Henderson County School Board candidate profiles: Vance McCraw
The Times-News is running answers from questionnaires sent out to the Henderson County School Board candidates. There are three seats available, as Dot Case and Jay Egolf are running for re-election. Amy Lynn Holt's seat is available, since she is running for a Henderson County Commissioners' seat.
Below are Vance McCraw's repsonses:
What do you believe are the top issues facing the School Board and how do you plan to address those issues?
We experienced tremendous learning loss during the pandemic. Focusing on academics (mathematics, science, language arts, history, civics) is essential to ensuring our children are ready for life as adults after graduating.
The pandemic was also detrimental to many children’s mental health, and bullying seems to be a worsening problem. While we should work to keep all students and staff safe, we must work to reach those students who are lashing out to help them overcome their behavioral problems and help them succeed as students.
Teacher’s pay and retention is another critical issue. We must find ways to pay our educators better. While the state holds the purse strings, we must work with our local elected officials and state representatives to find funds to keep the best educators in Henderson County.
Increased awareness of fentanyl in schools is another issue. The STAR program is wonderful. I would like to see increased communication from HCPS with parents and students to ensure everyone knows how addictive and deadly fentanyl is. Reading about children overdosing on this poison simply by handling it is terrifying, and knowing the manufacturers of this poison are targeting children with pills disguised as candy should be a concern for everyone.
Talk about your background and why you would be the best choice to be on the School Board.
I am a small business owner and work in the medical industry. As an entrepreneur, I understand how to listen and solve problems as efficiently as possible. We need problem solvers in our local government to cut through the bureaucracy we witness at the state level.
I am from Western North Carolina and lived in Buncombe County as a child. At the age of 12 I moved to Kentucky, but returned to Henderson County in 2005, and this is where my wife and I have raised our children. All four of our children have attended Henderson County Public Schools.
With the new superintendent, Mark Garrett, coming in, describe the Board's role in working with him to ensure the success of the schools, teachers and students.
Mark Garrett brings a wealth of experience with him to Henderson County. When our board of education announced the hiring of Mr. Garrett, I was excited, as his experience allows him to come in and get up to speed quickly in his transition from McDowell County Public Schools. If I am elected, I would like to listen to the concerns and goals Mr. Garrett has for HCPS and share my concerns and goals with him, so we can work together as a team to ensure all students in Henderson County Public Schools are getting the best education possible, and all teachers, staff, and students are in the safest environment possible.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson County School Board candidate profiles: Vance McCraw
