The Race is On

Two  Board Members Draw Challengers in Fayette County

Fayette County school board members Amanda Ferguson and Doug Barnett will have opposition in the Nov. 4 general election. The filing deadline for candidates passed on Tuesday.

District 4, an area in southeast Lexington that includes Ashland Elementary School, Morton Middle School and Henry Clay and Tates Creek high schools

challenger Murray

incumbent Ferguson

Natasha Murray, an educational consultant and research analyst for the Kentucky Department of Education, will oppose board member Amanda Ferguson

District 2 includes several schools in north Lexington, including Arlington Elementary School, Lexington Traditional Magnet and Bryan Station High School.

incumbent Barnett

challenger Cleveland

Doug Barnett, the board member representing District 2, will face Roger Cleveland, an associate professor in the College of Education at Eastern Kentucky University.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/08/12/3377189/two-fayette-school-board-members.html?sp=/99/164/142/#storylink=cpy

Notably, this year's race presents the community with two African American candidates. That is not remarkable in and of itself. But if both happen to be successful, they would join Daryl Love and the FCPS would (for the first time, I’m betting) have a majority of school board members who are persons of color.

Is race an issue in the Fayette County schools? If so, in what way? If not, why not?

That's just one of several questions Fayette County voters need to have answered before they go to the polls in November.

Accordingly, KSN&C is inviting each candidate to submit for publication a statement of 1,000 words or less outlining the candidate's platform, resume, or anything else the candidate would like to address. In addition, we invite the candidates to respond to the following ten questions:

1. In redistricting, what will be your highest priority…

   ·         Doing the best for your board district, or

   ·         Doing the best for the entire system? 

2. FCPS is currently undergoing an audit to determine, in part, whether an accounting error led to Board members being surprised by a $20 million deficit. How would a negative result impact your opinion of the Superintendent? How would a positive result impact your opinion of the Superintendent? 
3. Do you support the passage of a charter school law in Kentucky? If so, what are the most important features of such a law? If not, why not?
4. In your view, what have the Fayette County Schools done particularly well over the last five years? What has the district done poorly that you would hope to change?
5. Has leadership played a role in existing district problems? If so, how?
6. Cite your greatest personal accomplishment in public education. 
   
7. What are your views on open data and the transparency of information about the schools? What kinds of information should be made public?
   
8. In your view, what are the positives and negatives associated with today's "corporate school reform movement?" (college- and career-readiness and Common Core State Standards, high-stakes assessment (increased use of test scores to evaluate students, teachers and schools), weakening teacher tenure and teacher's unions, school choice, increased federal control over education, increasing class size...)
   
9. Is race an issue in the Fayette County schools? If so, in what way? If not, why not?
10. How much money do you plan to spend on your election? How much have you collected so far?

Candidates may send responses to the KSN&C Moderator at reday00@gmail.com by the end of September and we will publish soon after. If you want us to use a different photo, please send that too. Each candidate's responses will be posted under their own entry - one for each candidate. We hope every candidate will respond to this request and allow the public a better understanding of the issues at stake and where each candidate stands.