One of the 15 candidates for Grand Rapids Public Schools board is Tommy Doles, a former National Football League offensive lineman.
Doles, who grew up in Grand Rapids and graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School, is seeking one of five open Grand Rapids Public Schools board seats.
A starter for Northwestern University, Doles had short preseason stints with the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons before playing for an American football team north of Paris, Flash La Courneuve. The Covid-19 pandemic cut his season short, stranding him and his wife Bethany in France for a few weeks before the pair went to East Tennessee for Bethany to pursue medical school.
There, Doles worked as an assistant athletic director, taught a first-year college course, volunteered as a firefighter, and joined the U.S. Army Reserve.
“My job in the Army was a civil affairs specialist, which is kind of like the diplomatic side of the Army, where you’re interacting with civilians and other governments,” he said. “And I think, honestly, that’s prepared me about as well as anything for something like this, because there’s so many different stakeholders.”
He was deployed once to Tunis, Tunisia, in an American embassy, before deciding to move back to Grand Rapids, where Bethany, who was also in the Army Reserve, matched for general surgery residency, and where Doles has family.
The pair have an 18-month-old infant son. His dad, Jack Doles, is the WOOD TV8 sports director.
“Over there, I was like, ‘I can’t take my time, my safety for granted,’” Doles said. “We want to do this now, and if we’re going to do this, well Grand Rapids is the best place we could imagine.”
Now, Doles works for International Needs, a Christian nonprofit which does community development by working with local leaders and churches.
“In my experiences abroad, I’ve just seen that a school system is one of the most important institutions in any community, and that, in a sense, this is our future. These are our future neighbors and coworkers and leaders,” Doles said.
As a board member, Doles said he wants to address flagging student performance.
“The academic success indicators are lacking, and I want them to get better. There has been some progress in graduation rates, but we want to make sure that the graduation rates are accompanied by competencies that are going to prepare them not only to be effective in the workforce or to get into college, but to live flourishing lives,” Doles said.
Low test scores could stem from a number of factors outside of the classroom, he said, whether unstable housing, food insecurity, or a difficult home life. The district, he said, should work on community partnerships with nonprofits, churches, and the philanthropic community.
Doles also said he wants to invest in GRPS athletics to help students build character and to retain families.
“What is the enumerated role of Grand Rapids Public Schools? What have the taxpayers trusted this school district with doing? Do that really well: put students first, which includes supporting teachers, fiscal responsibility, appreciation for athletics,” he said. “But for the things that are really outside of our scope, or that we need help with, that’s where I think if a school is open to after-school programs and nonprofits that can bring in outside capabilities and resources, I want to make sure that we’re easy to work with.”
The district should also weigh its use of technology in the classroom in light of work from researchers like Jonathan Haidt on how social media has made young people more anxious and withdrawn, the candidate said. Technology might still have a role, Doles said, but it should be clear how it serves students.
“I don’t know that someone from the outside could have some master plan that they’re going to go and execute day one, when they get in there,” Doles said. “It’s a complicated system, and until you’re on the inside of it, you might not appreciate the nuances.”
Throughout his professional experience, letting people closest to decisions choose the course of action creates not just more autonomy, but also better outcomes. If elected, Doles said he would want to bring this approach to GRPS.
This is part of a running series on candidates running for local office.
Write to juliana@grherald.com