Cheryl Stallings: Ross merely a pawn in politics

Regarding the March 19 news article “Emails show Ross’ ouster hard for board to explain”: Thanks for your thorough reporting on how the UNC Board of Governors ousted system President Tom Ross for no apparent reasons other than political ones.

From all reports, he was a competent president and strong leader of our public university system. I continue to be disappointed in our state government leaders who use our children and public education as pawns in their political chess games.

As a native North Carolinian and business owner, I have been educated in our state’s public schools and universities my entire life. I know first-hand the value and continued need of a sound public education system. Our children and North Carolina deserve better.

I, and others like me, will continue to raise our voices, go to the voting booths and demand accountability and responsibility of our elected officials to work for the common good, seek and keep strong leaders and invest in the public education of North Carolina’s children from preschool to graduate school.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Cheryl Stallings: Ross merely a pawn in politics."