Endorsements & Recommendations
Independent Weekly ( goto Endorsement, goto Chatham Voter Guide)Chatham County Association of Educators
Chatham Coalition (goto site)
GoodSchoolz
Deb McManus (School Board)
Carl Thompson (Commissioner)
Tom Vanderbeck (Commissioner)
Margaret Pollard (former Commissioner)
Sally Kost (next Commissioner)
Good Schools! Strong Communities.
I have one goal. Good Schools! We need to make all schools good schools and strengthen our communities.
We love living in Chatham and sending out two children to our community public school. We do have a lot of good schools, but we also have a lot of overcrowding in some schools, academic performance is mixed, dropout rates are high, and we have high teacher turnover. We also have a lot of older schools that need renovations.
We are optimistic because we've been part of the large grass roots movement in Chatham working to improve schools county-wide. I'm a founding director of GoodSchoolz. We've been working cooperatively with school board members, the superintendent, parents, and teachers to build community schools, renovate schools, and improve education across Chatham.
Core Principles
Build & Renovate Community Schools
Overcrowding must end! I will work hard to make sure school construction is on track and start renovating older schools. No excuses. No delays. Schools need to be located where the kids are, in each community -- not a 2 hr. bus ride away. more ...
The Goal is Education
Every child needs a quality education. Every parent wants their child to have an education that provides a solid foundation of knowledge and critical thinking; a solid foundation to stand tall on and reach for life's opportunities. Imagine if families came to Chatham because we had the best schools. That's what we all want for our kids and we shouldn't settle for anything less. more ...
Teachers Matter!
Buildings don't teach kids. Study after study has shown that the biggest impact for educating a child in a classroom is not the latest program or initiative; it's the teacher. Good teachers get great results! The competition for teachers is fierce and we're surrounded by counties that pay more. We need to be competitive! My job will be to make Chatham Schools the place where teachers want to work and never want to leave. more ...
East & West Working Together
Everyone wants good schools - East & West, newcomer & native. We need to get everyone on the same page and working toward this common goal. That's why GoodSchoolz.org and I base all decisions on core principles - factual information, strong community schools, fiscal responsibility, and above all, quality education. I will take on problems before they become critical and use an open process with public engagement. Communication is critical! more ...
paid for by Committee to Elect Flint O'Brien