Olivia Sugg, Editor-in-Cheif
On your mark, get set, go. This is the typical set of instructions called out at the start of a race. The choice is up to you, which candidate will you help cross the finish line, but more importantly which local candidate?
It’s a known fact that voter turnout is higher in years that hold presidential elections as voters tend to get lost in the campaigns for “big” elections, but local politician Bob Woodard, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, believes it should be quite the opposite.
“Local elections are so important because when you put local folks in office they are dealing with day-to-day issues with respect to your taxes, with respect to your funding for your schools and your funding for facilities,” Woodard said. “That is very critical on a local level because it is everything you have to deal with as a resident of not only the county but also your town.”
Voting in presidential and other national elections is extremely important, yet the outcomes do not affect your day-to-day life nearly as much as local elections. It seems as if the media covers presidential races 24/7 and while the outcomes affect national issues, people most likely do not see a change in their everyday lives after a presidential election.
“By voting you are expressing your feelings about local issues and candidates,” Woodard said. “It’s just extremely important that you exercise that right as a citizen.”
For voting students the best example of this is school board elections, as the school board affects every aspect of their education. Many students do not even know how the school board works, yet alone information that this year’s candidates are standing for.
Nighthawk News caught up with Dare County Board of Education candidates after attending the League of Women’s Voters Board of Education Forum on Oct. 12 and asked each candidate the same questions. Note: The Dare County Board of Education Candidate for District 1, Barry Wickre, was not interviewed as he did not attend the candidate forum and is running unopposed.
Matt Brauer, District 3
Q: Why are you passionate about running for the Dare County Board of Education?
A: “To be honest, I didn’t see the current board being as involved with certain things as they should have been. I don’t think they communicated as well as they might should have and it was frustrating for a lot of parents. I felt that as a parent, if I can get on the board it’s one less, one less person to communicate with, right?”
Q:What message do you have for the students of Dare County schools being affected by your decisions,especially the students who are about to vote for the first time in this upcoming election?
A: “We need to set the schools up so that the students graduate with all the tools they need to either go on to college or to do something here locally. I think it’s a certain skill set it takes to live and work here, I just want to make sure that we’re doing the best we can for the students to get that.”
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Dare County Schools?
A: “I think the test scores are a little bit concerning. Progress was made from two years ago to last with EOG scores, but there’s still a long way to go and I think that it needs to be the primary focus for whoever the superintendent is going to be.”
Ron Payne, District 2
Q: Why are you passionate about running for the Dare County Board of Education?
A: “I’m an educator, this is what I’ve been doing for about 23 years. I’ve been very fortunate to be very successful in my 23 years. As a teacher, I implemented a new curriculum, I was a PE teacher, kids hated PE. With the curriculum we implemented, kids were running through the hallway to get to PE class. I walked into the gym one day and our superintendent, Dr. Robeson was sitting in the gym because he had heard so much about it and wanted to see what we were doing. So, successful teacher, obviously, successful principal and this is what I know it’s my expertise.”
Q:What message do you have for the students of Dare County schools being affected by your decisions, especially the students who are about to vote for the first time in this upcoming election?
A:“Get involved, but understand both sides of an issue and make a decision. That’s where critical thinking comes in. Just do your homework on each candidate and make your best decision not based on friendship or what your mom or dad say. If you’re able to vote, you’re able to think about certain aspects of each candidate and make your best decision.”
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue facing county schools?
A: “It’s housing and retaining teachers and we do need to get academics caught back up.”
Marie Russell, District 3
Q: Why are you passionate about running for the Dare County Board of Education?
“When I first decided to run it was because they closed schools and I felt like there should have been more discussion on how to handle that especially with elementary school because parents who work from home or work outside of home had to teach. It is very difficult compared to my high schooler who was self-sufficient. But the littles were hard with chromebooks and not knowing how to read, how can you do an assignment when you can’t even read? I felt like it was something that the Board did not consider because there wasn’t a parent on the board. So that was my main reason why I decided to run.”
Q:What message do you have for the students of Dare County schools being affected by your decisions, especially the students who are about to vote for the first time in this upcoming election?
A: “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited for them. I remember being 18 and voting for the first time. I remember the political candidates coming to my college because I was 17 when I went so I was very young. Make sure to do your homework. Make sure you know exactly who you’re voting for. Make sure that it’s for somebody who agrees with things that you agree with. Get out there and vote and vote and vote and vote, because every vote counts. The last election in 2020 between the two candidates for District Two was 815. So every vote counts. as much as you don’t think it does, every vote does count.”
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Dare County Schools?
A: “It’s the teachers, teacher retention and mainly teacher support.”
Jessicia Fearns, District 2
Q: Why are you passionate about running for the Dare County Board of Education?
A: “I care about students and I care about teachers. I have a daughter in first grade, and I want to see her go to the best school. I am a sub and I want to get Dare County back to number one.”
Q:What message do you have for the students of Dare County schools being affected by your decisions, especially the students who are about to vote, who are about to vote for the first time in this upcoming election?
A: “Do your homework, learn about your candidates and go in and vote because your vote does matter. Look into the candidates that are going to look out for you.”
Q: What do you see as the most pressing issue facing county schools?
A: “Teacher retention and school culture and morale. Boosting the energy so teachers are happy to work so the kids are happy to go to school”
