Why I am running for School Board

(This is the same note I posted on my Facebook fan page a while back but I thought it would make a good first posting here too.)

I care deeply about our youth and about their education.  I have been involved with our educational system in one way or another for much of my adult life, including six years recently as a full-time member of the mathematics faculty at Forsyth Tech, where I taught both recent graduates of our high schools and many dual-enrollment students who were high school students taking college classes.  My two step-sons are recent graduates from public schools.  I have volunteered as an adviser for youth groups at church and as a summer camp counselor frequently for all of my adult life.  I firmly believe that we all, as a society, can make no more important investment than in the education of our youth.

It takes more than caring to make a good school board member.   It also takes analytical skill, common sense (or not so common sense), willingness to make a time commitment, ability to work in committee structures, willingness to listen, and the ability to resist the urge to micromanage, along with others.  I have these qualities and abilities and the desire to serve.

I think it is important that our school board be diverse and representative of our community and that it always keep the interests of our kids first.  We should not ever lose sight of what is most important - education!

So, I am running for election to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education in District 2.   I emphasize the word "for" because I am not running against any particular group of candidates.   There are currently ten candidates running in district 2 for ultimately four seats to be elected in November.   I hope to be one of those four and ask for your vote if you live in my district and your support regardless.   Please feel free to send me email, comment here, post on the wall of my Facebook fan page, or call me to let me know what concerns you or what ideas you have.