The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board is looking for a new member, and if history is any indication, there'll be a lot of interest.
Joyce Waddell, who represented District 3, stepped down to assume her role in the N.C. Senate. Her district runs from uptown north and east through the University City area.
Waddell ran unopposed in 2013. But in elections before that, the District 3 seat has been one of the more hotly contested positions on the board.
Nine names appeared on the ballot in 2009, when Waddell won the seat with 32 percent of the vote.
Four people vied for the seat in 2005, when George Dunlap won re-election.
Dunlap, who now is a Mecklenburg County commissioner, ran unopposed a few times before that.
Applications are due Feb. 2. You can apply online here. They'll pick somebody Feb. 5.
I have two people so far that I've confirmed are going to apply.
- Levester Flowers is a retired Bank of Amerca employee and a familiar face in local politics. He's a regular speaker in the public comment sessions and has been vocal about getting families more involved in their children's education. In 2011, as CMS moved to shut down campuses amid budget cuts, Flowers organized a group called "Save Our Schools." He has run for a seat on the City Council before.
He told the Observer he is throwing his hat in the ring to help continue the "upward spiral" of test scores, graduation rates and reading proficiency.
- Pat Martinez is a Charlotte businesswoman who runs a company called "Leadership in the Clouds," which works with other businesses on leadership development. She is an advocate for the Latino community and would be one of the first Hispanic people on the school board (if not the first).
She said she wants to "work with school board members to restore trust and continue to enhance the integrity of our school system."
Posts
