Dr. Eimear O’Brien, a candidate for Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, and local leaders will host a town hall lunch on Fresno County’s failing schools and offer a blueprint to turn them around.

The town hall is scheduled for noon Wednesday at Pardini’s, 2257 W. Shaw Ave.

Scheduled to join O’Brien for the discussion are Fresno Mayor Dyer, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, Fresno City Councilmember and Fresno Unified trustee candidate Miguel Arias, Fresno County Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos, and former Fresno County Superintendents Larry Powell and Jim Yovino.

O’Brien vs. Cantwell Copher

O’Brien is challenging incumbent Fresno County Superintendent Dr. Michele Cantwell Copher in the Nov. 3 election.

Cantwell Copher cites progress made by students in the county’s 32 public school districts as reason for her re-election. Results show test scores cumulatively have risen by 4% in reading and 6% in math over the past three years.

In campaign literature, Cantwell Copher gives herself an A-plus report card. Meanwhile, 55% of county students read below grade level.

O’Brien is the former Clovis Unified superintendent and interim Central Unified superintendent. She contends that learning must be accelerated countywide, otherwise students will continue to graduate from high school without the skills to succeed in college or in the job market.