Arkansas Online

School board hopefuls speak at forum

They pledge to focus on students’ education, not divisive issues in Conway

ASHLEY SAVAGE

CONWAY — Candidates hoping to unseat incumbents on the Conway School Board on Monday vowed to focus on education and not issues that have divided the community in recent months.

Trey Geier, Sheila Franklin and Jess Disney spoke Monday at a forum hosted by the Faulkner County Democratic Party and the Faulkner County Democratic Women.

Geier will face Bill Milburn for a seat representing the school board’s Zone 5 in the May 9 election, while Franklin and Disney are vying to oust board Vice President Jessica Cunningham for an atlarge position.

Conway residents were encouraged to attend the event at the McGee Center in Conway to talk with the candidates about the future of the board after months of contention over its actions.

Franklin, who was born and raised in Conway, highlighted her experience working with young people from “every walk of life” as a Head Start teacher and later as a juvenile probation and intake officer.

Just weeks ago, a directive from the board prohibited her daughter, LaShanta Johnson, and other coaches in the district from wearing “Celebrate Black History” shirts.

At a February meeting, board members apologized to the coaches, calling it a misunderstanding and mistake.

The episode followed months of debate related to transgender bathroom policies, books banned from district libraries, a drafted curriculum policy prohibiting teachers from using more than 80 terms and phrases, a policy that requires staff to automatically delete emails after three days and frustrations with the board’s refusal to host monthly meetings in a bigger space.

“I am not OK with board members and school leaders changing the narrative to focus on their declaration saying ‘I am not a racist.’ I have not called any of these leaders racist, though it is clear that they have felt the need to defend themselves against that hateful word,” Johnson said in a video uploaded to Facebook after the T-shirt incident. “As a mother of two Black children, I have to show them that we have the right to speak up for ourselves and for our basic human rights — even if it means standing up to your bosses when they are wrong.”

Franklin said the hurt she saw in her daughter and in the community after the episode only fueled her desire to make a difference on the board.

“My heart is here in Conway and in the Conway public schools. I know that we are a long way from where we need to be and where we have been, but I know that we can get back there,” Franklin said Monday.

“I’ll only be one voice, but I can promise I’ll be a loud voice. I will support and represent this city well. I believe that the school board should focus mainly on educating our kids, all of our kids.”

Disney, a 2010 graduate of Conway High School, also shared her visions and goals if elected to the at-large position.

“I really believe we are at a new chapter for Conway schools,” Disney said. “My campaign is built around education, being your voice on the board and teachers mattering. I believe we need to ensure equitable and quality education for all of our students by creating an inclusive learning environment through policies that support and nurture every child in our school district regardless of their background, identity or ability.”

Her campaign announcement page reads, “I have a strong belief that it is critical we listen to the voice of members within our community and the students themselves if we are going to continue to increase student achievement and build the foundations necessary for us to remain as one of the best school districts in Arkansas.”

Geier was last to introduce himself to the crowd. He said he has three children in Conway schools.

“I’ve had experience with special education, gifted education, orchestra, athletics and more. All of our teachers are important to us and we’re seeing administrators, teachers, staff and all of our intellectual knowledge go to other school districts because of our current district,” he said.

Geier said his goal on the board would be to stop pushing policies and decisions on teachers and students and to encourage the board to do more listening.

Each candidate also responded to complaints about a lack of transparency from the district and the size of the board’s meeting space.

“I would hope that when I become a board member that we will work as one team,” Franklin said. “We are a public school and I think the public should be able to attend whatever meeting the public wants to be at. I would like for us to get to a point where transparency becomes very easy and there is nothing to hide.

“I would really like to get to a point where we’re focused so much on the business that we should be focused on that you all won’t even want to be there.”

Disney said, “We have plenty of rooms and space available, especially near the administration, that would be more than capable of hosting everybody that’s been wanting to attend.”

Geier also responded to frustrations on the lack of space during the monthly meetings.

“There are more people in the overflow space than there are actually in the meeting space,” Geier said. “We can have the school board meetings in the overflow and see everyone that wants to be there. It’s a really easy thing to do and it’s something we have to address.”

Milburn and Cunningham were also invited to speak at the event but did not attend.

“There was a meeting hosted by the Democrats of Faulkner County. Since I am a strong conservative, there was zero chance of either gaining or losing support from the Democrats,” Milburn said in an interview Tuesday.

“Personal, one-on-one contact is the most effective way to share my thoughts, as well as receive open and honest input from the community. I also plan to speak with any civic groups that will invite me. I already represent all the kids.”

Milburn was appointed to the Zone 5 seat after Scott Champlin resigned from the post in September.

Cunningham, who was first elected in 2018, did not respond to emailed questions Tuesday.

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2023-03-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-08T08:00:00.0000000Z

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