TPS interviews for board seat to remain closed
School watchdog group critical of decision not to open process
By IGNAZIO MESSINA, BLADE STAFF WRITER
Saturday, January 8, 2005
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050108/NEWS04/501080334/-1/NEWS
The Toledo Board of Education will interview applicants in private next week for its vacant seat, a move that has drawn objections from critics who want the interviews to be public.
The school board met in private during its organizational meeting Tuesday to discuss an appointment to the seat. After a 40-minute closed session, President Larry Sykes announced that the board would begin private interviews with applicants on Jan. 11.
Mr. Sykes said yesterday morning that he would consider opening the interviews to the public after discussing it with other board members, but later changed his mind.
He said the process would be turned into a "circus," punctuated by "catcalls" from district critics who are calling for the interviews to be open.
Steven Flagg, a member of the Urban Coalition, a school district watchdog group, is urging the school board to open the interviews.
"We find it difficult to believe that an elected board will hold interviews for an elected position in private," Mr. Flagg said in an e-mail sent to The Blade. "While the open-meetings laws may give the board the right to go into executive session for personnel issues, the process of going into executive session to interview candidates for an open school board seat runs counter to democratic traditions. รข€¦ Does this secret process engender trust in the current school board?"
Board member Anita Lopez resigned her seat to take over as county recorder, an office she won in the Nov. 2 election.
Fifteen people have so far submitted their names for consideration. Mr. Sykes said the board will interview about six people.
The people who have applied so far are:
Denise Alvarado-Haack, of Dorr Street, a districtwide parent involvement coordinator for Toledo Public Schools.
Becky Berry, of Oswald Street, a home instructor and former teacher.
Jimmie Cisco, whose address was not available, a construction worker.
Brian Epstein, of Bowen Road, manager of major and planned gifts for the Toledo Museum of Art.
Carolyn Jean Eyre, of Charlestown Avenue, a licensed minister and former teacher at Calvary Christian School in South Toledo.
Theresa Gabriel, of Independence Road, former Toledo Municipal clerk of courts.
Barbara Jean Jacobs, of Mount Vernon Avenue, tax auditor for the city of Toledo.
Chris Myers, of Talbot Street, a Web master at the University of Michigan.
Gerald McClintick, of Lakeside Avenue, a former Toledo Public Schools teacher and coach who later worked for Rowe Industries.
Ken Roach, of Moran Avenue, a business representative for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 8 since 1993.
Steven Steel, of Parkwood Avenue, a former Toledo Public Schools teacher. He is an assistant professor at Bowling Green State University.
Steven Thomas, of Wellesley Drive, business manager of Laborers International Union of North America Local 500.
Robert Torres, of Arlington Avenue, director of Toledo's Office of Latino Affairs.
Eva Vindas, of Kenyon Drive, a lawyer with the law firm Gallon & Takacs Co., L.P.A.
Nick Wichowski, of Heatherdowns Boulevard, an accountant who unsuccessfully ran for Toledo mayor in 1997.
Contact Ignazio Messina at:
imessina@theblade.com
or 419-724-6171.
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