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No doubt about it, Marietta City Schools is suffering a string of losing academic seasons-- Ds and Fs on Ohio's public report card. Of course, an institutional "system" can't actually "suffer." But people can suffer: struggling students who just need a little more hands-on instruction, many teachers whose teaching hours are reduced by serving breakfast and other distractions, scores of job seekers in the community who continue to search because a prospective employer looked at our schools and decided to locate elsewhere, and hundreds of voters who yearn to proudly boast about the excellent education offered to Marietta students. To meet this trend of academic failure, what has our "let's stand united-- no member should publicly disagree" school board done? Have they set challenging academic goals? Have they called for a shake-up in priorities? No, they've hired a "communications specialist." Will better communications solve the real problem? No, cosmetics alone won't alleviate the educational suffering in Marietta.
On Nov. 2, Marietta School District voters will select three of five school board seats. Will those elected members form a new majority dedicated to academic excellence? Or will they obediently take their places, settle in, and wait for instructions? If elected, John Lehman will take his place as an equal member of the new five-member board. But anyone who has heard him speak about schools knows John won't just settle in. He is already calling for an academic turn-around. At August's school board meeting, he passionately exhorted the board to reset their attitudes, show some urgency, shoot for excellence. Given the failing trend of academic performances, demands for board action were long overdue. There are other candidates running who have demonstrated the maturity, versatility, and experience to lead an academic recovery in Marietta. But none of the other candidates can match John's past service to Marietta Schools as shown by years of coaching, volunteering, donating, and repeatedly stepping forward to lead -- a powerful record of sustained commitment to the schools and the community. When you cast your vote for a new school board majority, be sure to include John Lehman, a passionate and experienced advocate for academic excellence.
Tonya Booth
Marietta