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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > October > 09 > Entry
Editorial: Mims is experience and more realistic
Susan Haverkos is stepping down after four years representing Montgomery, Miami, Butler and part of Darke counties on the state board of education. A bid by her husband, Mark Haverkos, to replace her is opposed by Jeff Mims, president of the Dayton Board of Education.
Both men have an earnest interest in education and a strong understanding of the state board’s role. But neither presents a strong vision for what he wants to accomplish.
Still, the best choice is Mr. Mims, because of his experience and resume.
As a young man just back from Vietnam, where he was a squad leader with a special forces unit, he started out as a teacher’s aide in Dayton. During his 35-year career in the city schools, he was an award-winning teacher, a coach, teachers’ union president, administrator and lobbyist. He lived in the district and sent his children to Dayton schools. In retirement, he became school board president.
Mr. Mims, not surprisingly, is most passionate about urban education. He’d have useful perspectives on how state policy actually will play out at the local level. As a former lobbyist in Columbus, Mr. Mims has contacts in the legislature and knows how that body does business.
Some state board members complain about being left out of education policy decisions made by Gov. Ted Strickland and other top lawmakers. The truth is that voters hold the governor more accountable for the state of Ohio’s schools than they do the state board. Most voters don’t know it exists. Meanwhile, the state is sending a lot of money to school districts.
Mr. Mims isn’t pushing any particular agenda. He says his top priority would be to help the state board “unify” and that he has a special interest in school transportation. Those aren’t exactly transformational issues.
Mr. Haverkos, co-owner of a computer data center, believes suburban school districts are getting shortchanged by the state. He says urban schools get too much funding, notwithstanding that their mostly poor students come to school behind and often require special help. He’s rigid in the extreme in his thinking that all districts should be financially equal and that all students require the same kinds of attention.
Mr. Haverkos says his top policy issue is “local control” and suggests wasteful spending could be reined in if the state were more demanding in the way it funds districts. He also believes school consolidation should be on the table as a cost-saver, although he doesn’t offer compelling ideas about the role the state board could play on those issues.
Serving as the voice of parents (his daughter is a recent high school graduate) and reworking funding for school transportation also are among his interests.
Politically, Mr. Mims and Mr. Haverkos are polar opposites. Mr. Mims is strongly connected to the Democratic Party, while Mr. Haverkos, from West Chester, is a suburban Republican. Both, however, believe intelligent design — a religious theory about the origins of the universe that’s offered as an alternative to evolution — should be taught in science class. Thankfully, both say that they wouldn’t push for changes in the science curriculum.
A painful war was fought not long ago on the state board over requiring science classes to teach intelligent design. Sanity prevailed. Even so, it’s surprising and disappointing that Dayton area voters don’t have the option of voting for a candidate who is strongly supportive of teaching only legitimate science.
Overall, it’s Mr. Mims who makes the best case that he will add value to the state board.
Letters of recommendation for the candidates can be found here.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: 2010 endorsements, Editorials, Education, Scott Elliott
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By Max
October 9, 2010 7:14 AM | Link to this
Ok, to be fair I was dismissing Mims because my ‘perception’ was his agenda was soley grounded in the plight of urban school districts, not the entire education picture in Ohio. What turned me around to support Mims was Mr. Haverkos’ focus on ‘local control’ of school districts which has been part of the obstruction in Ohio’s education reform approaches. I am also a combat veteran (Rangers) and know good soldiers don’t always make the best politicians. Mims brings more to the table at the state board, hands down. Regardless of personal views concerning science curriculum, the loss of Mims from the DPS board will be significant. Ohio, however, will gain from his election.
By West Chester resident
October 9, 2010 8:19 AM | Link to this
So just because your wife served and is stepping down that makes you qualified to serve? I disagree. Haverkos is someone I have known for years and I do not agree with his decision to run. He is just looking for something to make him somebody; he ran earlier this year for a spot on the republican state central committee and it was a blood bath. There are some people that really should just stick to their day job, and he is one of them. I will be voting for Mr. Mims.
By Rick
October 9, 2010 10:50 AM | Link to this
The problem with Mr. Mims is that he tends to fixate on the lack of money as the main, overarching problem. Urban schools need more focus, discipline, and dedication than more money. Too many urban schools became concentrated on hiring minority teachers, political correctness, paying high salaries for teachers and administrators, and having a surplus of administrators. Mr. Mims does not recognize that.
By Sidney
October 9, 2010 11:09 AM | Link to this
After seeing the article that Dayton city receives $6000 per student and a suburban school receives $1000 in our tax money from the State and the city school pushes think they don’t receive enough EXTRA in our money. Time for the city taxpayers to pay the bill or force their school administrators to spend more carefully. —— Agree with Rick about the black racism being used as an excuse. That’s also the problem at Jefferson Township but S. Elliott got flim-flammed by the expert. Jefferson should just be merged with Dayton. Save us JT taxpayers money. ——- Mims has been in the belly of the beast and he thinks more money is due.
By Oakwood mom
October 9, 2010 12:34 PM | Link to this
Mims and his board while laying off teachers just approved $200,000 for travel. And they spent over $60,000 to lobbyist groups of which Mims is a board member. Yet Mims and DPS continue to complain about needing more money.
By Richard Lee
October 9, 2010 2:13 PM | Link to this
Wow has the Dayton Daily News missed the mark on the State School Board, District 3 endorsement! Jeff Mims is more experienced and realistic? Aside from his military service (thank you) Mr. Mims has been the president of a teacher’s union, a school administrator/bureaucrat and a lobbyist. Mr. Mims draws his experience from three careers which parents, taxpayers and those interested in saving Ohio’s children from the educational swamp, identify as the root causes of Ohio’s educational failure. Mr. Mims, Dayton Public Schools President, is “most passionate about urban education”. Well thanks but no thanks. Is Mr. Mims passionate about the tragedy of urban education locking children into unimaginative, uninspired and unsuccessful outcomes? Mr. Mims, the former union president and lobbyist, brings to office the experience and “realistic” vision promoting mediocrity and failure. By not endorsing Mark Haverkos, a parent and a private business man whose success depends on his own effort, talent and decision making, the Dayton Daily News has applied a ‘stamp of approval’ on more of the same regarding the state of education in Ohio. More of the same is simply not good enough! Your endorsement for State School Board, District 3 should have gone to Mark Haverkos.
By Urban Teacher
October 9, 2010 2:26 PM | Link to this
Get your facts right, Rick. I have taught in an urban district for 33 years and make less than any comparable teachers in the suburbs. In fact, in recent years, I take home less money due to increasing insurance costs and so far this school year I have spent in excess of $300 on classroom supplies for my students. I challenge anyone to question the dedication of an urban teacher. If one is not dedicated to the students, one never lasts in the urban teaching setting. Jeff Mims is right on target with his reality check. Are you?
By Wilber Wright
October 9, 2010 3:46 PM | Link to this
I believe the “Urban Teacher” blogger is really a misguided union leader. No DPS teacher with any right mind would endorse Mims while DPS continues to lay-off teachers while Mims just approved spending $20,000 for “board enrichment”?? That’s probably a night on the town in the Oregon District with Mims wearing his designer alligator shoes.
By Maxwell Powers
October 9, 2010 5:50 PM | Link to this
What we really need to decide is, how much is a child’s future worth? When asked, most people will say that you can’t put a price on it. But, apparently some people believe we should. Right now, we spend 2-3 times as much per pupil in urban districts than elsewhere. And, we’re still getting lousy results. I’m not pointing fingers, just stating an overall fact. Throwing more money at the schools will help, but it’s really just stopping up the leaks in a holey rowboat: as soon as you fix one, another pops up. We need to address the larger issue: poverty. This is the REAL problem, not the schools.
By Sidney
October 9, 2010 9:12 PM | Link to this
So Mims is the archexample of the problem in the urban districts. Double dipper? I thought the DDN was against those types of folks. - - - - - — Lots of talk. Lots of money for the teachers, capable and the incapable. Lots of spending on the school board for those politician wannabees. Lots of promises for the future. Little demands on the parents. Little demands on the city politicians to clean up the social mess in the city instead of susbsidizing it to gain votes for the Democrats. - — - - - - —- - - - — - Of course the DDN supports Mims. he’s a Democrat.