Election 2020: Q&A with Phenix City Board of Education District 2, Place 1, candidates
.png "Steve Franklin (left) and James Elliott “Eli” Patrick (right) are running for the Phenix City Board of Education District 2, Place 1 seat in the Aug. 25, 2020 municipal election.")
To help Phenix City and Smiths Station voters decide which local candidates to support in the Aug. 25 municipal elections, the Ledger-Enquirer is publishing a series of stories about the contested races in a Q&A format.
Today, we feature the District 2, Place 1, seat on the Phenix City Board of Education, which has become an elected governing body after previously being appointed by the Phenix City Council. The candidates are Steve Franklin and James Elliott “Eli” Patrick. Neither is an incumbent.
The seven-member board will have two representatives from each of the city’s three voting districts, plus an at-large representative elected from all ballots in the city.
Franklin, 69, is retired. He worked in maintenance at Lakewood Golf Course and was a substitute teacher for Phenix City Schools.
He is a member of the Phenix City Historical Preservation Commission, which collaborated with ninth-graders on an Alabama Bicentennial celebration project.
Franklin graduated from Central High School.
Patrick, 49, is a specialty healthcare representative in pharmaceutical sales for Pfizer. He taught health and physical education and coached basketball for seven months at South Girard School before being selected for active duty in the U.S. Army in 1994.
He served two years active duty and has continued to serve in the reserves for the past 24 years, including one year in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a colonel and brigade commander in the Army Reserves.
Patrick taught and coached for seven years in DeKalb County, Georgia, then joined Pfizer, where he has worked for the past 17 years.
He is a member of the Columbus chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, where he has served the education director. He is president and founder of the Patrick Youth Development Foundation, which teaches children about leadership.
Patrick graduated from Spencer High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Regent University.
Why should residents in your district vote for you over your opponents?
Franklin: “I have a great interest in the curriculum and would work with the other members of the board to make a positive change in the way our students learn and what they are taught. My policy is that no children should fall through the cracks and every student gets the education they are there for.”
Patrick: “Voters should vote for me because I have the experience and leadership to ask the right questions, get the community involved and get results for the kids. The school board needs a well-rounded person to represent District 2. I participated in band, athletics, multiple organizations and ROTC.”
What is the most important issue in Phenix City Schools, and how should it be addressed?
Franklin: “Getting the students back to school is a major issue at this moment. I feel that the ones that can stay at home and complete the lessons will be a lot safer. I also understand that when both parents have to work and no one is at home that this student will need to go to school. This is where the board will have to work with the school teachers and principals to ensure the safest environment we can give them.”
Patrick: “The most important issue in Phenix City Schools right now is how the school district handles COVID-19. The school district should assess the resources, discipline and leadership throughout the district, and if it can put sufficient risk mitigation in place and enforce the rules, then kids should return to school physically, where it gives them the best opportunity to learn. However, parents should have the option to allow their children virtual alternatives.”
What else should voters know about you and this election?
Franklin: “I was born and raised in Phenix City. … All three of my children graduated from Central High School, and my youngest grandchild currently attends PCIS. We attend First Assembly of God Church in Phenix City.”
Patrick: “Voters should know that I am a proven leader and have always been an active participant in community activities. I will work tirelessly to make sure the school district is the premier school district in the state.”
