School Board Accountability

"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then He

made School Boards."

Mark Twain

Mark Twain's withering contempt for a body elected to oversee the person hired to run schools remains as fresh today as in 1897 when the writer penned the words. One Stanford University case was argued by the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank on campus. The opening salvo was a description of school boards as dysfunctional families filled with unlovable types such as would-be politicians, teacher-union sympathizers and single-issue advocates. They are people who would run screaming from the label conservative, yet they block reform efforts such as charter schools and high-stakes testing in favor of conserving the status quo. LARRY STANLEY is not a union sympathizer. Every employee should be fairly compensated for an honest day s work. Collective bargaining should never include a guaranteed job or pay scales not commensurate with industry standards. Attaining tenure, a protected status in academia, should be a reward only for continued effectiveness and high performance in the job. LARRY STANLEY knows many issues face school boards. The responsibilities of managing a school system, even with a hired superintendent and staff, must remain accountable to the taxpayers who support the system. LARRY STANLEY is a conservative. He will provide openness and accountability. He will stand to protect taxpayers. He will serve as an advocate for students, parents and system staff.

Henry County Schools averaged 24.8 from a possible score of 100 in college preparedness, reported on May 8th by a US News nationwide analysis. We read about college readiness in the news and how important it is. But until now we were not provided a national measurement to compare how well we prepare students for postsecondary education. The Georgia Department of Education has released a new measure of student achievement for public high schools around the state. The measure is a four-year high school graduation rate. Simply, it is calculated using the number of students who graduate within four years of starting high school. Henry County Schools did not fare well as shown below:

Eagle s Landing High graduation rate was 64.24 percent Luella High s rate was 73.58 percent Dutchtown High s rate was 74.61 percent Woodland High s rate was 84.63 Henry County High s rate was 72.81 Ola High s rate was 83.01 Union Grove High had the highest graduation at 91.91 percent. The school of 1,585 pupils ranked in the top 10 high schools statewide

We cannot be satisfied with the status quo. From Stockbridge to McDonough to Locust Grove the effectiveness and quality of education provided varies widely. Larry Stanley s opponent says at his website: My decision to run for the District 2 BOE seat was made for one reason. I think I am the best person to help preserve & protect our communities [sic] integrity. THAT is simply not enough! Larry Stanley is forthright and a fighter! He steadfastly clings to his ideals, while reaching out for consensus and consultation; all of which are great qualities in a leader. Larry Stanley has been willing to question the conventional wisdom - to look around and ask whether our politicians were in sync with the sentiments of most Henry County citizens. Larry questions the notions that our elected officials cannot tackle multiple challenges at once. Larry Stanley has tenacity and vision to recognize what should and could be done. Larry has courage to stand up and act in the face of considerable pressure and proven ability to effectively get the job done.

Voters in Henry County s District 2 are urged to choose experience. Choose proven abilities. Larry Stanley will back-up his good intentions with conservative principles and determined action.

Stanley for Henry Board of Education 260 Oak Leaf Drive, Stockbridge, GA 30281 lrstanley@charter.net