Got a hot tip? Milburn and Cunningham were also invited to speak at the event but did not attend. Faulkner County has seen a "very high turnout for a school election," according to the election commission's office. I will support and represent this city well. To Mr. Bill Milburn thank you for stepping up to fill this seat, and thank you for your work. All Rights Reserved. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. BARRE, Vt. (WCAX) - Stephen Donahue is your new leader in the Late Model points race at Thunder . Thank you all for your trust. What role(s) should public school have in childrens lives, other than basic education? . School Board Election Day is May 9. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. April 26, 2023 4:34 pm 216 Comments One of two Conway School Board races has taken an ugly turn. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. "I'll only be one voice, but I can promise I'll be a loud voice. I know that we are a long way from where we need to be and where we have been, but I know that we can get back there," Franklin said Monday. Since I am a strong conservative, there was zero chance of either gaining or losing support from the Democrats," Milburn said in an interview Tuesday. With all precincts reporting, unofficial vote totals, according to the clerks office, were: At-large seat (Incumbents marked with asterisk.). We have a lot of amazing things happening in our district," Collum said. The board has also faced controversy for banning some books that discuss LGBTQ romance, drafting a policy that limits which words teachers can say and deleting staff emails after three days. View All Photos. New Conway school board members said they focus on unity and transparency Theres absolutely no place for that in the [Conway School District.] Reeves ( Republican Party) ran for election to the Georgia House of Representatives to represent District 99. I believe that the school board should focus mainly on educating our kids, all of our kids.". I am running for re-election. Disney, a 2010 graduate of Conway High School, also shared her visions and goals if elected to the at-large position. Cunningham and Franklin did not return interview requests. Debra Hale-Shelton is a reporter for the Arkansas Times. Jennifer Lane Cunningham-Conway School Board Im married to one. On his campaign page, Milburn said the district has a strong conservative board that has proven it is not afraid to take a stand on controversial issues.. Though school board elections are nonpartisan, the incumbents who lost had aligned themselves with conservatives, even drawing endorsements from Gov. 2023 ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION CALENDAR FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH MAY ELECTION ONLY ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION: MAY 9, 2023Ark. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. Published: 10:36 PM CDT May 9, 2023. "I'm excited about the work ahead and I think the future in Conway public schools is extremely bright. All rights reserved. Neither Cunningham nor Milburn was apparently involved in the T-shirt decision, though Milburn defended it. "We can have the school board meetings in the overflow and see everyone that wants to be there. And now the work begins, Geier, project manager at a roofing company, wrote on Facebook. 7, 2023 at 3:24 PM PDT. Updated April 12, 2023. Print Headline: 2 new Conway School Board members to take their seats ADVERTISEMENT A sign reminds voters they need photo ID to vote at polling station at Hillsboro Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Franklin unseated incumbent Jennifer Cunningham in the election. Contact us here. I know a LOT of teachers. Conway Highschool. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Faulkner County. For more information about elections in your community, including polling sites and sample ballots, visit at www.voterview.ar-nova.org, by Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate May 8, 2023. Conservatives claim Conway School Board seats Vice President of the Conway School Board Jennifer Cunningham is running for a second term. Trey Geier is running for the Conway School Boards Zone 5 seat because he said hes worried about where the current board is headed. Tags Conway School Board Smolen Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. I will support and represent this city well. Donahue seizes lead in chase for "King of the Road" title. The election is slated for Nov. 7. Westrock Coffee plans Conway expansion, 600 jobs Trey Geier also defeated incumbent Bill Milburn in Zone 5 by 113 votes. If so, what and why? CONWAY -- Candidates hoping to unseat incumbents on the Conway School Board on Monday vowed to focus on education and not issues that have divided the community in recent months. Polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on May 9 in Faulkner County and throughout Arkansas. I believe that the school board should focus mainly on educating our kids, all of our kids.. Supporting the Arkansas Times' independent journalism is more vital than ever. Cunningham Announces for Re-Election to School Board. Next Election. Elected Offices. Conway School District to put levies on ballot - goSkagit I believe that starts with the leadership, and the school board has to take responsibility and hold themselves accountable. The policy served as a template for a state law approved in March that restricts childrens access to bathrooms and changing areas based on their sex assigned at birth. Faulkner County school board candidates have completed their election filings. Candidates vie for two Conway school board seats He previously ran the Horry County school board. In a previous interview, Geier said: "I look forward to representing the community and supporting our teachers and students. Milburn was the only candidate who turned out to the Faulkner County Courthouse to await election results Tuesday night. He said he has three children in Conway schools. If you didnt know, the elections took place during national Teacher Appreciation Week. Im super excited both of us won and well be able to represent the community well.. Over the past year, our board has been FOIAd many, many times. 2023 8:20 AM . School candidates make their case - The Conway Daily Sun They are educating our students, and its an insult and slap in these professionals faces to speak anything different. Jennifer Lane Cunningham-Conway School Board - Facebook Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined the fray today and endorsed the two self-styled conservative incumbents. They pledge to focus on students education, not divisive issues in Conway. By the time Disney said she was comfortable endorsing Franklin, ballots had already been printed, so her name will appear on the ballot and the votes she receives will be counted. Franklin scored 4,160 votes, while Cunningham, first elected in 2018, picked up 3,301. Two incumbents were unseated in the Conway School Board election - WT LOCAL "I'm looking forward to the upcoming board meeting and working together with my fellow board members and the Superintendent. The event, which attracted 29 citizens to the library's Ham Room, lasted just shy of two hours. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). At that same meeting, the board opted to remove two books dealing with transgender issues from a school library despite a committees suggestion that they be retained. Two challengers for positions on the Conway School Board ousted their incumbent opponents Tuesday night, according to preliminary election results released by the Faulkner County Election Commission.With all polling sites reporting, unofficial returns for the at-large board position were:Sheila Franklin 4,160Jennifer Cunningham: 3,301Jess Disney 28Cunningham is the boards vice president and was elected in 2018. The annual school board election is in the books for the Conway School District, and voters elected two new members. What is your position on the recent controversy over sexually inappropriate books in the school libraries? Weve lost institutional knowledge as valuable teachers and administrators have left the district. Voters react to Conway School Board elections where the conservatives lost despite Conway Public School at-large board member-elect Sheila Franklin hugs her husband Ed after receiving final results of the school board election at a watch party on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at the Willow Events Center in Conway, AR. I already represent all the kids.". Vilonia, Mayflower, and Guy Perkins School Election will be held by absentee and early vote only. Board President Andre Acklin also shared his thoughts on the upcoming meetings and his hopes as the board moves forward as a collective. http://www.faulknercounty.org/government/departments/county-clerk/voting-information-forms, http://www.faulknercounty.org/votefaulkner.com/images/Voter_ID.pdf. In lieu of responses from the other candidates, see the March 6 Democrat party meet and greet event where candidates Sheila Franklin, Jessica Disney, and Trey Geier spoke: Candidate Jessica Disney pulled out of the race last week: Video from original video on Faulkner County Coalition for Social Justices Facebook page. "We are a public school and I think the public should be able to attend whatever meeting the public wants to be at. However, the need for our transparency to the public is greater than any burden FOIA places on us. Faulkner County election officials said there was a very high turnout for a school election during early voting. This service is free to readers and other news outlets. School board races in Arkansas are nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not run under any political party's banner. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. "My campaign is built around education, being your voice on the board and teachers mattering. In a Facebook post this week, she criticized what she views as the lefts woke agenda and indoctrination.. Milburn also got $750 from Faulkner County Republican Women and $2,900 from the Republican Party of Arkansas, the Advocate reported. Franklin is a former Head Start teacher and juvenile probation/intake officer. Mount Vernon Enola School Election will be held by election by candidate. The county seat is Lawrenceville.. Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population.This encompasses all city, county, and special district elections appearing on the ballot within those cities. May 9, 2023. She has previously worked for The Associated Press and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Do you agree or disagree with the Boards handling of FOI issues? Geier said his goal on the board would be to stop pushing policies and decisions on teachers and students and to encourage the board to do more listening. "I've had experience with special education, gifted education, orchestra, athletics and more. Public education should exist solely to educate children in the basics: reading, math, science and history. "There was a meeting hosted by the Democrats of Faulkner County. The winner of this election, one of three dozen contested school board races in Arkansas, will serve the rest of Champlins term, which expires in 2024. The flyers sent out by one particular incumbent were disheartening to many teachers. As Franklin and Geier enter their first year on the board, Acklin highlighted that he is entering year 14 on the board, noting that he looks forward to what is to come. There were 7,489 votes cast in the at-large race. Kendrick earlier this week urged voters to support Franklin and Geier. It was already happening the way that they legislated it. Elections | Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce I am happy for our kids today, they are the true winners., Angie Boyett Ryall, a special-education resource teacher at Conways Carolyn Lewis Elementary School, wrote on Facebook: Thank you Conway for the BEST teacher appreciation gift EVER!!!!. Milburn does not have a campaign website, but billboards promoting his campaign say "conservative." I will also support those who didnt vote for me because I serve you all., Franklin said that its past time for us to get rid of the divisiveness.. As an alternative, students can ask to use a single-use restroom. Thats more than enough to keep every teacher I know working countless hours of overtime each week. Primaries will be held September 5, and the general election will be held November 7. Conway, Arkansas - Ballotpedia Antoinette Grajeda is a multimedia journalist who has reported since 2007 on a wide range of topics, including politics, health, education, immigration and the arts for NPR affiliates, print publications and digital platforms. Filing Window. Amy Polk Ferdowsian is running for re-election for the Conway School Board, Zone 1. I am a volunteer, and it is wonderful to connect with these young children and help them master recognizing and writing their ABCs. Franklin bested incumbent school board Vice President Cunningham by 859 votes, receiving 4,160 votes to Cunningham's 3,301. Frederick Douglass. Single. Her daughter was one of the coaches affected by a directive to not wear Celebrate Black History t-shirts in February that was later revoked. I believe a teacher should teach their subject and avoid trying to indoctrinate their students in areas like politics, religion or social issues, he said. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Print Headline: School board hopefuls speak at forum, Copyright 2023, Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC. According to campaign finance reports, Cunningham received $2,900 from the Republican Party of Arkansas, $1,000 from Faulkner County Republican Women and $500 from the Faulkner County Republican Committee. Interest in the school board election in one Central Arkansas county has grown after the district became a battleground for "culture war" issues, like transgender bathroom policies, book bans and parental rights. Former SC congressional candidate running for Conway mayor | Myrtle Faulkner County is home to the Conway School Board, which drew much attention when it unanimously approved bathroom restrictions last October. Here are your 2022 candidates for school boards in Conway, Guy-Perkins, Mayflower, Mt.Vernon-Enola, and Vilonia. The board has also faced controversy for banning some books that discuss LGBTQ romance, drafting a policy that limits which words teachers can say and deleting staff emails after three days. 2023 Rhode Island's 1st congressional district special election Location. All three candidates who campaigned as "strong conservative voices" won election to the board of the Conway School District Tuesday. Two new Conway School Board members elected; beating incumbents According to the Advocate, the Faulkner County Republican Committee contributed $400 in cash and $824 in advertising to Milburns campaign. Voters react to Conway School Board elections where the conservatives MIKE KEMP PHOTO, Tom Cotton files legislation aimed at banning drag shows on military bases, Justice Rhonda Wood announces race for chief justice. Follow Arkansas Advocate on Facebook and Twitter. School Board Election Day is May 9. Johnson was among the Conway coaches who temporarily were forbidden from wearing Black History Month T-shirts at basketball games earlier this year. Lets make it a better Conway for all of our kids and our futures, added Geier. Cunningham is vice president of the school board and a concerned parent, according to her campaign literature. 5820 Asher Ave. Suite 400 ~ Little Rock, AR 72204, it unanimously approved bathroom restrictions, banning some books that discuss LGBTQ romance, policy that limits which words teachers can say, See stories by Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate, An LA deputy punched a woman in the face as she held her 3-week-old baby, video shows, A record-breaking Burmese python as long as a giraffe is tall caught in Florida, FTC investigating ChatGPT over potential consumer harm. At a February meeting, board members apologized to the coaches, calling it a misunderstanding and mistake. Board meetings are streamed online, but Geier said the current room where the board convenes only seats about 35. Interest in the school board election in one Central Arkansas county has grown after the district became a battleground for culture war issues, like transgender bathroom policies, book bans and parental rights. Sheila Franklin (left) and Trey Geier, the two newest members of the Conway School Board, are shown in these undated courtesy campaign photos. All the candidates say theyre focused on education for our kids. So, if elected, what are your plans to help improve our reading scores? The community of Conway sent a message in this election that we want to see our school and community move in a different direction.. According to unofficial results from the Faulkner County Election Commission, 1,207 votes were cast in the Zone 5 election. Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Heres the responses to our Conway School Board Voters Guide from Jennifer Cunningham, who currently holds one of two at-large seats on the Board and is running for re-election on May 9. She has previously worked for The Associated Press and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. I have a passion for educators, and it hurts my heart to hear leaders talking about our teachers are indoctrinating our students. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Updated: 10:37 PM CDT May 9, 2023. "It's been very rewarding and I'm already working and making myself available and introducing myself to as many people as possible," Franklin said. Board members later apologized to the coaches, calling the decision a mistake.Disney last month endorsed Franklin as the right choice in a Facebook post.With all polling sites reporting, unofficial returns for the Zone 5 board position were:Trey Geier 660Bill Milburn 547Milburn, the incumbent, was appointed to the board after Scott Champlin resigned from the post in September. Her nearly five years on the board has enhanced her understanding of what it takes to help lead . Milburn was appointed to the Zone 5 seat after Scott Champlin resigned from the post in September. I spent the last 8 1/2 years telling the stories and communicating with families about the great things happening in [Conway Public School District] classrooms, Kendrick wrote on Facebook. Faulkner County is home to the Conway School Board, which drew much attention when, it unanimously approved bathroom restrictions. Founded 1974, the Arkansas Times is a lively, opinionated source for news, politics & culture in Arkansas. Maximenu CK message : Your module ID 101 is still working in V8 Legacy mode. Here's the responses to our Conway School Board Voters Guide from Jennifer Cunningham, who currently holds one of two "at-large" seats on the Board and is running for re-election on May 9. Example video title will go here for this video, Dan Quinn is still to blame for costing Atlanta Falcons |Hittin Hard With Jon Chuckery| 7/12/23 Pt 2. Two contenders for Conway school board positions unseated their incumbents Tuesday night, according to preliminary election results released by the Faulkner County Election Commission. For 48 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been on the front lines of the fight for truth, and with your support, we can do even more. A 1980 graduate of Conway High School, Franklin has two grandchildren who are students in the district, as well as a daughter who coaches and teaches in the district. List of school board elections in 2023 - Ballotpedia (NWA Media). There is absolutely no room for politics in a public school. Franklin described herself during the campaign as a strong woman of faith, but she never suggested all churchgoers would necessarily support her campaign. Connie Conway - Ballotpedia Our monthly magazine is free at over 500 locations in Central Arkansas. April 12, 2023. Milburn, who was later appointed to the board to fill a vacancy, was not on the panel at the time but has defended the restroom policy, saying it was a compromise. The board also got pushback for asking an attorney to draft a marathon list of topics that some on the far right apparently believe should be forbidden in classrooms. Conway School Board 2023 Voters Guide: Jennifer Cunningham The public has a right to know what their elected officials are doing because its the peoples job to hold those folks politically accountable. Michael Hibblen. Paul Oh, Director, Public Policy & Community Affairs770-232-8804 or pauloh@gwinnettchamber.org. Two Conway school board seats to be decided | thv11.com Late last year, Kendrick said she had been reassigned and relieved of almost all my duties as Communication Specialist. She later went on leave, subsequently resigned and has moved on with her career and life. Also, fellow board member Linda Hargis has started a reading program that is in the test phase at Theodore Jones Elementary. My kids, all kids, deserve a school board that is laser focused on education, said Geier, who has three children in the school district.. I absolutely believe that the current school board has not been focused on education or on supporting our teachers and students, Geier added. Milburn also said he believes every student has the right to receive the best education in an environment thats safe from bullying. Coming out of COVID, our test scores and school ratings are not where they should be. Ultimately, I will gladly follow whatever guidelines our legislature lays out governing FOIA. 0. /. Some critics felt the policy was intended to grandstand because it was already in effect, just not in writing. Upcoming Elections 2023 School Board Sample Ballots. The two newest board members for the Conway School District will take their seats for the first time in next month's June 13 meeting. Additionally, Geier said he wants to bring decorum back to the board and focus on education instead of social issues. Campaign finance records show Geier and Franklin did not receive money from a political party, but they did pay the Democratic Party of Arkansas for donor and voter data, the Advocate reported. This election comes after several controversial decisions from the Conway School Board. The city had 64,134 residents as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau. April 10 is the deadline for eligible residents to register before early voting begins on Tuesday, May 2. The policy served as a template for a state law approved in March that restricts childrens access to bathrooms and changing areas based on their sex assigned at birth. If someones platform or values are focused only on being Conservative, Republican, Liberal, or Democrat, then I dont understand how they could truly serve the people who dont look like me, think like me, or believe like me. Randi House, the Arkansas Teacher of the Year in 2018 and a Conway kindergarten teacher, celebrated on Facebook with this post: There were so many happy tears at Sheila Franklins watch party tonight. Faulkner County Reports 2018 - 2023. "There are more people in the overflow space than there are actually in the meeting space," Geier said. * Jennifer Cunningham, whos running for re-election to a Conway city-wide at-large seat and Mar 18, 2022. Conway School District Zone 5 (term 2019-2024) . Please read our Terms of Use or contact us. I can see this program growing to the point that we have volunteers in all the elementary schools, coming alongside the teachers and helping where we can. The . Geier will be representing the Zone 5 seat, formerly held by Milburn. Conway School Board Member, At large, Position 5 Learn more about Jennifer Cunningham here. This policy protects the rights of all students by providing the use of single occupancy restrooms for whomever may want an alternative to using their biologically correct restroom.
Ct Tigers Softball Tryouts, Lewton Elementary School, 3055 Barnes Mill Court Roswell Ga 30075, Pole Dancing Boise Idaho, Get All Keys Of Object Java, Articles C