LIBERADIO(!)

So, the incomparable Ken Whitehouse rounded up the races we’re looking at for the fall and then did a bonus summary of two that affect me. Clearly, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the District 1 school board race because I live there. I’ve only had one personal encounter with George Thompson, III, and I look forward to hearing more from him and Sharon Gentry (a notable challenger, as the wife of Howard, Jr., our former vice mayor). There are two other challengers (Barry Barlow and William D. Mason, Jr.) I’ll need to research as well.

As important as my own school board district is to me, though, I’m almost equally excited about what is shaping up in District 9, where my friend and former campaign manager Alan Coverstone is running. Of all the people I know personally in Nashville, many of whom care deeply about education, Alan is the one I think is the best qualified to be on our school board. I’ve been hopeful that he would someday become personally involved in our public arena at the policy level, and this is probably the best possible way. I know him and trust him, and his command of public policy is extraordinarily sound. He teaches government and economics at MBA, so he knows his way around the classroom, and he’s a public school parent, so he can identify best practices from both public and private school systems. He has a thorough understanding of the needs of parents, students, and the community as a whole. He is also a debate coach and has a rich understanding of almost every aspect of public policy.

Alan has two kids currently in public school, and he’s deeply committed to ensuring that he can fulfill their educational needs. He fought long and hard to ensure that funding for their Montessori program at Hull-Jackson Elementary was sustained. Sadly, there is no funding for Montessori in Metro beyond the elementary level. Trust Alan to work to ensure that our schools are adequately funded and that every Metro parent has the options necessary to satisfy his or her children’s educational needs. I do. Almost enough to want to move to his district.

I’ve met Lee Limbird (one of the contenders who will likely be competitive), and I’m interested in learning more about her motivations for getting into the race. I don’t know much about the other contenders, save one.

The biggest blow to Alan’s bid came today in the form not of Eric Crafton, who finally decided not to run (till next time), but rather of John Summers showing up among the qualifiers. As a former Metro Councilman with name recognition, he will probably change the play the Chamber of Commerce (a controversial force in a number of local policy areas, if for no other reason than its large and often hidden strength) makes in this race. But is this yet another attempt (after last year’s failed at-large bid) to pay down campaign debt? A more enterprising (and actual) investigative journalist than I could probably discover in short order whether he’s got any. (See Liz’s Campaign Footnotes.)

Disappointingly, my friend Jason Powell declined to reprise his role as primary challenger to Mary Pruitt, whose representation during my relatively brief time in her district has been underwhelming at best. There’s an independent challenger (Lisa Kleis), so I’ll be interested to see whether the challenge is credible.