Stewart wants no part of disputeCandidate says he's been pulled into disagreement By Diette Courrégé (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Marvin Stewart Charleston County School Board candidate Marvin Stewart reiterated on Monday that he neither was recruited to divide black residents' votes nor did he have any intention of doing that when he decided to make a bid for the board's downtown seat. County school board Chairman Hillery Douglas accused Park Dougherty, an organizer of the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science, of soliciting support for two candidates — Stewart, who is black, and Robert Russell, who is white — in an effort to split black residents' votes. Incumbent Toya Hampton Green, who is black, has filed for re-election. Stewart said he feels as if he's been pulled into a disagreement between Dougherty and Douglas but that he doesn't "have a dog in that fight." He said he didn't know whether Green planned to run for office, so he couldn't have been trying to divide anyone's vote. Stewart said he had no problem with Dougherty's decision to support two candidates to see a quality race. Anyone who wants to run for office has the right to do so, he said. Stewart said the previous Post and Courier story on this issue was "disingenuous" and "a slant on my character," and those who knew him would understand what he stands for and why he is running. He said he can do a better job than Green and be more committed to downtown schools and students. But to bring race into this discussion is a disservice to him and the community, Stewart said. Green said that school board members are elected by the entire county, and having "fiefdoms" would make the board more political. She said she represents downtown and all other schools. Green also took issue with Dougherty's characterization of her stance on charter schools. He circulated an e-mail that asked recipients to support Russell and Stewart because Green voted against charter schools. Green has voted "for" charter schools six times and "against" them twice, specifically in an unconditional renewal of James Island Charter High School and in providing a free building for the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science. Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@ postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 4 comment(s)
Posted by Thomas1776 on July 22, 2008 at 2:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
People just want our school system to be better and to improve like it should. The current long standing members have have plenty of time to bring up our report card grades. Yet they continue to stagnate.
We have got to change the school board out. Why keep the ones who repeatedly make no headway with our children? All they are doing is holding us back. They have exhausted their usefulness and must be replaced if we expect to have a chance at improving. And if the new replacements we vote in don't cut the mustard, we replace them and try again. Aside from this, keep the ones who were once on the board and want to return out as well. Times have changed. The old are out of touch with this generation of children we now have. In fact, maybe we need input from panels of volunteer high school students and the like for ideas related to teaching in the classroom?
Posted by mlm on July 22, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank you Marvin Stewart. Finally, someone steps forward with some courage to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done. Any last minute statements or actions by Toya Green won't change the fact that she hasn't done a good job at all. Although I could go with ABT (Anybody But Toya), we have a choice. It seems with Marvin Stewart we have a great candidate who's now willing to engage the public and the rest of the county school board. Thanks to the Post and Courier for inadvertantly putting a spotlight on the failings of our current representative who knows nothing and does nothing.
Posted by lou9 on July 22, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Stewart seems to be an articulate man and a fine candidate for the school board. He appears to be staying focused on the issue of improving education in Charleston County and wants no part in Mr. Douglas's shameful race baiting. They don't want Mr. Stewart on the board because he challenges them. All the incumbents need to be voted out.
Posted by Thomas1776 on July 22, 2008 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Give Mr. Stewart a chance. The old sitting members of the school board are just not doing anything. Maybe it's because they are more interested in an elected "Title" than our children.
Whatever the case, nothing has improved and the record with the current board shows it will not. Again, Mr. Stewart wants a chance to do good. I say let him have at it. We need fresh minds, ideas, and up to date wisdom on the school board; not people still stuck in old and outdated mentalities.