Our endorsement for Cedar Rapids School Board

We believe the Cedar Rapids School Board could use an infusion of new blood.

District voters who cast ballots will be asked to choose from among four candidates vying for two at-large seats and between two candidates running for the seat in district 4. We are endorsing two candidates, one at-large and one in district 4. Our picks do not include incumbents John Laverty, Ann Rosenthal or Allen Witt.

We didn't arrive at this decision easily. But over the last four years, we've been troubled, repeatedly, by the board's lack of transparency, and its failure to weigh the concerns of its constituents as heavily as the wishes of the district's administration. In its duty to guide a public school district, the board too often has sidestepped the public.

Two big decisions stand out. In 2012, the board voted to closed Polk Elementary School despite strong opposition in the core urban neighborhood it successfully served, and at the end of a process that started with a series of meetings closed to the public. Emails obtained by The Gazette in the aftermath of that decision revealed a board and administration seemingly more concerned about public perception of its decision than its implications for students and a neighborhood.

This year, the board took the advice of a consultant and embarked on a confidential search for a new superintendent. Although the district did gather information from a series of open focus groups before the search, it declined to publicly name any of its finalists for the job and refused to allow the public a chance to meet and question them.

In the end, former Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck was hired. Buck has all the makings of a high-quality hire, but that doesn't excuse the secrecy that shrouded his hiring.

And with a new superintendent in place, it strikes us as a good time to also make changes on the board and bring in fresh perspectives on nagging issues, such as district's struggles with open enrollment losses, racial disparities in both discipline and achievement and its aging facilities.

We also understand, based on history, its likely one or both incumbents will be re-elected. We hope they see our endorsements not as a personal rebuke, but as a wake up call and an opportunity to make transparency and openness much higher priorities in their next term.

AT-LARGE

KRISTIN SULLIVAN JANSSEN

Kristin Sullivan Janssen is a Cedar Rapids native who returned to the area three years ago. The quality of local schools played a key role in her family's decision to return, and now Sullivan Janssen, a mother of three, wants to get involved in guiding local education policy.

During our conversation, the passion Sullivan Janssen said she feels for education issues was clear. She listed transparency, opening more lines of communications with constituents and education equity as her three largest issues. her work as a program manager and project specialist for the Veterans Health Administration, experience as a registered nurse and volunteer work in the local arts and cultural community give her a well-rounded perspective. She also brings a perspective on the development of magnet schools in the district after two of her children participated in magnet programs in Michigan.

DISTRICT 4

RAFAEL JACOBO

Rafael Jacobo, clearly, is enthusiastic about the value of getting involved in community schools. The father of three has been a building volunteer in seven Cedar Rapids schools and is an active PTA member at Arthur and Franklin, where he serves as PTA president. Jacobo also worked with English Language learners in the West Liberty schools, as well as coaching an array of youth sports. Jacobo has seen, firsthand, the affect of education policies on students and staff.

So it's not surprising they Jacobo, a business analyst with United Fire Group, believes school board members should be more visible and involved in schools and the community. He told us that, as a board member, he would continue to volunteer, and hopes to find ways to expand volunteer opportunities in the district. He believes creating a more inviting atmosphere for community and parental participation would help the district better tell its story, potentially reducing open enrollment loses.

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