Best for board: Candidates should all keep in mind that the children are top priority

You can look at their qualifications all you want -- and you can even evaluate their leadership styles and compare their business acumen vs. their experience working with groups of people.

But in the end, what will matter most when choosing a replacement for Shirley Sims on the Wayne County Board of Education is that individual's commitment to providing the best education possible for the county's children.

And we are not just talking about the children in District 2, either. A successful candidate needs to have a broader perspective, too, as all members of the Board of Education should when it comes to deciding how best to manage the resources allotted to the education of the county's children.

He or she should not just serve the needs of the minority district he or she will represent -- although those issues should be important. He or she needs to think about how to make sure as many children as possible get a proper education across the county.

So while it is nice to know what each District 2 candidate has accomplished and to hear why each is the right choice to take over Mrs. Sims' seat, what is most important is that the person who ultimately will take the post puts the needs of the children first.

There are going to be lots of important decisions before the school board in the coming months and years. It is critical that whomever takes on the job does so for absolutely the right reason.

And that should be the children -- nothing else.

Published in Editorials on July 22, 2010 11:06 AM