EDUCATION: President pick goes down to the wire

City Newspaper Archives - 1/2008

Published by Tim Louis Macaluso on Jan 08, 2008

Malik Evans spoke of the challenges city students, teachers, and school board members face entering 2008 during his acceptance speech at last Wednesday night's meeting. Evans and Van Henri White, in 5-to-1 votes, were elected president and vice president of the city school board.

His first priority, Evans says, is designating committee assignments. But with two newly-elected board members, Melisza Campos and Allen Williams, and a new schools superintendent, Jean-Claude Brizard - building a unified and focused board may be a bigger priority.

Just two hours before last week's meeting, the decision over who would become president was still up in the air. Both Evans and White were vying for the position, but neither had the necessary four votes.

Cynthia Elliott, board members say, was also interested in being president or vice president. She cast the lone vote against Evans and White. She declined comment on this story.

The board vice president has no real authority. But behind-the-scenes jockeying for the position confirms what many people have observed at board meetings: an often-splintered group.

"We had to send a message to Malik that this was not going to be a coronation ceremony for him," says board member Tom Brennan.

Evans says the public doesn't need to know the nitty-gritty of the vote.

"The voting is over," he says. "I'm going to treat all board members the same. We're seven among equals."