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Irene May
Irene May was a Republican at-large member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education in North Carolina. She was first appointed to the board in January 2013.[1] May sought election to the board in District 2 rather than seeking another term as an at-large member. She failed to advance against four other Republican candidates in the May 6, 2014, primary election.
Biography
May earned a B.S. in biology from George Mason University. She worked at the Virginia/Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine before becoming a homemaker. May serves on the PTA for Vienna Elementary Schools. She and her husband, Darren, have three children.[2]
Elections
2014
Irene May ran in the May 6, 2014, Republican primary against Jeannie Metcalf, Lori Goins Clark, David Bryant Singletary and Dana Caudill Jones.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Jeannie Metcalf |
26.1% | 12,563 | |
| Republican | Lori Goins Clark |
23.3% | 11,213 | |
| Republican | Dana Caudill Jones |
19.8% | 9,532 | |
| Republican | David Bryant Singletary |
15.6% | 7,505 | |
| Republican | Irene May | 15.2% | 7,308 | |
| Total Votes | 48,121 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, " 05/06/2014 OFFICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS - FORSYTH," May 13, 2014 | ||||
Funding
May reported $100.00 in contributions and $0.00 in expenditures to the Forsyth County Board of Elections, leaving her campaign with $100.00 on hand prior to the election.[3]
Endorsements
May earned the endorsement of the Winston-Salem Journal ahead of the primary election.[4]
Campaign themes
2014
May listed her themes for the 2014 campaign on her campaign website:
| “ | Common Core - The premise of Common Core, the wholesale takeover of education by the Federal Government through corporate and special interest surrogates, is enough for me to run away from this program. However, there is so much more to Common Core than this. The technology requirements, new and numerous testing, logistical nightmares behind planning student assessments, students and teachers overwhelmed, and all of the financial aspects of Common Core (for which we are woefully underfunded) are just some of the more obvious reasons why I am opposed to Common Core. The fact that often times parents and guardians cannot help their children with homework or classwork, simply because the methods that we now use to teach are completely foreign to them, is a huge reason for me to oppose Common Core. The fact that the standards tend to cater to the middle ground neglects the special needs of our Exceptional Children and Academically Gifted Children. I have a hard time accepting standards that were not even acceptable to Math and English Language Arts experts on the Common Core Validation Committee. Dr. Sandra Stotsky of the University of Arkansas refused to sign off on the ELA standards because of things like de-emphasis of literature and low reading levels. The only mathematician on the committee, Dr. James Milgram of Stanford University refused to sign off on the Math standards stating “It’s almost a joke to think students would be ready for math at a university.” School Choice - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are blessed. We are blessed with an extraordinary system of public school choice that astounded me when I first learned about it years ago. We are one of the only places that I have been that allows for it, has fairs to encourage it, and provides magnet schools and themes to attract parents and students. We are better for this competition! We have our neighborhood schools which parents wouldn’t give up for anything, and IB, Arts, STEM, and STEAM magnets that lure students from every corner of the county. Choice is the key here, not control. The make up of our schools is not controlled, it is decided by individual choice, individual needs, and individual wants. School Safety - Since January 2013, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools have made tremendous leaps towards ensuring safer schools for our children. We have increased School Resource Officer presence, increased the number of schools with controlled entry (will soon reach 100% of schools), taken measures to ensure better bus safety and awareness, and are shoring up our alarm and emergency response systems. Part of providing a sound education is making sure that students are safe and that parents know that we are taking every reasonable precaution. Vouchers - I am dedicated to education. It is my firmly held belief that parents are ultimately the people responsible for the education of their children. Children are individuals, and they all learn at their own speed and in their own way. It does no one any good to keep a child in a school in which they are floundering. However, what happens when you have tried everything and there is no other choice? That child is collateral damage. Vouchers represent an opportunity for families that may have no other choice but need another choice. It is more cost effective to give that opportunity. It is a fraction of the cost that it would be to keep that child in a public school. I don’t think of this as public money for private use. It is clear to me that a well educated child should be a primary concern of all the public. Fiscal Responsibility - It is your money. I am your public servant, and consequently, I will always make my best effort to safeguard your trust. Our school system takes on the monumental task of educating over 54,000 students every day. This represents buildings, staff, transportation, food, books, utilities, maintenance, supplies, etc. I commend our staff and our Superintendent, Dr. Beverly Emory, for pulling it off every day seamlessly. I attend most every committee meeting available so that I can be as well informed as possible so that needs are met and public funds are spent well. I think that our system is run much like a business, with an eye always on the bottom line. We have been very successful and now have the benefit of holding a surplus fund. Rest assured, I will treat your money better than I would treat my own.[5] |
” |
| —Irene May's campaign website, (2014) | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Irene + May + Clark + Winston + Salem + Forsyth + County + Schools"
See also
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, North Carolina
- Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Conservative homemaker named to Forsyth school board," January 3, 2014
- ↑ Irene May for School Board, "About Irene," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Forsyth County Board of Elections, "Local Campaign Report: Board of Education," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Editorial: 2014 endorsements in school board primaries," April 22, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Irene May for School Board, "Issues," accessed April 30, 2014
