Beaufort County School Board: Campbell promotes ‘community building and improving education’
Melvin Campbell is the incumbent on the Beaufort County School Board from District 10, which is Hilton Head.
Campbell, 73, is in a three-way race for the seat with Peter Kristian and Elizabeth Hey. He is a retired Beaufort County teacher.
His priority would be “a transparent board with highest priority on student achievement” and “community building and improving education.”
The Island Packet sent questionnaires to candidates in contested races in the Nov. 8 election. They were asked to limit their answers to 150 words.
Here are Campbell’s responses:
Do you have any current relation to Beaufort County schools? In what school district or community activities or organizations have you been involved?
I am the current School Board member from District 10. I did retire from Hilton Head Island High school in 2014 after 40 years as a classroom teacher/coach in Massachusetts and Beaufort County. As a member of numerous community organizations, including MLK Committee, Lions Club, NIBCAA and others, my focus is community building and improving education in Beaufort County.
Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?
Since my entire career has centered around education, I bring a unique perspective to a School Board that is loaded with experts usually from other fields, but not necessarily familiar to public schools and its mode of operating. If elected to the board for a second term, I would like to continue what was started four years ago — a transparent board with the highest priority on student achievement.
Scores show that students are still recovering from pre-pandemic academic test scores. What can be done to improve student achievement?
Student achievement is accomplished best when school climate is optimum. School climate is elevated when parents and communities are engaged in the daily activities of schools. A big factor is the retention of a qualified staff that includes vested teachers and support staff. Great teams usually transfers into great scores. Good schools usually models its greatness through modeled ambassadorships.
There are a couple of school construction projects in the works. Do you believe Beaufort Co. schools need renovation and expansion?
We are on the last stages of completing a bond referendum that voters supported at the time. The needs four years ago, before the pandemic, was estimated at $650 million. We asked for $344million and got it. There is still a considerable need for more upgrades and new construction as our county continues to grow at a very rapid pace. What the future will look like will facilitate all of the available experts as time has transformed education and its facilitation.
Schools everywhere are grappling with teacher shortages. What is your plan to make sure Beaufort County has enough teachers and quality teachers?
Teacher shortage can best be addressed by elevating the stature of our educators in our society. This would include better pay where a decent affordable living is reachable. It also would require a new reverence for the art of good teachers. Our institutions have to help by recognizing teachers as vital to the sustainability of our culture and its values. So I look forward to creating partnerships that highlight our effective teachers as successful people. This would begin to replace the public and subsequently our students’ attitude that teachers are not relevant to their successes.
If necessary, where would you cut the school budget? What would you consider off-limits to budget cuts?
I don’t see cutting the budget is a topic of discussion as we look at our present situation. Can we do some things differently, more creatively, that will lead to less operating cost? Yes, but at what cost to the general outcome of student achievement? The one that comes to mind, would be how we transport students. Is there a way to better coordinate our routes and parent usage. Can we get more drivers by lobbying for reinstatement of student drivers, even if iit is 12 passenger vans for neighborhood students? Employee salaries represent the largest share of the budget, and for me cutting salaries or cutting staff is off limits.
What do you believe the role of schools should be in teaching children about topics such as critical race theory and sex education, including the discussion of same-sex relationships?
The relationship that educators create is vital to lifelong learners. To foster commitment and continued learning, truth is at the forefront of good education. I would clearly support knowledge with understanding of what is learned as a shared partnership. I don’t know if the CRT discussion isn’t needed. We have to define limits and appropriate accordingly. I want teachers to be sensibly armed with the privilege to generate thoughts that evolve into lifelong learning. Students are industrious and discerning.
There have recently been a number of security issues such as active shooter threats, weapons in school and fights. What is your plan for making sure schools are safe?
At some point there has to be a total reform on how we educate. We must become more compassionate as we develop our future leaders in society. Our current crises that envelopes our society are the results of what we do and say as we educate our children. We have spent more than $30 million over the last four years upgrading our security and must begin to focus on long-term sustainable teachings that develop a human family that is loving and caring.
I know it does not address locks and shooters but I think building a friendlier classroom is the beginning of how we end the violence. Our district has spent a significant amount on security upgrades in the last four years, Is that enough? Do we develop fortresses to educate in our free world? I don’t think so. I am for more appreciation of our being one loving family. I want to teach caring and sharing. These are not novelties.
