I'm trying to fix it here in my home county. I'm running for the only at large seat on the school board. The incumbent has been in office for 16 years. Longer than any of the other 6 members of the board. He has never been challenged and I can assure you he don't like it any.
He's been trying to sling mud at me every chance he gets. I'm just letting his record speak for itself.
1.In 1987 the voters approved a $450,000 bond issue to remove all the asbestos for all 4 schools. In 1994 my opponent voted for a bond issue for $525,000 to remove all the asbestos from the schools. He voted again in 1999 for a $550,000 bond issue to remove all asbestos from all the schools. In Oct 2005 he again voted for a $600,000 bond issue to remove all asbestos from all the schools. The questions I have is which time if any was the asbestos removed? And which times were the voters being lied to?
2.In 1991 he voted for a $950,000 bond issue to build a new administration building. In April this year he voted for a $1.5 million bond issue to build a new administration building. He claims that the one we have is to old. It's 15 years old. Newer than the newest school that's 25 years old.
3.In 1993 he demanded that a teacher be fired because she missed 2 weeks of work. Her mother had died and she had to go to Germany for the funeral. Come to find out he didn't like the fact that she had married a Black man.
4.In 1996 he voted for a $58,000 bond issue to remodel the school administration building because it was "falling apart". The building was 5 years old at the time.
5.In 1999 he voted for a $25,000 bond issue to put a new furnace in one of the elementary schools. He voted again in 2004 to put a new furnace in the same elementary school. Which time if ever was the new furnace put in? I can't find any record of one ever being ordered or installed.
6.In 1999 he ordered a school bus driver fired because he complained about an out of control student on his bus.
7.In 2003 he ordered a teacher fired because he failed a student that wouldn't turn in home work and failed every test.
8.In 2004 he voted for a measure that would prevent the schools from suspending unruly students without their parents permission.
9.In 2005 he block an appopration to replace the 3 oldset busses in the district. They are 25,28,and 32 years old. They are costing the district around $8,000 per bus per year in repairs. More that the other 10 buses put together. He claimed there's nothing wrong with them.
In April this year one of the buses had the brakes go out when the driver tried to stop at a railroad crossing. Luckily there wasn't a train coming and the driver had just let off the last of the kids on his route. My opponent still claims there's nothing wrong with them.
Right now I'm running at 38%. My opponent is at 41%. With 21% undecided.
I'll let y'all know how it come out in Nov.

Good for you, Ron!!! Way to go! You have my best wishes, that's for sure!

Stephanie
One of my pet peeves is the sad state that our educational system has fallen into. Not only locally, but nationally. If I can make even a small difference I'm willing to try.
I've seen kids come in a apply for jobs that can barely read. I had one girl apply at the store that didn't know how to count money. These kids have high school diplomas. I hate having to turn them down for employment but I don't have time to teach them things that they shoulda learned in school.
In my first post I highlighted some of the many areas where my opponent has dropped the ball. But none are as bad as what him and the rest of the board has done to the educational standards in this district.
When he took office 16 years ago 70 was passing. That was to low in my book. Now 40 is passing.
This just ain't doing the kids any favors. And this is why I enrolled the three grand kids I'm raising in a private school. And they'll stay there until the standards are raised back to an acceptable level. Even if I do win the election.

Good for you, Ron. I've recently had my own run-in with my local school district. And, let me tell you (apology for the language), I'm going to raise hell about it.

I didn't complete a conference series on how to advocate for my children for nothing. I guess this is what's going to get me over my avid fear of public speaking.

Again, good luck with your campaign! If there's anything I can do -- despite not being anywhere near being a potential constituent -- let me know.

If nothing else, I can do a piece about you on my blog in the next few weeks, or perhaps closer to your election time, and see if any of my readers are from your neck of the woods! :-)

Just send me an e-mail and let me know if that's something you'd like to do.

Thanks Stephanie,
I'll keep it in mind.