Candidates running for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education Answered questions for an article published in the Chapel Hill News.  Here are their full answers to those and other questions.

James Barrett

1.  What do you propose the school district do to close the achievement gap?

For far too long, we have said this is a priority without actually making changes that could close our gaps. There is no single effort that will magically close them, but one thing we can and should do is have a full-time “gap czar” in the administration who would push for the changes needed to make substantial progress and be held accountable if we don’t. If this truly is our priority, we need accountability and clear resources applied in Lincoln Center.  This person will be able to research and share ideas that work in our schools to close the gap.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education candidates wrapped up their last forum Wednesday, Oct. 26.

Six of the seven candidates attended the forum hosted by the Hogan Farms Precinct of Orange County Democratic Party at the Lake Hogan Farms Club House in Chapel Hill. 

James Barrett, Jamezetta Bedford, Mia Burroughs, Kris Castellano, Mike Kelley and Annetta Streater attended.  Raymond Conrad was unable to attend because he was out of town.

During the forum candidates were asked about the pressure put on students, budget cuts, solutions for narrowing the achievement gap and about the proposed sales tax.

The candidates have similar views on the issues the district will have to deal with in the coming years.

Additional budget cuts are a real possibility and will most likely be felt in the classroom, narrowing the achievement gap is going to take more time and effort from teachers and the sales tax is needed to make repairs on old school facilities.

The school board in Chapel Hill and Carrboro is unique because we all have a similar vision, said James Barrett.

With the candidates united on many of the issues, this election is going to come down to who voters think will do the best job.

"(Voters will have to) decide who will be the most effective," Barrett said.

Five candidates will be elected on Nov. 8. The candidate with the least amount of votes will be awarded a two-year term while the rest will receive four-year terms.

Look for more details on the CHCCS Board of Education Candidates in Sunday's Chapel Hill News.

Here is school board candidate James Barrett's statement. He filed today to run for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board:

Chapel Hill- Carrboro schools face a historic year: With a new superintendent, we know change is coming. So even more than most years, this is the year we need strong school board leadership to guide the schools toward the goal we all share: helping all our children reach their potential.

I’m James Barrett, and I’m running for school board because I have the leadership skills and experience the board needs:

• Child of the schools–I began in Chapel Hill schools as a 3rd-grader at Seawell, going on to Phillips and graduating from Chapel Hill High
• IBM employee for past 20 years– experience as a manager and project manager of software development, responsible for overseeing $30 million budgets and guiding dozens of employees in their careers
• Founding member of the strategy team of Orange County Justice United and member Justice United’s education action team–through Justice United, I have listened to the concerns of the community and worked with government and other officials to effect change (see below)
• Elementary school weekly math volunteer and year-round rec league baseball/basketball coach
• Parent of an elementary school student and a middle school student in the district