CPS Board finds nothing too small to fight about

Guest blogger Ben Fischer reports:

The rift between two dueling factions of the Cincinnati Board of Education widened into a chasm on Monday, when members squabbled over two largely symbolic measures -- accusing both sides of political posturing.

First, board member Catherine Ingram wanted to nominate her ally Florence Newell for the “Outstanding Board Member” award given by the Ohio School Boards Association. Newell and Ingram, along with former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan, make up the board’s increasingly frustrated 3-member minority.

The board voted 3-2 to support the nomination, with only those three voting “yes.” The board's four-member majority – Susan Cranley, Eileen Cooper Reed, Rick Williams and Melanie Bates – all either abstained or voted “no.” (Whether or not the nomination fell short of a necessary 4 votes to pass or whether the 3-vote plurality was sufficient was in dispute early Tuesday.)

On the floor, Cranley implied the award would end up in Newell's campaign literature if she runs for re-election this fall. Afterwards, Bates said the vote amounted to an endorsement of Newell, possibly at the expense of Williams, a friend and ally, who would be running on the same ballot as Newell for three open spots.

"I'm not going to hurt Rick -- it was just a bad position to put us in," Bates said. "Why have us chose sides during an election season?"

A few minutes later, Bates brought up her own symbolic motion – a suggestion that the school board sponsor a Family Fun Walk event organized by University Hospital in July. The measure would involve no financial commitment from CPS.

This time, Ingram turned the tables on Bates, who's in the middle of her own political campaign. Newell voted "no" and Ingram abstained.

“She’s running for city council also, let’s not play games with where we are,” Ingram said.