A tale of two elections

LITTLE ROCK — HERE’S A simple, too simple, summary of how two school elections turned out this week in and around Little Rock: It was a case of Win One, Lose One for the teachers’ unions. Two union-backed candidates won decisively in the county school district while the opposite happened in Little Rock. End of story.

But that interpretation would be not only simple but simplistic. These elections weren’t just a test of union power but were largely determined by different circumstances in different school districts-even if both have been embroiled in expensive controversies.

This much the election results had in common: The incumbents lost. A sure indication that the voters were unhappy with the way things have been going in both school districts. Who can blame them? The waste, the overstaffed bureaucracies, the querulous atmosphere at school board meetings, the expensive litigation that has taken the place of education . . . all of that has come to characterize both school districts. No wonder voters in both decided it was time for a change.

In the county school district, the attempt to deny the union recognition as the bargaining agent for the teachers was understandable, even commendable. One of the losing candidates, Charlie Wood, says the current contract with the union has enabled a total of 105 teachers to take off at last 30 days in the school year-six weeks-in accrued leave for reasons not limited to illness or emergencies. A contract really ought to be something more than a legalized way to take the taxpayers. Not to mention students, parents, and those conscientious teachers who have to take up the slack when the loafers take off. And yet Mr. Wood lost the election-and lost big.

Maybe that’s because it’s not enough to be in favor of reform. How the reform is carried out matters, too. If it’s done in an abrasive fashion that showslittle respect for those a school board has to negotiate with, and courtroom battles follow, with accompanying legal fees, the public may balk and go looking for different leaders. Which is what happened Tuesday in the Pulaski County Special School District.

The incumbent lost in Little Rock, too, which was good news. The outcome of that election offers taxpayers, parents, students, and, yes, teachers hope that a new and better direction can be charted for the state’s largest school district, which has been mired in mediocrity or worse ever since a narrow but willful majority drove out a reformminded school superintendent.

THE GANG of four that’s been in charge of the district’s affairs has fought reform in general, whether the issue of the month was charter schools or how to wage an expensive lawsuit against the state or what to do about the fat in the school district’s budget. Especially when it comes to reducing the bloated staff at district headquarters and starting to re-emphasize support for teachers in the classroom.

The election of this newest member of the school board, a principal in the neighboring county school district, offers new hope for Little Rock’s public schools. Michael Nellums knows the territory, being an educator himself, and he could play a pivotal role in getting the school board’s priorities reset: education instead of litigation, support for innovative reforms like charter schools instead of blind opposition to change, and a general change in the whole culture of the school district from one of confrontation to cooperation.

Here’s hoping Mr. Nellums will play a pivotal role in getting Little Rock a public school system it long has deserved, and certainly pays for. Congratulations, sir. You bring hope with you. And that’s always a good start. Now to follow it up with accomplishment.