TKC BREAKING AND EXCLUSIVE NEWS!!! SCHOOL BOARD PREZ AIRICK L. WEST ANSWERS TKC QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS WRITE-IN REELECTION CAMPAIGN!!!

Already running five minutes late, my car stalled for a brief moment on Cleaver II Boulevard and I thought I was going to have to walk to one of the most important interviews I've ever conducted for this blog.

Thankfully, life kicked back into my vehicle and I was on my way when the light turned green.

It turned out to be a good thing that I was late to an interview with School Board Prez Airick L. West.

The Kansas City Public School District inspires so many strong feelings throughout this town. My tardiness, car trouble and a bit of hay fever put me out of sorts this morning thereby allowing me to listen more than talk - That's a skill that so few in the media seem to possess nowadays. Luckily, this morning my frame of mind was set right by accident.

NOW . . . CHECK OUT AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TKC AND KANSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD PREZ AIRICK WEST!!!



The first question that comes to everyone's mind when hearing about Mr. West's decision to run as a write-in candidate is simple.

Why?

The School Board Prez was remarkably candid:

"At the outset, my intention was NOT to run." Airick West said. "Until some months ago, the progress that we have made as a district followed along a consistent path. However, it was only last week that I had to admit that the circumstances have changed."

He explained further: "During my administration we have been successful in implementing fiscal reform and starting to deal with old and mostly empty buildings that have been a burden on the district. We have instituted governance reform that has served as a guide for the future. And finally our School Board School will help to maintain these reforms. Still, I can't deny that there is now uncertainty in the district and my hope is to address that situation."

In what seems like the final answer to questions about the motivation of his write-in campaign. Airick West said this: 

"We have to ask ourselves, given the changes that have occurred in the district. How do we change our strategy to account for these new circumstance? I felt it was necessary to be part of that discussion."

Still, in the minds of most voters and Kansas City residents the turmoil that has embroiled the Kansas City Public School District is anything but mere circumstance.

When it comes to the controversy surrounding the departure of former Superintendent John Covington, School Board Prez West directs everyone to a detailed response he wrote to allegations of undue influence over KCPS contracts. The fact that questions still linger in the minds of some people or that he was never exonerated in media reports doesn't seem to upset Mr. West. He only offers this:

"I never got an apology and I don't expect one. But I will say that if there had been any impropriety discovered, there would have been endless follow-up, more questions and investigation. Obviously, we didn't see that happen."

On the subject of accreditation, The Kansas City School Board President notes a simple discrepancy between the perception and reality of performance standards.

"I invite everyone to check with DESE. But by the end of this school year we will have earned more points toward accreditation than we had achieved four years ago. The trend is clear, we are making solid progress and I expect that momentum to continue."

Airick West's statement on what could be an impending KCPS Takeover by Missouri Education Officials:

"The State Of Missouri could do real and lasting harm by dissolving the District. I challenge anyone to show me an example of a suburban district taking over an urban districts and bringing about a beneficial outcome. That scenario doesn't exist despite some efforts to spin the data."

Mr. West believes that the Independence School Takeover of part of the KCPS not so long ago doesn't offer a viable comparison.

Still, I argued that the loss of accreditation along with the turmoil that embroiled the district during former Superintendent Covington's departure seemed to be a tipping point that caused many people to lose faith in the progress touted by the KCPS.

Airick West's answer to this question was the highlight of the interview:

"As a community hundreds of people came together to develop a plan in order to transform the district. That plan existed before Superintendent Covington left the District and it remains in place now that he's gone. The strategies that we have drafted have served as a successful blueprint for the District. We're still implementing that blueprint."

In the final analysis, consistency and the opportunity to continue to work on the strategies he helped devise at the KCPS seem to be the selling point for Airick L. West as a write-in candidate.

We'll have more details on my EXCLUSIVE TALK WITH SCHOOL BOARD PREZ AIRICK WEST.

For now, all of this has inspired tonight's playlist.

As always, thank you for reading and have a safe and fun weekend.