"....challenger Adkins' clear-eyed vision of education makes her a candidate who can stir the pot without causing too much sloshing. She's a market researcher and founding member of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance, which formed in 2005 to address inequity in the district.

"Adkins says PPS's board must repair relationships with the public, citing the K-8 reconfigurations as an example of a hurried process that left many community members feeling out of breath. True! And the board needs to balance Phillips' other hurricane-strength reforms. Adkins could be the cool front that changes this storm's direction."