To the Editor:
We are writing this letter in support of Laurie Paine, who is running for the Oak Ridge Board of Education. We have two children who attended Oak Ridge schools and are now pursuing college educations. We feel Ms. Paine has many excellent qualities that she can offer to the community by serving on the Board of Education.
Among those qualities would be her educational and work background. Ms. Paine has experience in both accounting and project management. As a project manager for several companies, Ms. Paine has worked with large budgets. She was the senior project manager for one company. We know personally that Ms. Paine is familiar with the Oak Ridge Schools budget as she has done research and has attended BOE budget meetings in the past. The tools she has gained with her business experience will prove to be invaluable in the budget deliberation process and other financial decisions the BOE must vote on. If elected, Ms. Paine will see to it that ORS and the BOE have financial accountability and transparency.
Secondly, Ms. Paine cares about Oak Ridge children and wants to make them a priority. Ms. Paine states that currently 47 percent of Oak Ridge students come from financially disadvantaged families. She wants to ensure that these students and all Oak Ridge students are given equal opportunities in our school system. She will work to fairly allocate resources to benefit all students, and she especially wants to give hope and a voice to those children with limited financial resources.
Most people in our community are aware that Ms. Paine has fought twice to eliminate unsafe “walk zones” or PRZs, which were voted in by the BOE. This past July and August, she co-led the successful effort to reinstate school bus transportation for this school year. The school administration has openly stated the current level of bus transportation will likely be cut again. If elected, Ms. Paine will do her best to ensure this does not happen. If however, a transportation cut cannot be avoided, Ms. Paine will work for a safer and fairer solution than what was previously decided.
Ms. Paine is not perfect and has made mistakes. Ms. Paine has acknowledged her errors, learned from them, and overcome them. We invite everyone to view the Elect Laurie Paine for Oak Ridge Board of Education page on Facebook, where she discloses and discusses this, and also shares her views on other issues. Ms. Paine asks that people vote for her not because they know her story, but because they are confident that she is the right candidate for this position. Ms. Paine has our vote, and we hope you will give her one of yours!
Steven and Michelle Doka
Oak Ridge
Mark Caldwell says
Maybe our walk zones are dangerous because we have so many dangerous drivers. Supporting traffic-enforcement cameras = supporting children.
Oh yeah, some city council members voted to remove them. They must not care for safe walking zones.
Matt Bailey says
If there’s a safer and fairer solution, why not propose it now? Or in July of this year? Why wait? If you really want to be part of the solution, no matter who you are, what possible benefit is there to waiting until next year to throw out a possible solution(s)? If you are a candidate who’s already studied the budget, why wait?
Dave Smith says
This is the perspective I gather from this letter, a similar endorsement letter recently published in The Oak Ridger, and a recent article in The Oak Ridger on Laurie Paine that quoted councilwoman Trina Baughn:
If you want a BOE member who believes the Oak Ridge Schools have too much money and should get by with less, that the school system budget needs to be micromanaged and every line item scrutinized with Len Abbattielo’s sensibilities, that Oak Ridge is a dangerous place for school children, that our children are short of hope, and that Trina Baughn needs a voice on the BOE, then Laurie Paine is the candidate for you. And remember to single-shot your vote to punctuate the narrow-mindedness of your purpose.
Joseph Lee says
Well done Mr. Smith.
Thank you.
Matt Bailey says
Not surprisingly, there are two factions in this camp singing this candidate’s praises (and other candidates). One camp on Facebook claims that the schools have $4 million dollars hidden in surplus money (presumably small, unmarked bills). Seriously, that’s what some supporters of this campaign allege.
Other supporters above stated that a “fairer and safer solution” will be explored IF there is a lack of funds NEXT year. So, there must have been some discussion about exactly what would be fairer and safer. Otherwise, how could you make that insinuation that a fairer and safer option might exist? But those thoughts are apparently being held until next year.
I ask again: “why not share them with the rest of the city now”? What benefit does the system gain by keeping those ideas secret? Are you possibly damaging the very system you claim you want to help?
The campaign and its supporters are playing both sides of the street…”The schools have $4 million in surplus money to use for transportation, but wait … if they really don’t ..if we discover we were wrong … we have a better plan”. We’ll just reveal it next year.
Dave Smith says
The answer to your questions is simple. They’re NOT educational leaders. This can be easily discerned from their complete lack of a track record in educational leadership and academic achievement. I’m no snob but I think members of the OR BOE should at the least be graduates of a four-year college and have been recognized by their peers for excellence in leadership. Being a self-appointed gadfly or an apparatchik in the local republican/tea party is a non-starter for many of us.
What they ARE is a mob with grievances. For example, Ms. Paine maintains a descanso on the NW corner of the intersection of the Turnpike and Illinois. If she were on the board, emotion and sentiment would overrule rational decision-making on decisions such as maintenance of the impractical extension of bus service to every child in Oak Ridge.
There are several more qualified candidates who have been involved in the schools for many years, contributing selflessly to classroom and institutional success, all without caring whether they were recognized for their service. The Progress PAC recommendations are right on the money.
Kristy Herron says
So one should need a four-year degree to qualify to serve on the BOE? That is a good one. Experience combined with education could suffice. I’m not shocked at some that turn their noses up at this woman. Ms. Paine is very strategic, very creative, and passionate about our schools and our community. It’s a shame for others to claim otherwise stating her emotions would overrule her professionalism.
Joseph Lee says
Mr. Bailey, please don’t tell anyone but I have one of those $4 million buried in my back yard, in a water tight container, under a big oak tree. I’m going to dig it up and turn it in to the schools after the election, maybe. Thank you.
Matt Bailey says
Mr. Lee, could you look in that water tight container and see if that “fairer and safer” busing plan is in there, also? After 9 days, we still don’t have a response from anyone! If God can create the world in 7 days, it must be one heck of a plan if it takes this long. If my supporters continually touted me as passionate about the schools the least I could do is to try to validate their praises by proposing something / anything!!
Joseph Lee says
I’ll check the container and see if the that plan is in there. If it is I’ll leak it to the press as an October surprise. However, I’m keeping the one million dollars buried under the oak tree in the back yard until after the election, maybe. Thanks again.
Joseph Lee says
OK. I checked the water tight container and I have got good news and I have got bad news.
The bad news is that the busing plan was not in there with all the money. I guess we will have to wait until next year’s protest to hear about it.
The good news is that all the money is dry as a bone, all $980,000 of it. Have a great weekend. I am. Thanks again.
Matt Bailey says
Dang it! Maybe it was written in invisible ink and you overlooked it!
Joseph Lee says
No Sir. The only thing there was the $975,000.