I must say, I was not surprised to see that neither the left nor left of center side of the Times Free Press endorsed me for re-election. The only time anyone from the TFP ever endorsed me was Drew Johnson in 2012, too bad he was fired a few months later. But, I have to say, both Pam Sohn on the left and Clint Cooper on the left of center, did give me some of those "you don’t sweat much for a fat girl" compliments.
I always like to look at things logically so, I will start with Pam Sohn. She talks about school board members being responsible for plummeting test scores and graduation rates. Correct me if I am wrong but, didn’t this year’s graduates start to school 13 years ago under the good Dr. Register? Why does Sohn not hold Register accountable for the curriculum, principals and teachers he put in place during his 10 year tenure in Hamilton County? We know if a child is not reading on grade level by third grade they will probably never catch up. This year’s graduates were under the leadership of Dr. Register during the most crucial time in their education and yet, he gets a pass. Then Sohn never mentions the "new math" Dr. Register implemented which is responsible for the pathetic math scores we are seeing now. Again, both editorial pages have always been silent and have never held anyone accountable for destroying math education in Hamilton County. And yes, Pam, this "new math" was one of my "No, no, no" votes.
This year’s graduates were also under the leadership of Dr. Scales for 5 years, why was he never held accountable for declining scores? He was at the helm until 2011 when these students were in the 8th grade.
Sohn gushes over the fact that my opponent says, "Not every child needs to go to college." What a novel idea! I have been working a vocation for the last 40 years and have been preaching that not every student wants or needs to go to college for my 12 years on the school board. Vocational education is exactly the reason I have fought to get Hamilton County back to a dual path diploma so students not planning to go to college do not have to take the mandatory two years of a foreign in language. I told Ms Sohn during my interview that I had contacted the state and discovered that Hamilton County students not wanting to go to college could get a waiver to opt out of the two years of foreign language yet, she never mentions it. Guess it must be the Dr. title that makes saying you want to advocate for vocational education sound more intellectual. Sohn also says "School Board Needs Newer, Younger Faces", just for the record, 59 is younger than 62 and she can’t blame not knowing that on the "new math’ because she went to Red Bank and graduated a few years before me and we used the old math.
Now for Mr. Cooper, he says "Every board should have a Rhonda Thurman, someone who comes prepared, raises questions, asks ‘why’ and doesn’t vote for increased spending without thought as to where the money goes." Cooper thinks every board should have a Rhonda Thurman, every board that is except Hamilton County. He goes on and to say that I am not good at "compromising". I guess Cooper wants 9-0 votes instead of 8-1 votes like that would change anything. All a 9-0 vote does is stop discussion because, if everyone agrees, then there is nothing to debate or talk about.
I literally laughed out loud and wondered if Clint had ever been to a school board meeting when I read his following statement as to one of the reasons he was endorsing my opponent-"she vows she will not be a rubber stamp", she says she will be "outspoken" in advocating for more vocational choices. Outspoken and not a rubber stamp? Wish I had thought of that instead of always being such a wallflower! My friend and former school board member, Kenny Smith, will get a good laugh as well when he hears that Cooper thinks that being "outspoken" in favor of more vocational education is something new. Kenny and I fought for years at almost every meeting to add more vocational programs. Clint was also in the same interview as Pam Sohn when I told the editorial staff that I had gone to the state and found out Hamilton County could get waivers to forego 2 years of a foreign language for students who did not want to go to college so they could devote more time and concentrate on their vocation. I guess it really is the Dr. title that makes everything sound just a little more intelligent.
To sum it up, Pam Sohn says, I am "a good person and business woman who has asked many good questions of this board in the last 12 years." She goes on to say I have been a "voice of reason", "voted against wasting taxpayer money", to all of this I say-guilty as charged. She continues saying that I "often provided welcome balance for a board saturated by educators" (which she did not know until I told her during the interview). Yet, she endorses another educator.
Clint Cooper says that I look at things "from a taxpayer point of view", once again- guilty as charged. He goes on to say he "is leery of putting more teachers on a teacher-heavy board that needs broader representation", but like Sohn, he wants to do it anyway.
I do not mind the fact that I did not get the TFP endorsements; I did not expect it. I just wish the editors would be honest and say that they are never going to endorse me, a lowly hairdresser and not waste my time. No matter how much time, energy, research, effort and accomplishments I have made while I have been on the board for the last 12 years, they still see me as uneducated. However, I will bet them in the last 40 years I have learned things they do not have a clue about.
While the TFP editorial staff looks down their nose at regular hard working people and those they do not see as "deserving" to be on the school board, I will take their "you don’t perspire much for an obese person" compliments and smile.
Rhonda Thurman
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Well here we go again, with the glass always half empty thinking. We should not expect anything less from her.
Maybe Aug. 5 she can then find something better to do with her time.
Margaret Chastain
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Ms. Chastain, I reviewed the campaign donation list for Ms. Thurman’s opposition in District 1. The Hamilton County Election Commission financial disclosure indicates that you donated financially to the opposition. You are hardly disinterested, and should have disclosed this in your post. Shame on you.
The public deserves to hear from all the candidates. Ms. Thurman is trusted for her extraordinary candor, laying it all on the table. That is what this post is about, calling down those liberals on the TFP Editorial page.
Of course, the TFP would not endorse Ms. Thurman. Did anyone believe they would? Has the TFP ever endorsed Rhonda Thurman? TFP endorsements are so tiresome, and the right and left are indeed all left.
We love Ms. Thurman’s extraordinary candor. District 1 adores her for it, and the Public Education Foundation and Ms. Chastain dislikes her candor.
Finally, you don’t know how Ms. Thurman wll fare in the next election. She may not be going home. Who knows? These local elections are “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna to get.”
April Eidson