Len Henderson running for District 2 seat on Board of Education
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on January 12, 2016 1:46 PM
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Len Henderson
Len Henderson is running unopposed for the District 2 seat on the Board of Education, a position he held from 2010-2012 after being appointed to complete the remaining term of Shirley Sims.
As the time ticked down in 2012, he decided to run on his own, this time for the at-large seat. He lost to Eddie Radford.
While some of his concerns and issues remain, don't expect the same Henderson this time around.
"I would say that in my initial experience on the board, I was probably seen as an agitator, not a team player and hopefully when I get on the board those will be attributes that I will try to downplay and become more of a team player and with the climate the way it is, I see that as a great possibility," he said.
One of the challenges he encountered during his previous stint on the school board had nothing to do with the role itself. His grandson, Isaiah, was battling cancer and later succumbed, in March 2013, at age 14.
A 1974 graduate of Southern Wayne High School, Henderson attended N.C. Central University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish. He also holds a master's in health service administration from Central Michigan University.
He worked for the state for 30 years and is retired. He and wife, Renee, have two daughters and three grandchildren.
"My main purpose for running is for the (county's) children," he says. "I've seen a lot of negative things going on with the Wayne County school system that are not beneficial to the children and I feel like I can be a strong advocate for them."
Two areas of concern, he said, are the low-performing schools' test scores and suspensions. And while he suggests the importance of early childhood education as one of the fundamental starting places, he also believes that partnering with other community agencies will benefit the youth.
Some recent shifts made this the right time for him to throw his hat into the ring, he said.
"After reading the articles on the superintendent as well as reading the articles from the base commander, I felt like their interest was in line with my interest and therefore I felt like it might be more of a collaborative effort," he said.
"It (filing for office) was pretty much prompted by the comments that I had read from the base commander and the new superintendent. And with the change of the board, possibly, I saw that there were greater opportunities for our children."
There are several issues he is particularly passionate about, he says.
"No. 1, I would like to see a stronger partnership between all vested partners, that being the children, parents, teachers, administrators, the board as well as the community," he said. "My focus will primarily be on parental involvement and increasing parental involvement because that is a great need.
"The other thing that concerns me is the lack of resources that are available in our schools. I have spoken to several parents who have told me that their children do not get to bring books home, therefore they have no way of helping their children and that's something that I feel that we as a board truly need to investigate. Are the children getting the resources that are needed for them?"
Henderson said he is enthused about the new Every Student Succeed Act, which could eliminate a lot of the testing requirements and give control to local and state entities. It is a "strong push in the right direction," he said.
Although running unopposed, Henderson said he is not presuming anything until the last vote is cast.
"I'm somewhat excited but I have to realize that I will not be elected or even sworn into office until December of 2016," he said. "Therefore the excitement is kind of reserved.
"My approach will be a very relaxed approach initially. Knowing that I have no primary opposition, the election will not be until November. However, I'd say mid-summer or beyond, I will become more visible. But that will not stop me from going ahead and attending board meetings and getting familiar with what is going on with the board this time."
He hopes to see more efforts to identify some of the problems affecting students and parents, he said.
"And then possibly we can come together, all of us, to decide what's in the best interest of children of Wayne County," he said. "I think with the change in leadership, it will be a factor in the new direction that the school system needs to go.
"I do appreciate the fact that I have received a call from the chairman of the board (Chris West) welcoming me back. That went a long ways with me."
Henderson's platform will be based on education reform, not so much the physical environment of the school buildings but toward providing a quality education for every child.
"I'm hoping that this board will be able to reflect the changing needs and will be able to render quality solutions to an ever-changing problem," he said. "I would like to see that we have publicized work sessions where we talk about specific issues and the public gets an opportunity to understand where we are coming from or why we had to make a decision the way we did."
Beyond all the ways he might leverage his time on the school board, Henderson has one more reason for seeking election.
"On a personal note, I look forward to being able to have some involvement in the graduation of many of my grandson, Isaiah Henderson's friends," he said.
"They were very supportive during his cancer illness, death and still continue today. It would be a great testament to my grandson and his friends to be able to be present for the awarding of their diplomas."