Francis Howell Forward formed because we saw the well-funded attacks on our district playing out in real time. We were appalled to see a clear political agenda aligned to national special interest groups (like Moms for Liberty) pressing into nonpartisan races. Officials elected to serve in Public Education have an obligation to maintain non-partisan leadership and to ensure all students have a path to success.
The leaders of Francis Howell Forward do not take lightly the obligations we owe to our community in leading with ethical behavior as a Political Action Committee (PAC). Our express mission is to protect public schools and offer each of our students a space where they can prepare for a bright future in a diverse workforce. Accordingly, our commitment to nonpartisan funding of candidates who align with this mission is one of our guiding principles. While we would never ask any candidates or board members to do our bidding, we will continue to communicate the impacts their decisions bring to our community. This year’s process is described below:
Candidate filing for the April 2nd election closed December 27th. Francis Howell Forward acknowledges and appreciates anyone in our community who is willing to serve. We invited every filed candidate for an interview, where we clearly explained our values and asked a number of questions related to election activity and leadership in public office. Not all accepted this invitation, and we understand not every candidate feels they align with our mission. In addition to our interviews, we considered a number of factors: our candidates’ knowledge of school board activity and their involvement in our schools, their leadership style, their commitment to educational equity, and their service to our community at large.
This year, we are thrilled to support Carolie Owens, a veteran educator, and Steven Blair, a seasoned Pastor of 20 years. Each has demonstrated dedication and work ethic in supporting their community. We trust these candidates to listen to the patrons of our district and to make decisions that benefit all Francis Howell students.
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