School Board Candidate: Ethan Vessels

MARIETTA, OH — Some members of the public have reached out to Patch about the media coverage, or lack thereof, around those running for Marietta City Schools Board of Education. There will be three new members on a board of five, so obviously, this is a very important election. The latest article of any significance was written by the Marietta Times more than two weeks ago. They reported that the Marietta Education Association's Public Action Committee endorsed three candidates, Sam Tuten, Eric Reed, and Cody Parman.

There are still three other candidates in the mix, Ethan Vessels, Seth Miller, and Rudolph John Lehman. So the invitation is out to all candidates, reach out, we will publish your statement about why you want to be on the Board of Marietta City Schools, why you were or weren't endorsed by the MEA, and why that is or isn't relevant.

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“Educating our children is our duty. As well-meaning as our teachers and administrators are, the Marietta City Schools have, and continue, to receive poor ratings from the State of Ohio. Our students deserve the best we can give them.

In 2019, only 48% of our 8th graders tested as proficient in English and language arts. Only 36% were proficient in math. In the state’s “value added” measurement of improvement in a series of criteria over three years, our school system was given an F. We did not improve and instead declined. This was pre-COVID. By nearly every measure, Marietta City Schools was behind every other school district in Washington County. Matters have likely worsened in 2020 and 2021 with the shut-downs and blended “virtual” learning plans. I have not discovered any written, or even verbal, plan to address this. There should be.

This situation hurts our students, obviously. It also hurts our community in general. Parents moving to the area look at these published reports and often choose to live elsewhere. Our growth and competitiveness are hampered.

My objective is to increase educational achievement across the board. I know that Marietta does not have the same resources that New Albany or other wealthy districts enjoy. Yet there is no reason, at all, why we cannot equal or exceed the other schools in our county.

Every issue the Board of Education confronts should be addressed with this filter: will this increase educational achievement? Do we need better facilities? Yes, of course. It will increase educational achievement. Paying for it is always the problem. Yet until we get those new facilities, there are things we can do to improve. Further, if we can show the public that we are improving, we are much more likely to convince our taxpayers to approve a levy.

I am aware that the Marietta Education Association, the teachers’ union, would not endorse me. I have learned that the teachers’ union is highly political. I have also learned first-hand that many teachers do not agree with their union. Many quietly want change. Still, the MEA recently wrote in the Marietta Times, “we did not feel it appropriate to endorse candidates proposing sweeping changes.” When is the time for change? If not now, when?

The MEA also wrote, “It is important that our Board of Education members display the will to listen and understand how the modern education system functions.” Stated differently, what the MEA really wants are board members who will simply go along and make no waves. Let the teachers make the policy, not the elected leaders. Make no mistake: only two of the candidates have dared point out that our school’s proficiency levels are lagging and that we must hold the school accountable. Guess which two did not receive the MEA’s blessing?

The MEA endorsed candidates Cody Parman, Eric Reed, and Sam Tuten. All are good young men and deserve credit for their willingness to serve. But, so far, none have said anything critical of the school system or the poor testing results, which is why the union endorsed them.

As a practicing trial lawyer and former military guy, I concede that I can portray a harsher image that inside I do not feel. Yet, taking from Jack Moberg’s recent opinion piece, I am “soft and fuzzy” when it comes to helping our kids and seeing their joy when they achieve. I remember how I felt when teachers helped me when I was a student. In recent years, I have watched several of our MCS middle school students outright win the Scripps regional spelling bee and then go on to compete at the national Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. These weren’t rich kids from Bexley. These were regular kids from Marietta who, with help and encouragement, had the grit to win. They will carry those memories of winning with them the rest of their lives. My goal is to make more Marietta kids feel that way too.

If you are satisfied with status quo, I am not your candidate. I encourage you to vote for one of the other choices. If you want to steer the ship’s direction toward better results, I am honored to have your vote.”

Ethan Vessels is a practicing attorney in Marietta, Ohio. He has lived in Marietta for over eighteen years. He was a former U.S. Army officer from 1995 through 2000 and graduated from West Point in 1995.

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