My name is Brady Skinner, I have lived in Jones County for almost 30 years. I am married and have 4 children. My daughter and her husband have two boys, and the oldest attends Jones County PreK. My oldest son is in the US Navy serving as a Nuclear Electrical Operator and is currently stationed in Connecticut. He and his wife are expecting their first child in June. My two youngest sons are still in school, one attends Jones County High School and the other attends Gray Station Middle School. My wife is a teacher at JCHS, where she has taught science for 15 years. I have been employed with GEICO for the past 19 years, working as a bodily injury adjuster, a supervisor and currently as a Senior Software Analyst.
What or who was your inspiration to run for Board of Education Chairman?
I believe that as citizens it is our duty to take part in our communities by investing our time and service to help create a better future and to be a part of solutions to issues instead of simply voicing complaints. I want to ensure there is transparency between the board and parents. The state has passed legislation that all board meetings be live streamed and recorded, and although this is a step in the right direction, we can do more to improve.
I want my children to see that serving your community can be beneficial and can create a positive impact in the community. Our community has been fortunate to have people like Mr. John Trimnell, that display a servant’s heart and inspire others, such as myself to serve. It is my hope that the actions I take will help to encourage others to accept the call to serve.
Is there a reason you opted to run for chairman rather than represent one of the BOE districts?
My district is not up for election this year. I chose to run for chair, after a considerable amount of prayer and discussion with my family, in lieu of waiting for my district’s seat to become available. A seat on the board of education is one voice and one vote, no matter which seat it is. The authority of the board lies within the collective group, and it is their duty and responsibility to collaborate with the superintendent to increase the success of the school system.
Mask mandates have been a hot button issue nationwide. What is your stance on masks for students if another COVID wave hits?
I am not a supporter of any type of government mandate, and I will not vote in the affirmative for a mandate. With that said, I am a full supporter of an individual’s right to wear or not to wear a mask. If a parent, or the student, chooses to wear or not wear a mask that decision is their decision alone and it is not a decision the local board of education should be a part of. The school system’s priority is to nurture a safe and inviting learning environment for all the students in our community, not to create and enforce mandates.
Jones County got a small dose of a school shooting in an incident earlier this year. Do you agree with the steps taken to increase security and what would you like to see more and less security at the schools?
I do agree with the steps taken. We are fortunate to have our local law enforcement agencies partner with our schools to help keep our children and staff safe, but we should not be so gullible as to think just because we have a small community a tragedy would never strike us. There are many options available for school security in today’s world. Scannable ID badges for staff and students would allow access to areas of the schools based on the holder’s credentials. Increased random law enforcement sweeps of our schools, may seem intrusive, but when something happens it seems that one of the first questions is why we did not do more to implement measures to increase safety for students. I would like for our board to work collaboratively with our law enforcement agencies to determine areas for improvement in school safety during school hours and during events hosted by our schools, including those held after school hours.
Sports are huge in Jones County. What are your views on balancing support for sports with supporting other extracurricular activities like band, chorus and arts and science programs?
Many of the sports programs have their own booster clubs that fundraise to allow the programs to be self-supporting. The monetary success the public sees in certain sports comes from the community support and not from the school system’s budget. Fundraising by students participating in extracurricular activities helps them feel that they have contributed to their program. When students are given everything, they are less likely to appreciate it. Other extracurricular groups, such as band, also conduct fundraising and run concessions to help support their program. The school system does receive some state funds that administrators can utilize to help support programs. For example, some of this funding has been utilized to purchase band instruments, and supplies for chorus, art, and science programs.
It is the responsibility of the school system to maintain and update the facilities utilized by our sports programs and our fine arts programs to allow these programs to remain at an elevated level of competition with other school systems. This is an area where we can improve upon with the budget.
My answer may not be a popular one for some, but I do not support imposing funding redistribution for extracurricular activities, especially when the students and boosters of some activities work diligently to help raise the funds, they need to support their programs.
The JROTC program at JCHS has been struggling with its leadership. Do you support the program, and if so, what needs to be done to secure its place in the school system?
Yes, I support JROTC. The JROTC program at JCHS is about 3 years old, so it is still relatively new. JROTC prepares young people for life by promoting integrity, instilling discipline, and cultivating leadership skills that will serve them well in all aspects of their life. Instructors for JROTC programs are highly regarded and sought after throughout the country. We must have a qualified and dedicated JROTC leader, and we need to be able to offer competitive pay as well as appropriate funding for the program. Part of the program is for students to participate in various events and competitions with other schools. We need to make sure that these items are fully funded and that our program has the necessary resources in our county for students to not only prepare for these events, but for the school to also take part in hosting these events.
Each candidate has a platform of issues they would like to see addressed if they are elected or re-elected. The chairman does have a vote but needs two additional votes to make any changes. What is your plan to convince Board members to work with you?
We are fortunate to have a unique mix of experience within our board, consisting of former educators, administrators, pastors, and business leaders. Their input is essential to the resolution of any issue and should be welcomed. I know each of the board members, and I respect the experience they bring to the table and welcome the chance to work hand in hand with them for the betterment of our school system. As chair, I would present my fellow members the following to resolve any issue(s); identifiable root causes, supporting data, sources to confirm the issue, and any current policies related to the issue. With this information, we can thoroughly discuss the issue(s) and decide on a plan of action as a collective and collaborative unit, keeping in mind that our focus is the school system as a whole and what is in the best interest of our school children, teachers, and administrators.
The Board of Education receives more taxpayer money than the county and city, and school districts have literally received millions of dollars in funds from the American Rescue Act. Do you believe those funds have been well spent, and what else would you like to see done with the additional money?
The school system does indeed receive more taxpayer money than the city and county. We are set to receive a total of $11,033,203 from the CARES, ESSER I and ESSER II funding. There is a list of purchases published for public view, but I have not seen a line-item price breakdown of the purchases. I would like more detailed purchasing information, along with data that has been gathered on why the purchases were made and how the schools plan to determine the effectiveness before I could confirm that the money has been spent well. I have looked at the GADOE websites information on the transparency of the funding and wonder if we as a school system are allocating and dispersing these funds properly and in a timely manner.
What would be your top priority as chairman?
As chairman my top priority will be to reestablish the bridge between parents, teachers, and students with our school system. I would like to see parents more involved in their student’s academic life. I would like to see monthly or quarterly parent\teacher townhall meetings, where we sit and listen to those that elected us. I would like to make the Board of Education more welcoming to ideas and suggestions from our stakeholders, which could lead to improvements in student achievement, success of our schools, and policies governing our school system. I would like to see our students be active in their education by attending our board meetings and even signing up to speak.
Why should voters cast their ballot for you rather than your opponents?
I am the only candidate who is fully invested in our school system, and I have been involved in our schools prior to my decision to run for chairman. I have the unique view, of the interactions between the school system and the community. You will see me in the stands at sporting events or in the auditorium cheering on our students throughout the year as they participate in various extracurricular activities. I cannot make you promises that I will single handedly change anything, simply because that is not what the chairman does. I will promise you that I will fulfill the duties of the chairman to the best of my ability and before I vote for any recommendation brought to the board by the superintendent, I will ask “What does the item being considered do to ensure the best education for all of our students?” and “How will it help our school staff in Jones County with their daily duties?”
Our school system is not broken, but there are areas to improve on.
We need to cut waste from the budget and ensure funding is allocated and dispersed in an appropriate and timely manner.
We need to foster a better relationship with our stakeholders, parents, students, and school staff so that involvement in education continues from Pre-K to graduation.
We need to enforce existing discipline and academic policy.
We need a more userfriendly website for our district.
We need improved transparency between the board and the community.
A vote for me gives a voice for change, community, and accountability.
