Beaufort County School Board: Terry Thomas has experience with ‘sensitive and critical issues’

Terry Thomas is running for the Beaufort County School Board in District 2, which includes Beaufort, Lady’s Island, Fripp Island, parts of St. Helena Island and the Marine Corps Air Station. He is running against Chloe Gordon.

Former District 2 representative, David Striebinger, died Oct. 16, 2022. He was in office since 2016 and was the current board chairman. He had decided not to run for reelection before his passing.

Thomas, 81, is a retired Beaufort County teacher with a background in corporate marketing. His priorities are “safety, education, elimination of critical race theory can cancel culture in the classroom, and will work to have a “policy of parents rights.”

The Island Packet sent questionnaires to candidates in contested races and asked them to limit their answers to 150 words.

Here are Thomas’ responses:

Do you have any current relation to Beaufort County Schools? In what school district or community activities or organizations have you been involved?

I have taught all grades and departments for 14 years including four summers plus coached football and baseball. I have also spent five years teaching for the 1st Tee, a nonprofit. I have prepared and taught three girls for the high school golf team. While at Beaufort High I had some students that I put on allowances and gave others jobs; paid for the ACT and SAT tests anonymously and always provided a meal prior to a game and arranged sub sandwiches after the game.

Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?

I have always been very active and [running] resulted from my prior experiences in various schools and recent disruptive events. I see a need for someone with experience dealing with sensitive and critical issues. My three top priorities are safety, education and those issues of today. Safety — elimination of all trailers where students need to leave the building to go to a class. Formation of a lettermen’s club. Since these young men have one free period, have one on each floor with their phone and would push a button if something wrong is happening, notifying resource officers and the office to lock down. This club can also assist the booster club in various ways. Possibly have certain teachers and/or staff qualify to have a firearm in their classroom. Today’s issue — elimination of Critical Race Theory, Cancel Culture and be certain to have a policy of parents’ rights.

Scores show that students are still recovering from pre-pandemic academic test scores. What can be done to improve student achievement?

First, reinforce the education of teachers’ knowledge of the four methods of how people learn and how to adapt their lesson plans to accommodate. When teaching and coaching, I recognized the need to develop a student-athlete tutorial program. It required that if an individual had a 84 or below they be tutored twice a week for half an hour until the grade was a B (this is when a B was 85). The latter would continue all school year.

There are a couple of school construction projects in the works. Do you believe Beaufort County schools need renovation and expansion?

As trustee for the Beaufort Library, I am well aware of the growth in our county and particularly the need to construct and expand to serve all. I am on the Finance Committee and have planned five years out. As noted prior, I want to have all classes conducted inside the school building.

Schools everywhere are grappling with teacher shortages. What is your plan to make sure Beaufort County has enough teachers and quality teachers?

I have a strong background in marketing. I was a vice president of sales and marketing for a $2 billion corporation in Detroit and have won national advertising awards. I would like to develop a program to go to colleges near us to recruit. Have a bonus for new teachers that is paid 1/2 after the year and 1/2 at the end of the second year. Review how to get money for assistance for an advanced degree. Maybe get money from the 85% of federal covid money that has not been spent.

If necessary, where would you cut the school budget? What would you consider off-limits to budget cuts?

No cuts!

What do you believe the role of schools in teaching children about topics such as critical race theory and sex education, including the discussion of same-sex relationships?

This is a parent’s responsibility, not the schools.

There have recently been a number of security issues such as active shooter threats, weapons in school and fights. What is your plan for making sure schools are safe?

I have addressed thoughts prior to what I would like to do for safety’s sake. However, here are some more thoughts: I had an alternative class of 15 at Battery Creek and two prior certified teachers left after a week. One even left a note that she feared for her life. Good luck. The most disruptive young man, a senior, would swear and carry on. I brought him into my planning period trying to figure him out and on the third visit, I asked him if he could read and he answered no. I went to all the appropriate people and asked them to help this kid but they all said no, that he is a lost cause. I ended up teaching him how to read and he started to help me in the class to maintain the control. He is doing OK since he owns a barber shop. In short, if a young person is troublesome, find out the cause and meet it head on, do not dismiss it. I have other thoughts of how to do this as well.