Ed board turns eye to politics

Guest blogger Ben Fischer reports:

Now that the Cincinnati Board of Education has signed off on a budget for next year, its members are starting to turn their attention to campaign season.

Three seats on the seven-member board are up in November: those currently held by veteran members Rick Williams, John Gilligan and Florence Newell.

At the moment, none of them have announced their intentions officially. But Newell, who admits she “loves to campaign,” is already predicting victory for the trio.

“If all three of us ran, all three of us would win, no matter who else runs,” Newell said, citing their high name recognition gained after a combined 22 years on the board.

Williams said in an e-mail he hasn’t decided yet.

Conventional wisdom has held that Gilligan, the 86-year-old former governor, would not seek another term. But in recent weeks has not ruled out a try for four more years, and he promises a decision over the Fourth of July weekend.

Newell said she will make up her mind in time to be considered for the Democratic Party’s endorsement in late July.

All are registered Democrats, but that has little bearing on how the three tend to align on CPS issues. Williams is a member of the four-member majority that has sparred with
Superintendent Rosa Blackwell on a series of issues, while Newell and Gilligan generally more likely to support the administration.