The Citizen last week published the responses by candidate’s for the District 1 and District 1 At-large seats on the Coweta County Board of Education that will be decided by voters Nov. 2. The responses of Dist. 1 write-in candidate Jimmy Harrison were not included due to a technical issue beyond his control. His response to the same questions are provided below.
By way of comparison to the responses by Harrison, readers can refer to the answers provided by District 1 candidates Amy Dees and Andrew Krause and District 1 At-large candidates Michael Sumner and April Parker that were included in last week’s edition or visit https://www.thecitizen.com/articles/10-21-2010/coweta-boe-candidates-have…
Jimmy Harrison-
1) What are your thoughts on current curriculum offerings and what can be done to keep Coweta public schools providing even better academic challenges for children over the next decade?
I think the current math is disjointed, out of sequence and hard for the students. If elected I would do everything I could at state level to make some math curriculum changes. The general curriculum and requirements for various tracks are set by the state and must be offered. I believe the state has a list of courses that can be added if the need arises or I would try to add one of these courses.
2) Some reports suggest that a substantial percentage of jobs in the coming decades will be vocationally-oriented. If you agree, then how might a school system transition into a curriculum more attuned to vocational pursuits without sacrificing the traditional academic orientation?
I think Coweta County is ahead of the game in this area with the CEC already in place. I would like to see the CEC expanded to meet the needs of each and every student. I think CEC prepares students for the next steps in their life if they choose not to pursue college.
3) The charter school movement issue has been front and center in Coweta with the eventual opening of the Coweta Charter Academy in Senoia. What is your stand on charter schools in general and this school in particular?
I like a charter school like the CEC because it offers a value to our community and our students and it offers something our public school systems does not offer. The one in Senoia from my understanding is run by a company in Florida for profit. This will divert funds from Coweta County School System and from the state of Georgia.
4) Despite the claims of Washington and Wall Street the recession appears to be far from over. Along with the recession comes falling revenues for school operations. What is your philosophy on school system fiscal accountability and how will you assure voters that you will vote to spend taxpayers money wisely?
In my professional career I have had the responsibilities of the budget process and I review and study items so I understand where the monies are going and if needed I ask questions. I think by law you have to have a public hearing so the public can come to review the budget.
