CivorenWhat is Bessie L. Harris running for?
- Race
- Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education
- Incumbent
- Yes
Retired Detroit educator and current member of the Detroit Public Schools Community District school board. A Detroit native and lifelong advocate for public education, she spent decades in the district as a special education teacher, resource teacher, assistant principal, and principal — including principal of Chrysler Elementary School and Palmer Park Preparatory Academy until retiring in 2016. She was appointed to the board on October 14, 2025, to fill the vacancy left by Sherry Gay-Dagnogo and serves through December 31, 2026; she previously ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2020 and 2022.
Where does Bessie L. Harris stand on the issues?
Bessie L. Harris has a recorded position on four issues. Each is Civoren's summary of the campaign's own public material, with the source linked.
Government Transparency & Accountability
SupportsBelieves students need strong, effective, transparent leadership on the school board and in the district.
“Students need strong, effective, transparent leadership.”
chalkbeat.orgAs of October 2025
Infrastructure
SupportsHarris identifies fixing aging school infrastructure as one of the big challenges facing the Detroit Public Schools Community District.
“In answers to a candidate survey submitted to the board, she added that ensuring there are equitable resources across district schools, retaining staff, and fixing aging infrastructure are also big challenges for DPSCD.”
chalkbeat.orgAs of October 2025
K-12 Education
SupportsHarris identifies truancy, school closures, and a lack of parent participation as the biggest issues facing Detroit's schools, and advocates for ensuring equitable resources across district schools.
“During her July interview with the board, Harris said truancy, school closures, and a lack of parent participation are the biggest issues the district faces. In answers to a candidate survey submitted to the board, she added that ensuring there are equitable resources across district schools ... are also big challenges for DPSCD.”
chalkbeat.orgAs of October 2025
Teachers & School Staff
SupportsHarris supports retaining district staff and has proposed delivering literacy training at the building level - training teachers and administrators within their own schools based on student needs rather than in large centralized sessions.
“Harris said targeted training for administrators and staff would help improve literacy in the district. ... "Why not take the training to the building, where it's more personable, more centered around that school," she said. "Sit me down in my building with my principal and the staff, and let's dig into it and see where we go from there."”
chalkbeat.orgAs of October 2025
Education
Check back soon as the candidate adds details.
Endorsements for Bessie L. Harris
Endorsements help voters quickly understand why people support this candidate and what kind of impact they have had on others. Check back soon as the candidate adds endorsements.
Contact
Contact details will appear here once the candidate adds verified ways to connect.
Others Running in This Election
- AMDetroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education
- BCDetroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education
- CHDetroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education
- CSDetroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education
- CCDetroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education