Reply to Ward 4 State Board of Education Special Election

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[quote=Anonymous]After watching the recent candidate forum, my order of support would be:
1. Frazier O’Leary
2. Ryan Tauriainen
3. Elani Lawrence
4. Rhonda Henderson

[u]Frazier O’Leary[/u]: was definitely the most interesting candidate as a recently retired teacher in DCPS for 47 years, including something like the last 30 at Cardozo high school. He has been well-known in the city for years as the AP English teacher and he’s still involved with College Board and with DCPS in some kind of advisory capacity. He’s been involved for years with the PEN Faulkner program to bring authors into schools to speak to students, including bringing Isabel Wilkerson (The Warmth of Other Suns) to speak to Cardozo students recently. He also coached for many years. During the forum, he seemed Tom Ben most effective with the crowd, with a kind of “aww shucks” demeanor that got a few laughs from the audience and even the other candidates. For example, when making the case for himself, he said something to the effect of, “since this position is only for two years [because it’s filling a vacancy], if I don’t do what I said I will, just vote me out,” and, “I’ll be in school so everyday because I’m retired and all I have I say time.”  Policywise, he’s the neighborhood schools candidate and he’s endorsed by the Washington Teachers Union. He seemed to highly value teachers opinions, though he seems open to hearing more about some of the statewide policy positions.

[u]Ryan Tauriainen[/u]: was probably next best if you are looking for someone with a record of success in his previous roles and who could walk the line between traditional public schools and public charter schools since he's worked in both. He's a Teach For America alum and he seems to have started in a traditional public school before moving over to the charter sector in DC. He's been a teacher and principal, winning the 2016 DC Principal of the Year award. We know this because he said it like 5 times, so he would seem to struggle a little with how to have confidence without coming across a little arrogant. But, aside from seeming a little nervous, he did come across as fairly knowledgeable about some of the issues discussed. He made the good point that there isn't a former school leader currently on the board, so he would bring that perspective which is interesting. He mentioned having issues with people violating residency requirements, so he would probably support tougher policies on that issue and his background is mostly in early childhood, so he's definitely supportive of that. Probably the best moment was when he threw some shade at DFER, who he says never even sent him a questionnaire. Overall, probably not a bad second choice.

[u]Elani Lawrence[/u]: was not especially memorable from the forum because she didn't give very long answers or leave a lasting impression. Apparently she's the sister of former local politician Sekou Biddle and she's mostly coming at the role as a parent. While she didn't say much, she made a few comments that revealed her charter preference, so that's not a great sign. She did not seem very knowledgeable about the issues, so she's possibly the most open of the candidates. Given that she doesn't seem to have a natural constituency, it would be surprising if she finished higher than 3rd.

[u]Rhonda Henderson[/u]: was the most polished of the candidates in that she thanked the moderator/audience member who asked the question, restated the question. and then gave usually clear answers. She worked in some kind of operations role for DC Prep charter, but her current role is a little unclear. She seems bright and prepared, but, there was an audible gasp from the audience when she admitted she had been endorsed by DFER. Given the near total sweep of anti-DFER candidates last week, that seems to me more of a liability to her. Also, the clarity of her answers made it clear that she would be an unabashed supporter of those charter policies (e.g., pushing to greatly expand charters, giving over DCPS schools to charter operators, pushing voodoo like competency-based credits that lower standards to boost grad rates, etc.) She's the most dangerous of the candidates in that she appears to be a solid candidate, but she supports all the worst ideas and would probably do so more effectively than Lawrence. [/quote]

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