COVID-19 is all over the news today as President Donald Trump has contracted the potentially deadly disease. We all Pray that he will get well soon. We also are all demanding that true and accurate information regarding COVID-19 be made known to the public here in Cleveland County. There were COVID-19 questions in the 2020 School Board Candidate forum at Cleveland Community College this past Tuesday and School Board Candidates running for re-election, Chairman Shearra Miller, Vice-Chairman Richard Hooker and School Board Member Roger Harris LIED about the COVID situation at Cleveland County Schools!
We were concerned when the Cleveland County School Board first closed down CCS because of COVID-19 and there were ZERO cases of COVID in Cleveland County when that happened. We are also now concerned about re-opening our schools in the midst of the COVID Pandemic. We were disappointed when CCS graduating 2020 seniors were denied a proper graduation by the School Board. We are all still concerned that our children are not being properly educated. And, most of all, we are concerned about our economy and when it will be safe to restart our schools so our economy can rebound when parents can go back to their jobs or find employment somewhere as the case may be.
Now, we are outraged at our School Board and Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker and Roger Harris when we learned they knew about the COVID-19 outbreak at Crest High School and waited three days, during which there was a School Board Meeting where COVID was discussed and the 2020 School Board Candidates forum where COVID was discussed and Miller, Hooker and Harris did not sound a word of warning. Allowed business as usual at both Crest High School and also Boiling Springs Elementary School in order NOT to have to admit in a public setting that COVID-19 infested CCS. Lies of omission are just as damning, even more so when a pandemic is kept secret, and attacking our children. But would possibly hurt their campaign talking points if that fact were known.
Shame, Shame, Shame on School Board Chairman Shearra Miller, Vice-Chairman Richard Hooker and Member Roger Harris for such a blatant disregard for the health and safety of our children, teachers and staff. All the while making out like they have a solid record of good judgement at CCS in their cumulative 100 years plus of service. Ordinarily ethical persons would not put school children at risk for political purposes. And, when caught, they should resign from office immediately. But they haven’t done anything ethical in a very long time. Now it is the voter’s time to throw the bums out.
The bums being Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker and Roger Harris. Now, lets examine the 2020 School Board Forum held at Cleveland Community College. Let’s identify the winners and the losers. And vote accordingly.
The CCC Forum included eight questions and ten candidates. Thusly only seconds were available for each candidate for each question. This made it almost impossible for any candidate to fully answer any question. And the questions were secret and the public was not allowed to attend the forum-because of COVID-19. Therefore, folks, pay attention!!! You are not likely to get truthful information anywhere else-but here.
The CCC 2020 School Board Candidates Forum video is available on-line at C19TV. However, you will be lucky if you can it find easily. This is the direct link that I got off Candidate Joel Shores Campaign Web Page. Now you can find it much easier at the link below:
The CCC 2020 School Board Candidates Forum
Question No 1.
The first 60 second question was: Why do you want to run for the school board and what do you think would be your role if elected?
Folks, my initial thought with this first question was that we were going to hear “fluff answers from everybody. I was wrong! After attending School Board meetings for eight year and watching what goes on there-watching the incumbents in action and studying reports and statistics that they never talk about, the TOP five candidates separated themselves with this very first question.
I rated:
• Samantha Davis was my number one pick on this question for one simple reason. Samantha Davis spelled it out specifically that change was needed and SHE would support change at Cleveland County Schools. That SHE would be the one parents, teachers and every body else could come to and there would NOT be any retaliation. That she had advocated against bullying in all forms for years and wanted to advocate now in a stronger position as a School Board Member.
• Robert Queen and Ron Humphries were close behind Samantha Davis with their evaluations that changes were needed and they were Engineers trained in problem solving, critical thinking and getting things done. I would recommend that Robert Queen and Ron Humphries be elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman of a newly constituted School Board.
• Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch were also very close behind Samantha Davis. Joel Shores recounted the poor record of CCS in teaching our children. Reading, writing and arithmetic in particular. Said that a “culture change” on the school board was essential and necessary. Fitch spelled out that transparency at CCS was lacking. Parents need to be informed. School Board needs “new blood.”
It became clear to me, that an ideal new CCS School Board Would consist of Robert Queen as Chairman, Ron Humphries as Vice-Chairman streamlining the CCS administration process. Samantha Davis as the main mover and shaker as well as advocator for better relations between the School Board and teachers, staff, students, parents and the public. And Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch ram-rodding the Health and Safety issues as well as offering good advice and different and better legal perspectives to the Board’s discussion and decision-making processes. All working together to make the public’s business public and transparent.
• Michael Tolbert and Greg Taylor did not provide convincing evidence of their interest and dedication to getting down and dirty in investigating and identifying problems and issues at CCS. Much less doing anything about it.
• Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker and Roger Harris were three peas in a pod. All incumbents who, first of all, lied to the public about closing down Crest High School and needing to close down Boiling Springs Elementary School because of the dangerous infestation of COVID-19. Then, they lied about Cleveland County Schools being such a good organization because of their so-called leadership and experience. Richard Hooker was the biggest liar when he called out his ability to collaborate. For Richard Hooker, “collaboration” is talking with others behind closed doors where nobody knows what is b being talked about. Only thing is such “Collaborations” is highly illegal in governmental affairs as all of the public’s business is supposed to be conducted in public. That is what North Carolina State Law requires, but Richard Hooker, Shearra Miller and Roger Harris do not have much use for State Law. State Law is what us “little people” have to abide by. But not Hooker, Miller and Harris.
Question No 2.
The second 60 second question was: Transparency in Government is essential. How would you rate transparency at CCS?
• I again rated candidate Samantha Davis slightly ahead of Robert Queen, Ron Humphries, Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch. All personally knew of numerous examples where CCS refused to be transparent. Davis forcefully stated that there “Would be NO NORE sweeping under the rug when I am elected to the School Board.” All five noted here had good examples of CCS refusing to be transparent. Starting with the phony lawsuit the School Board brought against Sheriff Alan Norman and still today CSS has not admitted who started that lawsuit nor what Board members did know or did not know about the lawsuit before it was filed in Court. And then, almost immediately, was withdrawn.
• Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker and Roger Harris all stated (falsely) that CCS was very good with fulfilling public records requests and answering questions. None mentioned the fact that former CCS Superintendent Bruce Boyles almost immediately resigned from CCS when I filed an extensive Public Records request regarding the widespread and fraudulent misuse of the more than 200 school credit cards just a few years ago. And the phony auditors that were brought in to only audit knowingly legitimate records while 500,000 pages of fraudulent documents were illegally sent to the shredder.
• Michael Tolbert and Greg Taylor both believed CCS was good with transparency and personally had no interest or inclination to learn otherwise.
Again, Samantha Davis, Robert Queen, Ron Humphries Joel Shores and Rodney Fitch knew of major problems at CCS that demand attention to get the problems fixed. Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker and Roger Harris knowingly lied about their knowledge of wrongdoing that was covered-up. And Greg Taylor and Michael were know-nothings and appeared to be content to stay that way,
Folks, this report is getting long, so; for your convenience, I will report on the other questions in Part II of this article.
Also, remember the public and candidates are allowed to comment on this Article, as well as ask questions of their own. And folks, by all means watch the Cleveland Community College 2020 School Board Forum for yourself.
Again, the link is provided below:
The CCC 2020 School Board Candidates Forum
Stay Tuned for the rest of this article that is coming up soon.