, columnist and editorial writer; Bud Kennedy, columnist; and Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.