Name: Ruth Hartness (incumbent)
Candidate For: Vance County Board of Education – District 7
Age: 78
Town of Residence: Henderson
Previous position(s) held: Board of Education – a total of 18 years of service
Degrees/Certifications Earned: Certification of Distinction for more than 400 hours of training offered by NC School Boards Association, Master Board Certification
What motivates you to want to continue as a Vance County Board of Education member?
What motivates me to want to continue my service on the Board? Wow, that is an easy question! The super, super teachers we have in our classrooms. They work so hard every day. They buy supplies with their own money. They are HEROS! The children they teach are our hope for tomorrow. We have a duty to provide them with the latest technology so they will be prepared to enter the real world.
Another reason I’m excited about the possibility of re-election is due to Dr. Anthony Jackson, our Superintendent! He is the most exciting leader I have worked with in a long time. He has a great vision for Vance County Schools and I want to follow him down that road. All of this and more provides dynamic motivation and energizes me to work hard to continue in office.
What do you see as the Board’s primary roles and responsibilities?
The Board’s primary responsibility is to set policy and see that the Superintendent follows it – pure and simple.
What is your vision for the future of education in this community?
I envision a middle school offering students more possibilities and a comprehensive high school offering more courses and stronger athletic teams. Athletics can keep some students in school and they have to keep their grades up to play.
I would also like to see more CTE classes offered (career and technology). All of our students are not going to college and these classes prepare them for the workforce. We will continue to educate our students with knowledgeable and dedicated teachers and we won’t leave one of them behind!
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing the Vance County Board of Education?
The biggest challenge facing the Board of Education is our declining student population. We have no control over where these students are going. Vance County is also experiencing a declining birth rate.
We have taken a big step in consolidating the middle and high schools, vacating two buildings which were draining us of much-needed funds. We will continue to monitor this trend and make other adjustments if necessary.
How would you handle the request of individuals and special interest groups?
Board members should not handle any individual request or that of special interest groups. I would refer those folks to the Superintendent. He is in charge.
(WIZS News will be publishing a series of candidate question-and-answer articles in the days leading up to the May 8th primary here on WIZS.com. Significant portions will be broadcast on WIZS Radio with equal time allotted for each candidate.)
