Oklahoma City Public Schools Board Chair: For Charles Henry

The City Sentinel Endorsement

Paula Lewis, incumbent in the chairperson’s position at the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education, ran second in the February 9 primary election. Seeking reelection, she ran behind Charles Henry, the current District 1 board member.

Among those who voted, Lewis garnered 2,042 votes (43.76 percent) to 2,244 voes (48.14 percent) for Henry. The Tuesday, April 6 “run-off” (actually the “general”) election was triggered because Wilfredo Santos-Rivera earned 378 votes (8.10 percent). That kept Board Member Henry from securing an outright win.

Santos-Rivera has endorsed his former rival, saying, “Charles Henry believes in finding the best ways of learning for students.”
Other supporters of the challenger, who led in the primary, include: Imelda Rivera-Melendez, a graduate of Northwest Classen High and grandparent of a current public school elementary student, Cesar Armenta, a graduate of Southeast High and attorney, Jo McDermott, a graduate of Northeast High, and Dr. Marc Wilson, a John Marshall High alum.

They are not alone. Suzanne Broadbent of the Putnam Heights Neighborhood, is the woman who – while working at the State Capitol – crafted the legislation that made the board’s top position elective. An attorney, Broadbent hopes voters will approve a change in the top job: “Charles Henry exemplifies the values that the Chair position was created for.”

State Representative Jason Lowe, City Councilwoman Nikki Nice, Eastside leader Kevin Cox, Former Interim Superintendent Linda Steele Brown, former City Councilman Eric Groves, the Melvin Guss family,  Pastor John A. Reed of Fairview Baptist Church, and Rev. Richard Laskey  of Israel Chapel CME Church.

And businessman Jack L. Werner, owner of A to Z Inspections and a regular columnist in The City Sentinel print edition says: “Charles Henry has a willingness to listen to the concerns of citizens. As a board member he is responsive to community issues. Please vote Charles Henry for Oklahoma City Board Chair.”

Jack is usually right, and absolutely right in this case:
For the top board job in the Oklahoma Public Schools, The City Sentinel endorses Charles Henry