With just days to go until Election Day, the Enquirer will host a virtual forum on Oct. 28 with the six candidates running for four open seats on the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education.
The forum will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and can be viewed live on Cincinnati.com and The Enquirer's Politics Facebook page. Participating in the forum are: Incumbent board members Pamela Bowers and Mike Moroski, and candidates Gary Favors, Brandon Craig and Dr. Kareem Moffett. Candidate Mary Wineburg responded to the Enquirer's invitation and indicated she might not be available due to a family conflict.
Pamela Bowers has served on the CPS board of education since 2019, when she was voted in to fill the spot left by Ericka Copeland-Dansby, who resigned in March of that year. Bowers has worked in mental health for more than 25 years and currently serves as the director of school-based mental health services at Central Clinic Behavioral Health. She is an active member of her church and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Sigma Omega Chapter. Her focus is on increasing early childhood learning opportunities, closing academic achievement gaps, expanding academic rigor across more neighborhood schools and increasing life skill opportunities for all children in CPS.
Brandon Craig works in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access at the University of Cincinnati, where he graduated with a bachelor in economics and later completed law school. He has worked with CPS' public affairs office and the district's general counsel's office. Craig's passion is civil rights and he has appeared before committees in both the Ohio House and Senate to advocate for those rights. His campaign platform centers on diversity, equity and inclusion, community building, building upon community learning centers and the Vision 2020 program and expanding the use of technology in the classroom.
Gary Favors is a special education teacher at James N. Gamble Montessori High School who has served in the district for over two decades. He is also a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the Gulf War. Favors is focused on making sure every child has a chance to succeed, creating stronger vocational opportunities for students and developing long-lasting relationships with institutes of higher learning to recruit qualified teachers and administrators for the district. As a board member, Favors says he will also advocate for further fiscal transparency and accountability.
Kareem Moffett holds degrees in chemical engineering technology and natural sciences and a master's focusing on remedial education in higher education from the University of Cincinnati. She also obtained a PhD in education and focused on educating urban African American students in her dissertation. Moffett has worked as a chemist and at UC as director of diversity programs and services and as an academic advisor. Through a partnership between CPS and UC, Moffett co-taught math and science at various CPS schools. Her platform is based on engaging parents, students and teachers, empowering students and ensuring equitable education.
Mike Moroski has served on the CPS school board since 2018. He is the policy and partnership manager for Cradle Cincinnati, a network of partners working to reduce the rate of infant mortality. Moroski has worked as a teacher at Moeller High School and as assistant principal at Purcell Marian High School. His 2021 platform focuses on rebuilding trust in the community with increased transparency, accelerating learning, actualizing the district's anti-racism policy and continuing to err on the side of caution when it comes to COVID-19 safety and health policies.
Mary Wineberg is a second-grade teacher at Hyde Park School. Wineberg made history by becoming University of Cincinnati's first African American female to win a gold medal when she represented Team USA in the 4x400 meter relay at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Wineberg's vision for CPS includes communication and transparency, equitable education and diversity of curriculum and textbooks.
Topics covered will include the district's superintendent search, recent state report card results and learning loss, bullying, vaccine mandates and COVID-19, school resource officers and the district's social justice curriculum, among other issues.
Enquirer Opinion Editor Kevin Aldridge will moderate the forum, and the candidates will be questioned by the Enquirer's education reporter Madeline Mitchell. Readers can submit their questions for the school board candidates by email between now and the forum to [email protected]. A select number of reader-submitted questions will be asked during the event.
Source link
