Columbia Public Schools superintendent candidates answer public’s questions during forum

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia Public Schools held a virtual public forum Thursday for the district's three superintendent finalists.

These finalists include Dr. Harold Brian Yearwood (Manor, Texas), Dr. Chace Ramey (Iowa City, Iowa), and Dr. Erick Pruitt (Chicago, Illinois).

More information about each candidate can be found in our previous reporting here.

Each were asked questions about innovation, school equality and other topics sent in by the public. It was moderated by the search firm.

Watch a livestream replay of the public forum when it starts in the media player below.

How will you get to know the Columbia Public Schools staff and faculty?

Yearwood said he plans to put together a 90-day plan to create a smooth transition of leadership. He mentioned having a board retreat to get to know the board and what Columbia

Ramey said that he finds it extremely important to have both formal and informal conversations with the CPS community, by going into schools and meeting teachers and staff.

Pruitt said his entry plan will include both looking at data about the school district and getting into schools and meeting teachers and staff.

What is your vision for parent and community involvement, and how have to implemented involvement in the past?

Ramey said he believes community members and parents should be a part of committees and planning through the district.

Pruitt said a strategic plan is key to getting the community and parents involved. He said holding virtual town halls and connecting with the business community and "meet people where they are."

He said trying to reopen high schools in Chicago during the pandemic involved a lot of feedback streams from students and parents throughout the district.

Yearwood hopes to implement measurable goals for community involvement in the district. He believes having a "shared vision" crafted by parents and other stakeholders in the community is critical to success.

How will you support innovation within the school district?

Pruitt said it is important to look at how resources are being distributed and putting emphasis on putting together a good team at the administration level. He said it is also letting individual school leaders do what they think is best for their community is important.

"You allow them to build their team and give them the resources to identify what their school community needs, in order to serve at the highest level," Pruitt said.

Ramey said that it's important to message that CPS is an innovation-driven district, saying COVID-19 has changed education forever.

"One of the biggest failures we will have coming out of this pandemic is if we try to revert back to education pre-pandemic in the fall of 2019," Ramey said. "We are ripe for advancement and we are ripe for innovation in education."

Yearwood said when talking about innovation, it's important to discuss equity. He said there are different levels of innovation and that all students, no matter on race or socioeconomic background.

"No matter your skin color or socioeconomic status, you have to be exposed to innovation," Yearwood said.

How will you address the unique location and community of Columbia, since it is college town?

Ramey said he has experience in communities like Columbia because he has worked in another college town, Iowa City. He said it is a good thing because it means the city is education-focused, and there are a wide number of opportunities to share the expertise

"We have great partners right here in the community," Ramey said.

Yearwood said CPS is lucky to have the colleges in its backyard. He said being able to embrace the student-teachers and young professionals and let them grow in the district is a great opportunity. He mentioned a lot about scholarships and other partnerships being something he wants to grow in the district.

Pruitt mentioned his previous work in Chicago with universities across the state and city. He said mutually identifying what priorities the district and college community have can create a good partnership.

What do you believe CPS needs during your time in leadership, and how will you accomplish it?

Yearwood said his vision for CPS is to be the best school district in the state. He said he said would use his knowledge in data and a common curriculum. He wants to hold training for the development of cultural competencies to address bias against certain types of students.

Pruitt said his goal is to address the racial discrepancies in graduation rates, drop-out rates, and attendance. He said starting to create a concrete plan for each student after they graduate starting early will be a priority.

Ramey said making sure that schools being open to safety in the fall will be key. He again mentioned not moving backwards after the pandemic by creating short-term goals. He said working on the budget will also be a critical part of the districts long district plans.

Speak about your experience with special education?

Pruitt said it's important to look at the data and direct support to schools and parents that need more resources when it comes to special education.

Ramey said he started his career would with special education families in Kansas City. He said right now he is very involved in the hiring process for special education teachers and professionals, saying the staffing should be based on the needs of the current students.

Yearwood also said the district must be able to ensure staffing is should be based on the current needs of the students and should be monitored frequently to make sure it is hitting the mark.

How are you going to handle race, racism, and inclusion?

Ramey said the district has to be willing to come together with the community to address these topics and come up with solutions based on specific issues facing particular communities.

"It's not enough to have a one size fits all approach because there will be pockets inside our community that have specific things that are at the forefront," Ramey said.

Yearwood said this is not easy topic to discuss, because it exposes weaknesses in every school district. He said there should be professional development training on how to handle all students regardless of race and

"I will ensure there will be a safety net where there can be respectful, where there can be courageous conversations," Yearwood said.

Pruitt said partnering equity and education departments of the district will give a full approach to teach about and address concerns in the district and the larger community.

"We have to get to a point based on building relationships where we are comfortable with the discomfort if it's going to benefit our students," Pruitt said.

Several other questions were asked. You can watch the full stream of the forum linked in this story.