After providing The Nugget with no comment in regards to his status in the running for the Lumpkin County Board of Education District 2 Post last week, current BOE representative Craig Poore confirmed to The Nugget on Thursday that he is still seeking re-election for BOE District 2.
When initially asked to participate in The Nugget’s Q&A alongside fellow candidate Jeramy Nye, Poore declined to answer the questions, stating “I am currently working on a response to the upcoming election and will be sharing it with your readers in the coming weeks. Thank you for all you do.”
Four days later, Poore confirmed his running status and provided answers to most of The Nugget’s original questions.
When The Nugget asked what caused the hesitancy to confirm his re-election bid last week, Poore responded that there was “no hesitation.”
“Like every other educator in the state these are busy times,” Poore stated. “… My delay in responding is in no way a hesitation and I’m eager to serve the citizens of this county.”
In the essence of fairness, Poore’s answers to The Nugget’s questions are shown below, next to Nye’s whose answers were published last week.
Q: What led you to run for school board?
Nye:
I have a vested interest in the school system, I have four children in the Lumpkin County school system and want to ensure that my children along with all Lumpkin County children get the best possible education. I have been active in attending current school board meetings and reviewing current and possible future curriculums and feel there are improvements that can be made.
Poore:
I have a Specialist in educational leadership and currently oversee programs for students with disabilities. I have a proven record of accomplishments as an educator and a educational leader outside of being a BOE member. What most might not know is I am also a high school dropout. My philosophy in education is both defined by my accomplishments and my struggles. I can relate to the struggles in our communities both social and economical and our successes when relating to our local educational system. Education cannot be made for one group but for all children no matter their background or skill level. I am a board member that speaks for all parents and students. These things are what continue to lead me to be a representative on the Board for the people of Lumpkin County.
Q: What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?
Nye:
I am a retired US Army Ranger who has worked for 20 years in management, planning, team building and many other areas that would enable me to excel as a member of the Board of Education. I have worked with the current curriculum director to find and try to implement the best curriculum for academic achievement in Lumpkin County schools. I am dedicated to academic excellence in our schools. I seek to remove all political ideology from our schools and focus on classical education of the students.
Poore:
As an educator myself for the past – years, I have seen the best and worst parts of education from various angles as a teacher, principal, ---, etc. It is not possible to form an educational and safe school environment for the children of Lumpkin County without the presence of strong board members to focus on the real needs of the students. The ability to stand up for the students is what leads me to run for another term.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing the school system? How would you address it if elected?
Nye:
The current curriculum's shortcomings are the school system's biggest challenges. I, along with other members of our community, reviewed many of the new textbooks and there was a consensus that they were not up to par. In light of these prospects, I am actively researching a classical education curriculum to address these shortcomings.
Poore:
I would say the gap in our children's education because of the COVID closings and quarantines. Not only in academics but also mental health. Across the state we are seeing larger than normal numbers of students with mental health needs that have impacted their academics. We should be mindful and put money into programs that can help meet the needs of these students. Being on top of academic gaps and being willing to put money is reading and math programs to help the students close those gaps.
Q: Lately state reps have introduced bills which would regulate the tone of discussion in the classroom when dealing with racial issues while another increases parental oversight of the material taught. In your opinion, what role should the state legislature play in the local school system?
Nye:
There is considerable pressure from Washington on our schools and the nature of education that our students receive. The recent bills passed by the Georgia legislature are in direct counter to the encroachment of Washington in our schools. I believe the bills passed are in the best interest of Georgia students. The teaching of “critical theory” is divisive, and teaches our students that the merits of their success are based simply on their gender, class, or color of their skin. The merits of our children should be vested in their achievements and the pursuit of academic excellence. Parents should be able to know what their children are learning, there should be no parts of any academic programs which parents do not have oversight. The GA state legislators have an obligation to act in the best interest of our students and prevent the incursion of destructive ideology in our schools.
Poore:
Schools should enforce the state standards and teach students the information needed to help them be successful and prosperous adults. Politics should not be considered in the mix when looking at the education of students, only the condition of their future opportunities. To sum it up, let us keep politics out of educating our students.
Q: How would you describe the state of the school system?
Nye:
The current state of Lumpkin County schools is excellent. The major flaw in administration and scope of operations is vested directly from its current curriculum short-comings. The parental complaint system and chain of incident process needs to be refined to allow transparency and direct problem-solving solutions in a cooperative manner.
Poore:
Just like other school systems, Lumpkin County has its successes and challenges. Moving to a student- based College and Career program will help students acquire skills beyond high school and is a step in the right direction. I don’t feel that our challenges are too big to tackle but it will take a community, parent, approach to overcome them. I feel our school system should be working toward finding ways to include all stakeholders so we might overcome our shortcomings. Be transparent and forthcoming when issues arise and be willing to sit down at the table to find common ground.
Q: How would you describe the state of the school board?
Nye:
There is not enough parental input and involvement into the education of Lumpkin County children. The parents' voice and oversight within the school district is minimized. The influence from the GA Department of Education, while I understand the correlative needs because of state funding chains, have a detrimental effect upon academic standards of our children. I would work with the board to minimize the encroachment of influence from outside of our district into the operations and academics of our schools.
The Nugget’s question asking candidates to describe the state of the school board went unanswered by Poore. Attempts to contact Poore for clarification were unsuccessful.