For the second time this year, three candidates are competing for the District 5 seat on the Millwood Public Schools Board of Education.
Facing off in a special election Tuesday, Nov. 18, Andre Coleman, Cartelyou Edwards Sr. and Chimere Grant are seeking the seat vacated by longtime incumbent Marvin Provo.
Provo, 84, had held the seat since the 1990s and was reelected in April, defeating Coleman in a runoff with 54.71 percent of 488 votes cast. But after health challenges emerged for Provo, he soon stepped down from the position. An item for appointing someone to fill the seat appeared on June board meeting agendas, but the board ultimately took no action to fill the seat. That triggered the special election after the seat was vacant for 60 days.
Spanning part of northeast Oklahoma City and Forest Park, Millwood Public Schools has five school board members who oversee three schools. District 5 is the smallest in the district and represents an area south of Interstate 44 in the Adventure District near Remington Park. Bound to the south by Northeast 50th Street and to the west by North Kelley Avenue, District 5 primarily covers the Highley Wildewood neighborhood. To the north, the district is roughly bound by Northeast 55th Street and stops just short of North Martin Luther King Avenue to the east.
On Nov. 3, the three candidates participated in a forum held at the Church of Living God Ministries, and a 52-minute video of the discussion is embedded below.
Polls open Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Special school board elections do not include runoff elections, meaning whoever finishes atop the three-candidate field will win the seat, even if they do not receive a majority of the vote.
Owing to the tight-knit nature of the Millwood community, the online campaign presence of each candidate is sparse. The following cheat sheet is based primarily on publicly available information. The candidates are presented in alphabetical order.
Andre Coleman
Age: 52
Profession/background: A lifelong culinary professional, Coleman has served on the Millwood Public Schools board before and attempted to rejoin the board earlier this year. Coleman was a District 2 Millwood Public Schools board member, but he vacated the position in 2022 after current District 2 Board member LaToya High contested his candidacy in a petition about his place of residence. Coleman withdrew his reelection bid ahead of a December 2021 hearing on the contest, and High won by default.
Earlier this year, Coleman challenged Provo for the District 5 seat, advancing to a runoff but ultimately falling short against the long-time incumbent.
In 1992, Coleman earned a certification in culinary arts and chef training from Johnson & Wales University, according to his LinkedIn. Over a nearly three-decade culinary career, Coleman has overseen dining operations for various employers, including Oklahoma City Community College, South Community Hospital and Tealridge Assisted Living and Memory Care.
Coleman currently serves as a culinary instructor for Metro Technology Center.
“I understand what’s going on in the classroom because I have been teaching every day. I’m going to let you know that I represent you,” Coleman said at the Nov. 3 forum. “There is no thrills and fluff about me. What you see is what you get. You get an honest person that is going to hold everyone accountable and is going to be able to work with everyone.”
Coleman is also an insurance agent, according to his LinkedIn. According to his Facebook, he has previously served as a board member for the Oklahoma State School Board Association.
Cartelyou Edwards Sr.
Age:Â 61
Profession/background:Â Cartelyou “Corkey” Edwards Sr. has a limited online presence. Contacted to provide a basic biography, he said he studied public administration and nonprofit management at Oklahoma State University in the 2010s. Until 2019, Edwards worked for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission as an administrative program officer. Edwards also served in the U.S. Army Reserves and retired as a noncommissioned officer.
“My experience is in nonprofit management, public administration, training, mental health counseling and case management,” Edwards said at the Nov. 3 forum. “So I’m a well-rounded individual that has knowledge in different areas dealing with people, policies, public administration, procedures, social behavior and mental health behavior.”
Links:Â Facebook
Chimere Grant
Age: 42
Profession/background:Â Chimere Grant attended Millwood Public Schools and now has two children enrolled there, according to a Nov. 12 Facebook post about her campaign.
“Chimere is deeply invested in the welfare and success of our students. Her commitment to education extends beyond her own family; she actively participates in school activities and initiatives, fostering a sense of community and collaboration among parents, teachers, and students,” the post stated. “Chimere’s passion for education, community service, and economic empowerment drives her candidacy for the Millwood School Board. She believes in the power of collaboration and is eager to bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to the table, ensuring that every child in Millwood Public Schools receives the quality education they deserve.”
Grant attended Langston University from 2000 to 2002 and recently returned to further her education in psychology and corrections. Grant is also the founder of Eclectic Dreamz, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth and women by providing resources, such as meals, mentorship and support.
“As an Oklahoman, the entire state is suffering in education. Millwood is a part of that suffering,” Grant said during the Nov. 3 forum. “What can we do to make it better? Well, at Millwood, I know what they’re doing right now, so I want to implement the programs that they already have going. Today, they had increases in a month that were amazing in each school. (…) The community, that’s who we are, we should step in and help with that tutoring to help bring in more presence and give them support at the school.”
Links:Â Facebook
