English, Simama face off in citywide school board race | www.myajc.com

When the Atlanta school board was in turmoil and accreditation for the school system’s high schools was on the line, veteran educator Nisha Simama was called into temporary service.

Simama sat on the school board for a few months in 2011, and now she wants to serve a few years.

She’s challenging incumbent Courtney English, who in 2009 became the youngest person to win any citywide election by taking an at-large post on the school board. He was 24 at the time.

Simama, wife of former Atlanta City Councilman Jabari Simama, and English, a former teacher and consultant, both have well-known backers as they campaign citywide in the run-up to the Nov. 5 elections.

On their most recent campaign reports, English had raised $74,614, and Simama $54,912. Among Simama’s contributors was Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, and among English’s was Reed’s predecessor, Shirley Franklin. Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank gave each $2,500.

Simama said she has problems with the school board, in general, and English, specifically.

She describes the school board as “broken” and divided into “gangs and factions.”

“There is a lack of understanding of the role of the BOE,” the 64-year-old Simama said. “Many members meddle into the day-to-day operations, including personnel matters,” which are administrators’ responsibilities.

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