Re-elect Daryl Love to Fayette school board

Voters in Fayette school board District 5 are fortunate to have a choice of two excellent candidates on Nov. 8. We urge them to return incumbent Daryl Love for several reasons.

Love has broad experience in making large organizations work effectively, a strength the board and district need. He has worked in a number of executive capacities at Ashland Inc. and now Valvoline Inc., and also has chaired or served on the boards of several nonprofits. Love also served on the school-based decision making council at Lexington’s Millcreek Elementary.

Love is skilled at building consensus while not fearing respectful dissent or shying from asking tough questions, all qualities the board needs.

Appointed to the post in 2010 and elected in 2012, Love served on the screening committee that recruited Superintendent Manny Caulk, whose ideas and proposals seem to be generating enthusiasm and support in the schools and community.

Love expresses a commitment to reallocating resources based on the needs of students and schools. This thorny process will require vigilant follow-through by the board and is critical to boosting learning by low-income children and minorities, which is critical to assuring Lexington has a competitive workforce.

Love’s other priorities are helping schools strengthen teaching and curriculum and providing educators and staff with high-quality professional development opportunities. He has a keen understanding of the board’s role in the district and a commitment to working to make the system work better for all students.

His challenger, Sharon Mofield-Boswell, a teacher at a private pre-school, also offers an impressive resume.

She served as a parent representative on the screening committee that recommended Caulk, serves on the district’s Equity Council and the Local Planning Committee that is responsible for developing a construction and renovation plan and has served on several school-based decision making councils and PTAs.

Mofield-Boswell’s knowledge as an educator and her passion for children are deep; we hope and trust that she will stay involved in the schools and community.

On balance, though, Love’s leadership skills are too important to lose. He already has served the district well by helping steer through some rough waters and fractious times. Love has earned another term on the school board; we recommend him.

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Re-elect Daryl Love to Fayette school board."