Hillsborough County School Board, District 5
Henry Ballard Jr. and Doretha Edgecomb
Now seeking her third term to represent the largely African-American District 5, Doretha Edgecomb is well known in the district, having risen through the ranks since her years in the 1960s as a teacher. Her opponent, Henry Ballard Jr., also has many years working for the Hillsborough County School District as a teacher and, more recently, as head of the district's minority purchasing program. Ballard left that job on unhappy terms. He contends that minority students are not adequately served. Marlene Sokol, Times staff writer
| Henry Ballard Jr., 61 Runs family sandwich shop | Doretha Edgecomb, 69 School Board member | |
| Ballard has worked for the school district, off and on, much of his adult life. He taught in the night and vocational programs and years later ran the district's office of minority enterprise. A dispute over his salary led him to file formal grievances, in which he also alleged race discrimination, around the time of his retirement. The school district says it prevailed. Ballard's family owns Joyce's Sandwich Shop in east Tampa. He says he is running for School Board to direct more of the district's efforts toward underserved students and minorities. | Experience | A proud graduate of Middleton High School, Edgecomb has been an educator since the early 1960s. She held jobs including principal, parent involvement coordinator and university instructor. She retired from the school district in 1996 and has been a School Board member since 2004. She was named the 2010 Educator of the Year by the Tampa Bay Professional Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society of educators. She has one daughter who is an administrator for the district. She served as board chairwoman last year. |
| Master's degree in vocational technical education, Florida A&M | Education | Talladega College; master's degree in reading education from University of South Florida |
| Re-segregation of black students suggests there is a need for greater sensibilities and sensitivities among and between top decisionmakers in the district. The climate in the district is such that black children and black families distrust many policies and actions in the district because they do not feel they will ever be treated equitably and fairly. | What are your thoughts about the possibility that schools are again becoming racially segregated? | I understand that schools with majority white, black or Hispanic students exist and will continue to exist in our district because of the racial and ethnic makeup of neighborhoods. It is for that reason I support our magnet school programs, parental choice options and the board's commitment and support for diversity in our schools. |
| I strongly believe the district's performance in expanding enrollment in Advanced Placement courses is not reflected as being successful in test scores. I do not believe the test scores of the district's highly performing students are as competitive as other districts' advanced students. | How well is the district expanding enrollment in Advanced Placement courses, and is this the correct course? | AP courses expose students to challenging coursework, enhance their preparation for college, increase their eligibility for some scholarships, increase the interest of college in these students and offer financial benefits to families. What must not be lost in our efforts to expand AP courses is the critical support needed by students to ensure that they are achieving and being successful. |
| I am not familiar with, nor am I in a position to fairly and objectively assess the district's teacher and pay evaluation reforms conducted in conjunction with the Gates foundation. This level of information was always above my pay grade. | What are your views on the Gates-funded Empowering Effective Teachers effort? | I believe that EET has the potential to help our teachers become better and improve the performance of our students. (Due to Senate Bill 736), it is clear that we do not have the option to return to the way things used to be. |
| I would request a new audit in identifying essential and necessary administrative staff. I would work closely with other board members to determine whether the superintendent and administrative staff need more accountability without engaging in micro-management. | What needs are not being met in the district, and what solutions do you propose? | I am very concerned about the continuing lack of achievement for our most struggling and disadvantaged students, especially the dropout rate, change of placement numbers and the unacceptable level of performance and achievement of African-American male students. |
| Two houses in Tampa, land in Hawthorne, savings | Assets | House in Tampa, insurance and investment fund |
| Loans | Liabilities | Loans |
| Retirement pensions | Income | School Board salary, retirement pension, Social Security |
| Married; children | Personal | Widowed; one daughter |
| henryjballard.com | Website | www.sdhc.k12.fl.us |
| vote4henry@henryjballard.com | doretha.edgecomb@sdhc.k12.fl.us |
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