Alabama voters can expect to see a slate of educators, parents and other school board hopefuls on their ballots on Nov. 5, but many will be running without an opponent.
Voters in two out of every three counties with an upcoming school board or superintendent race will see an entirely uncontested education ballot, AL.com found. It’s a trend that’s not uncommon in general elections.
“First of all, we’d like to think that folks are happy with the direction of the system, the direction that the board and the superintendent are leading,” Sally Smith, president of the Alabama Association of School Boards, told AL.com. “But secondly, these are partisan elections, and Alabama, in most areas, the more competitive races tend to be in primaries.”
Across the state, 36 of about 150 open school board spots and just three of 24 local superintendent races are contested. Some counties also are considering amendments that may affect voting patterns or education funding in the future.
AL.com reached out to about 30 candidates in contested school board and superintendent races across the state to understand their education priorities.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Find more information about registration, sample ballots and candidates here.
See responses from Jefferson County school board candidates:
Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
District: Jefferson County Board of Education District 1
Candidate Name: Walter Curry (D)
Curry currently serves as the director of operations and technology at Fairfield City Schools. He also has served as an acting superintendent of the school system.
What are your top education priorities that you plan to address in this role?
“To provide support to Jeffco BOE with strategies to retain and recruit teachers and certified staff, to promote the continued growth of career tech opportunities for all students, and to assist the school district in providing the highest quality of education for the students that we serve.”
District: Jefferson County Board of Education District 1
Candidate Name: Phillip Brown (R)
Brown is a Faulkner University graduate who is certified in technical education. He taught high school automotive technology courses in the Jefferson County school system for 22 years and has taught bible classes and trained ministers in churches for over 40 years.
What are your top education priorities that you plan to address in this role?
“We must make our schools safe and conducive for children to learn and thrive. We must improve our failing schools by partnering with our parents and holding students accountable. We must strengthen our relationship with the families of our children in order to involve the community in our efforts to improve our schools.”
District: Jefferson County Board of Education District 2
Candidate Name: Sultana Godwin (D)
Godwin is a graduate of Ensley Magnet High School, Lawson State Community College and the University of Alabama at Huntsville. She has been a resident of West Jefferson County for 25 years. She is a registered nurse and former college instructor who has served on several professional boards. Godwin is an advocate for children with special needs and has two children in west Jefferson County schools.
What are your top education priorities that you plan to address in this role?
Godwin said she aims to address teacher shortages by advocating for more pay for classroom teachers as well as bus drivers. She also wants to add more counselors and mental health programs to schools.
“Some students have challenges in education,” she added. “I would address this by offering additional targeted education that occurs during and or after school. The school system that my children attend has benefitted from programs that have been implemented. I would like to implement those programs in all Jefferson County Schools.”
District: Jefferson County Board of Education District 2
Candidate Name: Robert “Glenn” Durough (R)
Durough is a graduate of McAdory High School and Bessemer State Technical College. He ran a successful HVAC business, Advantage Air Inc., for 27 years. From 2004 to 2020, he worked for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, primarily as a pistol permit investigator. He is now an assistant to District Attorney Danny Carr.
What are your top education priorities that you plan to address in this role?
“My priorities are to keep scores above average and to replace old schools with newer facilities. McAdory is close to 100 years old!”
See responses from Shelby County candidates
District: Shelby County Board of Education District 1
Candidate Name: Julia Craig (D)
Craig is a graduate of Montevallo High School and received her master’s degree in organizational leadership from Ashford University. She is a parent of students in local elementary and high schools. She told AL.com she is experienced in “working collectively to address and resolve challenges and to move organizations and systems forward to success.”
What are your top education priorities that you plan to address in this role?
“Mental health challenges our students are facing daily is a very important concern that needs to be prioritized to ensure they are getting the help and education experience needed to ensure their success. These challenges also have a huge impact on standardized test results.”
Craig said she would also like to see a life skills curriculum, financial literacy courses and higher-level academic programs offered at all schools, more funding for quality facilities and more accessible board meetings.
District: Shelby County Board of Education District 1
Candidate Name: Jennifer “JiJi” Davis (R)
Davis is a 25-year educator and graduate of Shelby County Schools. She served as a local elementary school teacher and an assistant principal for nine years and is entering her 16th year as a professor at the University of Montevallo, where she trains pre-service teachers. Davis is a Shelby County Schools Education Foundation board member and currently serves as a program coordinator for elementary education, collaborative education and education for Deaf and hard of hearing students.
She holds a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Montevallo and a doctorate in elementary education from the University of Alabama.
What are your top education priorities that you plan to address in this role?
“Advocating for ALL students is my top priority in this role by helping to meet their educational, emotional, social, and basic needs,” Davis wrote.
She also plans to prioritize listening to the needs of teachers, parents and will collaborate with community stakeholders to ensure safe learning environments for students. She believes it is important to stay current on instructional strategies and resources that will best meet the needs of all students.
Statewide races
This year, four of the eight Alabama State School Board spots are up for reelection, but just one is contested. Board Vice President Tonya Chestnut, a Democrat, ran uncontested in the primary and now will face Republican opponent David Perry for the District 5 spot.
Incumbent Jackie Ziegler, a Republican, ran unopposed in the primary and will remain the District 1 representative. Two new faces, Dr. Allen Long and Kelly Mooney, competed against several other Republicans last spring and will join the board this year.
District 5 includes Montgomery and much of the western Black Belt region. Some counties, however, might serve multiple jurisdictions. Voters can look up their state school district here.
