ANNOUNCEMENT OF CANDIDACY
[Editor’s note: The Citizen offers each candidate for local office the opportunity of one announcement of candidacy at no charge.]
The following is the announcement by Roy Rabold:
I am excited about the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Fayette County using my forty-plus years of educational experience to continue assisting our teachers, administrators, Superintendent and parents in charting a course to further the success of the Fayette County School System.
My responsibilities as assistant principal and principal of three Fayette County high schools have given me a valuable perspective to effectively serve District 2 on the Board of Education.
I have been an administrator in Fayette County for thirty-one years. I have served as principal of Sandy Creek and Whitewater High School where both schools won numerous awards and state and national recognition. Academic achievement was always my priority. I have continued that same philosophy as a member of the Board of Education.
As a parent and fellow homeowner of Fayette County for twenty-nine years, I understand the impact that maintaining highly rated public schools has on our community as well as our property values.
Presently, Fayette County students receive a top-quality education, earning millions of dollars in scholarships, attending prestigious universities, and positively impacting our nation through a variety of careers that range from fields in cutting-edge technology to the theater arts. People move to Fayette County for the quality of life, quality of law enforcement, and the quality of our educational system.
I am proud to have been a part of the educational system for thirty-one years as an administrator and my three and a half years on the board, currently serving as the board chairperson.
I plan to continue with my philosophy and goals which are to:
· Ensure the highest quality of education. Not all students are going to college and we must provide a quality education for all students.
· Provide equality of opportunity of education for all students across our county.
· Actively support our teachers. Make sure we continue with teacher training and the use of technology resources.
· Maintain county fiscal responsibility with taxpayer money. I understand the responsibility to be a good steward of these funds and the importance of holding our school administrators accountable for the projects funded by taxpayer dollars. You have recently passed an ESPLOST to make sure the quality education in Fayette County continues. I plan to represent you in that expectation.
· Encourage parents’ participation in their child’s education
· Support a Triangle of Success: Schools, Parents, and Students working together for student success.
· Encourage critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication skills enhancement.
· Ensure a safe and healthy environment, conducive to learning for all students.
The Board of Education must continue to support and guide our schools so that our students will always have the best possible education to prepare them for the careers of the future.
Since joining the Board of Education, the Georgia School Boards Association has presented us with the coveted title of Exemplary Board three years in a row, we won the Trend Setter Award two years in a row and were named the Governance Team of the Year. We work as a cohesive group to achieve our goals and strive for excellence as a Board of Education.
It is equally important to wisely invest our tax dollars to maximize the return to our students and taxpayers. We pay one of the highest property tax millage rates in Georgia, and we should always balance new projects against lowering the tax rate if possible.
I understand the responsibility to be a good steward of these funds and the importance of holding our school administrators accountable for the projects funded by taxpayer dollars.
Evelyn, my wife of forty-seven years, and I look forward to meeting as many citizens as possible to hear your concerns and ideas to keep Fayette a top school system in Georgia. It will be my pleasure to serve our community, and that is why I am asking for your vote on May 24 in our Primary.
Thank you,
Roy A. Rabold
[The preceding was the initial candidacy announcement by Roy Rabold, who is seeking the Republican nomination for Fayette County Board of Education District 2 in the May 24 Republican Primary. The Citizen offers each candidate for local office the opportunity of one announcement of candidacy at no charge.]
Mr. Rabold,
Those that love you never had a child that needed specific care or at least someone who someone who showed “human” care. You never took the time the time to really understand or care about the students OR parents of students who needed your individual attention. You, specifically you, have impacted my child in a negative way as a principal from how you treated her in a meeting. She is not and has never been a behavior problem but did not fit into your norm. You will never be forgotten but not for good reasons. I, too, am a homeowner, voter, educator for 35 years, and hope that I NEVER have this type of negative impact on a child this many years later. You will never have my vote, nor anyone in my family or my friends. I am a 49 year resident of Fayetteville and I intend to make sure you will not continue in this role.
Mr Rabold,
We appreciate your long history of working in the school system but it really is time for you to retire. Your decisions have not been good lately for parents, kids, and tax payers. We have cameras that were black listed sitting in a warehouse. Money NOT well spent. We have a new school with a transportation nightmare that you said was not used by tax payer dollars – SPLOST IS TAXPAYER DOLLARS. You renovated the old Booth to rent out when it could have been used for the kids and saved on building a new school.
We need new ideas, new leadership, transparency, fiscally responsible people on the board. We need people who will not side with administration but who will actually listen to parents and do something about their concerns for their special need kids.
So I think you for your service and say congratulations on your retirement. Mrs Alyson Otto will be replacing you on May 24th.
Eloquent.
extremely well stated