Folks, most of you know by now that Robert A has announced his intentions to run for political office. For the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners. Robert A has decided to run for the CC Board of Commissioners, for the most part, because he believes that a better educational system is the only way to Take back Cleveland County from the throes of ignorance, poor schools and the unequal distribution of a good and educated population throughout Cleveland County. To develop a better educated workforce, to recruit more complex and better paying industries, good jobs and better jobs. And, in the process induce and promote better place. Social, Economic and equitable diversity throughout CC and just about everything else that everybody talks about, but nobody but Robert A seems to knows how to pull it off.
Hold on Mr. Robert A Williams. You say you want to run for the Commissioner’s Board to improve schools and education?? Shouldn’t YOU be running for the CC School Board?? They need plenty of help over there!
This is a very good question and deserves a good answer. The basic answer is MONEY!!!. Who raises the money and who decides how the money is spent?
In all times past, the Cleveland County Commissioners, as the only taxing authority at the County level to raise money by taxing the people, have raised the money going to our schools and then, turned it over to the School Board without any accountability. All the School Board does is then spend the money on whatever they want to spend it on, with no accountability, and ask for more money the next year.
What Robert A would do as a Commissioner would be to add major ACCOUNTABILITY requirements to schools. Require them to deliver satisfactory results for the money they have received into their thinking processes and lessons plans. AND give periodic reports to the Commissions showing the progress that they have made. If the progress is lower than expected, then the money is withheld until the schools have figured out what is necessary to improve.
Folks, if you think this is “Pie in the Sky,” Read on!!!
Robert A graduated from Burn at Fallston High School in 1965. In those days there were no computers or cell phones and USA education was Number ONE in the WORLD!! Then the Russians had beaten the USA into space with their Sputnik satellite and everybody was convinced that the USA had fallen behind. Then the USA put a man on the moon in 1969, proving that the USA was NOT behind, but the outcry to improve our Number ONE education system was changed in many detrimental ways that an USA education fell way behind many other nations. And lately, all the computer based remote learning indoctrination “stuff” subtracted from our USA Education and put us down even more.
Robert A’s solution is simple. Go back to the basics. Computer-less classroom teaching with books, paper and pencil. Teach the multiplication tables that are memorized for life. Teach all students how to add, subtract, multiply and divide the old-fashioned way that has worked well for all these years. Teach reading from books and writing by hand-held pencils or pens. Teach college bound students the advanced methods. Teach those that don’t go to college a trade. Remember that the brightest students will do well with most any method of teaching, while those not so bright can still do well by working a trade. Also remember that the measure of success of an education system is not to put the brightest students in the Cleveland County Early College High School FOR BRAGGING PURPOSES. And then forget or just ignore the rest. But, by how well we teach the least bright students how to live independent and self-sufficient in this world that we live in today.
So, Mr. Robert A, what do YOU personally know about any of this? And, this is another good question.
First of all, Robert A is a graduate of NC State University with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. But, not one minute of “official” college training in any Teachers College or University. In those matters Robert A has learned by experience, close observations and large doses of common sense in his many engineering jobs throughout his lifetime.
Also, Robert A has a secret weapon! Robert A actually enabled a PRIVATE entity to operate an after-school tutoring service out of his home in Fallston that is next door to Fallston Elementary School. An endeavor that was remarkably successful in taking students who often were way behind in the grade level expectations that Cleveland County Schools were unable to bring up to speed.
Robert A and this private entity decided to operate this experimental enterprise completely independent of any governmental interferences in the form of licenses, certificates, rules or regulations, vouchers, etc. We decided to accept NOTHING that included government money or regulations that usually go along with government money. We would sink or swim only at the will of concerned parents who would pay directly for the services that were rendered.
The first student was the child of a close relative of Robert A. The child was in the 4th Grade but couldn’t read a lick. Which caused her to fall behind on all her other subjects. Within three months this student was working at grade level on all her subjects. Word of this remarkable and exceptional success spread like wildfire through parents in similar situations at Fallston Elementary School. Shortly there were other parents seeking our services. Soon, Robert A’s house was full of students whose concern for their child’s educational development drove them to our door in droves.
One perfect example of the success of this totally amazing success story was the case of a three-year child that was allowed to accompany her older sibling to our after-school tutoring service goes like this. The older sibling was being taught lessons regarding the 50 states and all their capitols while the three-year-old sat there listening quietly. Later the three-year-old would stand up before the whole congregation of her church and recite correctly to the amazed congregation all the 50 states and their capitols. With such word of mouth advertising as the Robert A’s house was too small to handle the business and it was moved to a larger location.
All this prelude is to describe just how bad a good education at Cleveland County schools is hard to come by. Too Hard. When Robert A described to his former associate (now retired) that the CCS 2021-2025 Strategic Plan #1 Priority is to bring all third-grade students up to grade level by 2030, she was just as incredulous (and disappointed) as I was when I first read it. Her reaction was “I used to do that in three months.” Plus, other descriptions of the CCS management team that might not be acceptable to print.
Folks, the purpose of this article is to inform all citizens and voters in Cleveland County, that if Robert A is elected to the office of Cleveland County Commissioner, Robert A would NEVER accept such a low-bar as for CCS to get third grade students up to grade level by 2030.
Folks, if YOU ever expect changes for the better at both CCS and the Cleveland County Commissioner’s Office, you must consider voting Robert A into this office. Otherwise, there may be dire consequences for our children and our future. Consider that when you go vote in the 2024 Commissioner’s Primary Elections.
Also, Folks, Stay tuned for the many other changes that Robert A has planned if elected. Robert A will have published his entire goals and his plans to accomplish them by election time. Look over Robert A’s plans and compare them with anybody else’s written plans. And, YOU decide for yourself who is the best candidate for this office. There will be no surprises about what Robert A will put on the table for the Commissioner’s to accomplish when elected a Cleveland County Commissioner. All with the people’s approval.