DFER-Louisiana Endorses Five Candidates for East Baton Rouge Parish School Board
October 18, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leslie Leavoy; leslie@dfer.org
DFER-Louisiana Endorses Five Candidates for East Baton Rouge Parish School Board
Election Day is Tues., November 6th; Early Voting is October 23rd-30th
BATON ROUGE, LA– Eva Kemp, State Director for Democrats for Education Reform-Louisiana, released the following statement:
“Today, Democrats for Education Reform-Louisiana announces our strong endorsement of five candidates seeking a seat on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board: In District 2, we endorse Dadrius Lanus, in District 3, we endorse Tramelle Howard, in District 4, we endorse Chrisdelin ‘Kelly’ Lyles, and in District 5, we are dually endorsing Evelyn Ware-Jackson and Clifford ‘Cliff’ Lewis,” said Kemp. “It’s time to raise the bar for school performance and improve outcomes for students across the district. The first step in that process is electing new faces and strong leaders to the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board who have cutting-edge ideas and fresh perspectives.”
Dadrius Lanus offers new leadership to the school board with his close ties to the community and his evident commitment to all students in Baton Rouge. He is an attorney and an alumnus of Glen Oaks Senior High School. Lanus earned a bachelor’s in Political Science and History at Southern University and then earned his Juris Doctorate at Southern University Law Center. Lanus is a graduate of the Education Leadership Institute (ELI), a leadership development training program co-sponsored by Education Reform Now that equips community members with knowledge and resources about the public education landscape in Baton Rouge.
Tramelle Howard will be a devoted member of the school board. As a former educator at Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School, he knows the challenges of students, families and teachers in District 3 and will show up for his community. He currently serves as an Impact Manager at City Year Baton Rouge where he cultivates strong school partnerships and develops a team of committed leaders and school practitioners. He received his Juris Doctorate at Southern University Law Center and served as a Policy Analyst Fellow at the Louisiana Department of Education prior to teaching. Howard is also a graduate of ELI’s inaugural cohort in Baton Rouge.
Chrisdelin Kelly Lyles is a promising candidate in District 4. As a parent and former educator, Chrisdelin knows what it means to have to navigate the school system and make tough choices for her children and all the students in our city. She is a graduate of Southern University where she was a Dancing Doll. Chrisdelin has over 15 years of experience as an educator at Parkview Elementary, Park Elementary and Scotlandville Elementary. She is married to her husband Decarlo Lyles and five children together, four of which are school-aged and attend East Baton Rouge public schools.
In District 5, DFER LA endorses both candidates who have qualified to run. Both candidates not only offer the leadership and values aligned with DFER’s mission and vision, but are also proving to be viable candidates throughout the election season. We look forward to working with both of them as we look toward the next four years.
Cliff Lewis is a committed public servant who will be a strong leader on the school board. As an educator, he knows the challenges of the current system and offers real solutions to them. He is the Parent Liaison for the Mentorship STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) Academy, a “B” rated EBR public charter school. He has served as a Parent Liaison in the East Baton Rouge (EBR) Parish School System, as well the Recovery School District for ten years. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Lewis is a former Professional Athlete, Collegiate Football Coach and Entrepreneur. He has resided in Baton Rouge for 19+ years. He’s married to Metro Councilwoman Donna Collins-Lewis. Seven of their ten grandchildren attend East Baton Rouge public schools.
Evelyn Ware-Jackson, is the current District 5 representative on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. She was first elected to the board in 2010. Evelyn has been an active member of the Baton Rouge community through volunteer service and served as vice president of the School Board in 2016 and then as president in 2017. She is a mother of three East Baton Rouge Parish School graduates.
“Each of these individuals are from Baton Rouge/have deep roots in their communities and neighborhoods and know the needs of their constituents,” said Kemp.“I’m confident that when elected, these leaders will direct the School Board toward a new vision of success focused on excellence, equity and accountability, while working to regularly engage with school leaders, families, parents and other stakeholders. We look forward to supporting these candidates through their campaign and if, elected throughout their tenure on the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board.”
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