By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
The Ohio Valley Adams County School District School Board has a vital decision to make – selecting a new Superintendent. On Monday, May 8, school board members invited community members to Peebles High School for a forum with the three top candidates under consideration.
Ben King, Principal of West Union Elementary, David Harmon, Chief of Human Resources for Dayton Public Schools and Dawn Wallace, Special Ed Director and Testing for Eastern Local School District, answered pre-submitted community questions at the public forum.
President of the Board, Dr. Gay Lynn Shipley, explained that the new Superintendent, replacing Richard Seas, will begin their position on August 1. Shipley said of 18 applicants, “These are our top three candidates. We invited the community to submit questions, and the board has reviewed those questions and selected the top 14.” She continued, “The purpose of this forum is for the board to see how the superintendent candidates interact with our community and how they think on their feet.”
Beth Justice facilitated the question asking and answering. Each candidate was allowed a three-minute response. Each contender answered varying questions as ordered on the list. Once completed, they had an opportunity to address questions not initially presented to them.
When asked about the strengths and weaknesses of the Adams County school district, Mr. King said, “Without a doubt, the strength of this district is the caring people that we have.” He noted that several teachers in his building foster children and the school and community’s many efforts to serve the children better. ” The weakness we have in the community right now is the breakdown of the family and the impact that puts on schools,” said King.
Asked about her vision for the school district, Ms. Wallace explained that she grew up here and said, “I know the communities we have, I know the talent that is here. My vision is to take this district from something that’s really, really good and make it really, really great.” She wished to see children graduate, knowing that “The whole world is their oyster – it’s their choice.”
Mr. Harmon had the unique position of coming in from outside Adams County. When asked what the attributes are of a good superintendent, he said, “They are the same thing for a good teacher and a good principal and anyone who gets into schools – we do this because we’re about doing what’s best for kids.” He explained that every decision must be about the best decision for the students.
The Defender caught up with the three candidates following the forum for one final question. “Given that parents and students have options like homeschooling or attending private, parochial, and charter schools, how do we market our public schools and promote enrollment?” Mr. King spoke first, saying, “You share the successes of the school system – communication, communication, communication!” Wallace said, “To piggyback that – you’re looking at opportunities for the kids to engage in STEM and some of the initiatives coming down from the state and being creative enough to allow a little bit of non-traditionalism in the schools.” Mr. Harmon answered, “Celebrate the things that kids do every day.” And concluded, “It’s really important to tell the story.”
Following the forum, Board members Dr. Gay Lynn Shipley, Tiffany DeMint, David Riley, Richard Davis, and Robin Lucas entered an executive session. They determined the final two candidates, Wallace and Harmon.