As with the county commissioner election, we're also doing things differently for this year's Orange County Board of Education election. Instead of holding our usual live online candidate forums, we have asked the candidates to complete a brief questionnaire.
Below are our questions for the candidates. In a couple of weeks, we will post the candidates’ responses here on the blog. Here's a reminder of who's running:
- Full 4-year term (3 seats): Stephen H. Halkiotis, Tony McKnight, Matthew Roberts
- Unexpired 2-year term (1 seat): John D. Hamilton, Michael H. Hood
ORANGEPOLITICS CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE: ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
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What explains the “achievement gap” in Orange County Schools, and what should the board and the administration do to close the gap?
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Data indicate that school resource officers make arrests for minor incidents that could easily be handled by school staff. What reforms would you support to protect students from the consequences of criminal charges and criminal records?
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How would you characterize the relationship between the school board and the county commissioners? In what ways could this relationship be improved?
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What should board members and administrators have done to support students and staff in response to a small number of complaints about a teacher’s decision to read King and King to his students to address anti-LGBTQ bullying in his classroom?
- How would you propose to balance taxation and funding between Orange County’s two school districts?
Issues: