Newspaper Page Text
Page 6B
^Reporter
May 4, 2022
DEBATE
Continued from page 1A
the ballot box. Six school
board candidates were on
hand with only two, Sherrye
Battle (District 1) and Eva
Bilderback (District 7), tell
ing the Reporter beforehand
they were unable to attend
the April 28 debate. In the
interest of time, questions
were directed alternately to
candidates. Any candidates
who wanted to comment on
a particular question were
encouraged to do so too.
The most lively part of the
debate came after modera
tor Will Davis asked District
3 candidate Melissa Mixon
to delineate the role of the
superintendent compared to
the role of the board. Mixon
said the board is in the
middle of the community
and has the best opportunity
to listen to parents and oth
ers. District 7 challenger Dr.
Rick Lanford said the board
is a liaison between the
community and the school
system.
District 5 candidate Rob
ert Jenkins said he thinks it
would be hard for a teacher
to be an objective member
of the board, referring to
his opponent Bibb County
teacher Kristi Varnadoe.
Jenkins said that rules for
qualification almost say an
educator can’t hold a seat on
the board. He said Varnadoe
holds an honorable position
that he respects, but said he
doesn’t see how she can be
an objective.
“I’m a mama, I’m a wife, a
taxpayer, replied Varnadoe.
“I’m those things equally
to being an educator. What
makes working for Georgia
Power qualify you to be on
the board any more than
me?”
She noted that the Board
of Elections has determined
she is qualified to rim for
BOE as she teaches in Bibb
County and isn’t employed
by Monroe County schools.
But Jenkins responded
that he sees all teachers
as being employed by the
state, and said he thinks as a
board member she would be
more focused on her views
as a teacher than a board
member. Varnado strongly
disagreed in the sharpest
exchange of the night.
“Please don’t speak for
me,” said Varnadoe. “Please
don’t speak to me that way.
In a manner of speaking, for
me. For me. For me.”
As Varnadoe paused as
if to collect her thoughts,
she sighed. “You’ve got me
flustered, Mr. Jenkins.”
Then she added that she
can be objective, and that
being an educator is difficult
and being a board member
is difficult. But she added
that bringing the perspective
of a teacher to the board can
be an asset.
“She’s qualified to rim,”
agreed Mixon. “There are
seven of us on the board.
Each is only one voice.”
Lanford pointed to the
experience retired educator
Dr. Priscilla Doster, now
BOE chair, brought to the
board. Jenkins said that was
different because Doster is
retired rather than being ac
tively involved in the school
system.
Moderator Davis said it
was good that the candidates
could have spirited debate.
But the first question of
the night went to Lanford
(District 7), asked how he
felt about the law just signed
that same day by Gov. Brian
Kemp which, among other
things, prohibits the teach
ing of Critical Race Theory
(CRT) in public school
grades pre-K-12. Lanford
said he is Kemp’s chaplain
for Homeland Security and
supports Kemp’s positions,
including this one. He said
CRT is a subject for an elec
tive in college and has no
place in public classrooms
for younger students.
Greg Head (District 3
incumbent) said the current
Board members voted not
to allow the teaching of CRT
in Monroe County schools.
However, it is important
to guard against individual
teachers crossing lines on
what they teach in their
classrooms.
The next question asked
how much weight in hiring
should be given to whether
an applicant is a graduate
of Mary Persons. Robert
Jenkins (District 5) said
that while Monroe County
schools produce qual
ity teachers, the emphasis
should be on hiring the best
candidates.
Asked how the BOE
should balance the need for
improving athletic facili
ties with the need for other
facilities for the growing
student population as it
sets its project list for the E-
SPLOST on the November
ballot, Kristi Varnadoe said
the board should look for
innovative programs that
can save the system money
or otherwise help stretch
available resources across as
many of the school system’s
needs as possible. She cited
a school system in Arkansas
that used SPLOST to install
solar panels at schools and
saved enough on utilities to
have more money available
for the school system. Var
nadoe said it is important to
distribute funds fairly across
the many school programs
that benefit students with
varied interests and talents.
Debate moderator Davis
asked candidates who they
had voted for during the last
two elections, noting that
the question had created
controversy when he asked
candidates four years ago.
All five candidates indi
cated that they considered
themselves Republican/con
servative.
Lanford said he supports
Gov. Kemp but thinks
politics should stay out of
the BOE. Jenkins said he
wishes politics didn’t have to
be in it, but it does. He voted
for Trump. Varnadoe said
she is Republican, but she
doesn’t think that has any
bearing on how well she will
represent her BOE district.
She said the high school
students she teaches don’t
know her politics. Melissa
Mixon (District 3) said she
has conservative values but
will make decisions as a
BOE member on the merits
of each issue.
Head said he agrees that
students shouldn’t know
their teachers’ politics, but
said values do influence
board decisions. He said he
is a Christian conservative
Republican. “Any elected
position will have politics,”
said Head.
Diane Soule (District 1)
said she is a Republican but
doesn’t believe any teacher
should push politics on a
student.
Mixon drew a question
about how the board should
have handled a complaint
from a T.G. Scott Elementa
ry parent in September 2021
about a book that referred
to a family with same-sex
parents. The book was
initially removed from the
media center but returned
after review by a committee.
She said that parental choice
should be at the forefront
in when and how to teach
children about issues like
same-sex parents. However,
she said based on her own
values she would want the
book removed from the
media center.
Varnadoe said the issue
about the book impacted
her particularly because
she has a four-year-old at
T.G. Scott and is not ready
to discuss same sex parents
with him. She said a public
school system should reflect
the community, and parents
should have the opportunity
to preview the books their
children read.
Soule said sexual orienta
tion is not a topic for the
core curriculum in K-12
public school. She said as
religion and politics aren’t
allowed in public school
neither should discussions
about sexual orientation be
allowed.
A question was directed
to Head about why he voted
against the addition of a $1
million concessions and
laurie Pippin, former mayor Jimmy Pace, reporter Diane Glidewell, BOE member Stuart Pippin, Reporter columnist Don
Daniel, Monroe County PIO Richard Dumas and Winifred Berry watch the debate last Thursday.
bathroom at Mary Persons
football stadium when the
facilities aren’t up to par with
those in nearby counties.
Head said the facilities are
needed, but it’s the board’s
responsibility to find the
best way to pay for them.
He said that is one posi
tive thing about having a
contractor like him on the
board. He said the board
was asked to approve a
contract without informa
tion on the anticipated cost;
so he voted against approval
feeling that he wouldn’t be a
good steward of his constit
uents’ money if he approved
the contract without more
information.
Asked whether Monroe
County should allow a
charter school, Soule said
she could see a charter
school providing more op
tions for parents, but parents
would have to demonstrate
willingness to the leadership
roles in the school and be
willing to work on funding
it and finding a location for
a charter school. Mixon said
that considering the pride
in Monroe County schools,
it would be necessary to
determine if there is a need
a charter school could fill.
Lanford said he agreed there
is probably not a need for a
charter school in Monroe
County. He said it has been a
good option in Bibb County.
Lanford was asked about
the BOE’s August 2020
vote to move to online
classes only that passed 4-3.
Lanford said he believes in
following the science and at
that point the science was
saying that was the best way
to save lives. Mixon said
that is an easy question now,
but wasn’t easy at the time.
She said with two sons in
Monroe County Schools she
didn’t like online classes, but
she thinks the board made
the best decision it could at
the time.
“But now, no, were
never going back there,” said
Mixon.
Jenkins said he would have
voted to keep students in
school. He thinks the issue
was overdramatized and
went into the political realm.
“Apparently science has
two sides,” said Head. “You
take information into con
sideration, but the CDC isn’t
going to rule over every
thing.”
Candidates were next
asked how they would
have voted when the board
mandated masks in schools
in August 2020, January
2021 and in August 2021.
Soule said with a son who
was a high school senior, she
saw the negative aspects of
online learning and man
dated masks and would vote
against them. Head said he
voted “no” because he talked
to his constituents and that
is how he had to vote to
represent them. Mixon said
she would also vote “no”
because parents have the
right to make those choices
for their children. She said
masks caused problems in
class and didn’t do any good.
Varnadoe said she agrees
with Head that an elected
official has a responsibility to
vote in the way that repre
sents constituents. Jenkins
said he would vote “no.”
Lanford said although he
believes in following science,
he was impacted by the
many funerals he conducted
during the pandemic and by
the death of his father, who
didn’t die from Covid but
passed away with only lim
ited family nearby because
of Covid restrictions.
Varnadoe was asked how
BOE should protect stu
dents from sexual predators
in light of recent incidents
involving Monroe County
school staff. She said the
incidents referenced had im
pacted her family and were
important flags for concern.
She said one-way cameras in
classrooms and other areas
in schools could be impor
tant deterrents and sources
of information. She said
educators go through ethics
classes annually and are told
never to give cell numbers to
students. Any educator who
does so should be moni
tored closely.
Mixon said the process
of evaluating applicants
should be more stringent
and more transparent. She
said teachers should always
communicate with parents,
not children. Soule reiter
ated there should be more
transparency in the hiring
process to keep children
safe. Head said the board
gets a list of names and
recommendations from
administrators; it doesn’t see
background checks.
“I would love to have a
pokey of the board seeing
criminal records of appk-
cants,” said Head.
Lanford said he is passion
ate about protecting children
because of his experience
directing the Methodist
Children’s Home in Macon.
He said you have to ksten
to the children and to other
staff and be aware.
Head was asked if any
thing should be off limits
in the transparency of the
board. He said there should
be 100 percent transparency,
including more transparen
cy in hiring and in handling
of money.
“You’re obligated to be a
good steward of finances
and education,” said Head.
His District 3 opponent
said she agrees 100 per
cent. She said as one of a
five-member Homewners
Association board, she had
to ksten to the 650 people
she represented and keep
them informed of informa
tion affecting their decisions.
Jenkins said he is a fiscal
conservative and bekeves in
being transparent in spend
ing.
The next question was
whether Monroe County
schools had spent Covid
rekef funds wek, including
bonuses to staff and teach
ers in light of the average
income in Monroe County
being $34,000 and several
administrators earning over
$100,000. Head said that
besides bonuses, Covid
rekef funds have been spect
to hire a communications
specialists and to install air
purification systems in the
schools. He said he prob
ably would have done some
things differently but that
the school system has met
ak guidelines in it spending
of the rekef funds. Lanford
said it is necessary to pay to
get quality teachers. He said
it is expensive to complete
the education needed to
teach, and good teachers are
invested in their careers.
The debate then took
questions from those
present. District 3 county
commissioner John Am
brose said Monroe County
Schools has made mistakes
by not promoting qualified
employees to positions of
principals when there were
openings.
“I hate the reputation of
being a rubber stamp board.
I agree we should hire from
within and hire the most
qualified,” said Head. He
said it is very awkward when
those the administrators are
recommending for principal
positions are invited to come
to board meetings with their
famikes at the same time the
board is given the name for
consideration.
Ambrose said BOE mem
bers need to vote themselves
a raise because their position
requires much more time
than that for which they are
paid (board members are
paid per meeting).
Reporter columnist Sloan
Okver said he attended
chorus concerts in 2017 and
2018 when there were about
160 members of the chorus,
but when he attended a
concert last December, the
school chorus was down to
about 60 members. He said
the chorus has the same
director and he would like to
know what could be done to
increase participation.
Soule said a lot of excite
ment was lost during Covid
and many quit activities.
She said communication
about opportunities and
community support needs
to increase. Lanford recaked
when he was in school and
the chorus teacher asked the
footbak coach to encourage
his players to join chorus.
He did so by saying that
players who joined chorus
didn’t have to run laps at the
end of practice. Lanford’s
point was to find creative
ways to encourage participa
tion.
Mixon suggested more
opportunities in activities
like chorus in elementary
school and noted the good
job Monroe County schools
has done introducing band
at the elementary level.
Jenkins said neither he nor
his children were active in
sports and the school system
has come a long way in of
fering other activities.
District 4 county commis
sioner George Emami asked
candidates what they see as
opportunities and threats
to Monroe County schools.
Head said he sees oppor
tunity in the many people
moving to the county, with
expanding numbers akow-
ing expansion of programs.
He sees the greatest threat
as a national threat of liberal
ideology pushing to indoc
trinate rather than educate
students.
Lanford sees opportunity
to expand Advanced Place
ment, cokege preparatory
classes and CTAE (Career
Technical Agriculture
Eduction) classes. He said
the fishing team is a good
example of a new program.
He said the greatest threat is
an onsite shooter.
Jenkins said the oppor
tunity is to increase the
technical and vocational
offerings; the threat is the
poktical agenda pushed on
the school system. Varnadoe
said the College & Career
Academy for which Monroe
County Schools has ap-
pked for a grant is a great
opportunity. She said that
being one of the best school
systems in the area can be a
threat because it can be easy
to become complacent.
Mixon said Monroe
County schools should
focus on retaining teachers.
She said morale is down,
but many kttle things can
help make teachers happy
in their positions, which in
turn creates a positive atmo
sphere for students. She said
there should be anonymous
ways for teachers to voice
concerns so they have a
voice without being fearful
for their jobs.
Candidates closed by
sharing their motivation for
seeking election. The Board
of Education seats will be
decided on Tuesday, May 24
since the election is nonpar
tisan. Emami’s commission
seat won’t be decided until
November. Early voting
started on Monday, May 2.
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS -
NOW
HIRING
CORRECTIONAL
OFFICER SALARY
INCREASE
New Entry Level Salary Beginning April 1,1021
$30,729.60 - $34,144.00
starting salary
Advancement 8. Career Track
Health & Dental Insurance • 401K Retirement Plan
Paid Sick Leave • Paid Holidays • Paid Training
VISIT: GDCJOBS.COM
Search by COUNTY to find
available positions in your area.