By Janice Malone
NASHVILLE, TN — Robert Taylor is a candidate running for the Metropolitan Nashville Public School (MNPS) Board District 1 school board position. District 1 is the largest in Davidson County by area. It encompasses the Northwest side of the county extending up to Joelton. The district is home to Whites Creek High School, Maplewood High School, and East Nashville High. In 2021, the school board race is partisan, and with incumbent Sharon Gentry opting not to seek reelection, three Democrats and one Republican have entered the race.
Part of Taylor’s platform focuses on enhancing educational opportunities for all students, fostering a supportive learning environment, and promoting transparency within the school system. Robert Taylor, a 46-year-old Democrat, moved to Nashville 25 years ago to attend Fisk University. He is currently an instructor at Meharry Medical College, where he teaches public health. Prior to his current position, he worked as a family involvement specialist for the Whites Creek Cluster of MNPS schools. This experience shaped his belief in the importance of accountability for school funding and the need for parents and community partners to be involved in decision-making processes.
With a passion for education and a commitment to improving the quality of schools in the district, Taylor brings a wealth of experience to the table. He also serves as the executive director of the New Life Program (newlifeprogram.org), which showcases his experience as a dedicated community-oriented individual. More with candidate Robert Taylor below:
TRIBUNE: Why are you running for this position?
TAYLOR: The first time I ran, was because I just believed that we needed some leadership in place that was going to be visible and just be in the community as an advocate for our schools. And I still believe that. But then I also believe that our community is really looking for leadership that is going to be focused on the specific needs of their community. And so, talking about the boundary for the district, it is very large. There are several unique communities within District 1 that all have a little bit different types of needs. I think that in the past, we focused on one part of the community. What I hope to do is to bring each one of those unique communities together within District 1 to rally around a common vision of prioritizing education as our absolute number one priority in Nashville.
TRIBUNE: Give me at least two big needs that District 1 has.
TAYLOR: One big need is facilities. Most of our facilities are older facilities. The one that has been updated most recently, was one of the schools that was closed. Another is making sure that we’re utilizing our capital budget appropriately to provide equitable upgrades to the facilities that we have in the district. And then the other one is just to focus on advanced academics for our students in District 1. I think we’ve done a good job with the pathways that were created from elementary through high school, which are solid. But I don’t know that we have a focus on making sure that we’re providing advanced academics for those students. So those are two that I see in this district that I would like.
TRIBUNE: How diverse is District 1 these days?
TAYLOR: It’s grown much more diverse than what it has been in the past. The boundary changed after this past census. And with that change, we picked up a large piece of east Nashville that wasn’t previously in the district. The boundary used to go all the way to Jefferson Street in north Nashville. Now it stops at the river where Trinity Lane comes across and goes out to East Nashville. The east Nashville part of town has seen some change over the past decade or so. That change has created some more diversity. It is definitely a much more diverse district than what it’s been in past years.
TRIBUNE: Why should people vote for Robert Taylor?
TAYLOR: I often have trouble with this question because I try to be modest, but the reality is that I’m the most prepared candidate. I’ve been preparing for this role for almost ten years now. My experience as a program manager at TSU and a faculty member at Meharry Medical College has provided me with insights into the essential requirements for our students to thrive post-graduation. The time that I worked as an employee, and the time that I spent working with organizations in the community, I’ve been the chair of the education committee for the NAACP. I’ve also worked with the education task force around statewide issues affecting litigation. I also believe that my experience with working on community the boards that I’ve served on and the organizations that I’ve worked with around education, they’re unmatched in this race. I know that I develop partnerships and relationships to be able to implement the things that I’m talking about doing when I’m on the school board.
WEBISTE: https://www.taylorforschools.com
The primary will occur on March 5, 2024. The general election will occur on August 1, 2024.
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