With a recently ousted public schools superintendent, education is at the forefront of issues facing Natchez mayoral candidates in the upcoming election.

Natchez Ward 4 Alderman Tony Fields and former county supervisor Darryl Grennell, both former educators, and former city information technology director Eric Junkin address below some of the issues surrounding education.

State of education in Natchez

Fields said the Natchez-Adams School District has experienced its challenges over the years, but is positioned to “make remarkable improvements in student achievement and growth.”

“One primary factor that is preparing us to achieve success is the establishment of committed leadership at the helm of the district and area schools,” he said. “We must continue to urge the community to support the district. We can never lose sight of the district’s driving force — its children. All students — regardless of their background or personal circumstances — can learn, but they must have the resources provided so that they can be successful. In addition, they need people in their lives who believe in them and are committed to their success.”

Fields said he has seen a number of successes within the district. The creation of smaller learning communities has increased student attendance, decreased dropout rates, created opportunities for more personalization and resulted in more teacher collaboration. Students are now afforded more options to personalize their K-12 learning experiences, he said.

This is done through vocational programs, early college admissions and increased opportunities for students to earn high school credits starting as early as seventh grade, Fields said.

Grennell said the school district and the community have much ground to make up and not much time to do it.

“I would never advocate rushing into anything, but the children of our community are the lifeblood of its future, and we must do all we can to correct the systemic problems that have plagued us for so long,” he said.

Big picture, what concerns Grennell greatly, he said, is low morale in the public school system.

“As for specifics, I’m most concerned about the performance of our students on state tests. As a college educator, I would also like to see the scores of our private school students rise on national tests. We have excellent teachers, as well as good students who are capable of making great academic strides, if properly motivated. They are both smart and talented. The potential to improve test scores is there. At one time, Natchez had high-performing schools, and we must get back to that.

Junkin characterizes the state of education in Natchez as “dismal.”

“I must be concerned that the State of Mississippi rates our school system as failing, especially since less than 30 years ago our school system was rated as one of the best in the state,” he said.

Most concerning, Junkin said, is parents’ “seeming lack of concern for the success of their children.”

The teachers of the school system give Junkin the most hope for the district’s future.

“As always, those that have the calling to teach our young come forward no matter what the situation,” he said.

Leadership changes

Fields, Grennell and Junkin all say they agree with the recent decision to terminate Superintendent Frederick Hill’s contract.

Fields said he thinks although a number of positive changes for the district occurred under Hill’s leadership, “the school board and community could not overlook the fact that he was found liable for creating a racially hostile work environment for former administrators.”

“It is critical that as the district continues the progress that district administrators maintain a high standard of personal and professional ethics.

Grennell said no room exists for racism in Natchez.

“Secondly, Dr. Hill micro-managed school administrators, and he also demonstrated an inability to improve overall morale in the system,” he said. “Taken together, these deficiencies disqualified him for any leadership position.”

Junkin said retaining a person proven to discriminate is not a good example for students.

“It teaches the wrong lesson,” he said.

As the district begins its search for a new school superintendent, the selected candidate must be invested in this community, Fields said.

“The new superintendent must have the ability to communicate effectively to develop a rapport with our community members and improve the image of the district,” Fields said. “Essential to the district’s success will be someone who has proven success in the classroom as a teacher and as a school level administrator.”

Grennell said Natchez needs a proven leader who can build morale and create an environment in which students, teachers and parents feel empowered and inspired to achieve.

“That person needs a creative plan to bring students back to the Natchez public schools,” he said. “Many families have difficulty paying parochial and private school tuition, and they would love to return to the system. We have to help them do that.”

Junkin said the top administrator of the school system must be someone able to recruit excellent educators.

“Provide a healthy, safe and satisfying environment for them to work in, and then let them do their jobs, while managing the available funds to provide the most efficient and modern school system possible,” he said.

Improving education

Fields said as mayor, he would encourage partnerships with organizations offering tutorial services and other supportive programs for the school district.

“We have higher education institutions in our area that can work with us to strengthen collaboration between our community schools and those institutions, Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Alcorn State University,” he said. “I am currently working with community-based organizations such as Open Session and the YMCA, which have partnered with the City of Natchez to establish tutorial and mentoring services.”

A challenge those organizations are facing, Fields said, is funding.

“As mayor, I would work to establish an agreement of commitment between the district and organizations … to allocate a percentage of its federal funds to partner with these community-based organizations to provide more afterschool tutoring and mentoring opportunities,” he said.

Grennell said the mayor’s ability to directly impact the school system is limited.

“But, as mayor, I can certainly organize and orchestrate relationships with institutions of higher education that benefit all our students,” he said. “I have established relationships with both Alcorn State University and Co-Lin Community College, and I’m developing a detailed plan to exploit synergies between these schools and the public, private and parochial schools of Natchez.”

Grennell said many people do not realize the flexibility of programs at Alcorn.

“Classes and programs there can be tailored to fit specific job needs in the community, and I intend to make this part of my strategy to recruit more industry to Natchez,” he said. “The late President Clinton Bristow called this a “communiversity” approach to meeting the needs of our community.”

Grennell said he is also exploring the creation of a highly focused technical-vocational track aimed more at job readiness rather than a four-year-degree that might have only limited immediate value.

“A program like this could serve a large number of kids who would otherwise fall through the cracks in the system and wind up unemployed,” he said. “It could also be a great start for a lot of motivated kids who lack the money for a four-year-college.”

Junkin said he would recruit and recommend the best school board members available when needed.

“(And) work with school administrators to make our schools as safe a learning environment as possible, be an example to our students that learning affects everyday decisions and that a good education is the foundation that allows continued learning, (and) promote and support learning activities throughout our city whenever possible.”

Elected or appointed school board

The three candidates also agree the local school board should be elected rather than appointed.

Fields said because school boards have the power to levy taxes as deemed necessary, it is critical the board is held accountable for its decisions by the community.

“We cannot afford to appoint members to the school board and then have no means as a community to hold them accountable for their decisions that will ultimately impact every taxpaying citizen in our community,” Fields said. “Elected officials tend to be more accountable and more receptive to the public’s desires and needs when they know the community will have a voice in whether they continue to represent the constituency.”

Grennell said he has always supported a switch to an elected school board.

“School boards have the power to increase the tax levy,” he said. “We live in a representative democracy, and in my view, any governmental body that has the power to levy taxes on the people should be made up of members elected by the people.”

Junkin said he, too, supports and elected school board and appointed superintendent.

“Not that any method guarantees wise decisions from a board member, but elections provide the public’s ability to voice their opinion directly,” Junkin said. “Appointment of superintendents under specific performance and conduct guidelines allows our board the most flexibility in ensuring continued improvement of the school system.”

Education experience

Fields said his experience as a K-12 teacher and administrator at all levels of the district creates a unique situation for him as mayor of Natchez.

“When children, parents and others see me in the mayor’s office, they will see someone that they know, someone who has been fair and consistent and someone with whom they can relate to who is not a stranger to them,” he said.

Fields said he also has a solid knowledge of federal and state accountability requirements and mandates on schools.

“I also understand the unique challenges facing our school district,” he said. “Combined with my experience as an alderman, I understand the needs of our community. As mayor, I wholeheartedly believe that I would have a greater liaison to district leaders. I have developed a level of faith and trust with district leaders that other candidates have not which would increase opportunities for open, transparent and critical dialogue. Additionally, I have been a consistent presence and voice for the youth of our community.”

Grennell is a second- generation educator.

“I taught college for 27 years,” he said. “Education is in my blood, and I’ve got many former students from both the public and private systems who are great success stories. I think my resumé gives me a uniquely informed basis for evaluating both the present situation and the progress of the school system. I have witnessed the steps that can take a child from the first grade in the Natchez public school system to graduation from college and on to finding a good job. I will work tirelessly to see that every child sees the next step on that path, all the way to a successful future.”

Although he does not have experience as an educator, Junkin said he was brought up to value education in both formal and informal environments.

“Education takes place in the home,” he said. “Educators are just a formal measurement tool. Learning is a way of life, being a perpetual student is a key to success in life. We must pass that attitude on to our children.”