Michael Vincent, a candidate for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board’s District 7 seat, joined Mornings With Brian Haldane to discuss his background, campaign priorities and vision for local schools.
Students, Teachers and School Safety
Vincent said his interest in education stems from his family background and his experience at LSU, where he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry and worked as a teaching assistant and tutor. He said he wants to use that experience to give back to the community.
During the interview, Vincent identified four primary areas of focus: student achievement, teacher recruitment and retention, fiscal responsibility, and safe schools.
On school safety, Vincent said school board members can influence policy, allocate resources and work with administrators. He also pointed to school resource officers and student discipline data as areas that deserve attention.
Recruiting and Retaining Teachers
Vincent said teacher retention involves more than salaries. He argued that school facilities, working conditions and opportunities for professional certification can affect whether educators remain in the system.
He acknowledged the importance of compensation and said the district should continue examining ways to attract educators in fields such as STEM, world languages and special education.
Measuring Student Success
Vincent pointed to the district’s school performance score as one measure of academic progress. He said targeted tutoring and data-driven resource allocation can help identify students who need additional support.
Fiscal responsibility also remains central to his campaign.