John Morris

School Board Candidate- District 3

Here are the districts in Robertson County for the school board. This is the current list of school board members.

In the primary, you will have a choice between Jeff White and John Morris for district 3. This is for those that live in the Greenbrier and south of White House to Bethel Road. If you vote at the Greenbrier schools, these are your choices in the Republican primary. A forum was held last weekend by the Robertson County Republicans, and many of the candidates attended. There were several questions that I wanted to see answered, so I sent the questions to each candidate and will be bringing you their responses.

1. Explain your understanding of the role of the school board.My understanding of the role of the school board is bifurcated into two main fields. The first includes formal responsibilities. Among these are approving the budget, while overseeing the direction of the County's schools. While this is not as broad as I'd like, this leads to the informal responsibilities, which I believe centers around establishing a culture of transparency and accountability that is responsive to residents.

2. How do you believe the school board could be more transparent?Firstly, all meetings should be livestreamed with public comment from confirmed parents from various zones across the county. This would encourage greater participation, which would garner deeper insight into school board functions, and educational achievement. I want people to participate in this system, so I want to reduce the burdens to getting involved in any capacity. Next, I would strive to remove or reduce the 7-day requirement for agenda items. This move would increase the ability for parents, teachers, and students to all similarly bring issues before the board in a timely and topical manner. Finally, I would work to ensure that any agenda item being voted upon (should it require a single dollar of taxpayer money), have a minimum window of public visibility before being voted upon by the board.

3. What is your view on public comment? Public comment shouldn't just be maintained, it should be expanded and encouraged. The board meets once a month for an hour, that's not enough time to allow people to participate, and consequently they don't. I believe that all stakeholders should speak up more often, and louder about issues our schools and students are facing.

4. In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue facing Robertson County Schools? In the short-term, the abysmal test scores cannot be ignored. While TCAP performance isn't everything, we need to realize that under performance in secondary education is a hindrance to students over the course of their lives. Whether this denies them scholarship opportunities, or results in poorer academic achievement in a collegiate environment, nearly 8 out of 10 students failing to graduate as proficient in basic English and math, poses a real risk to Robertson County students, and it's utterly unacceptable. In the long term, our main concern will be the rapid growth of Robertson County's population, and our ability to scale up services responsibly for an influx of new residents. Nashville's growth shows little signs of slowing, and while we may not be Sumner County, we are the next bulkhead imperiled by a rising tide of homeowners. This can be either wonderful or catastrophic depending upon what actions we take in the years ahead.

5. What makes you the best choice for the position? I'm the best choice, because the status quo is unacceptable. Jeff White, my opponent, has served diligently and faithfully for decades, but with test scores being at the lowest level they've been in the 16 years he's been on the board, asking for an additional term is irresponsible. Our schools need a new vision, and I'm the only candidate running across this county to refuse taxpayer money as a salary, and to commit to a single term if performance metrics don't improve. I'm also the only candidate to have a vision for tackling the issue of parental involvement, through decreasing barriers to joining meetings, while providing incentive structures for participation.

6. In 3-4 sentences sum up why you are running for this seat.I'm running for this seat because my entire life has been one of service. Whether that was as an MSC officer with the 101^st Airborne Division in Afghanistan, or as a nurse today, I'm intrinsically motivated to help others in need. Right now, Robertson County Schools are in trouble and the current board is spinning its wheels. They may have the best of intentions, but at some point, you need to shift gears and look for ideas elsewhere. If your oncologist only got 20% of your cancer with every surgery, you'd find another doctor. If your banker only returned 20 cents on every dollar you deposited, you'd change banks, but for some reason if only 2/10 students graduate with basic proficiency from these schools  we're supposed to stay the course? I don't think so. I want my daughter to grow up in a community that can be proud of its teachers, its facilities, and the education our students receive. I want my neighbors' kids to have the same opportunities as my own, and I want to play a role in making that come to fruition.

These will continue to written until the questions are answered by all candidates that responded. Early voting starts February 13th, the primary is March 5th.