Sunday, April 13, 2008; Posted: 06:20 AM
In the last few months, a wave of negative news has made some question the board's leadership: an accreditation report on the high school blasting Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton, whom the board gave a raise and later fired; an urgent need to cut costs so the schools can be in good standing with a state law; Felton's lawsu
Some board members blame a variety of factors for their troubles -- single-parent families, burdensome state laws, bureaucracy. Those who say they'll run again say they deserve another term and think they can turn the system around.
Voters who are unhappy with the board's leadership might not have any alternatives. No opposition candidates have stepped forward to challenge the current board members.
Candidates will face some parents who say the current school board keeps them out of the loop on problems facing the school system. These parents feel the board can do better.
School board candidates also will face a cloud of apathy or silence from parents who have opted out of the system altogether.
Some have side-stepped the school system, choosing homes where they can send their children to county schools. Others who live in the city limits are choosing to pay for what they consider a quality education at private schools.
But whether these parents realize it or not, leaders and economic-development experts agree that everyone pays a price when a school system drives parents away rather than lure them in.
School is a drag
These observers point out that the quality of schools is, at a fundamental level, a factor in economic development, though they disagree on how much it impacts the city overall.
Schools with a bad rep are less likely to attract new homebuilders within their boundaries, adults with children and room to grow.
"It starts with rooftops and pocketbooks and goes from there," Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce President Sherri Sumners said, adding that industries look at the educational opportunities in the county overall when making decisions.
A school system perceived as failing can hurt a city, said David Ward, president of Wisconsin-based NorthStar Economics, an economic consulting firm.
Ward said the education level of a community affects the earnings potential of its residents. He said all educational issues can be accurately viewed as economic issues as well.
"We're in an economy where it's very evident that the quality of the labor is going to determine the quality of life and growth in the economy," Ward said. "Uneducated people are just going to be a drag on the economy. It's as blunt as that."
Reasons to run
Before Bob Etnire moved to Anniston, he was responsible for choosing sites for his company's expansion. He touts his experience in the business sector as an advantage in dealing with the school systems.
"I know how important education is to industry," he said.
Etnire, who was first elected to the board in 2004, said his decision on whether to run again depends on his health. He said his priorities, if he were to seek another term, would be balancing the system's budget and reducing the number of schools in the school system.
Most board members have served since Anniston voters began electing school board members in 2000. Bill Robison, Jim Klinefelter, Nathaniel Davis and Vivian Thompson were all elected in 2000 and again in 2004.
Bill Robison says he'll run again. Everyone has a stake in the quality of the schools, he says, and, like Etnire, he wants to straighten out the system's finances.
But Robison said not everyone deserves re-election.
"Some of us, yes," Robison said, including himself in the "yes" category. "All of us? No."
Robison would not name the board members he thinks should sit this election out.
Jim Klinefelter said he plans to run again. He said he wants to make Anniston's "the finest school system in the county." When told of some parents' unhappiness with the current board's actions, Klinefelter said it is because the board is not speaking with one voice on some issues.
"All I can say is that I really regret that we're not united," he said. "I believe in unity and peace, and I believe it's necessary to have a good school system to have the board and the superintendent and administration in general united toward a goal."
Board President Nathaniel Davis said it's still too early for him to make the call on running.
Efforts to reach board member Vivian Thompson were unsuccessful.
Not happy
For guardians like Marilyn Thomas, the state of things leaves her wanting. She's a grandparent of children in the school system and, without getting into specifics about their situations, she said "We're not happy."
She said she doesn't feel the board has accomplished anything -- but doesn't know whether she'll have any other options this August.
"It's kind of like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place," she said.
Thomas said the board should work harder to involve parents in their children's education. The board needs to make that its top priority, she said.
The statistics on parental involvement at the middle and high school levels show that a large number of parents are not engaged at those schools. According to the Board of Education, 52 percent of parents participate in teacher conferences at the middle school; at the high school, just 8 percent do.
All five elementary schools report 100 percent participation.
Thomas said she thinks the system can turn around, but the board can't make decisions about the future of the schools in a vacuum.
"We have to also be in that decision, too. We're not aware of a lot of things that have been going on," she said.
Rose Munford, who has stayed involved in the school system since her children graduated, is less optimistic. She recently wrote a speak out letter to The Anniston Star, recommending that the city fold into the Calhoun County school system.
Munford said others feel the same, but won't voice their opinions. The board has failed the system's parents and children, she said.
"A lot of them have been sitting there seven or eight years and watching the system fail," Munford said. "I just feel we need a new clean house with everyone. We don't need anyone who's been part of the system all these years lingering on."
Munford said she thinks former educators are the best candidates for the school board, but said she hasn't been able to persuade anyone to run.
"A lot of them say (it's because of) the bureaucracy of it, but that's a cop-out in my view," she said. "It's going to take someone who's really dedicated and loves this community and loves children."
Lester Goodwin said he's willing to give Anniston's schools a shot at teaching his children when they're ready to start school.
"Right now, they need to do a little bit better," he said of the school board. "They need to check the parents out, because that's where the problems come from, the home environment."
Anthony Sanders, who said he has a child in the high school, said the schools "could be better."
"I believe they can do more than what they're doing for the kids," he said. He will not vote to re-elect anyone on the school board, he said.
Council communications
Anniston Mayor Chip Howell concedes the reputation of the schools has taken a toll on the city.
Howell's former job was in real-estate, and he knows the system has negatively impacted property values around the city.
He said the system can turn itself around, but that it will take more communication, being financially responsible, and better communication between the school board and the council.
Councilman Jeff Fink said the school system could better serve all student groups if it had magnet schools and vocational training for high school students. Some of the behavioral problems in the middle school could be alleviated by extending elementary schools to eighth grade rather than sixth grade, he said.
"It's going to take strong leadership for the board to look into some of these options and try to make positive changes in the system," Fink said.
Councilman Ben Little criticized the board for not having moved more quickly to replace former Superintendent Sammy Lee Felton after firing him last year.
"I think they'll need a listening day or something," Little said of the board. "They may hear some things they don't want to hear, but it's needed. I think the education system in Anniston is so torn right now because of a lot of concerns in the community. There is a disconnect."
Councilman Stan Bennett said that if the school board wants more money from the city to bail it out of its financial mess, it needs to show it is acting responsibly.
"The school board is going to have to initiate behavior and practices that exhibit effective leadership," he said. "(That means) being fiscally responsible, involving the community, being straightforward with the community, focusing on the individual student."
Councilman Herbert Palmore encouraged the two sides to work together, but said he, too, thinks accountability is important.
Board members say they are doing the best they can. When asked if the voters should give board members another term, Etnire said, "I think that's up to the voters."
"I think, for the most part, it's a well-meaning board," he said. "They want to do a good job."
About Dan Whisenhunt
Dan Whisenhunt covers K-12 schools and higher education for The Star.
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