News-Record.com

Give the gal a break. Dot was probably having trouble articulating to Debbie exactly what she wanted her to say at the coaching sessions so they probably ran longer than expected and you also probably did give Debbie the wrong number to call when you contacted her. Totally understandable.

Deb is wasting her time.

Grier has already demanded that the N&R give her their endorsement and they know who's da boss.

Rather than waste her time interviewing, she should spend it shopping for turtlenecks with Dot the Puppeteer.

..."her demise greatly exaggerated"?

I beleive your headline is greatly exaggerated. The only thing I remember reading was that someone "heard" that she was not running anymore. It's not too unrealistic. It happens all the time. So is questioning that exaggerating?

I believe the biased N&R already has their picks. In fact, I wagered a bet that if Debbie declined the interview that the N&R would not endorse a candidate at all for the Dist. 2 School Board seat.

It's okay. Dist. 2 is used to getting screwed. Our kids are used to being experimented with and the parents are used to not being heard. One more slow screw from the N&R won't hurt a bit.

I would suggest before you endorse a candidate that you watch an entire school board meeting. Watch if you can stomach it and see what's missing from that meeting. Imagine who you'd like seeing in Susan's seat. Another well-meaning former PTA presidents/mother? or a savy business man that does not roll over and play dead?

One of the questions that you can ask Debbie Maines when she appears for her interview is why she is allowing the High Point Democrats to list her on their Democrat slate for election this year, when school board is supposedly a non-partisan election. For that matter, why are the High Point Democrats listing Alan Duncan, Jeff Belton, and Deena Hayes. they aren't even in running in an election in which HIgh Point residents can vote. Of couse, Nancy Routh is also listed, but she is at least an At-Large candidate.

Saw Debbie's signs yesterday. The thing that bothered me is they mention something that she is for "all the children" implying, of course, that there are other candidates and/or political groups around that support good education presumably for only certain select groups of kids. This, of course, is the standard Kearns party line /scam that Dot's run for years. In any other town in the US, Greesboro included, if you support your local highschool and you want your kids to go there you are pretty much actually a good citizen. In north High Point, not so. You have become someone who only cares about themselves. If you get up in the morning and you go to Grimsley or Dudley or any other school and you're thinking, "what can I do to make my school better, you're probably pretty much a normal parent and will be forgiven for it. In north High Point, not so. Here you have newspaper people telling you:
"I'm just going to get mine or the heck with everybody else", or you will be taken to task for not having low income apartment complexes near where you live (as if this was somehow your fault-see Irving Park and Lake Jeanette for how low income tenements can be sucessfully integrated into the community.)

North High Point has become this area that every well-meaning political hack or pseudo-egalitarian political columnist has chosen to use as their punching bag.

If Dot wants to know how and why the schools in High Point have deteriorated she needs only look in the mirror. Instead of pointing the finger at the droves of people who have left her highschool to go to private school or to Davidson Co., she went after somebody at another public school, either out of envy, schadenfreude, or because she could still exert a measure of despotic control over them, pointed the finger, and said:this problem is because these people do not want equal education "for all children".

This demonization and displacement of blame onto north High Point and the decimation of our neighborhoods and the stress put on these parents is unforgivable and inexcusble. Any implication that the schools have deteriorated because there are parents anywhere in High Point that don't want good education for everyone must be strongly refuted and contested at every turn.

It is lamentable and worrisome that this disordered, scape-goat thinking can still be part of any schoolboard candidate's platform.

Allen, I hope you will check her story out. To me, it sounds like the classic "dog ate my homework" excuse--not the standard of responsibility that a school board member ought to uphold. Given the lax oversight you noted in your editorial, another slack member is the last thing we need.

I agree with Brian. Her lack of response is worrying.
In fact, not only that, its not good enough. I wont take any chances and I therefore endorse Garth as my preffered candidate.
I hope the N&R follows my lead.

I also did not understand your emphasis with the comment "her demise greatly exaggerated"?

The only thing I ever read about Debbie was on this Blog and on Off the record.
Allen, do you feel you exaggerated your comments?
Please explain because I really dont understand.

Yipppeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Actually, Truth, it was a not-very-original take-off on Twain, the point being that she is still in the race.
Some speculation had surfaced that she had pulled out.

It is my opinion that we have ENOUGH mothers on the board (and 'muthas' too!). We need somebody like Garth that can Keep...change that to "MAKE" Grier honest!

Nice one Allen but you didnt answer my question.

Anyway, not to worry.

One interesting thing that did come out of this is the post which mentioned Debbie being on the democratic slate.

Is that ethical? Isnt it supposed to be non-partisan?

The way I see is it that lots of people will vote for her just because she is a democrat and without any knowledge of the current situation and what she stand's for.

Well, Truth, there's no rule against being part of a partisan slate, but it does contradict the spirit of nonpartisan elections.
Party affiliation shouldn't matter on school boards, city councils and judicial benches.
It shouldn't matter on boards of county commissioners either.

Allen,

For that matter, why should party affiliation matter for any elected position? Aren't we trying to elect the best person for the job?

I fail to understand the meaning of a non-partisan election, if you can be listed on a partisan slate and encourage people to vote for you because of that affiliation. If Mr. Spock were here, he would not find it logical.

Yup,
It seems that Debbie will fit in very nicely with some of the current members outlook to life on the School board.
Its the one for you, two for me outlook!