Here are The Bee’s endorsements for four seats on the Fresno Unified school board

The Fresno Unified School District, the third largest in the state, continues to struggle with student performance in basic subjects. The COVID pandemic revealed bigger needs that the administrators in charge of about 70,000 students have to address.

Math and reading proficiency rates — 30% and 38%, respectively — rank in the bottom half in the state. Graduation rates have improved, but are stuck in the bottom half at 86%. These figures come from publicschoolreview.com, which compiles data from the state Department of Education and the National Center for Education Statistics.

During the pandemic, the district received $700 million in federal relief, of which $200 million could be used to improve air filtration and ventilation at its approximately 100 schools. That was a critical need during the pandemic, and especially so given Fresno’s chronic air pollution. Yet, while neighboring districts like Clovis were making those purchases, Fresno Unified dragged its feet until teacher complaints spurred action months later.

Five years into the tenure of Superintendent Bob Nelson, Fresno Unified has made some progress, but not enough. For every school like Manchester Gate, which ranks among the top 1% in the state when it comes to math and reading proficiency, there is a Fort Miller Middle School, with 6% math proficiency and 15% reading proficiency.

Nelson, who is nearing three decades of employment with the district, is praised as a leader who cares for the students. But that is not enough to fix Fresno Unified’s problems.

The role of the seven member board of trustees is making the right hire at superintendent and holding that leader accountable to ensure students achieve at a higher level.

Nelson recently reworked his management team at the behest of trustees. It is still too early to evaluate those results.

However, for the majority of the board, the time is now: Four of the incumbents are seeking re-election this fall. Three of those incumbents — Keshia Thomas, Genoveva Islas and Valerie Davis — should have been quicker and more forceful in pushing Nelson and his team toward better student performance. Bullard High incumbent Terry Slatic is the most outspoken about the district’s failings, and much of what he says is on the mark. But he is so heavy-handed, even offensive, when it comes to working for change that Slatic often gets ignored by the other trustees and makes himself irrelevant.

None of the challengers on the ballot, save one, are ready to step up to service. Here are the Editorial Board’s recommendations, by area, of the best candidates in the election.

Area 7/Bullard High

Slatic, the former Marine who defeated three opponents four years ago, has made his presence on the board well known. However, most of that comes from his unbridled desire to ignore protocol in the pursuit of fixes.

There was his scrape with a student at Bullard High School when Slatic inserted himself into a situation trustees must avoid. He has also grandstanded at board meetings, leading in one instance to the cancellation of the rest of a meeting.

The problem is that Slatic understands the district has problems. “We have a broken system,” he told The Bee’s Editorial Board. The discussion, he said, has to start with acknowledging that Fresno Unified dwells in the bottom 5% of the state’s school districts.

“We are not a high-performing school district,” he notes. But, Slatic has been unable to work with his fellow board members to find the elixir.

Susan Wittrup, who recently retired after 37 years as a special education instructor and school psychologist, is better positioned among the four candidates to make an impact.

“We need to get the right people in the right positions,” Wittrup told The Editorial Board.

“We need to focus strategically on what the issue is, find out who is qualified to do that work, and need to find those people to match those positions,” said Wittrup, who added that “85% to 90% of the board’s decisions aren’t that controversial.”

That’s the easy part. The harder task will be working collaboratively with the other six board members to make effective changes.

The other two candidates are James Barr, a retired social worker; and, Michael Haynes, who worked 42 years as a campus safety officer with the district.

Wittrup is the right person for District 7.

Area 4/McLane High

“Veva” Islas is seeking a second term after getting the Fresno Teachers Association’s backing in ousting then trustee Christopher De La Cerda in her first run.

Islas found herself in the hot seat early this year for a Jan. 26 tweet on her personal Twitter account. The Twitter anti-vax controversy shut down a board meeting.

The Fresno Republican party called on Islas to resign. (The governing board of the FUSD is a nonpartisan office). Islas said her comment has been intentionally misconstrued during a politically charged campaign season in which she is up for re-election.

As a progressive candidate, Islas said then that “I have been very vocal in terms of what I think needs to happen and very vocal on what causes harm. I think that makes me a target.”

She does act with the courage of her convictions. She was the only trustee to vote against ratifying the contract with Fresno police for school resource officers at middle schools.

Islas is not the first public official to get in hot water for social media usage. Her Twitter miscue is not enough to recommend her against a weak field.

Other candidates on the ballot are Michelle Denise Scire, a chemist; and, Karen Steed, a retired teacher.

Islas gets the Editorial Board’s endorsement.

Area 3/Sunnyside High

Incumbent Valerie F. Davis was first elected in 2004. As the longest-serving trustee, Davis has not been immune to controversies.

In her 2018 re-election, Davis faced a last-minute Fair Political Practices Commission complaint filed accusing her of improperly disclosing her donations. Davis was fined nearly $1,000 by the commission for failing to report large contributions. She paid the fine.

Davis said she wants “to finish what I started, and I’d like to see 100% graduation rates out of our entire community.”

Other candidates in this race are educator Karl Díaz, marketing representative Michael B. Osmer, and educator Tammy McMahon-Gorans.

Of the four, Davis has the best experience, and gets the Editorial Board’s recommendation.

Area 1/Edison High

Keshia Thomas is the incumbent in Area 1, which encompasses west Fresno.

She told The Bee Editorial Board that Nelson will get “no more passes” after he revamped his management team. She wants the changes to result in improved math and reading proficiencies by students. Thomas stressed that four votes are needed for the board to approve changes.

The only Black trustee, Thomas understands the obstacles Black students face. That is why she has pushed for more Black teachers, more Black parents involved in the district’s Parent University program that informs participants on “how to fight for your kids.”

Voters should return Thomas to the board. Challenger Wayne Horton did not participate in the Editorial Board’s interview and forfeited any consideration for endorsement.