Monthly Archives: September 2017

By Mariann Martin, contributor

A long line of mayoral candidates did what they could to stand out from the crowd at an Atlanta mayoral forum held at Emory University.

The petite Cathy Woolard stood up, joking that her request for a phone book had not been fulfilled. Laban King wore a t-shirt, commenting that if he wanted to rob the community he would wear a suit and tie. State Senator Vincent Fort opposed the annexation of Emory University, saying he thought the area would be allowed to “jump the line” when it came to transportation and city services.

However, many of the 11 candidates present offered similar positions and solutions to policy questions on affordable housing, gentrification, income inequity and transportation. The forum, hosted by WSB and the League of Women Voters, is one of several scheduled across the city with a little over a month left in the race.

About 150 people attended the two-hour event held at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church at Emory. Moderator Jocelyn Dorsey, director of editorials and public affairs at WSB-TV, asked the candidates a series of questions, with each candidate given 1 to 2 minutes to respond. Candidates were not allowed to attack each other or other elected officials, a rule that Dorsey enforced several times during the evening by stopping a candidate during the middle of a response.

“We all know having difficult conversations is not easy,” Emory President Claire E. Sterk told the candidates and the crowd when she welcomed everyone. “But Atlanta’s future depends on the ability to truly listen to each other; we need everyone working together.”

A recent WSB-TV poll shows city councilwoman Mary Norwood remains the strong frontrunner. Norwood did not attend the forum Thursday evening, one of several forums she has skipped throughout the summer.

Candidates jockeying for second place include Atlanta City Councilmembers Keisha Lance Bottoms, Kwanza Hall, Ceasar Mitchell and Peter Aman, former city of Atlanta chief operating officer. The race is expected to go to a run-off between the two top candidates.

Also in close competition are former Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves, former City Council President Woolard and Fort. The recent poll only focused on the top eight candidates and did not include former Atlanta Workforce Development Director Michael Sterling, Rohit Ammanamanchi, Laban King and Glenn Wrightson.

Affordable housing, gentrification, transportation and income equity were all topics of discussion during the forum. Two questions also focused on the proposed annexation of Emory and the surrounding area and a federal bribery investigation at City Hall, where three people have already pleaded guilty.

“It is now more important that at the local level we have strong and decisive leadership,” Keisha Lance Bottoms said. “That we have leadership that is willing to acknowledge and to understand and to work to address the complex issues that face us.”

Mitchell and Hall said they would focus on making the thousands of vacant and abandoned homes on the west and south sides of the city available to address affordable housing. Sterling promised innovative solutions such as micro housing and container homes.

Most of the candidates said they would increase the homestead exemption and look at some form of tax relief for homeowners whose home values were increasing.

Woolard called the displacement happening in the city an “emergency” and said she would take immediate action to see what could be done to halt it.

“Do not push out of Atlanta the very people who built Atlanta,” Aman said. “I will bring will and commitment to this issue.”

When the question of transportation came up, candidates talked about walkable neighborhoods, light rail, the need for more people to use MARTA and better bike lanes. The state also needs a regional transit plan and to provide state funding for public transportation, candidates said.

“There are no shortages of plans,” Sterling acknowledged. He went on to say the city needed a one-time capital infusion and public-private partnerships to better address the issue.

Most of the candidates said they did not approve of privatizing procurement services for the city, a topic that has come up due to the federal bribery investigation.

Eaves and Wrightson said they were open to the idea of privatizing the services, but other candidates said they keep it public while making it more transparent. Woolard said she would order and independent review. Sterling, who is a former federal prosecutor, said he would do more to protect whistle blowers inside City Hall.

King and Fort were the only candidates who said they would oppose the annexation of Emory and surrounding areas.

Aman said he welcomes all annexation, saying “I’m in favor of the growth of the city in any direction.”

Woolard said she thought any annexation should first be thoroughly examined to see what would be gained and lost on both sides.

Throughout the evening, the audience remained attentive and engaged, but were not permitted to ask questions. The latest poll shows that many Atlanta residents say they are still undecided who will get their vote.

The Atlanta City Council will meet Monday and will consider a proposal to reduce the penalty for marijuana possession to a simple fine.

City Councilmember Kwanza Hall, a mayoral candidate, has been pushing to reduce penalties. Currently anyone possessing less than an ounce of marijuana faces a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail. If the City Council approves Hall’s proposal, it will be a maximum fine of $75 and no jail time.

Hall said the change in the law will reduce racially biased policing practices.

“It’s unconscionable,” Hall said in a press release. “If the experts tell us that people of all colors here in Atlanta use marijuana at the same rates, then why are more than 90 percent of those locked up for possession of it black? This is about putting an end to racially biased policing and making sure our young people are not unfairly being targeted and penalized.”

Hall is hosting a rally in support of the measure on Sept. 29 in front of the Atlanta Detention Center, located at 254 Peachtree Street SW, at 10 a.m.

The City Council meeting will be held on Oct. 2 starting with a Committee on Council briefing at 9 a.m. The full council meeting will start at 1 p.m. It will be held at City Council Chambers, located at 55 Trinity Ave SW Atlanta, Georgia 30303. All meetings are open to the public.

In an effort to help voters prepare for the Nov. 7 elections, Atlanta Loop sent questions to candidates running for Atlanta City Council, Atlanta Mayor and Atlanta School Board. Early voting begins Oct. 16. To see district maps, click here. Note: This Q&A was received after our Sept. 18 deadline to submit answers. We will not run any new Q&A’s after Oct. 16. 

1) Why are you running for Atlanta School Board?

I am not running for office. I am running for our children. We must continue to build a new culture in Atlanta Public Schools – a culture of high expectations for our students, talented teachers and leaders, challenging curricula and a system of supporters that makes all students feel like they are cared for. To have the greatest impact, we must address the issue of equity within our school system.  We must unify school leaders, students, parents and community around a common mission and a commitment to quality. We must effectively align Pre-K-12 education with the knowledge and skills students will need to succeed in college, career, and life. Our children can do better, and we can do a better job supporting them.

2) What makes you a better candidate than your opponents? 

As the current District 6 school board member, I’ve spent the last four years advocating for our students and their families, staff and schools on the Atlanta Board of Education. For the entire term, I’ve served as Chair of the policy committee for the entire term and created policies on family engagement, affordable housing, progressive discipline, and more. An Atlanta native, attorney and former teacher in Atlanta Public Schools, my work within urban settings has been the combination of my classroom, policy and legal experience.  Currently, I serve as the Program and Community Director for Jumpstart, a national, early education non-profit, where I work with organizations and communities to provide high-quality early education to all children.  Prior to joining Jumpstart, I taught at A.D. Williams Elementary School as a 4th and 5th grade teacher. I have the knowledge and experience, in and out of the classroom, to make sure all of Atlanta’s children succeed.

3) What do you think is Atlanta Schools’ greatest strength?

Our greatest strength is everyone’s renewed commitment to ensure our children graduate college and career ready. From our district leaders to bus drivers, everyone has worked hard to stabilize the school system. The investment of more resources in our schools and classrooms, recruitment and retention of great educators, a more fiscally responsible budget, heightened transparency and engagement has served the district well.

4) What do you think is Atlanta Schools’ biggest challenge? 

Equity – Equity is a major challenge for Atlanta schools.  It is the driver of all other issues. From school resources to school closures to accessibility to budget parameters, equity is the common denominator. If we do not make decisions from an equitable lens, we will continue to perpetrate the same system in need of change and further marginalize children with the greatest needs.

Engagement – Restoration of community trust and true partnership is one of biggest challenges. We must create and implement a plan that welcomes our community and partners back into our school system. Allyship is pivotal to the future success of APS and the way we engage communities in our schools is the catalyst for this change.

5) How would you address what you feel is Atlanta Schools’ biggest challenge?

As the current board member, I will continue to advocate and make decisions in the absolute best interests of our children. The conversations have been tough, and the decisions have been even tougher. We must continue to have an open dialogue about progress within our schools and how we, as an entire community, can support them. I will continue to be completely transparent about issues affecting our schools and decisions to support their improvement.

6) What are the top two or three things you plan to focus on during your term as an elected official? 

A. Continue to strengthen our family and community engagement, including rebuild our relationships with all stakeholder groups and entities

B. Continue to redirect more resources and funding to our schools while maintaining a strong, stable position to ensure sustainability.

C. Continue to build on APS’s turnaround strategy to support our most struggling schools, including transforming early learning opportunities for all children

7) What is your opinion of the current superintendent? Are you happy with her leadership or do you want the school system to go in a different direction? 

As one of the current board members, who hired our current superintendent, I think that Dr. Carstarphen has been a very strong superintendent. At the time of her selection, APS was in the middle of the cheating scandal and trials, unstable school leadership, an imbalanced budget, incomplete infrastructure projects and more issues that impacted student achievement. Over the last four years, the Superintendent, and the team she built, has worked hard to stabilize the school system. Under her direction, we’ve reduced administrative spending and moved more resources to our schools. Our budget, human resources and operational processes have transformed in a more transparent and accountable way. New departments, such as the Office of Partnerships and Family and Community Engagement Office, were created to strengthen our community and external relationships.

Now, this has not been an easy process. Any form of change and newness comes with strong support and criticism simultaneously. Under her leadership, tough decisions were made to remedy long-standing issues in the school system, as well as remove barriers so our children can continue to move forward. We’ve seen increases in our high school graduation rates, more college prep opportunities, and inclusion of wraparound services, social emotional learning and stronger family engagement. We are in the beginning stages of these decisions, and I am hopeful that they will have the greatest, positive impact on our children.

8) If elected, do you promise to conduct yourself in an ethical and transparent manner?

Yes, I do. I always have and will continue to do so.