In Erie School Board race, 7 nominees are seeking five 4-year seats, and 2-year seat is up
The math might seem confusing at first.
Seven nominees are running for six seats on the Erie School Board in the Nov. 7 election. But all seven nominees can win.
The reason: One of the nominees is on the ballot twice. He is seeking a four-year seat and a two-year seat.
The nominee, Zakaria Sharif, an incumbent, could win both seats. If he does, he would have to choose the seat he wants to hold, and the Erie School Board would appoint someone to fill the other seat.
The different scenarios are due to numbers.
Only five seats on the nine-member Erie School Board were scheduled to be up for election in 2023. A sixth seat was added to the ballot following the resignation of School Director Leatra Tate, who had three years left in her four-year term when she stepped down in December to take a job in another state.
The School Board in January appointed Sharif to fill what had been Tate's seat, with the understanding that the seat's unexpired two-year term would be up for election in the May primary and on Nov. 7.
Sharif, a registered Democrat, cross-filed in the primary and won the GOP nomination for the two-year seat. The Democratic nomination went to Linda Graff, a registered Democrat who also cross-filed.
Graff and Sharif also won Democratic and GOP nominations in the primary for the four-year seat.
For the Nov. 7 election, she dropped out of the race for the two-year seat, a move that leaves Sharif as the only nominee for that post on both Democratic and Republican ballots — though he is also on the ballot for a four-year seat.
Did you get all that math?
Here are some more numbers. Two of the seats up for election are open. The incumbent school directors in those seats, Lori Pickens and Rosemary Sheridan, declined to run for reelection.
Primary results: Four incumbents, three newcomers win nominations for six seats on Erie School Board
Four of the nominees are incumbents. They are Sharif and board Vice President John Harkins, a school director for more than four decades, as well as two directors elected four years ago, Gwendolyn Cooley and Sumner Nichols.
Three of the nominees would be new to the Erie School Board. They are Graff, Angie Amatangelo and Troy Woodard.
Here are profiles of all seven nominees for Erie School Board in the municipal election. Included is the response to the Erie Times-News' question about how each sees the role of a school director. The nominees appear in the order in which they appear on the official candidate list for races in Erie County in the municipal election.
John Harkins
Running for: Incumbent seeking four-year seat. Harkins has been on the Erie School Board for 44 years. He is the board's vice president.
Party Registration: Democrat. Harkins is cross-filed as a Democrat and a Republican, and won dual nominations in the primary.
Age: 72
Occupation: Retired from National Fuel Gas.
Education: Academy High School; three years of college
Personal: Single; three adult children
Social Media: None for campaign
Over the past several years, as the Erie School District struggled through its protracted financial crisis, Harkins has been vocal in pushing for fair funding of school districts statewide, particularly urban school districts such as Erie.
On the role of a school director: "To work collaboratively with board colleagues and administration to effectively meet the needs, responsibilities, and challenges we have."
Angie Amatangelo
Running for: Newcomer seeking four-year seat. Amatangelo is running with a slate of candidates affiliated with Erie County United, a group that advocates for social justice.
Party Registration: Democrat. Amatangelo won a Democratic nomination in the primary.
Age: 41
Occupation: Project manager for Family Services of Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Education: Mercyhurst University, master's degree in criminal justice administration, bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration, graduation certificate in nonprofit management
Personal: Single; one daughter, who graduated from Erie High School in 2020.
Social Media: facebook.com/AngieAmatangeloforSchoolBoard
Amatangelo said one of her areas of focus will be on prevention programs and resources, which she said are necessary for the success of students in the Erie School District. She said she will push for programs that reinforce healthy behaviors and create healthy spaces for students.
On the role of a school director: "I believe the most important role of a school director is supporting student achievement and protecting their interests. A single person can’t do that alone. That’s why I’m committed to creating positive relationships across the district and in the community."
Linda Graff
Running for: Newcomer running for four-year seat.
Party Registration: Democrat. Graff cross-filed as a Democrat and a Republican and won dual nominations in he primary.
Age: 65
Occupation: Retired from federal government.
Education: University of Wisconsin, master's degree in graphic information systems; University of Illinois, master's degree in physical geography; Edinboro State College, bachelor's degree in environmental studies/geography; General McLane High School
Personal: Married; no children
Social Media:facebook.com/LindaGraff4Erie
Graff said one of her areas of focus will be increasing volunteerism in the Erie School District. She said she sees cost and the clearance process as barriers to getting more people to volunteer, and she said she is working with the nonprofit Foundation for Erie's Public Schools and the United Way on "volunteer clinics" that she said are designed to facilitate the clearance process.
On the role of a school director: "The role of a school director is to represent the community by approving curriculum, developing policy, being a good steward of tax dollars and advocating for our students. We must ensure a safe and welcoming environment in our schools. We must work to address barriers to education such as poverty and violence and work with our partners like the United Way community schools to help provide the necessary wrap-around services."
Gwendolyn Cooley
Running for: Incumbent running for four-year seat. Cooley was first elected four years ago.
Party Registration: Democrat. Cooley won a Democratic nomination in the primary.
Age: 64
Occupation: Director of day care at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. Retired after 25 years as a parental involvement specialist with the Erie School District.
Education: Wilberforce University in Ohio, bachelor's degree in sociology; graduate work at the State University of New York at Fredonia; Academy High School
Personal: Single; three adult children
Social Media: None for campaign
Cooley said one of her areas of focus will continue to be safety. She said she wants to be sure metal detectors are properly manned and that students don't have to wait on long lines to enter buildings. She said she wants students to be comfortable inside and outside school buildings.
On the role of a school director: Cooley said she sees her role as advocating for students, among other responsibilities. "Students must feel they are respected and their needs are of interest," she said. She said she will push for "programs and activities that make the students feel like they belong to the school, beyond athletics.
Sumner Nichols
Running for: Incumbent seeking four-year seat. Nichols was first elected four years ago.
Party Registration: Democrat. He cross filed as a Democrat and Republican and won dual nominations in the primary.
Age: 73
Occupation: Lawyer
Education: Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, law degree; Allegheny College, bachelor's degree in history and economics; Strong Vincent High School
Personal: Widowed; three adult children
Social Media: None for campaign
One of Nichols' areas of focus as a school director has been improving the Erie School District's athletic programs. He said the neighboring Millcreek School District spends two and a half times as much as the Erie School District does per-student on athletics, and that he would like to see the Erie School District close the gap. He said the district's budget for athletics has not kept face despite the district's recent large-scale renovations to its sports facilities.
On the role of a school director: "Our role is to assess and approve policy proposals of the administration and to modify them if we see a need. We can also initiate policies but we need to be mindful that the administration’s agenda must receive priority over our individual proposals."
Troy Woodard
Running for: Newcomer running for four-year seat.
Party Registration: Democrat. Woodard cross-filed as a Democratic and Republican in the primary and won a GOP nomination.
Age: 27
Occupation: Woodard is a substitute teacher and a coach in the Erie School District, according to the district. State law prohibits a teacher from serving as a school director for the district that employs the teacher. Woodard said he has already arranged to resign as a teacher at the end of this academic year, which would make him eligible to serve on the School Board if elected.
Education: Clarion University, bachelor's degrees in finance and real estate; Cathedral Preparatory School: Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School; Burton Elementary School
Personal: Single
Social Media: None for campaign
Woodard said one of his areas of focus will be on advocating for updated programs throughout the district, particularly after-school programs and mentorship programs.
On the role of a school director: "The role of a school director is someone who can bridge the gap between the school district, parents, and community. As director of the school board, I will be a liaison between the school district and parents. I will be their voice so their comments and concerns can be addressed. The community will feel involved through active application by being involved in the educational process."
Zakaria Sharif
Running for: Incumbent running for four-year seat and two-year seat. He was appointed to fill an unexpired term in January. Sharif is running with a slate of candidates affiliated with Erie County United, a group that advocates for social justice.
Party Registration: Democrat. Sharif cross-field as a Democrat and a Republican in the primary. He won a Republican nomination for the four-year seat and ended up with dual nominations for the two-year seat.
Age: 36
Occupation: Public health educator, Erie County Department of Health
Education: Penn State Behrend, bachelor's degree in business management, minor in marketing; East High School
Personal: Married; five children. The three children of school age attend Lincoln Elementary School.
Social Media: facebook.com/ZakariaSchoolBoard
Sharif said one of his areas of focus will continue to be on diversity. He said the Erie School District has tried to diversify its staff for decades, but must do more. He said he wants to provide the necessary resources to recruit and retain a diverse pool of teachers and administrators.
On the role of a school director: "I feel my role is to be an advocate for every student especially those who often do not have voice. (My) priority role is setting policies and govern our district so we can be equitable to all of our students to be able to graduate from high school and continue with their education. Another role is setting a healthy budget that is covering all of our expenses and making sure key programs are continuously being provided for our students in need."
Primary results: Election will bring new faces to Erie School Board. Here are the choices for 6 seats
Open seats: Election will bring new faces to Erie School Board. Here are the choices for 6 seats
On the ballot: Erie County voters' guide to the races, candidates and issues in the 2023 municipal election
Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNpalattella.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie School Board: 7 nominees are running for 6 seats. All could win
