Comments for Observer Editorial: The School Board needs to re-think how it plays politics. | Eastern North Carolina Now

MAGA is not yet in charge of the school board. If they take over, it will be short lived. They cant govern, but it will be a total mess, at least for a little while. Not worth it.

Commented: Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024 @ 1:07 pm By: Big Bob

John: It is my well considered opinion that the majority governing the school board is very similar in political /governing ambitions as the majority of the Commissioners ruling Beaufort County.

That is not a tenable condition with so many ten of millions of public dollars being tossed about on a per annum basis.

Commented: Monday, January 22nd, 2024 @ 10:02 am By: Stan Deatherage

Van Zant /Bubba: The problem here with this resolution is that it appears to assert the proverbial straw-man-argument, where board members are given only two choices, both pathetically weak as choices, where there is a cloaked self-serving political component, which is relatively irrelevant to the scheme of schools' business, and in this case it was a resolution symbolically stipulating: We are all in this together (a true Democratic Socialist maxim), or you are against us - predominately the staff and the teachers; used as political pawns, employed as a political cudgel.

I have presented many resolutions, the vast majority I personally write, on many issues I feel passionately about that often fail due to the vote swapping machinations of Beaufort County Government's Center-Left Coalition ... Issues such as: Shutting Down the Open Border Policies of Democratic Socialists; Allowing Conceal Carry in Most of Beaufort County's Government Buildings; Opening Up Local Businesses and County Schools during the Covid Years in open Defiance of Authoritarian Cooper; Vigilance of Election Integrity in an Era of Extreme Election Interference, Irregularities and the Perception of Voter Fraud Under the Cover of Covid ... all issues that generally upset Democratic Socialists and RINOs alike.

All issues that are, and remain relevant to every voter in Beaufort County, all of which will effect Beaufort County's governing of its people's well being now and long into the future.

I cannot see how this controversial resolution has any real merit other than the self-serving politics as usual for politicians that generally move as a single organism, devoid of original thought, depending of the often advisement of others.

Commented: Sunday, January 21st, 2024 @ 9:01 pm By: Stan Deatherage

Why are the posters that are spewing hate in the comments so concerned about this board resolution. It doesn't make sense that the only board members that have been classroom teachers themselves are being portrayed as against the teachers. It actually seems like those particular board members tried to take the high ground in this stunt scenario.

I believe all this hate is coming from people with a real nasty agenda. There is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.

Of course, the real issue here is the nothing burger resolution itself being used as political grandstanding in an official meeting.

Commented: Sunday, January 21st, 2024 @ 5:38 pm By: Van Zant

Bath Parent: We get your point, though I had to cautiously negotiate your syntax to understand its pretext, in which you despise your Bath representative for speaking in favor of proper decorum; however, for the life of me, I can NOT understand the relevance of your declarative statement, "Donald just walk your little dog down the rod and leave our kid and staff alone!!"

Understanding Donald Shreve's commitment to public service, while attending to the care of his diminutive canine, I was left bewildered to discover any relevant point.

Commented: Sunday, January 21st, 2024 @ 2:41 am By: Stan Deatherage

Donald
You read your PAC statement all the time in the meetings as I have seen it myself. You are always worried about your feelings well i as a Bath parent your feelings do not matter since you do not support teachers and staff read the resolution no where does it bash your beloved PAC you owe everything to.

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 9:14 pm By: Bath parent

Political stunts like this can backfire dramatically. As an old Romanian proverb goes, "when you try to dig someone else's grave, you can fall into it yourself".

The resolution that the present majority passed reveals a position on an issue that can come back to bite them politically, as they took a stand AGAINST local control of local schools. State law gives absolute control of the local curriculum to the local school board. When Rep. Kidwell introduced legislation to authorize use of the Hillsdale College history curriculum, the legislative attorneys advised him that such legislation was unnecessary as local school boards already had total control of the local curriculum by existing statute and the state DPI did not have to approve it or even like it. The resolution passed by the board majority, however, recited, incorrectly, that the board was subservient to DPI on curriculum. So, now all of the incumbents running for school board this year are on record opposing local control of local schools on the key issue of curriculum. I don't think that is likely to play well with voters.

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 8:56 pm By: Steven P. Rader

Don, it is my professional opinion that you are doing a great job by remaining thoughtful and conscientious in your job as the People's representative. Thank-you for your diligence.

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 6:59 pm By: Stan Deatherage

I was sincerely saddened to see our Board this past Tues.Evening spend nearly an hour responding to a political letter instead of doing the business of the people.
As I stated at the meeting, I fully support Beaufort County Schools to the best of my ability. Also, it is always my goal to be good stewards of our time and resources as board members.
As the political season continues, I hope we can keep politics out of our board meetings !

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 4:58 pm By: Donald Shreve

Great points Mr. Deatherage. That is why they attack this site because of the dissenting opinion. They have become complacent and are able to look into the sky and tell if it’s going to rain, but are unable to discern the signs of the times.

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 2:14 pm By: Will Simmons

We know issues are best examined through a cabinet of individuals with different points of view. Whether or not Mr. Hickman collaborated his statement with others is inconsequential. The points he and Mr. Shreve stated are what is significant. The ones on the board who hear not and understand not act only on their own vain intentions. Being these believe they alone know what’s best for everyone else, and if one disagrees with what they do, then he or she should be cast out.

Hear, and understand:
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 1:34 pm By: Will Simmons

Charles
Go get your orders from the PAC as usual. You can’t think on your own and read the paper they give you. Your statements last week was just lip service you do not support the schools or staff. Have fun on 1 term

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 10:58 am By: BoCo Parent

I can only speak as one individual member of the School Board. I pledge to never use an official School Board meeting as a campaign opportunity.

Commented: Saturday, January 20th, 2024 @ 8:48 am By: Charles Hickman

Other than the few, the rest of the board seems incapable of understanding the issue is not whether or not the teachers are doing a good job.

Teachers should be empowered to become masters of their profession, and allowed to teach in the best way they see fit to yield the learning of the material. I’m sure all of our teachers truly care for the children and want them to learn. All of my schooling was done in this school system and all of my teachers were wonderful.

The issue is with the programs and ideas that seem to need to be force fed because they are inedible by themselves. Through many words and much fluff they are disguised and washed down. If you ask a chef to make a filet mignon, but the only ingredients you supply him with are horsecrap and bread; then it’s going to take a lot of water to wash down the sandwich that is produced. This is like what we are doing to our great teachers. We must give them sound doctrine as a foundation to their teaching and allow their ingenuity to take the reins in their own classroom.

Commented: Friday, January 19th, 2024 @ 11:21 pm By: Will Simmons