Dare LWV Ed Board forum highlights agreements and differences
As six candidates for the Dare County Board of Education answered audience questions at a Dare County League of Women Voters forum on Sept. 30, broad areas of agreement were apparent.
All the candidates took the time to thank Dare County Commissioners for the supplemental package they provided for county teachers, although the issue of pay came up repeatedly in answers. In North Carolina, the base salary of all teachers is determined by the legislature.
“I think the one thing we really need to focus on is increasing our teachers pay and our teachers’ ability to live comfortably here and educate our children,” District 4 candidate Kenny Brite (R) said in his closing remarks. In that contest, Brite is facing Heather Euler (D), who was unable to attend.
Candidate Melissa Zehner (D), who is running against incumbent Board Chair David Twiddy (R) as an at-large candidate, pointed out that teacher pay in the neighboring states of Virginia and South Carolina are higher.
Throughout the evening, all candidates repeatedly mentioned teacher pay and how it important it is to staff retention as a priority.
A question that was asked about the Opportunity Scholarship Program, a state sponsored K-12 scholarship that allows parents to enroll their children in a private school—not necessarily a charter school—with public school funds was vigorously opposed by most candidates.
District two candidate Haley Carey (D) said the Opportunity Scholarship “refers to the school voucher program to fund families’ or students’ tuition to private schools in our state at the expense of what otherwise would have been public school allocated dollars…I do not believe that the Opportunity Scholarship should be funded with public money.”
Her answer closely matched the response from Twiddy who noted, “they’re…taking funds from the public education to make that happen…If they take the money from the public education, that means the Department of Public Instruction will not have the funds to give to each school district.”
Justin Bateman (R), who is running unopposed in District 1, was equally emphatic.
“I do not support the voucher program one single bit…I want to see…our taxpayer dollars go towards our school system, to better …anybody that it can benefit,” he said.
Addressing that issue, District 2 candidate Lisa Lloyd (R) told the audience that she had taught in public and private schools, saying, “I’m little on both sides of the house, I guess you could say, but I see advantages of having [the Opportunity Scholarship].”
Asked by forum moderator Courtney Gallop to discuss their three priorities, differences between the candidates emerged.
“We know there’s mental health issues throughout this district,” Twiddy said.
Zehner pointed to early childhood education, stating that, “It reduces disparities in communities, giving a foundation for kids…Kids who attend pre-K programs, they do better. And the more that we can offer that, the more it takes the childcare piece off of parents’ plates and makes our community healthier and better,” she said.
With a debate currently underway about whether the Dare County Schools should feed all children for free, Carey addressed the importance of nutrition and education.
“Nutritious food and available ample food are two ways to try to address…a foundational requirement,” she said. “Before a student can even get into the classroom, they need to be fed, and they need to be fed something that is satiating and nutritious.”
Her opponent, Lloyd, suggested a return to basics was needed.
“It may sound pretty basic, but I think a focus that I would like to see, and I’m not 100% sure…is a foundational, fundamental education for all of our students. All of our students have a right to that…reading, writing and arithmetic,” she said.
“It’s going to be the housing for the teachers,” Brite said in answer to the question.
Bateman, in his answer, addressed the issue of teacher mental health.
“I’m a big advocate for teachers’ mental health…I believe that the teachers need an outlet…There needs to be a line item in the budget somewhere, for teachers to be able to [meet] with a professional mental health service of some sort.”
The Dare County League of Women Voters has additional information about the candidates, local and national on their website, League of Women Voters of Dare County (lwvdarenc.org)
