George M. Brewer, candidate for Johnston County Board of Education
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Candidates for Johnston County school board
A total of 13 candidates are running to fill three seats on the Johnston County Board of Education in the nonpartisan primary. Get to know the candidates with the 2022 Voter Guide.
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Name: George Brewer
Political party: Unaffiliated
Age on election night: 39
Website: facebook.com/georgeforjocokids
Occupation: Contractors
Education: High school diploma
Have you run for elected office before? No.
Civic involvement: I have been volunteering at the Smithfield parks and rec for going on 10 years working with our youth and getting them ready for their future. To some I’m a coach, mentor, role model and for the less fortunate I’m a father figure. I get to meet many parents and kids and I get to know their struggles in school and at home. Over the years I have changed the lives of lots of kids and helped get them on track and got a few into college. I love doing what I do and I want to help more. I also volunteer at our local high school running the end zone camera at our football games and working with players and I have been doing it for four years.
Why do you want to serve on the Johnston County Board of Education?
I want to serve on the school board because I’m getting tired of the politics. I’m tired of everyone putting our teachers, kids and staff last. I’m tired of hearing what we need to do or what we should do. You have to (set) the politics to the side and get it done. I’m tired of our teachers leaving. Our teachers deserve better pay and resources so they can better prepare our kids for the future. I can relate to our kids because I know what our less fortunate are going through and I can relate to our kids these days. I (won’t) give up on our kids and teachers and also parents. I will be your voice and I will fight for you all and promise you equality and equity throughout our school system.
What are the Johnston County Public Schools doing well?
I think (they’re) letting our teachers and students down and I think (they’re) doing a good job at that. Politics have taken over our school system and before anything can get accomplished you have to get the politics out of the way so things can get done.
What are the most pressing challenges facing the school district?
Education, staff shortage, teacher shortage and a pay shortage for our teachers and also we need more schools to deal with growth but before we can deal with all of that you have to take the politics out of our school system because politics is stopping all of these problems from being (addressed).
What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.
Teacher pay, equality, our kids’ education. I would fight everyday and work with our members and the commissioners to lay a plan out to get our teachers more money and get them on page and convince them paying more will get the best teachers and have our existing teachers ready to teach again and show them we have their backs and we will take care of them. I will also address any issues in our school relating to racism and I will also make sure our kids and schools will be treated equally and will get no less or more than any other. These issues will better help our kids’ education. And getting all personnel who are political out of our school system and get them out of the way of our kids learning. We will make schools fun again and our kids will love and be ready to be educated. I will get more programs and money into our schools to get our academic achievement back up and on top in North Carolina and also to help our special needs kids who have been forgotten about.
How should JCPS address issues of diversity and inclusion among staff and students?
First off start addressing all the emails and phone calls from parents, teachers and staff who have been contacting them about all of these issues going on in these schools now. They are sweeping these issues under the rugs. They also are letting the principals do the investigation on these issues. But think about that if the parents are contacting JCPS that means usually they have already contacted the principal and they have done nothing so (they’re) reaching out to someone higher. I will hold all (personnel) accountable who know about these issues and have done nothing and will be asking them to find another job.
This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 11:35 AM.