Two Greenwood residents, Portia Collins and Magdalene Abraham, are vying for the District 1 seat on the Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District’s board.
Abraham
Collins
Both candidates recently talked about what they can bring to the board and ex-pressed opinions about some of the challenges facing the school district.
Collins, 32, graduated from Mississippi Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She earned a master’s degree in public information from Pennsylvania State University. She is married and is the mother of a 2-year-old daughter.
After college, Collins moved to Greenwood, where she is operating her own firm, Constat Consulting LLC, which serves nonprofits.
She is an active member of New Green Grove Church of Faith, Greenwood-Leflore Young Professionals and the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce. Until recently, she served as executive director of ArtPlace Mississippi.
Abraham, 63, is a lifelong resident of Greenwood and a graduate of Pillow Academy, where she taught for six years. She received an undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary science from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in natural science from Delta State University.
After earning her graduate degree, Abraham worked part time for Holmes Community College in Grenada prior to accepting a full-time position at Mississippi Delta Community College.
At MDCC, she was an instructor, a department chair and an administrator for 26 years.
Now retired, Abraham serves as the director of Locus Benedictus Christian Retreat Center.
The candidates responded to questions by email.
When do you think is the best time to completely open district schools back up?
Collins: “I support local, state and national guidelines and recommendations that are aligned with the best available science and public health data. It is imperative to understand that this is a very fluid situation that requires the weighing of a number of factors.
“In this instance, I think it is best that we trust our leaders to evaluate and critically consider the nuances of the situation and make informed and safe decisions for the health of our students, school personnel and the broader community.”
Abraham: “My decision would be based on the advice from the medical professionals, ultimately taking into consideration the safety and health of our children, teachers, staff and administration. My hopes are that this will be accomplished and that classes may resume immediately after the first of the year. Attending classes in school is vital to the mental and social well-being of our children.”
How do you feel about the board’s decision to move forward with winter and spring sports?
Collins: “I think a reasonable response includes making the best choices based on the current data while also maintaining a level of flexibility to accommodate public health interests if circumstances (i.e., increased COVID-19 diagnoses) dictate a need to suspend activities.”
Abraham: “I would like to consult with (Dr. Mary Brown, superintendent) and other board members to determine the factors that led to their decision.”
What is your main focus or the No. 1 priority that you see as room for improvement facing the school district right now?
Collins: “Our district currently has a C rating in the state’s school accountability rating system. I believe that we have the capacity to be a competitively top-rated school district. Achieving the ‘20/20 vision’ to become a premier school district in the state includes not only successfully preparing students, but it also means supporting the administrative leadership in efforts to attract, hire and retain high-quality, diverse teachers and administrators. Most immediately, my approach would include supporting the district leaders as we continue to address challenges presented by COVID-19.”
Abraham: “I think we must address every problem which prevents our students from receiving the highest quality of education possible. There are many factors to consider, all of them having a significant impact on the offerings to our children: quality curriculum and adequate assessment, access to technology, socioeconomic challenges, parental involvement and adequate nutritional and wellness offerings.”
What would you do, or continue to have the board do, to ensure that teachers and students benefit as much as possible during distance learning?
Collins: “It is critical for the school board to support students and faculty with public policies and actions that align with high-quality professional development, adequate and continued planning, and furthermore providing socio-emotional and mental health support for both students and teachers. Our students and teachers deserve to feel that their needs are being met, and a few ways that this can be accomplished is through cultivating security by providing access to social support, continuing the lunch deliveries program and aiding students and faculty with access to adequate technological resources to sustain distance learning.”
Abraham: “I think we need to use the technology and the personnel to ensure that each student has access to all of the tools necessary to learning online. This includes tutorials and access to those who may answer questions that students present. There needs to be a process of accountability so that no child falls through the gap.”
•Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. Twitter: @AdamBakst_GWCW
