Charlottesville has its first elected school board in decades. Ned Michie, an attorney and the only incumbent on the ballot, received the most votes: 3,101.
Joining Michie on the board will be Leah Puryear (2,426 votes) and Juandiego Wade (2,370 votes), who campaigned together on a shared platform.
On July 1, Puryear and Wade will take the place of Dede Smith and Muriel Wiggins, current board members who chose not to run. The remaining four board seats will be elected in November 2007. Community forums will be held May 18, 30, and 31 to discuss whether School Board members should be elected at-large, as in this election, or through a ward system.
After a controversial campaign to switch from a school board appointed by Council to one elected by voters, opponents of an elected school board wondered whether City voters would elect diverse, qualified candidates.
“It was a resounding success,” says Jeffrey Rossman, a UVA history professor who helped get the elected school board referendum on last fall’s ballot. “The election results show that the proponents of an elected school board were right and the naysayers were wrong on every argument. They told us that a bunch of right-wingers would run; they told us a bunch of creationists would run; they told us no African-Americans would get elected; they said it would be good for the Republicans. I don’t think the naysayers have any more credibility.”
Though the race was nonpartisan, winners Ned Michie, Leah Puryear and Juandiego Wade are all Democrats. Puryear and Wade are also both African-American. “I would assume the electoral process is the better process,” says Puryear, who previously applied under the appointed system. “You are accountable to more people, and you have an opportunity to get to interact with people.”
Does that mean voters did their homework? Michie, Puryear and Wade all commented that voters felt there wasn’t enough information in comparison to the City Council election. “I think the electorate had a hard time learning about the school board candidates and making an informed decision,” says Michie. He suggests that the elections decreased the candidate pool. “In the past, more like 10 or 12 applied for the position, and [this year] we only had six candidates.”
City Councilor Kendra Hamilton was skeptical prior to the election. “An elected process requires constant vigilance,” says Hamilton. “You look around the country and you see some of the results in the school board where people haven’t paid attention—you end up with a bunch of creationists who want to change your textbooks.”
Even though only 26 percent of eligible voters turned out this year, Rossman dismisses the idea that Charlottesville will not pay attention to future elections. “Charlottesville is not your ordinary community—it’s marked by an incredibly high degree of civic involvement.”
Much ado about nothing? Hamilton considers the manner of school board selection a low priority compared to school safety, teacher training and the so-called achievement gap. “When I think about issues in the school that I get fired up about, the method of electing the School Board doesn’t have a direct impact on those issues.” As Michie says, “I thought before we went to an elected process, and afterwards, that basically we’re going to be fine.”—Will Goldsmith
Joining Michie on the board will be Leah Puryear (2,426 votes) and Juandiego Wade (2,370 votes), who campaigned together on a shared platform.
On July 1, Puryear and Wade will take the place of Dede Smith and Muriel Wiggins, current board members who chose not to run. The remaining four board seats will be elected in November 2007. Community forums will be held May 18, 30, and 31 to discuss whether School Board members should be elected at-large, as in this election, or through a ward system.
After a controversial campaign to switch from a school board appointed by Council to one elected by voters, opponents of an elected school board wondered whether City voters would elect diverse, qualified candidates.
“It was a resounding success,” says Jeffrey Rossman, a UVA history professor who helped get the elected school board referendum on last fall’s ballot. “The election results show that the proponents of an elected school board were right and the naysayers were wrong on every argument. They told us that a bunch of right-wingers would run; they told us a bunch of creationists would run; they told us no African-Americans would get elected; they said it would be good for the Republicans. I don’t think the naysayers have any more credibility.”
Though the race was nonpartisan, winners Ned Michie, Leah Puryear and Juandiego Wade are all Democrats. Puryear and Wade are also both African-American. “I would assume the electoral process is the better process,” says Puryear, who previously applied under the appointed system. “You are accountable to more people, and you have an opportunity to get to interact with people.”
Does that mean voters did their homework? Michie, Puryear and Wade all commented that voters felt there wasn’t enough information in comparison to the City Council election. “I think the electorate had a hard time learning about the school board candidates and making an informed decision,” says Michie. He suggests that the elections decreased the candidate pool. “In the past, more like 10 or 12 applied for the position, and [this year] we only had six candidates.”
City Councilor Kendra Hamilton was skeptical prior to the election. “An elected process requires constant vigilance,” says Hamilton. “You look around the country and you see some of the results in the school board where people haven’t paid attention—you end up with a bunch of creationists who want to change your textbooks.”
Even though only 26 percent of eligible voters turned out this year, Rossman dismisses the idea that Charlottesville will not pay attention to future elections. “Charlottesville is not your ordinary community—it’s marked by an incredibly high degree of civic involvement.”
Much ado about nothing? Hamilton considers the manner of school board selection a low priority compared to school safety, teacher training and the so-called achievement gap. “When I think about issues in the school that I get fired up about, the method of electing the School Board doesn’t have a direct impact on those issues.” As Michie says, “I thought before we went to an elected process, and afterwards, that basically we’re going to be fine.”—Will Goldsmith