Dearborn school board candidates discuss priorities and accountability

Five candidates are competing for three full six-year seats on the Dearborn Board of Education in the November 3 election. The board oversees both Dearborn Public Schools and Henry Ford College. Three incumbents are running, Mary Petlichkoff, Adel Mozip and Nasri Sobh, along with two challengers, Mallak Anani and Mohamed Ali Hammoud. The ballot also includes a bond proposal of more than $1.5 billion to build and modernize school facilities across the district, which serves all of Dearborn and the northeastern part of Dearborn Heights.

The Arab American News sent all five candidates the same four questions about their backgrounds, qualifications, top priorities and views on the bond, and published the answers as submitted. In the part of the article provided, candidates describe themselves as Dearborn residents with ties to the district, several of them parents, attorneys or longtime community volunteers. Priorities they name include academic basics, support for teachers and staff, fiscal accountability, safe and modern buildings, transparency, career and technical pathways, and, for the college, enrollment growth.

On disagreements over curriculum, books and safety, candidates emphasize listening to parents and educators, reviewing evidence and explaining decisions. One candidate says challenged books should go through notice, parent input, educator review and a board vote. The text provided cuts off before the candidates' positions on the bond proposal, so readers should consult the full article for those answers.