Aliyya Swaby Photo
Brackeen and Joyner.
Edward Joyner brought dozens of family members — biological and adopted — together to kick off his campaign for an elected seat on the Board of Education.
Joyner’s former students and colleagues in New Haven’s educational system contributed $60 apiece Thursday night to pack into Brazi’s Italian Restaurant, munch on hors d’oeuvres, and support his first fundraising event. By the end of the night, the campaign raised about $10,000.
As a result of a 2013 charter referendum vote, New Haven’s board will have two elected adult voting members — instead of a completely mayorally-appointed board. Joyner is one of three candidates running in two districts. He faces Anais Nunez in District 1; former Beaver Hills Alder Angela Russell has filed papers to run in District 2.
Joyner said he wants to “educate the community to the reality of teaching and learning in an urban environment,” which he knows firsthand from attending a poor school in North Carolina, with “secondhand textbooks” and no cafeteria. The school system should be built “on justice and fairness for all,” he said.
His team is no stranger to politics. Both of his campaign managers — city small-business chief Jackie James and Darryl Brackeen, Jr. — have served on the Board of Alders. Upper Westville Alder Brackeen launched his own re-election campaign for alder in January.
Joyner said he plans to raise a total of between $25 – 30,000, which will go toward office rent, campaign materials and part-time staff. Brackeen and James are working pro bono; former students are coming back to offer support.
Brackeen and Joyner with supporter Cecil Estes Jr.
Brackeen grew up “a stone’s throw” from Joyner’s house and joined James on the campaign team to help his mentor, Joyner said. One major difference between the two: Brackeen spoke out in favor of a proposed partnership between the district and charter network Achievement First on a new charter school, Elm City Imagine.
At a Board of Education meeting in February, he defended the controversial proposal, saying: “I believe in more quality options. Options such as, yes, Elm City Imagine. This is another opportunity … an opportunity for parents and the school district to have more accountability over the charters in New Haven public schools. This is not a debate over who’s right and who’s wrong. There are lives on the line.”
Joyner said recently that he would have voted against the proposal. But they said their differences in educational philosophy would not affect the current campaign. Brackeen said the partnership seemed at the time like “an opportunity to begin bringing accountability to charter schools,” even to eventually begin unionizing teachers.
Joyner said he also wants charter schools to be held accountable, to be held to the same labor laws as other public schools and to be under the same “public scrutiny” since they use public money. “Darryl and I have the same ultimate goal,” he said. “The best education for kids in the city with public money and public oversight.”
Joyner is renting 837 Whalley Ave.—formerly Westville Wines before a landlord-tenant dispute—for his campaign headquarters.
His daughter Monica Joyner, assistant principal of Wilbur Cross High School, called education the “family business.” Her mother Shirley Love Joyner, the campaign’s strategist, was the Hillhouse High School assistant principal before retiring in 2011.
“He’s done every aspect of the job with education,” Monica Joyner said.
Joyner served as principal of Jackie Robinson Middle School from 1982 to 1986, as assistant principal of Hillhouse High School before that. He has served as a consultant to school systems from Miami to Detroit, from North Carolina to Missouri to California, and he has co-authored several books and academic papers on school leadership and child development. He served as executive director of Yale Child Study Center’s School Development Program from 1996 to 2005, and worked in various capacities before that. He also directed the center’s Comer Project for Change in Education. (Click here to read more about him and his background; click here to read an interview with his opponent, Nunez. One difference between their candidacies: Nunez has openly advocated for expansion of charter schools.)
Janet Brown-Clayton, principal of Lincoln-Bassett School, said Joyner has been part of her life since she was 9 years old. He was either a teacher or administrator for her three younger siblings and mentored them for years.
“He was invested long beyond his retirement,” she said.
Brown-Clayton said she wasn’t sure whether her ward is in Joyner’s district so she can actually vote for him. She turned to consult Monica Joyner, but she wasn’t sure either. (Newhallville’s wards — 20 and 21 — are in district 2, not in Joyner’s district.) Brown-Clayton said she attended the fundraiser “to purely support” Joyner’s candidacy. “That’s the biggest point for me,” she said. “I believe in him and what he brings to the table.”
Part of the work of the campaign will be to ensure people are aware of voting logistics, James said. She urged supporters at the fundraiser to donate their time to canvass around the district — and to donate their money to the campaign. The limit for individuals is $250 and $375 for political action committees, she said.
New Haven Federation of Teachers President Dave Cicarella said he wanted to “thank” Joyner for “being willing to run … It’s important that he be elected.” State Rep. Robyn Porter, former Alder Esther Armmand, and City Clerk Michael Smart also attended Thursday’s fundraiser.