RFP Staff
♦ With the Board of Elections filing period for seats on the Board of Education over on last Friday at noon we have 8 candidates in a very crowded field for early voting and the November 8th election.
Seat 5 representing Salisbury is currently occupied by Chuck Hughes. We certainly would choose him over Gene Miller who was the former assistant superintendent of operations during the Grissom regime when the Rowan-Salisbury schools began its rapid decline into the horrific condition its in today. Miller loved to throw education money at buildings instead of teachers and even attempted to hard sell the “gas lands” without a parking lot at 329 South Main Street. He became infamous for telling a Tea Party candidates forum that a domed central office at 329 South Main would tell everyone we took education seriously. Next. Do folks recall him tossing great textbooks, books, and pictionaries away at the recycling center when there are so many children in dire need of books in their home?
A dark horse in this 5th seat race is Alisha Byrd, the spark behind Gemstones Academy a highly laudable program to spread literacy to youngsters living in Salisbury. We’ve heard many good things about her and would like to know more about her. We need more folks actually turned onto education and knowledgeable about its many facets not folks working overtime to waste educational dollars on pricey buildings and construction overages. We require folks with discernment who will keep a far sharper eye on superintendent Moody and be prepared to jettison her if the school system continues its sharp downward trend. When the schools are bad it sullies the whole county and especially Salisbury. Poor education like a lack of safety, high taxes, blight, and high poverty makes people move away and others not come to Rowan and Salisbury. It stifles economic development and its payoff jobs.
Over in seat 3 Michael Julian, of RRSOS fame, became an overnight sensation when he opposed the closing of higher performing elementary schools because of some alleged “research” put forward by an alphabet architectural firm.
Many city and county residents are off put by Chairman Wagner’s immature outbursts at BoE meetings. His lack of oversight over superintendent Moody and Anthony Vann may end his time as the seat 3 board member.
Seat 7 is currently occupied board member Susan Cox who has done nothing to distinguish herself on the board. Since she joined the board she goes along with just about anything Superintendent Moody puts forward. Her voting record on the BoE would make an excellent target. Andrew Poston will be a heavy favorite in this contest due to his strong connection with RRSOS and educating himself about what it takes to be an outstanding BoE member. A third candidate William “Rob” Robertson claims he will not actively campaign for the seat–he will depend on his reputation. Folks who get elected to office usually campaign hard and make themselves available to the public at town hall meetings, going door-to-door, going to public forums, and showing up at party meetings. They take every opportunity to be with the public. Mr. Robertson may have painted himself into a corner by not campaigning.
We await the election returns of Rowan County on the night of November the 8th!
