News-Record.com

Like I said on EC's site, voting should be like getting a driver's license. You should have to pass a test.

How sad the fate of our children lies in the hands of careless voters. Voters should educate themselves on the candidates. If not, then they should not vote for that particular race. I think it would make more sense to leave it blank than pick a name that "sounds right". I think Chris Cooke, current board member, is a good example of a voter that had no idea who was running. (See the Rhino for details.) So very, very sad. So basically our board consists of [some] people that were elected by accident? Given their actions lately, that sounds about right.

I'm told that some people who haven't studied the candidates vote for the first name alphabetically on the list in races where they don't know the candidates. I was pretty stunned and I thought nothing would surprise me anymore.

I have a feling that david crawford got his votes from people who were clueless and picked the first person on ticket. That is my observation, I might want to see the results further but I think being on top makes a difference.

I'll sit down and start analyzing the numbers and will have a lengthy discussion on why we came up short in the coming days on my repackaged-repurposed-rebranded website, "Guilford School Watch" (located at erikhuey.wordpress.com).

In the meantime, I want to thank all of the Chalkboard readers for their support of my campaign to put children first. I look forward to this coalition continuing to work together for our children. In some respects, I feel I disappointed a lot of people with the loss this week, but I'm grateful that I met so many nice people over time. I feel the coalition is getting stronger and we will get to the point where we put our children first.

I do want to digress a minute to say how baffled and puzzled at Anita Sharpe's assertion this week that I'm "a radical." As long as my daughter is in a GC school, I have every right to be "radical" when expectations of our county schools aren't being met.

Besides, I had a good deal of support of my "radical agenda," including two of her colleagues on the Board.

I too was baffled by Ms. Sharpe's comments and I have a great deal of respect for her. However, if her assertion was correct that voters didn't for Mr. Huey because of his opposition to the bonds, then that would lead me to believe that if we have educated voters, 45% of the vote would have belonged to Mr. Huey since that many of the voters also said 'no' to the school bonds. I would venture to guess that very few knew anything about any of the candidates and I find that extremely sad. I have also heard that voters are more likely to vote for a 'female' candidate for school board if they don't know anything about the candidates. Don't know if that's true or not, but it is an interesting thought,
Thank you Mr. Huey for your investment in Guilford County Schools. My best to you.

Her two colleagues were the only two from the board that went up to the forum at Northern. From that evenings evidence it was obvious that Huey was THE best candidate.

My parents always taught me that the correct way to vote is to make selections based on who you are informed about and the issues you care about -- and if you don't know, or if your don't have an opinion one way or another, then it's best to just leave it blank.

I cannot understand why any voter would choose blindly. That is just irresponsible. We need to educate students about how to be responsible voters, including informing them that it's ok not to know everything about everybody on the ballot. But that even if they don't know everything -- they can still be smart voters.

Mr. Huey cannot give up. I lost my first run against Dot, then made sure the second time was overkill. Eric had a lot to offer and the passion needed to do a great job. Keep at it Eric, I note that the endorsements had nothing to do with the results. That is very interesting, and yes the female does have a known advantage.

Hello Garth,
You did not run against Dot the second time.
You ran against Debbie Maines, who quit campaigning two months into election season when her child became ill.
Maybe Mr. Huey had the wrong endorsers. Did he ask other BOE members for their endorsement and these were the only two he got(Garth and Darlene) ?
One could easily interpret that, however, I doubt that is what Mr. Huey meant to convey. Perhaps his thumping at the polls was a rejection of not just him, but Garth and Darlene as well.

Garth and Darlene were the only two board members to go to the candidate forum and therefore the most qualified to judge the competition. I was there too and Huey was no doubt the most qualifed candidate.

Huey won my vote that day.

Fact check, Here is another one for ya!
Debbie Maines did not quit her campaign. She was out there right until the last minute but the fact was that she had no chance anyway. Garth had an army of followers that totally swamped her.

Fast check,

I happened to be working the same polling place where Debbie Maines was campaigning. It was a cold day and it poured rain all day. Debbie tried to get under the shelter, but it was beyond the point where campaigning could take place. The precinct judge had to come ask her to move. I had friends at other polling places and I know that she worked the polls all day that day.

She also gave an interview with the N&R staff because she hoped for their endorsement. I think that happened much less than 2 months before the election.

For someone who quit the race, she sure was busy campaigning.

I was out that day and Ms. Maines' husband was campaigning on election day as well.

I guess "fact check" is an oxymoron for what?

Fact check:

Garth did not say he ran against Dot a second time. He stated that his second running was overkill but didn't state whom he ran against.

And yes Debbie was out there campaigning hard. Which polls did you work?

I don't think Dot's heart could take any more Rhino ads like the ones in the 2004 campaign.

Five board members who voted the the disastrous High Point Choice Plan are now GONE one way or another. Now that is the sweet smell of victory!