Wayland 2023 Candidate Profile: Dovie King, School Committee

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland's school committee race will likely be the most closely watched in the April 25 election with four newcomers vying for two seats being vacated by incumbents.

One-term member Chris Ryan and longtime member Jeanne Downs have both opted not to run for reelection this year. Candidates Craig Gruber, Dovie King, Erin Mueller and Christina Rodrigo have filed to run for the seats. Gruber ran unsuccessfully for a school committee seat last year, while King ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for a select board seat.

The two new members will join the committee at an inflection point. In February, the committee put Omar Easy on leave from his job as superintendent, and has not yet given a reason for the divorce. Easy then filed a discrimination complaint with the state against Wayland; Ryan and Vice Chair Ellen Greico were also named in the complaint.

Since then, the committee has voted to hire a former Newton superintendent to take the helm for one year as interim superintendent — an indication that Easy will likely not return to the job.

Several other key Wayland school leaders have also departed, and the district will begin searching for replacements soon.

To help Wayland voters get to know the school committee candidates better, Wayland Patch sent each candidate questions about why they're running for a seat. Here's how candidate Dovie King responded.

Why are you running for the school committee in 2023?

My name is Dovie King and I hope to earn your vote for School Committee on April 25.

I’m running because I believe all students deserve to have a voice at the table and an equal opportunity to an appropriate education. If elected, I’ll work diligently to rebuild district-wide harmony, transparency and open communication at a time when our community has been fractured. I’ll hit the ground running and add a new, diverse perspective that’s currently missing on the School Committee yet necessary to move us through a time of crisis. I’ll also bring a sense of civility and the highest regard for legal, ethical and financial duties that are impressed upon elected school officials.

A few years ago, I decided to move to Wayland with my son who’s presently a student and football player at Wayland High School. We have a small rescue dog and, together, we are the King family.
My family is one of the few Black/Latinx families living in Wayland, and it’s not without reservations that I bought my house on Bow Road. I initially worried that my son might face racial barriers in Wayland as I did in my youth, though it’s now decades later. Admittedly, there have been some challenges, but on the whole, I don’t regret my decision to move to town. Wayland has given much to my family, and I’ve been trying to reciprocate through my public service and activism on behalf of students.

Another important reason I moved to Wayland is because my good law school friend of nearly 30 years lives a few doors down the street from me. We’re different people. She grew up in Connecticut, and I grew up in California. She’s Jewish and I was raised Christian. She speaks Hebrew and I speak Spanish. Despite our different upbringings, however, we met at Northeastern Law on the first day of classes and immediately bonded. We’ve been friends ever since and, for the past 8 years, our children celebrate holidays together— most recently Easter and Passover. It’s in this spirit of mutual support, acceptance and camaraderie that I decided to throw my hat in the race for School Committee.

The removal of Superintendent Omar Easy has been the top issue in the district recently. How would you grade the school committee on its handling of that situation, and what would you have done differently?

The decision to place Superintendent Omar Easy on administrative leave opened up a Pandora’s box that’s placed Wayland schools in a negative light and resulted in a plethora of serious legal actions filed against the School Committee and two of its individual members. The financial and legal ramifications for Wayland residents and taxpayers may be staggering if there’s a finding of unlawful conduct. Additionally, the broken trust that exists among residents is at an all-time high. For some, the very integrity of the School Committee itself has been called into question.

In light of the current state of affairs, my focus as a future School Committee member will be moving into the future by providing a different type of leadership based on transparency and accountability while trying to repair some of the damage already caused.

On of the first things I will do is review records relating to the Superintendent that are not currently available to the public, such as: (1) initial anonymous complaints against Dr. Easy; (2) internal investigation of Dr. Easy and its findings; (3) pending discrimination, retaliation and Open Meeting Law violation cases; (4) hiring process for a new Acting Superintendent; and (5) financial records and budget for executive level salaries.

I consider it basic due diligence to be fully informed of the facts right away. My attorney experience further informs me that I must approach these tasks from a totally neutral standpoint. Anything less would be irresponsible. Examples include drawing conclusions prior to taking office, such as assuming “good” or “noble” intent on the part of current School Committee members without having all the facts, or calling for the removal of the Superintendent and thereby disregarding basic civil and due process rights afforded to all district employees.

My view is, and has as always been, that to the maximum extent possible, public records should be made available to voters. As such, I would push for the immediate release of School Committee records concerning the Superintendent to the greatest extent possible without violating privacy concerns or other necessary exclusions.

Finally, I would push for School Committee members to regularly participate in DEI and Open Meeting Law training, as well as to ensure a streamlined process for the public to gain access to information through Public Record Act requests.

The school committee has not said why it put Dr. Easy on leave. Do you feel the public has a right to know why that happened?

Not only does the public have a right to know, but keeping residents informed about important school matters is mandated by a host of laws, including the Massachusetts Education Law, Open Meeting Law and the School Committee’s own Policy Manual.

There are important policy reasons for giving the public access to government records of this sort— it’s a basic pillar of democracy. In other words, to effectively participate in the democratic process and hold its elected officials accountable, the public has a right to have access to information. This right dates back to the very founding of the nation.

Do you want Easy to return as superintendent, or do you feel the district should sever his employment permanently?

Despite my personal feelings, if elected to the School Committee, I must set those feelings aside and approach the job from a neutral standpoint and with an eye towards doing what’s in the best interests of Wayland students. Otherwise, my actions could open the door to further liability and financial waste.

That said, I’m concerned about certain red flags that I see. Specifically, the Committee took steps to remove Dr. Easy from his post in very close proximity to: (1) an incident of hateful and racist graffiti found near the high school calling Dr. Easy the “N-word.”; (2) allegations raised by Dr. Easy of a hostile workplace; (3) an internal investigation that possibly exonerated Dr. Easy of wrongdoing; and (4) active steps taken by Dr. Easy to change the culture of racism within Wayland schools. From an outsider’s perspective, this is the textbook definition of retaliation. Though we need to allow the MCAD process to play out, Wayland can ill afford to throw caution to the wind and conduct school business in this manner. In the past few years, there have too many personnel debacles costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Easy is the district's first Black superintendent, and the first Black leader perhaps ever in Wayland. He was subject to public racist taunting and has filed a discrimination complaint against the district and key officials. Do you think there's a problem with racism in Wayland schools, and if so, what would you do about it?

Taking my hat off as a candidate for a moment, and speaking strictly as the parent of a student of color enrolled in Wayland public schools, my answer would be a definitive “yes.” As a family, we have cried together and experienced the sadness and trauma of repeated acts of racism in the schools and broader community culminating in the racist graffiti of December 2022. Though not every incident is publicly reported, a simple Google search will result in repeated incidents of racism, anti-semitism and other forms of hate reported by the press.

Is this who we are as a community? I don’t believe we are; however, the days of sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing are over. We need a proactive leader who will set an example and the bar high to help create a supportive environment that students, teachers and staff deserve.

I believe I can be that leader. Luckily, you don’t have to take my word for it because I have a demonstrated track record showing my commitment, such as:

• I was Chair of the Wayland Human Rights, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee leading a committee of 16 members, including 4 high school students. During my tenure, I helped build the group from the ground-up, often volunteering 30-35 hours per week to set agendas, facilitate discussion and spearhead town-wide programs;

• I coordinated a workshop in March 2023 about how to handle microaggressions in schools. The event was attended by teachers, school counselors, principals, a school psychologist, parents and various town committee members;

• I brought the communities of Wayland and Westford together for a “Diversity Dialogue” after an incident of racism targeted a Wayland basketball player. Attendees included both towns’ Superintendents, School Committee members, teachers, parents, faith-based leaders, etc.; and

• I joined forces with UMass Boston to lead a town hall to promote intercultural understanding. The event was co-sponsored by various Wayland groups.

My commitment to proactive leadership and DEI is further reflected in my broad-based support from people of every age group, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, LGBTQIA+ background; renters, homeowners and Wayland public housing residents; families with children and without; teachers, tutors, professors, union members and public school students; and current/former town leaders on the Select Board, Trust Fund Commission, Cultural Council, Library Trustees, Human Rights, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, PTO, School Committee, SEPAC, PASS, Wayland Democrats (all in their personal capacities, not official capacities) and more!

Wayland has also seen other top administrative leaders exit in recent months. How would you handle replacing those positions as a school committee member?

Within the district there has been some turnover and each situation is unique. The key factor to consider about my leadership as a future School Committee member is that I will be a good listener and consider the concerns of individual employees and labor leaders. As a long-time member and supporter of unions and workers, I value every voice and will have an open-door policy. I also hope to build a climate where everyone feels empowered to speak up about their working conditions without fear of retribution.

In terms of making future hiring decisions, I will push for a recruitment strategy that is open, transparent, includes ample opportunity for community input and draws from a diverse pool of top talent, both internally and externally. Lastly, I will support the person in the Superintendent role by providing them with the necessary tools and guidance they need to be successful.

As far as academics, what's one thing Wayland Public Schools is doing well, and what's one area where it needs improvement?

There are certainly things that can be improved, but there are even more things to celebrate! Here are some academic highlights from the past 18 months:

• The district launched the first-ever Integrated Preschool program which provides inclusive educational and related services for all students;

• The district completed a comprehensive assessment and realignment of Special Education programming. This included the implementation of Student Teacher Action Response Teams, developed the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan to ensure compliance with all state and federal guidelines, and proposed Special Education Team Leaders;

• The district partnered with Landmark School to create the first district-wide Language-Based Program for grades 2 through 5; and

• The district secured grants for approximately $500,000 to support student and district needs, such as the Summer Expansion, Financial Literacy, Innovative Planning, Teacher Diversification and High-Quality Curriculum.