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Baron P. Braswell is challenging Linda Wieland for School Board in Spotsylvania's Battlefield District Date published: 10/20/2009
By PAMELA GOULD Spotsylvania County's Battlefield District School Board race pits veteran educator and incumbent Linda Wieland against Army veteran and volunteer coach Baron P. Braswell. Wieland offers an insider's perspective into the school system, having spent her 30-year career as an elementary school teacher. Braswell's vantage point is that of a parent and volunteer. The Battlefield race is the only School Board race on the Spotsylvania ballot Nov. 3. Current School Board chairman J. Gilbert Seaux is being challenged by write-in candidate John K. Lewis for the Berkeley District seat, while Amanda Blalock is running unopposed in the Lee Hill District. Spotsylvania is shifting to staggered terms for its elected boards, so the three board members up for election are completing two-year terms. Terms usually are for four years. Braswell's interest was spurred by the slaying of his older son in 2006. After 16-year-old Baron "Deuce" Braswell's death, the elder Braswell began offering character education to Courtland football players. The insurance agent also started volunteering as an assistant football coach at Spotsylvania Middle School, when his younger son played there. He has continued even though Zachary is now in high school. Braswell entered the race as the School Board was crafting a policy for extra-curricular activities prompted by the arrest of some Courtland athletes for an off-campus beating that was recorded on a cell phone. He said the incident demonstrates the need for his character-education sessions. He largely supports the policy finalized last spring and now is focused on restoring activity buses and returning daily recess to 30 minutes for third- through fifth-graders. He criticized the current board and administration for not exploring options for the after-school buses. "Only two courses of action were given: keep or get rid of. I think we could have problem-solved a lot better," he said. Braswell said he would ask the Board of Supervisors to add stops to the FRED bus routes in more-populated areas of the county so students could use them at their parents' expense. But he acknowledged that he hadn't considered whether that was a safe option for middle-schoolers.
Read more stories about Spotsylvania Date published: 10/20/2009
If Braswell is elected will he find away to get the school year over by June 1? Spotsie schools need fewer teacher work days they have the entire summer to catch up.
His opponent, in 2 years on the board, has voted against only 2 items, Only twice has she not agreed with the majority, despite claiming to want to use her experience to make the schools better. She hasn't used her teaching experience to stand up against decisions that negatively impacted the classroom and the employees. She supported activity bus cuts, reducing 126 teaching spots vs 3 central office positions, reducing recess, and ignored calendar survery resutls. Time to start cleaning house.
gives some extra understanding and insight, but it isn't needed to be a good sb member--it can even get in the way if the person has more allegence to the schools than the parents and taxpayers they are accountable to or if there's too much reliance on "knowing" how things work without asking questions or without questioning the authority of Hill's gang. sb needs to step up to the plate or step back and let new members do the job.
With Linda's 30 years in the school system, she has most of the time voted for what is best for Mr Hill of Spotsylvania County. She has an insiders look at what is needed and she's the best for the position as the other board members to let him do just what ever he likes right or wrong. .She is fine people as most of the other members are But Hill is not god. They are his boss's he's not there's. So Hill needs to go or the hold board.We need them t
might be chicken feed compared to the cuts that are rumored. Spotsylvania
could suffer a 10%+ shortfall in property and sales taxes, maybe more.
From what I gather - there's a possibility of major employment cuts in the
offing.
I dunno, any new person coming onto the board who think's they're going to
get more money right now is not dealing with a full deck... IMHO.
the easy money days for the schools is over for the next few years.
better figure out what u want to keep and what u want to give up.
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