Candidate Profile Information Name: Jeff Herring Age: 47 Occupation: Businessman (Abstractor) Education: Graduated from Irmo High and USC; Majored in Economics, minored in Education and worked as a student teacher. Prior elective service: None. Candidate Questionnaire Please limit answers to 150 words or less What is your most important goal as a district board member? I want to make sure our focus is where it should be -- on classroom needs and student needs. That includes making sure our teachers have the support they need to do their jobs effectively. In other words, we must get our priorities in order. And there are two other goals we should adopt in order to move District 5 forward: First, we must make sure our resources are spent wisely and with accountability, and always show respect to the taxpayers whose hard-earned dollars make our success possible. If we’re perceived to be spending public funds unwisely, we risk losing the community support that has helped make us a strong district. Secondly, we must listen to the community. Listening will help us to be the best board members possible, and it will help foster greater citizen participation. Would you propose any changes in the way the district is currently operating its schools? District 5 is truly blessed: We have hard-working and dedicated teachers, and parents care enough to become involved in their children’s education. As a result, we have great schools. But improvement is needed at the school board level. The board must shift its focus to the classroom, ensuring students’ needs are met and teachers have the tools they need to do their jobs. Let’s make sure our classroom needs – such as instructional materials – are adequately funded in the budget before we divert taxpayer dollars to other areas. And if anyone needs a raise, it’s our teachers… not our school board members. 3. Do you believe the board was justified in approving a $5,840 annual pay raise for each board member in 2013? Like most people in our community, I disagreed with the school board’s decision to give itself a pay raise. That money would have been much better spent on classroom materials; many teachers tell me they’re paying for many classroom materials out of their own pockets. Also, the raise came at the wrong time, as the school board also raised taxes that year. If funds are so tight that a tax increase was necessary, it defies logic for the school board to give itself such a hefty salary increase.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 19:11:21 +0000
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