Richland 1 special election is coming up. Here’s where candidates stand on the issues

In just a few weeks, voters will select a new member of the Richland 1 school board.

The special election will be held Oct. 26. The seat is “at-large,” which means all eligible voters who live in the Richland 1 district are able to cast a ballot for their favorite candidate. The seat became available after former school board member Yolanda Anderson resigned in August because she moved outside the district.

The winning candidate will serve the remainder of Anderson’s term, which expires in 2022.

Three of the four candidates said one of the biggest long-term issues Richland 1 faces is teacher recruitment and retention. As of Sept. 14, 2021, Richland 1 had 104 open teacher positions, according to the district’s website.

The candidates include a teacher, a former county council member, a Richland 1 alumnus and a teaching consultant.

Richland 1 special elections have the potential to drive voters to the polls, even if nothing else is on the ballot. In the last Richland 1 special election, which was held on New Year’s Eve in 2019, more than 9,400 people — a 7.5% turnout — showed up to vote, despite the election being held on a holiday and the county suffering from a lack of poll workers.

The following are responses from the four candidates running for the Richland 1 seat. The same questions were asked of every candidate. Some answers were edited for length, grammar and style. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order of their last name.

LESLIE HARVEL

What is your age?

67

Are you originally from Richland County? If so, did you attend school in Richland 1?

I am a Richland County native. I attended Satchel Ford Elementary for elementary school, then middle school in Atlanta, high school in N.J., undergraduate in Virginia and Florida, and, finally, law school back here in Columbia at the University of South Carolina. I returned to Richland County with my family in 1985.

My daughters attended Caughman Road Elementary, Hopkins Middle School, where I served as the School Improvement Council Chair, and Lower Richland High School where I served as an officer of the Theater Supporters parent group.

What level of education do you have? If you went to college, where did you go and what degrees did you get?

I have a Juris Doctorate from USC School of Law. I attended James Madison University in Virginia for a year while waiting for my parents to gain residency status in Florida. My undergraduate degree is a B.A. in communication with minors in psychology, education, and theater from Florida State University.

What is your profession?

I practiced law in Richland County before determining that the classroom was a better fit than the courtroom. I have been a professor at various institutions for more than 20 years.

I have also taught high school courses in psychology, American literature, U.S. history, and Canadian history at Chinese high schools, plus Mandarin at Hartsville High School. I served as an international teacher trainer and consultant for a Sino-British organization until the pandemic caused the world to shut down.

Currently, I am an international adjunct/adjunct professor with Concordia University Chicago teaching business law and business ethics in their program at Hebei University of Economics and Business in Shijiazhuang and advanced business law in Concordia’s domestic program.

What experience, perspective or skills would you bring to this position?

I am an excellent negotiator, meeting facilitator, and communicator. I understand educational theories, best practices, and the needs of a teacher in the classroom. A significant portion of my former law practice was helping parents and schools work together to craft and follow appropriate IEPs (Individual Education Plan) for students with different learning abilities and needs.

I bring a global perspective of education and how teachers are respected or disrespected in different countries. During my six years as an international teacher trainer and consultant, I worked with well over 100 high schools and vocational schools to improve student engagement and learning. I visited many more schools on all levels, from kindergarten to university, to observe excellent programs or to diagnose problems with teacher and student retention.

And, perhaps most importantly, I know how to actively listen, and how to connect pieces of information from multiple sources into an accurate statement of an issue or problem.

Why are you running for this seat?

In the last few years, school boards everywhere have become firefighters putting out small and large fires as they occur while trying to walk tightropes between politicians, legislatures, parents, budget issues, and children. This is true here in Richland County as well. Teachers feel as though they are no longer part of the equation and have no voice in board decisions that affect them. I was urged to run by teacher friends who believe that I could be their voice in Richland 1.

During the pandemic, I monitored my grandson’s learning here at my house. I was impressed with how well his teachers were able to manage online students and classroom students at the same time. I learned how the needs of teachers in the classroom have changed radically, but the support they receive from the board and administrators has not. We need to actively listen and hear our teachers to discover what those needs are and how we can best meet them with available resources.

If elected, what are some key policies you would push for?

First, teacher retention — the answer isn’t just pay. It is lessening teacher burnout, limiting extra duties, increasing morale, more assistance with cost of college classes that are the only way to receive a pay increase, reducing paperwork, providing needed classroom supplies, and limiting programs and assessments.

Second, I would strive to create awareness that the State of South Carolina has not fully funded education in over a decade and advocate for the state to do so.

Finally, I would seek ways to make learning available to children with special needs who are at highest risk for COVID-19, especially the delta variant, in addition to the current lottery system which leaves parents little choice but to send their special needs child to school despite the heightened danger.

What do you think about how the district has handled COVID-19 thus far? Would you do anything different? If so, what would you do?

I believe the district has done as well as they could with a difficult situation. Personally, I would have liked them to remain virtual longer, but I understand that was not in the best interest of all concerned. Too many students had fallen through the cracks due to many different factors including poverty, lack of access to technology, parents who were unequipped to adapt to being teachers, Zoom fatigue, and others. I also approve of their school mask mandate.

What do you think the district does well?

Before there was a program in place for it, Richland 1 was among the first to set up a plan to feed students after natural disasters. During this pandemic, Richland 1 has consistently kept students provided with nutritious food. Richland 1 was among the first to go virtual at the beginning of the pandemic last year and continuing at the beginning of this year. It is obvious that the district strives to protect and nurture its students.

The district also does an outstanding job of managing the extremes within the student population. Richland 1 covers all segments of the population from the disadvantaged to the affluent and from rural areas to the inner city.

What do you think the district needs to improve on?

There are several areas that could use improvement. The board needs to work on meeting management, clear communications with teachers and the public, and an understanding of how actions may present an appearance of impropriety even if there is none. Lawsuits, founded or unfounded, are an expensive use of resources.

The district at large needs to examine why its policies and retention strategies are failing to keep teachers in the classroom. This is a national and local trend that will have serious consequences for students if the district does not act to stem the tide.

HAMILTON JACOBS

What is your age?

33

Are you originally from Richland County? If so, did you attend school in Richland 1?

I was born and raised in Richland County and attended Richland 1 schools.

What level of education do you have? If you went to college, where did you go and what degrees did you get?

I attended Charleston Southern University for a year and then transferred to Benedict College. My major was business administration.

What is your profession?

I am a real estate agent/licensed realtor.

What experience, perspective or skills would you bring to this position?

The experience, perspective and skills I would bring to this position are home-grown leadership. I am a product of this school district and I am active in this district. I know what our students, teachers, and administrators need to be successful. I would also bring an active listening ear to hear the concerns of students, staff and the community.

Why are you running for this seat?

I am running for this position because I believe serving our students is the standard. I want to be certain that every aspect of their future is secure through an active, hands-on approach and interaction with teachers, site staff and community to build a bridge to their success.

If elected, what are some key policies you would push for?

I would push for mandatory assessments for students with reading challenges, mandatory intervention for bullying related incidents and mandatory social and emotional health intervention for students who are first time violent offenders.

What do you think about how the district has handled COVID-19 thus far?

I believe the district thus far has executed a thorough job protecting the health and safety of our students, teachers and staff to the best of their ability and with the resources they have. Richland 1’s stance as it relates to a district mask mandate is bold, and I firmly stand behind them.

Would you do anything different? If so, what would you do?

I would like to enhance what we have already created and continue to improve within the district. I want to work to make sure Richland 1 is “second to none” and the premier school district in the State of South Carolina by ensuring the student’s curriculum is updated and on par by ensuring teachers and administrators can receive top-notch certifications as well as pay equity within the district.

What do you think the district does well?

Richland 1 does an admirable job with the safety and security of each student within the district. Richland 1 has provided high level, wrap-around services for the total health of each student. Richland 1 has strong administration, community, facilities, and finances while also having top-notch stadiums and buildings.

What do you think the district needs to improve on?

I believe that the district can improve on retaining teachers, and make sure that there is equity among schools within the district.

ROBERT LOMINACK

What is your age?

48

Are you originally from Richland County? If so, did you attend school in Richland 1?

No, I am originally from Greenville, SC, but I have lived in Columbia for 21 years and both my children have attended Richland 1 schools.

What level of education do you have? If you went to college, where did you go and what degrees did you get?

College: Sewanee

Law School: Northeastern University Law School

Georgetown University Law Center, LLM

What is your profession?

I work as the executive director of an education nonprofit that works to improve the way we serve children and families who need additional support and also advocates for public education.

What experience, perspective or skills would you bring to this position?

I have worked as a lawyer for men on death row and interviewed dozens of my clients’ teachers and learned about the missed opportunities in my clients’ childhoods. I then became a classroom teacher in Richland 1 where I came to understand the needs of students and teachers. Finally, as the executive director of my non-profit, my work with families and communities has underscored the need for public education advocacy at the local and state levels. In short, I understand the challenges we face as a parent, teacher, and advocate.

Why are you running for this seat?

I have worked with students, their teachers, and their families in this district for the last 10 years. I have seen first-hand the demands placed on our classroom teachers and the challenges our students face. I believe that we can — and have to — do more to support both. I want to be on the board so that I can keep student needs at the center, advocate for teachers, and raise the bar for transparency and accountability.

If elected, what are some key policies you would push for?

Students: More wrap-around services like social workers and mental health counselors to address outside-of-school factors that are impacting students in school.

Teachers: We have an HR problem in this district. We are losing too many teachers to other school districts; we have to figure out why and fix it.

Public Trust: Board accountability is key to building trust among families, communities, and our teachers. We have to be transparent about every single decision we make, and we have to be willing to admit where we are failing.

What do you think about how the district has handled COVID-19 thus far? Would you do anything different? If so, what would you do?

I generally support the district’s cautious approach and believe that it has worked hard to protect students and teachers under difficult circumstances. For example, I believe that requiring masks this year was the right call. Indeed, while other districts all around us are being forced to go virtual, students — including my own son — are in school with their teachers. If keeping kids in school with their peers and teachers is the goal, then masks appear to be helping us meet that goal.

I would have liked to have seen the district consider opening schools on a rolling basis depending on student need (i.e. students who had no access to the internet, special education students, etc.). This would have allowed us to get some students back to school more quickly in 2020-2021.

What do you think the district does well?

First, I completely support the district’s recent plan to use federal stimulus funding to hire 27 new social workers so that for the first time every school will have a dedicated social worker. This is exactly the sort of support families and teachers at every school need.

Also, the work to ensure that students and families have access to food is simply remarkable. This work was even more apparent during the pandemic when Richland 1 worked overtime to ensure that families did not go without food. Richland 1 has been one of the first districts to eliminate paid lunches and the stigma that accompanied them for students who ate at reduced rates.

What do you think the district needs to improve on?

The district needs to be transparent and accountable to the public, provide more intensive support, especially in elementary schools, so that more of our students are on grade level in reading and address the reasons we struggle to attract and retain teachers. If we can’t keep our best teachers, then nothing else matters.

Jim Manning

What is your age?

65

Are you originally from Richland County? If so, did you attend school in Richland 1?

I am not originally from Richland County. I moved into the Richland 1 school district in January 1983.

What level of education do you have? If you went to college, where did you go and what degrees did you get?

I have a Masters in social work from West Virginia University and a Masters in public administration from the University of South Carolina.

What is your profession?

I have my own business.

What experience, perspective or skills would you bring to this position?

I have 12 years of local elected governance experience, having been elected to and serving on Richland County Council. I also worked in state government for nearly 3 decades where I learned firsthand how government functions. I was always a leader and champion for full funding of our Richland County schools. Additionally, I led the charge to recruit the necessary votes to fund a new initiative in conjunction with the United Way’s Resilient Richland to establish a Resilience Team at Watkins-Nance Elementary School.

Why are you running for this seat?

I am offering myself to fill the “gap year” of Commissioner Yolanda Anderson’s term for the Richland 1 School Board. I believe my experience in local elected office would allow me to step right in to serve the remainder of the term in these very trying times and that we can then prepare for the regular election filing in August 2022 to select a board member to come into a full-term of service.

If elected, what are some key policies you would push for?

Key policies I would push for are in the areas of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility. Also, we need policies to advocate for broadband accessibility for all students.

What do you think about how the district has handled COVID-19 thus far? Would you do anything different? If so, what would you do?

Due to the rapid paced, ever changing information, the district has had to be nimble, agile, flexible and responsive, especially as many municipal, county ordinances and state laws supersede district policy makers and force unfunded mandates. There is no other way to handle a novel pandemic.

What do you think the district does well?

The district does a great job of maintaining place-making neighborhood schools that keep the schools connected to communities they serve and in which they are located.

What do you think the district needs to improve on?

I believe Richland County School District 1 can improve on elected leader community relations with diverse populations, partners and elected bodies across the expansive district.