Doug Wang and Pam Scott have been elected to the two open seats on the Board of Education. Together, they received 68 percent of the vote; 8,052 votes for Wang and 5,945 votes for Scott.
“I recognize that I work for all of you, and I want to do the right thing for everybody. I will work tirelessly to justify the faith you have put in me by choosing me, and I would like to hear from you,” Wang said.
“I feel honored, and I’m most honored to serve you all,” Scott said. “Thank you for trusting me with the opportunity to support the education of all students and the likelihood of the community.”
This year, four candidates competed for two seats — a rare occurrence in Shaker Heights. A review of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections archive shows that since 1983, there have been no such occurrences; for most elections, the number of candidates equaled the number of seats.
The other two candidates were Andrea Boyd and Laura Whay Klein. Klein was the only candidate who did not support Issue 13, a 9.95-mill tax increase aimed at renovating elementary and middle schools, a permanent levy for building maintenance and funding for an expanded pre-K program.
Scott worked as a social worker at Cleveland Public Schools for 14 years. She spent four years working with K-8 students and families to improve their education.
Scott later worked at the central office for Cleveland Public Schools, where her responsibilities included managing school improvement grants and federal title funds.
Throughout her campaign, Scott emphasized the importance of engaging students and families. Scott said her goal as a board member will be to advocate for all Shaker families, especially those whose voices are underrepresented, such as those in the Moreland neighborhood, where she resides.
Wang became prominent in Shaker through his activism in the facilities planning process.
Since retiring, Wang has dedicated himself to nonprofit board service. He currently serves as board chairman of Judson Services, Inc. and is vice chairman of both University Circle, Inc. and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. He is also a board member of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and Policy Matters Ohio. In the past, he served on the boards of the St. Luke’s Foundation of Cleveland, Kenyon College, the Rainey Institute and the Shaker Schools Foundation.
Both candidates were endorsed by the Editorial Board and the Shaker Heights Democratic Club.
