Sain: Stop and think before you vote

By: Karen B. Sain | Morganton News Herald
Published: October 26, 2009

Hickory (in Burke County), NC --

When I was first elected to the Burke County school board, I attended training for new board members and heard it said, "Listen, listen, listen; stop and think before you speak." Well, I have listened for two years and it is time to speak up and speak out.
When the people of Burke County voted for a change in 2007, an organized effort began to take place. It wasn't an effort to support our students or schools; it was an effort to override the will of the voters at any cost. For the last two years, rumors and allegations have been circulated to discredit the board majority. Power and politics of people going by the names SOS [Support Our Schools] and SWAT [Stroup, Wilkinson, Armour, Thomas] have reared their ugly heads against the wishes of the very citizens some of these say they want to represent.
In a letter on the Opinion page (The News Herald, July15) titled "SOS endorses four candidates for school board," the writers state, "Burke County teachers and Burke County students deserve a future with a board that works diligently to serve the community that it is elected to serve."
I could not agree more.
But look at how the two veteran board members did not stand for the community when the new high schools were named. Look at how the two veteran board members' misbehavior has disrupted school board meetings and incited those in attendance. Their political ambitions have been at the forefront of their actions, not what is best for students.
Watch the June 30 school board meeting and look at the erratic behavior of the retired principal who is running for the two-year seat. How many years did the school to which she was assigned fail to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under her leadership?
[Editor's note: Susan Stroup's schools failed to make AYP three times in the past eight years.]
Look at the actions of the candidate running for the four-year seat in the west and ask how she obtained a confidential document that was on the school system's e-mail server. This same candidate, Catherine Thomas, who is endorsed by the SOS Steering Committee just happens to be the daughter of one of the members of the steering committee.
Ask if these four candidates had anything to do with the trumped-up allegations that were sent to SACS CASI. Ask if they did, what was their motive? Could it have been a scare tactic to overthrow the board so they can push their political agendas down the throats of Burke County citizens?
You will hear about legal fees. Some of the supporters of these same groups are the ones who filed the lawsuits that caused the board to have to defend itself. A sign was displayed on the side of a truck in the parking lot of the law firm of a member of the SOS Steering Committee that said, "A lawsuit a day keeps the board at bay." Could it be they are aware the lawsuit was frivolous? Was it their actions that cost the taxpayers' money for legal fees? Wasn't this the same law firm that represented some of those who filed suit against the school board? How much money did they make off the lawsuits and what financial impact did their actions have on the school system and taxpayers? Do you really think they care about our students? If they do, I'd like to know when they started.

Sain: Stop and think before you vote

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