Brother to Brother Forum Notes

Brother 2 Brother.txt

English (US)

00:02:23.260 — 00:02:50.780 · Speaker 1

I was about to say, can I get everyone's attention? But it looks like I've already. We've already done that. I appreciate that. I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. Thank you all so much for joining us tonight. You know, this is very important. Um, we want to thank our candidates for coming out.

We want to thank all the elected officials for coming out. I saw mayor somewhere he had on his own. I see, I see he made. Mayor Reiner, thank you for being here.

00:02:54.660 — 00:02:58.800 · Speaker 1

Thank you all for coming out. So a lot of the elected officials are here to work with Valerie Brandon.

00:02:59.960 — 00:03:02.240 · Speaker 1

It's Valerie. She's hiding from me, too. Yes.

00:03:03.520 — 00:03:05.960 · Speaker 1

I should've started her name. And I'm sure I'm going to get someone.

00:03:07.000 — 00:04:47.330 · Speaker 1

Sorry about that, y'all. I need to do something. Who's that? Mayor of a public bill. Well, I lay it out. Look. I'm sorry. Goodbye. Thank you. Thank you for being with you. Thank you all so much for coming out. Uh, if y'all would, please pray with me. Yes, sir. Father. In the name of Jesus, we come before your throne right now.

Thank you, Lord God, for all that you are. Lord God, you are so good. Father God, we thank you, Lord God, that you, you have seen fit to to be there whenever we need you. Lord God, every time we call on you, you are there. So we thank you so much. Father, we know that if it wasn't for Christ Jesus, we wouldn't be able to come to your throne of grace.

And so we thank you for Christ Jesus. We thank you, Father God, for the blood they will shed on the cross for our sin and the penalty that we know that we couldn't have paid it all for. So we just thank you for that. Amen. Lord, we thank you right now and you're in our presence right now. We thank you, Father God, that you already went before us.

Yes, father. I pray that you continue to give us wisdom. I pray that you continue to be with our candidates. Continue to be with these families in here. Father God, continue to watch over our city. Our county. Continue to be with our our our our parents and our children as well. Father God, especially our children.

Father, we know that we live in the world right now, and the enemy is trying to distract their hearts and their minds and try to just keep them busy. Father, so we pray, God, that you will allow us to be able to leave father, ahead of your call for us to leave, drop seeds and and do water and drill for us to do as well.

Father God, you said in your word that you would give the increase. So, father, we just thank you so much for all. We thank you for this night, and I pray God, that we can just have a good time tonight. Father, I pray God that you will give us good news. We ask all these things and we thank you for all these things.

In Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

00:04:47.450 — 00:04:47.610 · Speaker 2

Amen.

00:04:49.170 — 00:04:49.410 · Speaker 2

Amen.

00:05:09.900 — 00:05:23.420 · Speaker 3

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

00:05:36.380 — 00:06:21.310 · Speaker 1

Thank you all for coming out tonight. Um, my job was to do the welcome, and, uh, I can tell that a lot of us have a vested interest in Kent County. So thank you for coming out. If you submitted questions, thank you for that. um. And thank you for the panel. Um, this panel is not from Fayette County, so it's an unbiased, um, you know, group.

And we just want to ask the questions. We want you guys to get the answers that you want tonight. Um, if you have a question, you're unfamiliar with the candidate. That's what we're here for. Um, so I won't take up too much time. Um, we'll start off with the Revenue Commissioners. Um, I'd like to invite them up on stage.

Uh, Mr. Edwards, miss Gary Henderson.

00:06:35.350 — 00:06:41.550 · Speaker 1

And I want to pass this on. He's going to go into detail on this. Y'all know how the flow is going to go and all that.

00:06:44.630 — 00:06:50.280 · Speaker 1

Um, tonight. So the panel that we have are not. He said they're not prepared. all educators. Um,

00:06:51.360 — 00:07:21.240 · Speaker 1

so right to my right, we have Mr. William Seymour from Northridge High School. He's a coach, and he's a math teacher. Right? Oh, right here we have been playing the league. She's she's at Jasper Junior High School. She's a family technology teacher in the US. The only bidder. Um, right here we have an elder.

She's an Alabama. She works at Alabama Academy. Retired educator from the state of Alabama and works in Mississippi. And right here we have this Tina Moore. She's a retired educator with two county schools. Amen.

00:07:21.560 — 00:07:22.160 · Speaker 2

Amen.

00:07:38.160 — 00:07:43.280 · Speaker 1

So this is how we give a chance for this hearing. I mean, you need to give me an orientation.

00:07:45.160 — 00:07:47.000 · Speaker 4

I'm on my camera out there. It's

00:07:50.210 — 00:07:50.650 · Speaker 4

Kidding me.

00:07:54.970 — 00:07:55.650 · Speaker 4

Okay, just a

00:07:57.050 — 00:07:57.490 · Speaker 4

reminder.

00:08:00.010 — 00:08:00.890 · Speaker 5

Good afternoon.

00:08:03.010 — 00:08:23.450 · Speaker 5

I live in Barry, Alabama. I didn't run a speech tonight. Um, I feel like I have talked about myself more than I have ever talked about myself in the last few months. I have been married to my husband for 33 years. Um, I'm married to Keith Evans, and he is the road superintendent here in Fayette County.

00:08:24.530 — 00:09:24.070 · Speaker 5

We have two sons. We have four grandchildren. Um, all of us graduated from Barry High School. Uh, attended ABC, um, under Janelle Couch and Miss Bush and I started my business training with them. I was on their state winning parliamentary procedure team And, um, I also was the state officer of the FBLa, and I just got interested in business.

Once I got out of high school, I took an office management position at radio in Tuscaloosa. We read the number one radio station in when radio was a big deal. I have kept office managing positions. Years ago, my neighbor was Sherry and Mitchell Gray, and miss Ray gray was the tax assessor here. And I just thought when she came in she had an air.

And I thought, one day I just want to be gone.

00:09:25.190 — 00:09:34.710 · Speaker 5

Our courthouse is beautiful, and it was a goal of mine forever. Um, I just never it just wasn't the right time.

00:09:35.950 — 00:11:17.610 · Speaker 5

I currently work at centerline, uh, contracting in downtown Tuscaloosa. I drive to downtown Tuscaloosa every day. We're a large company that installs water lines and sewer lines for municipalities all over the state. The last project that we had was an $8 million project. The current project that we're on right now is a $5 million project.

I do all their payroll. I do all their good work. I work closely with their taxes, the tax auditors and their accountants. I'm a steward of their money. I also am a oh, I take care. I'm the secretary at my church. I have volunteered for very High Schools Alumni Association as their treasurer. And I also did that for the Boosters Club.

And I was the president of the Boosters Club for a long time. When my kids are in school, I can see where your money, your tax earned dollars are set by the legislature. Your tax person that is in the office, your revenue commissioner, is a steward of your money, and I can be that person. I want to be that person if you will hire me.

I want to tell you thank you. To even be able to stand up here and say that I'm in the runoff in Fayette County is an honor, um, to know that that many people thought of me that way is is a true honor. So, June the 16th, I know you have been reminded on Facebook everybody is living for Wednesday to get here. But Harry Evanson for Revenue Commissioner, I would appreciate your vote.

Thank you.

00:11:34.330 — 00:11:35.890 · Speaker 2

Good evening.

00:11:38.650 — 00:11:46.820 · Speaker 6

My name is Dean Edwards. I am the regular Sherpa at camp. I was appointed last September to finish out the quarters term and was ready.

00:11:48.020 — 00:12:32.379 · Speaker 6

I have 18 years experience working in this holiday. My first job was working at a time when I was still in school, and I actually was going to make a school teacher, but I loved dealing with these passing numbers. It was. I really enjoyed my job, but we didn't have computers back then. We actually had the hand thrown on the mouse.

Um, and matter of fact, what we did in that office, we posted all the deeds, mortgage, mortgages and oil and gas companies. They really used us. So we did post the leases to many other things. Then we go back to the office and closing the section down to the range for which that's what we used to do, take offs of

00:12:33.860 — 00:13:06.950 · Speaker 6

abstracts and just doing whatever we have. We've been fed bed all my life. I'm married to David Edwards for over 43 years. We have two children in there, Matthew and one granddaughter, Gemma, and my parents is Loretta Maddox and Linda Edwards and wife of One Year, which is Nine Walls. I remember the Church of Christ and I've been teaching Bible school class for over four years.

Love the children. I am the treasurer of Mount Vernon Community Center.

00:13:08.510 — 00:13:15.750 · Speaker 6

Okay, one thing I want to say, I want to assure the community to understand the responsibilities of representation of

00:13:17.430 — 00:13:21.270 · Speaker 6

the Randy Fisher oversees. The money is collected

00:13:22.310 — 00:14:01.730 · Speaker 6

each day during collection. It's very important job. Matter of fact, we we also do the same amount of reports dispersing the money to various offices, state cannon, city schools, fire In forestry, I maintain ownership maps. Grant exemptions collect dispersed monies on the assessment and collecting activities.

Assessment tax papers where they have concerns about their property. I oversee the mapper and the appraiser and we review the property. If there is a name change or an assessment change, we have to build it

00:14:02.970 — 00:14:37.340 · Speaker 6

as one fourth of the county. We have six neighborhoods that we deal with. Two of the neighborhoods are small, so they relocated again. So soccer starts over every four years. In the way we calculate the taxes, that's what they always like to change their mind. It's about the appraised value. Times 10 or 20% depends on the class.

The last story is actually homestead property. Um, also um second homes and any land is over five acres.

00:14:40.500 — 00:14:41.020 · Speaker 6

Um, okay.

00:14:41.140 — 00:14:41.380 · Speaker 2

Sorry.

00:14:41.940 — 00:16:11.110 · Speaker 6

Okay. So, anyway, didn't to tell you the class two is commercial. So what you do with the millage rate is voted by the people. Uh, we don't set the stand up. The rates, they do. So the county and the city all has different millage rates. What you do is take the appraised value, times assessed value, whether it's 10% or or 20%.

And then the assessed value, you multiply the millage rate, which is based on the location. The Alabama Department of Revenue conducts the studies each year comparing the recent property sales. From this study, they determine whether it is suggested or not. We have state laws we must go by and the state has auditors, has auditors and checks, is that we must be in compliance at all times.

Since I've been in office, I have found over 65 exemption and a 100% disability. I won't put the public know that this is a tax break for you. If you're over 65, you need to get with it. You're not going to have that car and 100% disability. This job is not a 40 hour week job and it is necessary sometimes to work over.

But you know what? I love my job. I love working with the people, and this has been my dream for a long time. Two years after Ruby hired me, I knew one day I going for office. So when you go to the codes, remember to vote for experience and go for it. Thank you.

00:16:39.880 — 00:16:40.560 · Speaker 2

Good evening.

00:16:43.840 — 00:16:59.680 · Speaker 2

To our candidates for the first question under leadership style. You may have already answered this, um, in your introduction, but I want to ask it again. What experience do you have that has prepared you to serve as Revenue Commissioner?

00:17:01.000 — 00:17:02.480 · Speaker 2

You want to go first? Okay.

00:17:03.440 — 00:17:23.319 · Speaker 6

Well, um, when I started out as a clerk, then of course, I was appointed. It took years to learn what I know now. And I'm still, of course, it's a learning experience. And 18 years of working in that office and seeing where all what it takes to be a read or. I've watched fruit. I learned and grew from that.

00:17:27.079 — 00:18:14.370 · Speaker 5

My experience is from managing offices and my personal business. We have a deal processing business that is is large, and I begin scheduling and keep up with the taxes and make sure that the board reviews are finished. But um, and deal with the people. But I have things to learn. I know that I have things to learn about the tax laws, but I don't want you to think that that doesn't make me qualified.

I am qualified, by the way, that I handle money, the way that I steward money. That that has just been a passion of mine. And it it seems weird to some people, but that's what I enjoy. So that's what makes me really ready for this job.

00:18:16.810 — 00:18:19.330 · Speaker 5

Well, I have a lot of media microphones, so I'm going to.

00:18:19.330 — 00:18:28.020 · Speaker 7

Go ask a question from experience and qualifications as well. What do you believe is the most important responsibilities of the Revenue Commissioner's office.

00:18:34.260 — 00:18:38.699 · Speaker 6

Well, we had to make sure everything goes smooth each day. You're overseeing

00:18:39.820 — 00:18:40.820 · Speaker 6

the appraiser?

00:18:42.620 — 00:18:50.660 · Speaker 6

I thought you told me. Okay. The appraiser. The matter. You have to make sure you know a little bit about their job. You know, if they're doing it wrong.

00:18:51.740 — 00:19:08.060 · Speaker 6

And there was times when he had slow times when we. If one person had had a lot more work than the other, we helped the other, and I don't I'm not saying I was a master, okay, but I helped them. And appraiser I actually went out and helped. Praise one time when the appraiser was out sick.

00:19:11.460 — 00:19:12.979 · Speaker 5

And my goal for that

00:19:14.220 — 00:19:29.240 · Speaker 5

is to make a connection with the people. I want the people, you guys, to feel welcome when you come in my office. If you have a question, I want you to know that it's going to be answered correctly before you leave. Um.

00:19:31.600 — 00:19:42.720 · Speaker 5

I want the people who work for me. Not necessarily. Um, I really want a good relationship within the office so that we can serve the people of this county.

00:19:51.920 — 00:20:06.240 · Speaker 2

I think you just touched on this, um, miss, question on the customer service. What steps would you take to improve customer service for citizens in the Revenue Commissioner's office? So it's going to take which company to just finish.

00:20:06.320 — 00:20:09.000 · Speaker 5

And then I guess I'll repeat myself again.

00:20:10.080 — 00:20:53.769 · Speaker 5

That has been a goal of mine is a relationship with the people. I want you to feel welcome when you come in. I also want you to know that I am putting all I have into this job. I give it 100%. I wanted to be the best. So I'm looking into to different grants. I'm looking into different things. My husband, like I said, is the background.

He's over the county road system. The budget in Fayette County is tight, is extremely tight and that and we have super people working here and working for us, but that doesn't make their the money grow. So

00:20:55.690 — 00:21:07.890 · Speaker 5

I want you to have the latest everything and I want to help get that here. I think that will help improve the people, the relationship with the people when they come in.

00:21:11.130 — 00:21:11.650 · Speaker 5

Okay.

00:21:12.010 — 00:21:23.620 · Speaker 6

I love it. I love reaching there. Yes, there's a lot of counties have not realized and don't try to help. That's one thing about if they if they at the courthouse in now in our office,

00:21:24.940 — 00:21:55.660 · Speaker 6

we get so many arguments about how well we we try to help people. We're friendly, we're not rude. We're not ugly. And if I tell people, if they think that anybody that's not being nice to them, what does that mean? No. But we never had that problem. Well, we tried, but if we can't find out that what the what they're dealing with, we will find out that way.

We always try to put the customer first because we know what we are. When there's a concern for folks.

00:22:02.380 — 00:22:07.740 · Speaker 6

Are there any policies or procedures currently in place that you believe need improvement?

00:22:11.060 — 00:22:34.830 · Speaker 6

Well, one thing I did do you didn't bring it because people did not know when they turned 65 that they could fill out a card for an extra exemption. Some of them me, even they tell me it depends on the income I made that. Hope you have it. Never put that in writing on the counter. And I have something so many people did not know about.

Um,

00:22:36.110 — 00:23:03.790 · Speaker 6

we try to be, I hate to I don't like to use work transparency. Okay. But I want to be there for the public. I want to serve the public, I want to. Um, and when they try to figure out how to deal with the GIS, you know, that's that's something online. We walk them through it. We don't just get to hear it on the on the website.

If I take it online, we will walk them through. We want them to understand that.

00:23:08.750 — 00:23:09.550 · Speaker 7

And.

00:23:13.510 — 00:23:15.950 · Speaker 6

At the end I do feel like.

00:23:15.950 — 00:23:16.510 · Speaker 7

That there.

00:23:16.510 — 00:23:29.959 · Speaker 6

Is room for improvement. They say it with modernizing our the way that we do. The way that we do our doing it. GI is I think it was begin in 2018. Is that right to

00:23:31.360 — 00:23:44.040 · Speaker 6

discontinue the need to have the GI as with the new system, when in in electronics 2018 is is old. I think we need updating.

00:23:44.280 — 00:23:46.360 · Speaker 7

I think that would serve our people better.

00:23:51.040 — 00:23:53.560 · Speaker 6

And what distinguishes you from your comment?

00:23:55.960 — 00:23:56.440 · Speaker 6

Well,

00:23:58.000 — 00:24:20.620 · Speaker 6

the knowledge of what? There's a lot to it. Um, I come in in in this 18 years ago, I knew how to map out. I knew how to read dates. I knew a lot about. You got to help us understand when the first phase of being in there. I sometimes want you to help them map it out, see if this is right before the head of recording. Um,

00:24:22.420 — 00:25:36.590 · Speaker 6

it's just in the dealing with, uh oh. You gotta know when when the appraiser goes out and brings that information in. You got to know how to put that information in and talk about upgrading. That's one thing we've been talking about the last two years, but we have to have the money. It has to be. We have to figure out.

Matter of fact, we can talk to this. And W that's our banker. And we could do 2 or 3 computers a year. And that would help not have such a big high maintenance. So we got a tight budget. And yes we've been talking about upgrade and that's something we'll have to do. But it's as far as customer service that's not affecting them.

It's how we do our work. But it's just I mean, we can do the same amount of work. And I just come to the conference, by the way, and talk to different vendors. Uh, we're doing the same thing that everybody else is doing where you're behind by law. And no, you can't see it online. Exactly what's going on now? Because you do.

It's confusion. Because when they get the tax bill, it's not the same as what it's online right now. And we're putting it in now that I've been confused. They got to see what's going to be as of October 1st of last year not what's going on now.

00:25:41.030 — 00:25:51.589 · Speaker 7

It stands out from this team. And we've talked I think people think when you're competitors and something that you're not, we can't hear you. My microphone

00:25:53.110 — 00:25:58.070 · Speaker 7

let me borrow machinery and microphone I don't blame you. Just kidding. Got it.

00:26:00.910 — 00:26:02.670 · Speaker 7

Got it. Okay,

00:26:03.710 — 00:26:10.310 · Speaker 7

Missy, not Denan and I have talked before. What sets us apart? I think we would.

00:26:10.350 — 00:26:11.390 · Speaker 6

Be friends.

00:26:11.550 — 00:26:40.920 · Speaker 7

Had we gotten to know each other there is this. And, um. But what sets me off from Michigan, man, is that I have never worked in that office. I will be coming in with enough experience that I will have things to learn, like I said, but I can learn them and I will have fresh eyes, so they will. I feel like I can bring something new to the table.

Um,

00:26:42.360 — 00:26:45.999 · Speaker 7

when you've done it, as long as this man has

00:26:47.480 — 00:26:56.160 · Speaker 7

it, it is done the same way. And although I think she is an awesome person and a hard, hard worker, I think I.

00:26:59.280 — 00:27:00.960 · Speaker 7

I know that I can do it.

00:27:04.840 — 00:27:06.080 · Speaker 6

The only thing I will say.

00:27:09.960 — 00:27:16.249 · Speaker 6

Is I've done bookkeeping For years I've been. I didn't make it. I tried to skip around because I knew my time was

00:27:17.650 — 00:27:25.490 · Speaker 6

get short. I was an owner, no longer in business. I was the office manager. The bookkeeping is so beautiful

00:27:26.810 — 00:27:58.210 · Speaker 6

than anything I've ever seen. It's different. Uh, but I've learned and really taught me. Uh, and of course, I'm still learning a lot of stuff, but, you know, I didn't I, I had a perfect last fall. I had hired someone just like a circlet. And the other girl was learning my job, and I was learning my job. We had a great collection.

We had we balanced every day. And, you know, it's hard to find people to count money nowadays. We messed with the solver and.

00:27:58.210 — 00:27:59.050 · Speaker 7

Our new jobs.

00:27:59.090 — 00:28:03.730 · Speaker 6

And I was proud of that. But like I said, bookkeeping is totally different. It's a different animal.

00:28:04.810 — 00:28:07.370 · Speaker 1

This is your final question. Um.

00:28:07.850 — 00:28:11.580 · Speaker 8

Why should voters trust you with this office.

00:28:12.940 — 00:28:16.860 · Speaker 8

Why should voters trust you with this office?

00:28:19.900 — 00:28:24.900 · Speaker 6

Well, I'm trustworthy, and I wasn't going to share this story, but I think I will.

00:28:26.460 — 00:28:28.579 · Speaker 6

I don't want anything to. Something that

00:28:30.300 — 00:29:09.230 · Speaker 6

I've been working for read about 5 or 6 years, and we was right smack in the middle of a collection. I went outside, I always walked there, right? I mean, at lunch we had 30 minutes. I found $100 bills. And, you know, we had a bunch of people come in that day and a lot of them just barely pay their taxes. I gave it to Ruby and I told her, I said I found the tweet.

We spread the word out with their money. They never. Don't ever, ever, ever, ever asked us. So we put it up and say, a year later she said, well, you know, but here it is. You need it, you know. Sure. I said no, man that time.

00:29:10.390 — 00:29:14.430 · Speaker 6

I said, use it for somebody that cannot afford their taxes.

00:29:16.590 — 00:29:20.230 · Speaker 6

I, I this job means a lot to me.

00:29:21.430 — 00:29:32.510 · Speaker 6

I worked hard for this job. And you know what? I wouldn't have paid some of the people's taxes for me. And when y'all come in this year. And I'm not making a habit of that.

00:29:39.150 — 00:29:40.470 · Speaker 6

I say, I don't know.

00:29:41.630 — 00:29:44.350 · Speaker 6

Seriously, I had someone really real.

00:29:45.870 — 00:29:46.310 · Speaker 6

Oh.

00:29:47.670 — 00:29:52.950 · Speaker 6

Oh, well. He. Right. He really had a hard time. A grown man sitting there crying.

00:29:54.470 — 00:29:55.469 · Speaker 6

You know what you gotta do

00:29:56.830 — 00:29:57.470 · Speaker 6

to help him?

00:29:58.830 — 00:30:00.830 · Speaker 6

That's what it's all about. Thank you.

00:30:03.750 — 00:30:04.150 · Speaker 6

All right.

00:30:05.430 — 00:30:05.830 · Speaker 6

Um.

00:30:07.610 — 00:30:08.690 · Speaker 8

These are my beliefs.

00:30:12.330 — 00:30:12.810 · Speaker 1

So

00:30:14.250 — 00:30:14.370 · Speaker 1

I.

00:30:15.530 — 00:30:16.090 · Speaker 6

Guess I'll.

00:30:17.410 — 00:30:17.610 · Speaker 1

Give.

00:30:18.330 — 00:30:19.810 · Speaker 6

You some. Okay.

00:30:22.050 — 00:30:32.370 · Speaker 6

In doing the boosters Club in Vienna alumni Association and doing the church and doing these different businesses. I, I, I had gotten

00:30:33.690 — 00:30:39.489 · Speaker 6

I have been around businesses where their money has been

00:30:40.490 — 00:30:46.930 · Speaker 6

mismanaged taken and that's a that's a big deal.

00:30:48.010 — 00:31:02.050 · Speaker 6

I never want to be that person. And besides being a rule follower, I'm a huge rule follower. Um, I don't want like, Christine and said something that isn't mine.

00:31:03.370 — 00:31:08.340 · Speaker 6

I feel like I have proven and people know that they can trust me.

00:31:10.100 — 00:31:11.219 · Speaker 6

I'm ethical

00:31:12.620 — 00:31:18.900 · Speaker 6

and you can trust me. I'm not going to misappropriate your money. I'm going to find the penny.

00:31:20.980 — 00:31:26.420 · Speaker 6

You have to find the penny. You have to balance. That's important to me.

00:31:29.500 — 00:31:31.300 · Speaker 8

Thank you to these candidates.

00:31:59.580 — 00:32:00.139 · Speaker 1

I just want to say

00:32:01.580 — 00:32:08.630 · Speaker 1

thank you guys for are coming out. Um, and I like to give the public a little bit more knowledge about what the guy does.

00:32:10.150 — 00:32:13.390 · Speaker 1

At this time, I gave it to Steve Sawyer and Doctor Ben.

00:33:13.360 — 00:33:21.120 · Speaker 8

I think you are supposed to tell us a little bit about yourself before we begin. So I'm going to help you, um,

00:33:22.480 — 00:33:26.640 · Speaker 8

at random. We'll give you 3 to 5 minutes to start.

00:33:31.880 — 00:33:33.000 · Speaker 8

All right. Thank you all.

00:33:33.240 — 00:33:33.720 · Speaker 6

Uh, I want.

00:33:33.720 — 00:34:25.729 · Speaker 8

To thank everyone who participated in the recent elections. I know the turnout is not where we wanted it to be, and I want to encourage everybody to get out. And, you know, obviously, I would love for you to vote for me, but I want everybody to vote. I want everybody to participate in your your constitutional duty.

All right. Being an old civics teacher, that's that's that's important to me. I want everybody to exercise their right to vote. And I would love to see the, the turnout for the the turnout for the runoff to be higher than the primary. I know it probably will not be. But let's get out there and vote. Um, I stand before you tonight not only as a candidate for superintendent, but as someone who believes with all my heart in this county and those who call it home.

I believe in Barry. I believe in faith, and I believe in her. La

00:34:27.010 — 00:36:22.679 · Speaker 8

Fayette County is my home where I was born and raised. Here, the values of hard work, faith, and community shaped the person I am today. I come from humble beginnings. Uh, raised in Bankston, had a dream of being a pro baseball player. And of course, everybody laughed at me and said, no, you're not gonna be able to do that.

So, uh, I was blessed and fortunate enough to, to to make that dream come true in the year 2000. And to be honest with you, when, uh, when, uh, if you were to ask me in the year 2000, would I ever want to be a teacher? I probably would have looked at you silly and said, absolutely not. Uh, I wanted to be a pro baseball player, and I was going to retire in the Bahamas after a ten year Major League Baseball career.

I was going to be about 35. Living the dream down in the Bahamas as well. I'm so glad that that did not work out. So God answered that prayer and he answered it not. Maybe not the way I wanted to, but the way he did it. He needed to. And sometimes God answers prayers, and it may not be the answer that we want. Yes, sir.

Um, so, uh, I tell everybody that, uh, best, best day of my life. Worst day of my life happened on the same day. Uh, I got released from professional baseball. I called home one of my best friends, and he said, uh, you know, you need to come home. You go to church. Well, that day I came home, I went to church, got baptized, met my wife.

We've been married for 20 years. We've got two sons, Ty and Levi. One just graduated, got one going into ninth grade. And, uh, I'm proud for them to attend Fayette County Schools for the past 20 years. I proudly serve Fayette County Schools as a teacher and a principal, uh, principal at Berry, uh, teacher at Fayette Middle and Fayette.

Huh. Um, you know, as principal, our county, uh, led the county, and they kept test scores and earned the highest state report card score of anybody in the county. Our students achieved the number two growth rate in the state for seventh and eighth grade eight scores. But

00:36:24.240 — 00:36:33.000 · Speaker 8

these accomplishments were not possible because they're only possible because of the hard work and the teachers, the community and the students that we have at their.

00:36:34.120 — 00:36:38.000 · Speaker 8

I believe when we work together, there is no limit to what Fayette County schools can achieve.

00:36:39.240 — 00:36:51.360 · Speaker 8

As your next superintendent, my campaign will focus on three important things increasing student achievement. We must increase. We continue to improve in academic performance and provide every student with the tools they need to succeed.

00:36:52.560 — 00:36:55.530 · Speaker 8

This means working with our community leaders and stakeholders

00:36:56.850 — 00:37:44.370 · Speaker 8

promoting trade and career opportunities. Number two. College is not the only path to success. We must strengthen our career, take education, and create more opportunities for students to enter skilled trades and high demand careers and strengthen our relationship with Belize Day. Number three increasing transparency and visibility.

Our schools belong to the community. I will be visible, accessible and present in our schools every day while maintaining open communication with parents, teachers, and citizens. I care deeply about Fayette County and the future of our children. I believe our best days are ahead and I will be honored to serve our community as superintendent.

I respectfully ask for your vote, your prayers, and your support on June 16th. Thank you.

00:37:54.140 — 00:37:54.980 · Speaker 1

Thank you.

00:37:57.140 — 00:37:57.860 · Speaker 1

Thank you.

00:38:06.260 — 00:42:30.030 · Speaker 1

Hopefully we won't have much trouble with mikes if we did the first one, so I will. Good evening. I'm Jeremy Madden. Uh, nice to see all of you tonight. I saw most of you on the way in tonight. Uh, glad to see you. Glad to speak to you. Appreciate our panel tonight. Who is here to ask the questions? Uh, I appreciate the brother of your brother.

Uh, organization tonight. Not only just for providing this this forum, um, you know, just for the work you guys did in the community, too. It's it's a it's a really good thing to see, um, great things going on and hopefully, hopefully people replicate that, uh, through other service organizations, but just really, really a great thing and a good way to promote that organization tonight.

So I just want to say thank you, you guys, for the time. And uh, we, uh, you know, we're excited to be here tonight. I'll be honest, we all love, uh, there's probably nothing I love more than coming to talk about schools, talking about how schools can get better and how students can get those opportunities.

It's really, really nothing more than excites me. I've been I've been excited all day to be here. So I hope all we have some really tough questions tonight. So that really that really excites me. I'm looking forward to it. But I've been in education for 27 years. Uh, if you've been to these events, you know that, uh, I actually taught elementary school.

You know, I was an elementary school teacher. I taught third and fourth grade for four years. After that, I worked my way into admin. I was an assistant principal at an elementary school. Um, some just some kind of a weird circumstance. I was at a go up to the high school for one year as an assistant. Unfortunate circumstance, really, and just had a really good time there.

A lot of the things we did at the elementary level really worked well at the hospital. I'll be honest with you. Some of the things that that I was taught and some things that I, that I like to do, uh, a year later, we came back, uh, we served as your high school principal here in town for over 13 years. You know, we were a 21 year employee for this district.

The last couple of years we've been able to get some different experience at at some bigger school districts. Uh, city system, a large county district. And we've just been able to keep growing. And that's something that that's been really important to me. Um, you know, I don't I don't get on the RSA website.

I don't try to see how many days I have left. I don't I don't really like to hear people say, I have 3 to 4 years left. I don't want to hear that. You know, I don't I don't I don't hear any of that. We're here to get back. We're here to make a difference. And hopefully we're a lot better than we were when we started.

And that's really. That's really a goal for me every year. You know, I want the kids at my school to have the best fun of it, of anybody. And I had a student the other day and I was excited. I heard her mom came by and they wanted to talk about, you know, who nervous about coming coming to the hospital. And I just I just was excited for her because I know she's going to get the best run in that school that any students ever got.

I saw Miss Islands Zelda McKenna on a lot, and I'd seen it again in a while, but I talked to her just for a minute out there, and she told me she was going into ninth grade and I was more excited than she was because she didn't look as excited as me because I was asking her, how are you taking you, taking all the good classes she could take?

And she she didn't really look at me the way I thought she should, but but she is so fortunate. How exciting is that? To get in, to not pray. And and I know she's going to have a great four years. Just so excited for her. But that's really that's really what this is about. This is about these students. It's about the children in the county and preparing them for those opportunities and making sure those opportunities are in place.

Uh, I'm really competitive. I like for the place I work to be, doing the best stuff. I'll be honest with you. I want to make sure, um, if they're like my kids, I want them to have the best. And I want to make sure those programs are in place. We've got 27 years of experience. Uh, we've gone all the way in school.

Uh, you've heard all those things, and those things are great, but really it's about the kids and the county. It's about who's going to use their experience, use their tools to put those programs in place. And I'm somebody that wants to do that for you here. We we live in this community. Um, my wife's here with me tonight.

The one the one's a long time serving in this community. Support the DNR. She's currently running the child advocacy center in town. Um, you know, she she's done so, so many great things, and I just, um, just really lucky to, uh, to be married to her tonight and have her here, but we, uh, we just have that servant's heart for this community.

I'll be honest with you. And we want Fayette County to succeed and do well. And I and I know all of you to be here tonight. So, uh, that's really me tonight. I look forward to answering your questions tonight. And like I said, let's let's get some good ones tonight.

00:42:37.230 — 00:45:41.160 · Speaker 1

Gentlemen, this crowd is going to go. Um, we're going to alternate. First we want to start with Doctor Madden and then Mister Sawyer, you have two minutes. You have an individual question that's specific to you, all to you. And then we'll have questions for both of you and will allow both of you to answer those questions.

So we'll start with Doctor Madden. Superintendent role requires credibility with principals and teachers. Reflecting on your time as a principal. Um, what's specific evidence of student achievement gains? Students school improvement plans and staff professional development best demonstrates the readiness to lead this district.

And please, if you can include a time frame as well. Yeah, well, we've we've been fortunate enough to to be able to replicate success, but especially the last couple of years, you know, Fayette County High School, we were fortunate enough to to have the report card scores to, to come in with a yearly plan on how we're going to get better.

Uh, same thing in Roseville City. You know, we came in. We started analyzing the data specifically. What's going to count on that report card attendance? Uh, CCR graduation rate, uh, academic loss for the act, the growth and the predicate to the act. Uh, so we come in and we try to analyze those pieces of data, and we want to put in a plan to monitor throughout the year of how we're going to improve those numbers.

And we want to make sure that the classroom instruction is where it needs to be. As far as putting in some PD. Uh, while we're while we're talking about those academic pieces. Um, this year, um, we were awarded the most college rated grant for the next three years. It's a third time we were able to achieve that grant at the school I worked at.

And our team is is going to train in this summer. And that's some of the best PD that teachers came to, uh, the best resources. Um, they actually, um, you know, that grant process requires a submission, a site visit, just to be sure that you really are going to do what you say you're going to do. They monitor throughout the town.

Our teachers basically, you know, get the best possible resources that have been researched based and teach the classes. And it's not just advanced classes, you know, it's not just AP classes. It's regular versions of courses. All students have access to the best materials. And I think that's really important when we talk about students doing better.

Uh, so excited. You know, a couple of months ago, we had, you know, students at a regular diploma out in regular classes benchmarking on the Act and the la math and that that you can see that excitement because you can see those kids, you can see how excited they are, because for a lot of them, that's the first time they probably felt success since the elementary school.

So I you know, I think I think it's really important. Um, also, you know, another piece that we try to look at and, you know, in school and that now, you know, we've been able to double AP exams, offer the kids we'll double the AP qualifying scores in just a few weeks when we get those results back. So, um, again, it's monitored.

It's a year. Uh, you can't wait till the end of the year? See I win. You have to do it every day. Thank you.

00:45:42.920 — 00:45:43.960 · Speaker 4

So you have this question.

00:45:47.440 — 00:45:57.600 · Speaker 6

Mr. Sawyer. Many posts have been seen about your time at VHS. Can you talk a little bit about why you're no longer employed there or what prompted the move?

00:46:00.200 — 00:46:23.960 · Speaker 8

Sure. Um, so I became principal in 2018 when the current principal, uh, went to another school and I was the assistant principal for five years. So when I got there, um, our secretary masters were zero deficient. Our eighth grade mentors were 2.2% of our kids proficient.

00:46:25.000 — 00:47:04.130 · Speaker 8

Our eighth grade English stores were 43.5%, and our eighth grade science scores were 19.6. We were in trouble. Our school was in trouble. So I went to the teachers and I said, what do we do? I said, you guys are the experts. You got to see the kids in the classroom. Let's see what we do. Alright, so they had an idea.

They said, well, we need more time to plan. We need more student, um, um, incentives and we need targeted interventions. So we put forth the plan together with our data team. And um, by 2023, we had increased our temporary math scores by 146%.

00:47:04.370 — 00:47:08.170 · Speaker 1

So the question was, um, many posts.

00:47:08.170 — 00:47:17.370 · Speaker 9

Had been seen about your time at DHS. Can you talk a little bit? Why that, you know, you were no longer employed there or what prompted the move?

00:47:19.370 — 00:47:20.850 · Speaker 8

Yes. Um, so

00:47:22.770 — 00:48:25.260 · Speaker 8

when we increased our stores, we increased our stores significantly. And I ran a campaign in 2022 and my contract. My three year contract was up at the end of that year. Well, uh, I was in doing parking lot duty, and, um, my secretary called me up to the office and said, we, uh, Mr. Burkholder, our superintendent, would like to see you.

And I went in the office, and he had a piece of paper that said, you know, we're going to not renew your contract. And I said, Will you can you give me a reason why? And they said, we're going in a different direction. And I said, okay. And, um, you know, I accepted that. And um, then the, uh, the source came out and we, uh, we had the highest scores in the county.

We had the highest score in the county. We had the highest college career in the county. So, um, you can do the math and figure out why.

00:48:25.300 — 00:48:26.340 · Speaker 9

Okay. Thank you.

00:48:27.620 — 00:48:42.870 · Speaker 6

Doctor Madden. There have been several concerns and misunderstandings concerning you and the CTE programs. Can you please address some of your plans to protect and expand these programs in the county, if you are elected?

00:48:43.110 — 00:48:43.750 · Speaker 8

Sure.

00:48:43.950 — 00:50:51.170 · Speaker 1

Uh, we've we've always been a big proponent of career tech. Um, I mean, I'm, you know, I don't I don't know that many of you even know this. You know, my my dad was a welder. That's what he did. Um, you know, he worked at a plant, and, uh, you know, that's what he did for a living. And, uh, he came home every day, often took the late shift, and, uh, you know, we made it work with about 350 bucks a week.

And, uh, you know, he was, uh, that's what he did for a living. But in my experiences at the school we'd been at, you know, we've been a proponent for career tech. We've been able to place career tech programs that are in demand for our kids. Fayette County High School is just one example. You know, we put in health science, uh, at a time when we had a teacher that was going to retire.

We put in a program that was going to benefit a lot of kids in this area, uh, because health science is number one in the area. Everybody knows that. So many opportunities for our kids and and and it's it's been an outstanding program there. We we just put it in school on that now at Russell City. Uh, fortunate enough, we had every career tech program that was known to man, they're still doing adding them every year.

We had a $6 million a year of that facility, the school on that. Now, uh, we just played five career tech programs, uh, on campus at the school. We were lucky enough to start computer science again. Health science, building and construction, teaching and learning and plumbing this year for our kids and the kids at Northside.

So, um, my plans are always to do more. And I think level will tell you that. I think Shelton State will tell you that with me is I'm looking to do more, offer more programs. Um, one thing I, I'm a big proponent of for our kids is I want them to be able to get it in high school. I don't want them to have to pay for more when they leave.

So the programs are really they're really wanting to go to work. I want them to finish and go to work. I want them not to have to pay an extra 4 or $5000 because it's a barrier and we don't need barriers for kids to go to work. And another thing this year, you know where I'm at. We led the way with kids who are working.

We had kids in the workplace earning our hours and the money they make this year to help their families that have to work. Uh, we've always worked with those kids to make sure they can support their family and still get their baby at school.

00:51:07.170 — 00:51:08.850 · Speaker 2

This is this question for you.

00:51:10.050 — 00:51:34.910 · Speaker 2

The superintendents role requires credibility with principals and teachers reflecting on your time as a principal. What specific evidence of student achievement gains, school improvement, and staff development best demonstrates your readiness to lead a district. Please, if you can, include the time frame as well.

00:51:36.190 — 00:52:40.080 · Speaker 8

Okay. As I said, um, you know, when when I got there, our scores were were at the bottom and I wanted to work with the teachers and say, how can we improve these scores? And, um, you know, our, uh, our, our we led the state. We were number two in the state for growth in seventh, eighth grade, eight top scorers.

My last year was principal. Um, like I said, we increased all of our metrics seventh and eighth grade math and English. All of them went up in threes. So in my last year's principal, the college career rate rated data shows very high school leading county in the following categories overall, college and career ready percentage, career tech, college and career ready percentage at 97%.

Overall College and career rating percentage at 97%. College credit, College and career rating percentage from 2021 to 2023, we increased our Alabama State report card score by seven points, 88. That's the highest score this the school has ever received, and it's the highest score in the county that year.

And it's the highest score in the state of Alabama for any seven through 12 school.

00:52:41.440 — 00:52:52.080 · Speaker 8

Now, when I became principal, our general fund had less than $8,000. Now part of being a principal is being responsible for your money.

00:52:53.480 — 00:53:48.410 · Speaker 8

Our general fund when I left had over $30,000. That's an increase of over 200% when it comes to professionalism. I've completed all the requirements and as my five years as a principal at very high school. I've never received an unsuccessful audit with any reportable attendance. During my time, we accomplish great things.

We wrote and received $75,000 in grants for our school projects, ranging from our LED message board to our Spirit Wall and graphics in the hallways in general. Install new safety blinds in every classroom with grant money. We did not ask anybody for money. We didn't ask the central office for money. We raised the grant.

We painted the entire inside of the school building, including the bathrooms, with fundraiser money. We installed new landscaping, stones and timbers with donations and the community. We worked with the alumni association for a new drain on football field. And I could go on and on and on, but thank you.

00:53:50.730 — 00:53:51.570 · Speaker 9

Doctor Madden.

00:53:54.410 — 00:54:03.410 · Speaker 9

You have not publicly posted our results from your past school as the other candidate has. Can you tell us why?

00:54:05.050 — 00:55:30.190 · Speaker 1

Well, that's a good question. Um, I think everybody here knows those scores from high school. I think we we've celebrated when those schools had those successes, uh, whether it was being ranked one of the best hospitals in the state by U.S. News Weekly, uh, whether it was a report for our score or whether it was increasing FTE scores.

But I, I, you know, I think most people realize this election is is about what I've said earlier. It's about these kids and it's not about a store here isn't about what I did because I didn't do anything. You know, the teachers do the work, the kids take the test. Um, but, you know, all that stuff's there. Uh, we've replicated it, but but again, I, I didn't do anything.

I just put things in place for people. I encourage people to do what they were supposed to do. Teach and show that it's not me. It's. It's we. It's not me. And, uh, I would say that, um, you know, I've been able to, to be to be at a couple places lately. I would, I would say, you know, it's good. You know, everybody, everybody can know.

It's, you know, it's good to be wanted in different places. I could say that. That's that's flattering. It's very nice. Um, everybody knows that, uh, I was here for a long time. I thought we did just about everything I thought we could do. And I would say that I think we've done everything that we could possibly do.

And then I wanted to grow and learn more. But as far as the successes go. Um, you know, that's yesterday. You know what we do over the next 40 years? It's going to impact the kids in this county, and that's what's really important.

00:55:33.870 — 00:56:14.470 · Speaker 6

Mr. Sawyer. This is for you. Career. Technical education is often identified as a male dominated field. For example, in one campaign, ad careers emphasized were welding, electricity, mechanics, H-back, transportation, and construction, all of which are male dominated fields. Nursing was the only female driven field that was named.

While women can participate and thrive in these fields, what specific actions will you take to ensure that there is a balanced offering of courses geared toward girls and boys?

00:56:15.270 — 00:58:19.270 · Speaker 8

That's a good question. Um, I would really love to grow our teachers right here. I want to develop a teacher cadet program at the center that we're going to get in, you know, not too far off of them. I want to have a teacher cadet program, and I want to encourage our teachers and our, uh, our students to become teachers.

Um, first thing we got to do is get Shaun White to change his major to, uh, teaching so we can recruit some teachers. But I don't know if he's going to do that. But now I want to encourage our teachers. I would love to see a cosmopolitan program. I would really love to see a commonality. My wife graduated from Auburn with an apparel merchandizing and design degree.

I would love to see an apparel, merchandizing, and a retail offering at our new career center that we're going to get. And I would like to encourage our females, our female students, to pursue one of these high paying job students. You're seeing more and more girls now that are moving in to these skilled labor jobs.

And I don't I don't want to discriminate and say, well, this is just going to be, you know, a man heavy field. I believe in including all of our females. And I would like to see, um, Steven Wells gotten out of school. I know, um, they have a CDL program, and I think it's in Coleman County, and, uh, they're getting those kids CDL, and I know the Pickens County.

The kids are getting an associate's degree before they're getting, uh, before they're getting their high school diploma and their, uh, the nursing program down there is, is A+. So nursing, cosmetology, I would love to see a retail portion of that. And I would love to see these girls have more of an interest and help them have more, um, interest now.

And I believe that starts in middle school. I think you have to start it in middle school, because if you take if you take someone, anybody, not just a girl, if you take anybody and drop them into an electrical class or a welding class or an HVAC class when they're in 10th or 11th grade and they've never been exposed to working with their hands, they're going to hate it.

They're not going to like it, and they're going to say, no, I don't care about this. I'm just going to do enough to get by, and I'm going to try to get into something else. We have to start developing them in middle school.

00:58:22.710 — 00:58:29.830 · Speaker 6

Doctor Randy, you are the candidate with the least amount of time spent here in Fayette County. Why do you say it's so special to you?

00:58:31.830 — 01:00:19.490 · Speaker 1

We, uh, we've been here for a while. You know, I've lived here for over 25 years. I worked in the district for 21. Um, I would that's a great question. And I would answer it this way. Um, it's really the first place to give me an opportunity. I would say, you know, to really, you know, hone your craft. Uh, teacher.

Assistant principal. You know, when I, when I took over at Pitt County High School, you know, I, I spent a lot of time there, and I, and I kind of just really, you know, fell in love with the place. I thought it was special. Um, you know, I, I know that, um, you know, I put in a lot of time and, and wanted it to be comparable with some of the other schools in the state and even even try to beat those schools, which that's probably not the best mentality and try to be other school.

So that was probably not what I needed to do. But I did want him to be the very best, and I didn't feel I didn't fall in love with it and I fall. I fell in love with a lot of things in this community. And, um, you know, my wife went to school, actually. So that was a that was a big thing. I wanted it to be good because I know it means a lot to her and the programs, whether it's choir, whether it's the band program, uh, no matter what it is.

Um, you know, we've been here a long time. You know, last couple of years I've, I've lived here, but we've we've made the drive, and that's been tough. Um, you know, it's been tough, but it, you know, we came back here just because I, you know, I got a church here. I feel a part of the community. We for the last couple of years, we've got some things, um, you know, in our lives that may mean a lot to us.

And, um, and that's just here. So, uh, we plan on still serving this community. We plan on living here. And, um, I would just say, you know, it's it's it's just something about being in love with the place. It makes you want to work a little hard. It makes you want to want to do a little extra. And, uh. And I'm trying to find somebody that either has a lot of expertise or really is passionate about it.

Those two things usually turn out well.

01:00:23.770 — 01:00:44.330 · Speaker 2

Mr. Sawyer, you stated in a Facebook post on February the 20th that you want to you want to remove some of the burden from teachers and hire full time subs to give teachers one full day a month to plan lessons. With budget cuts looming, where do you plan to find the money to fulfill this?

01:00:47.450 — 01:01:39.139 · Speaker 8

Okay, so, um, first the, uh, the full time subs. I know, I'll take a look at the budget and we get our our revenue comes in through, um, property taxes. Well, um, obviously, we're a small county, and our property taxes are are very cheap, but we the money is what it is. It's about a 23.5 million to $4 million a year is what we receive.

Now you get federal state money, but that money is is pretty much tied up. And you can't really mess with that money because that has to be stolen. Teachers and textbooks and, you know, that kind of thing. But the three and a half to $4 million a year, you have some discretion on how that money is spent. Okay.

So what I would love to do is I would like to look around the county to see where we can be more efficient with our dollars. Well, I'll give you an example. So and um, a couple well, several years ago they hired a

01:01:40.140 — 01:03:19.530 · Speaker 8

one guy to be the energy educator. Right. And what his job was is to go around all the schools and make sure that the schools are running more efficiently, unplug computers, turn lights off, keep thermostats where they need to be. Well, I think that's a great idea. Now, I do not want to hire a full time person to be the energy educator.

I want to make a supplement to our janitor. I want to say, hey, mister. Uh. Mister Aldridge, take for example, I want to pay you $500 extra per month, and I want you after school to go around to all the schools or the schools that you're responsible for. And I want you to make sure that the teachers computers are turned on.

I want you to make sure that the lights are turned off, and I want you to make sure the thermostats are set where they need to be. And I want to save that money. So if we can pay somebody $500 extra a month and if we can pay, you know, 3 or 4 genders, let's just say that's, you know, $3,000 a month, that's $36,000 a year.

Well, if they can save us $6,000 a month, that's $36,000 a year that we're going to say on the power bill. Now, that's just one thing. Now, how about replacing our athletic fields of lights with LED lights? We can save on the power pole that way. Right. So there's a lot of things that we can do to try to find that money.

Now we spend money on certain things, and certain superintendents have, um, things that they want to spend money. I want to look at that money. I want to hire retired teachers. Because as it is right now, you can pay a retired teacher $39,000 a year. You don't have to pay and benefits. You Benefits. You don't pay more time.

That's $240,000 a year that we can have six full time subs that are retired teachers that actually know how to teach, and it would give those teachers that resource to have in the classroom.

01:03:27.850 — 01:03:36.210 · Speaker 9

What is more important? Loyalty to your staff or accountability to students and taxpayers?

01:03:37.610 — 01:04:51.020 · Speaker 1

Well, these are both important. Um, you know, when they kind of go hand in hand, uh, you know, I think you're responsible for both of those people. I, you know, I would I would say that, you know, people would expect their kid to come to school in a safe environment, learning, uh, progressing. And they they're counting on superintendent or counting on the principal and counting on the teachers, uh, to do that work.

And that's that's really our job. Um, you know, as far as loyalty, you know, people aren't going to work for you if they if they don't trust you. if they don't feel like they have their backs. If they don't know that you are in it for the right reasons. And I think you do that every day. So I you know, it's a tough question to answer, but I, I think they're both right there.

I think it's almost like trying to, you know, tell people we can't teach without, you know, rules. And, you know, you can't teach without having people in there that really know what they're doing. So it's so important to have both, you know. So I, I would say they're both equal. But, um, I want the people to work with me to realize I'm there for the right reasons.

I'm going to support them as long as they're doing their jobs, as long as they've been in, you know, what they've been trained to do. And then I would expect the public to know that I'm going to report to them. Uh, the good and the bad. And if it is bad, we're going to show them how we're going to progress, how we're going to how we're going to improve things and how we're going to have a plan for improvement.

01:04:52.100 — 01:04:52.780 · Speaker 9

Okay. Thank you.

01:04:55.020 — 01:04:55.980 · Speaker 6

Mr. Sawyer.

01:04:57.420 — 01:05:27.350 · Speaker 6

Your background shows work with six, three, 12 grade students as a teacher in principal. And your campaign has highlighted an importance of CTV, beginning at the kindergarten level and continuing through the 12th grade. Other than career tip, what is your vision for elementary students in pre-K through fourth grade?

Considering you don't have a great deal of experience at those levels, what specific actions will you take to impact these young students?

01:05:28.470 — 01:07:39.780 · Speaker 8

That's a great question. So luckily, the governor has done that for us. They have they have come up with the Alabama career development model and it's career awareness for grades K through five. So they start out with elementary grades K through two. And we can, you know, discuss the entire project if you want to.

But um, communicate awareness initiatives to parents and families with newsletters. Uh job available uh communicate career planning initiatives. Uh guest speakers career awareness through search engine tools like our Alabama career planning system that that there's already a place for engaging students in career awareness activities.

Plan a Crash Classroom art project which focuses on careers. Organize a visit. Parents at workday for for for elementary school kids. Invite business and industry guest speakers to come into our classrooms. Introduce employability skills. Explore the career clusters. There's six family plan, parent family informational meetings and leadership classes at our elementary schools and bed career awareness activities in the core and elective curriculum in our classrooms in our elementary schools.

And we can go on to third through fifth grade, um planned family Stem engineering, health or public safety nights, and our classrooms. We need more science, technology, engineering, arts, and math into our elementary school classrooms. That is going to encourage our kids to to maybe pursue a career in a career 10th plan, a college and career and apparel a day where kids can wear their favorite college or career?

Uh uh, dress that day. Take a workplace virtual tour, which is a lot easier now. I want to get the, uh, the virtual goggles where the kids can actually weld without holding a welding gun. You don't want elementary kids holding welding watch. Um, introduce community based programs. Uh, Chamber of Commerce encourage participation in science fairs.

Uh, and career awareness activities in the corporate world, which have already begun to link core academics to all the career clusters. There's a number of different ways, and they've done it for us already. It's the Alabama career development model, and it's it's worked great in other counties and other states, uh, other counties and other city systems in Alabama.

And we can we're going to put it in place here.

01:07:42.900 — 01:07:52.900 · Speaker 6

Doctor Madden, there has been a lot of speculation around the reason you decided to leave Fayette after the last election. Could you shed light on the reason for your departure?

01:07:53.660 — 01:10:01.090 · Speaker 1

Yeah. Well, you know, we talked about it earlier. We you know, we had been in school for 13 years. The hospital principal. One year as assistant principal. Been in the district for 21. And you know, like I said, everybody, everybody knows that it's nice to be nice. People wanted it's nice to, uh, to have somebody recognize the work.

And again, it's the work of the school. Uh, you know, I, I didn't do anything, but, um, you know, it's very attractive to be wanted and somebody to to come after you and, and want you to want you to come and work in their organization. And, um, at that point, I, you know, I felt like we needed to grow a little bit and, uh, it it is a strap system here.

I think all of you know, that there's not a lot of people working at the central office. There's not a lot of moves. Um, and I knew that, um, I could get better experience. I could get some different things at the district I went to. And, um, I could also get a good meal, um, several afternoons from my mom, who lives pretty close to that school, uh, and I.

And I did that, but, um, but it was also a way to spend time with some family, but, um, but the biggest thing is, you know, it's just it's just a character to be wanted. It is. Everybody knows what that's like and to learn and and to do more, um, and to get better. And, and we have got better. We were able to learn some things that there's no way I could know today if I, if I didn't take that opportunity, uh, at a high five at school, uh, we got to work with the students.

Uh, we got to work with students who couldn't speak English, which was tremendous for me because I got to see how that worked. They were doing it really well. Um, and leader in the state in that area. And all of you know, that that's an issue that, you know, schools, school is hard enough as it is without the without the language barrier.

And now I got to see how they put that into place, how students, how families reacted to that and the pieces all the way to the assessments for those kids. And that was powerful for me to learn that, um, and that's helped me even today as I, as I have grown and gone to a bigger district, because where I'm at now, um, you you all know that, that there are kids coming, coming to Alabama from every part of the world.

It's no longer the way it was. It's different. So, um, without that, I wouldn't be the educator I am today.

01:10:08.130 — 01:10:28.330 · Speaker 2

At a previous public forum, you stated that you have never worked anywhere other than Fayette County schools and have never applied for a position outside Fayette County. Public records appear to indicate otherwise. Would you like to clarify your previous statement and explain your employment and application history to the board?

01:10:28.610 — 01:11:06.260 · Speaker 8

Yes, ma'am. I would be glad to. Oh. So, um, when I got my teaching certificate and I graduated from West Alabama, I wanted to work in Fayette County schools, and there was no job available for me. Um, so I chose to spend one year at Hayesville Middle School. And when a job for the next year at the Fayette, I applied for it, I interviewed for it, and I got it.

Um, and there wasn't a job available. I could not work at that. So that was my first year teaching. And when I, um. Now, if we want to talk about our, um. When I was not renewed as a principal.

01:11:08.580 — 01:11:13.380 · Speaker 8

I was going to have to sacrifice thousands and thousands of dollars in salary.

01:11:14.700 — 01:11:35.459 · Speaker 8

I was thrown for a loop, and I had bills to pay at my house. I have a family to support at my house, and I needed to find a way to support my family with such a big pay cut. Now, I did not know where I was going to be teaching, and I did not know that I was going to have a bus route until

01:11:36.900 — 01:12:13.670 · Speaker 8

one month before school started. Now, I applied for some jobs because I wanted to be able to pay for my bills, and when I found out that I was going to be able to have a bus route and still take a pay cut, I chose to stay in Fayette, Alabama and do my job and be a man and come home and support my family and be with my kids because my kids are going to school here now.

Two years ago or a year ago, one of my best friends in the world called me and he said, I want you to come with my career tech director in Pickens County.

01:12:16.230 — 01:12:48.110 · Speaker 8

He's my best friend in the world. And he said, I want you to come down here and I want you to get some experience running a career tech school, because I know you're passionate about it, and I know you want to open one up. And faith, come down here, get some experience. Go back to Fayette, run for Superintendent Wynn, open up a career tech center and make it better than others.

I went every with him with full knowledge, knowing that I was going to come back here and run for superintendent. So, yeah, I had to feed my family and I had to figure out a way to pay my bills.

01:12:48.150 — 01:12:52.690 · Speaker 9

Great. Thank you. We're going to transition now. Two questions for both of you all.

01:12:58.890 — 01:13:15.090 · Speaker 9

Um, Mr.. Sorry, we're going to let you go first and let Doctor Madden go first. In the previous round of questions. The first question that I have is with Fayette County being one of the lowest paid systems in the state. Um,

01:13:17.010 — 01:13:19.290 · Speaker 9

what are your plans to recruit,

01:13:20.450 — 01:13:25.770 · Speaker 9

um, and retain highly qualified teachers to this area?

01:13:26.490 — 01:14:13.260 · Speaker 8

Okay, so when I, when I got the principal job at Berry, um, we had several, uh, teachers that were retiring and several teachers that were moving away. We had several young teachers that I knew that were going to move away. So I began calling. I began calling my friends that I knew in principle. And, uh, and in leadership school, I began calling principals.

I began calling counselors. I began calling friends to see if anybody know of anybody, any teachers that were willing to come to faith. We got for teachers to move out of county into Fayette County schools to come teach at very high school. And I'm proud of the success that we had while we're there now. And when it comes to the attainment, we have to take care of our teachers because our teachers are hurting.

I know because I am one discipline in the classroom has gotten out of control,

01:14:14.420 — 01:14:46.670 · Speaker 8

and the community is going to have to step up, and you're going to need a leader that's going to work with the community to get our community to step up and allow us to discipline the children the way they need to be disciplined, because they're not getting it anywhere else right now. You want to talk about it, we'll just go ahead and talk about it.

Teachers need to be given charge of their classroom and need to be able to take charge and discipline the kids the way that they need to be disciplined. Now, when I got discipline when I was a kid, I got it twice. I got it when I got home.

01:14:47.710 — 01:14:48.910 · Speaker 8

Most of y'all did today.

01:14:50.070 — 01:15:22.310 · Speaker 8

Well, that has to take place again. And it's going to take a leader that gets the community to support our discipline policies to get these kids. Nobody's going to learn if there's a classroom that's in. That's that's not discipline in a classroom, an undisciplined classroom, you're not learning anything.

We have got to get control, and you're going to have to get out into the community. Go door to door and get the people's help to be able to discipline these kids and get these kids that are in constant disruption out of the classroom, so that the ones that are there to learn can.

01:15:22.310 — 01:15:24.710 · Speaker 9

Actually cause they're going to have to recruit and retain teachers.

01:15:24.950 — 01:15:40.430 · Speaker 8

Absolutely. For us. If you've got a classroom, if you've got a school where the principal is empowered and the teachers are empowered, and the superintendent goes in the community and he has your back, yeah, that's going to recruit teachers. They're going to say, yep, I'm going to Fayette County Schools because they take care of their teachers.

01:15:42.550 — 01:15:58.440 · Speaker 9

Thank you. Doctor Matt, the same question With Fayette County being one of the lowest in the state for teacher pay. And surrounding districts that are close near you. What are your plans to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers?

01:15:59.120 — 01:18:11.430 · Speaker 1

Well, I think on the on the recruitment part, you know, it's it's a multitude of things. I think you have to be plugged in with your universities, your colleges that are in the area that are going to be looking to place teachers. Um, you know, where we're at. We we try to work out an agreement with Alabama, um, to make sure we get a chance at those people.

So you want to send people to the recruitment efforts? Um, all over the area, all the way up to Florence, all the way down as far as we think they might come to us. So that's one thing. Um, we talked earlier about putting in a teacher, a teacher program at the school. I think it's important that our juniors and seniors, uh, get a push into education, and they get to see what it's like, um, teaching learning program.

Uh, we in our first year of it, this year, we partnered with the middle school and elementary school. It's just so exciting to see those kids realize, hey, this is a field that I can do, and I can come back and I can support my community. Um, make a really good living and make an impact on somebody else younger than me.

And you see those kids working with the younger kids. I think it's really important. Um, that program is needed in every high school because those juniors and seniors, uh, you know, they're seeing how their teachers are treated. They're seeing how their educators are doing, and they want to do that job.

You know, are they are they interested in being a teacher? And that's something. Uh, you know, the state just passed a new bill that allowed the military to kind of fast track, uh, to certification if they if they're required to do certain things. So I think looking at our military, um, service people is really important.

Uh, states also, you know, relaxing some things with certification that makes it a little easier for people to, to be certified. So I think it's important that we look inside first. Again, somebody with expertise of personal state, it's going to be really important to find work in our schools as far as keeping them, um, you know, I treat people like I want to be treated.

We try to have programs in place, uh, mentoring programs in place for our teachers, especially our first, uh, second year, third year teachers. We want to make sure they're plugged in with a veteran teacher. Uh, we talk about A-plus College. Ready? That's some of the best things that we can offer our first year teachers.

Because the program is already there. They just go through the training and they don't have to spend their time looking for lesson plans. They don't have to spend their time looking for resources. So I think you just hit them with with those two resources so they don't leave frustrated every day.

01:18:12.470 — 01:18:30.990 · Speaker 6

So you mentioned veterans and me, myself being a veteran, and the state is implementing this new procedure in October of 2026. What are you doing here in Fayette County to promote that initiative? Um, for veterans to come in to be an educator.

01:18:32.990 — 01:18:33.790 · Speaker 6

You're playing.

01:18:36.150 — 01:18:53.839 · Speaker 8

Well, coming from a large military family, I understand the importance of when you get out. You need a job and you need a career. Uh, my brother proudly served, uh, special ops in the Air Force. My grandpa, both my grandfather, served in Korea and Vietnam, respectively. Uh, my uncle was in the Navy, stationed

01:18:54.840 — 01:19:48.290 · Speaker 8

in in China, Japan. And I understand that military, they need jobs when they get home, and I would, I would I would absolutely look at some incentive programs to encourage our veterans. And, you know, we talked about, you know, the saving the money, you know, part of that savings, if we could save some of that money, maybe we could offer some incentives to veterans to go get that certification that they need to get their teaching degree.

Um, I know, you know, you can pay for professional development for teachers. Maybe we lobby the state of Alabama to say, hey, I know we pay for for professional development for some of these teachers to go to these trainings. Could we come up with a program that would incentivize these veterans to go get their future true justice.

Could the county pay, or could the state help us pay for the certification programs for these veterans? For these military veterans to go get their teaching degree?

01:19:50.450 — 01:21:06.900 · Speaker 1

I think I think you don't want to get hooked up with the local people in the community, set up multiple opportunities for them to come in and get the information and make sure you have people on hand to assist in them, especially if there's an application, if there's some technology. You know, that's something that we want to make sure there's no barriers to those people getting the information or getting assistance to start the program and learn all the all the things about it.

We want somebody from the state to come because they have the most recent information and make sure again, they get the information, they get the timelines. And then we just want to try to plug in and get a yes or no, get a commission from people who are interested and start selling them a successful one, especially the first year teacher, so they can go talk to other people, because that's really what our military will find out if they want to do that or not, they'll get that first year, that first wave of people, and then other people will talk to them.

And how were you treated? How was the process? Uh, was was it was it a lot to do? Did it cost you extra money? So all those things would have to be looked at on a plan before you started? Because the first wave was really going to determine the successful, uh, how successful that program will be, because that's that's something we want to tap into, because, again, there is a teacher shortage.

Uh, there's going to be one, uh, we know that. So that's just something we would not want to pass up on in this community. But this would be a lot better.

01:21:15.420 — 01:21:18.340 · Speaker 6

Okay, this is kind of a hard question.

01:21:20.100 — 01:21:20.540 · Speaker 6

I think.

01:21:22.740 — 01:22:03.470 · Speaker 6

Teachers need help with disruptive children in their classrooms. If a child causes that other children not to be able to learn, then they need to be removed for more than five minutes. What would you do about discipline that would help support the teachers and let the other students actually be able to learn?

And I would also like for you to discuss, um, students who may have IEPs. Um, how are you going to address their educational needs being met in an appropriate setting so that they are also given the the same?

01:22:09.390 — 01:22:09.910 · Speaker 4

That's okay.

01:22:11.710 — 01:24:46.750 · Speaker 1

Well, you know, what we try to do and, uh, anywhere up the end, you know, we try to make sure we come out for first two weeks with rules and procedures on what's going to happen in the room. Last couple of years, we've asked our teachers to start the year with, uh, norms in the classroom. Uh, we, you know, we ask them to put those up.

We have the, um, the sticky notes on the wall. The kids kind of buy in and they help create the culture of that classroom. What's going to happen in here? What's not going to happen? You know, this year, a big thing that wasn't going to happen is that we're going to have their phones out, because that's the state law.

So that was one thing I saw consistently in every classroom. When I went around to see that the teachers also made sure that they signed it and all the kids on it. It's almost like an agreement that, hey, we're going to treat each other with respect. We're going to value everybody in here and learning's going to take place.

We all are responsible for our learning in here. So that's something that is consistent in every classroom across the board. Um, we actually keep those because we know that things are going to come up from time to time, whether it's a cell phone violation, whether it's somebody with resisting behavior that happens.

We know that. So, you know, when a kid comes up, uh, especially for a, you know, a nickel and down the fence on the phone, all other things that happened this year, uh, first thing I did was pull up, and, hey, this was the teacher's contract. You signed it. You knew that. And most people will say, I did, and I made a mistake, and this is what it is.

We'll move on the next thing when we go back in. Now, if it's something egregious I can talk about, you know, let's just say kids were, you know, saying inappropriate language or let's just say that they were ruining the teacher. Uh, that's not something that we're going to be treated as an offense because, uh, we let those things go.

The teacher is going to get really frustrated. So if a teacher send somebody to the office accomplished, you know, they're not going back that day. Oh, we're going to address it. We're going to follow our board policy on what is allowed, and we're going to just treat them like that. Policy says we're going to give them the respect, but we're also going to make sure that they understand that, hey, you agree to go in this classroom, you agree to learn and not be somebody who resists learning.

You're here to learn. You're going to be respectful. And that's part of going into society, too. You're going to have to be able to do those things, to hold a job and to work in society. So that's something we try to do. As far as your question about someone on an IEP, you know, that's the law. We're going to follow that IEP.

They're going to have to be served according to what that says. We don't get a choice on that as that is a law that has to be followed. And we're also going to keep it very private because everybody can't know about that. We can't we can't include anybody in the IP that doesn't have a right to know about it. So that's something that we're not going to do.

But we're also going to make sure that kid gets served to the letter of the IEP of what their services are, because we don't get a choice on that one.

01:24:50.110 — 01:25:27.840 · Speaker 8

Okay. I was given a I was interviewing for a history job one time, a guy from Mississippi who was coming over, and he said that he was a former administrator and he wanted to come over to Alabama and double dip. And, you know, I'm not holding that against him, but, uh, I didn't end up hiring him. But, uh, he had one of the best lines that I've ever heard when it comes to discipline in schools.

And, uh, I said, I asked him, I said, all right, so what is your policy? Uh, classroom discipline, you know, but the basic questions you're going to ask the teacher. And, um, without going into really great detail, he said, well, Mr. Sawyer, sometimes you just gotta love the fool now.

01:25:29.160 — 01:26:34.610 · Speaker 8

And I said, wow, I've never heard that before. So if little Johnny comes in to school one day. Throws his backpack across the room first period and slams his head on his desk and doesn't look up. Was anybody in that room responsible for little Johnny's bad behavior? Was the principal responsible? Was the teacher responsible?

No. Something happened to little Johnny to make him come in that classroom and throw his backpack across the room until we start figuring out why he did that. We're never going to solve this problem. And you're not going to solve the problem if you don't go talk to the community about it and see if we can fix the why.

Johnny did that problem. And instead of putting him in ISIS or OSS, the alternative school, let's find out why he did. Now, I do believe in progressive discipline. I believe if you are given a chance after chance after chance, I think the punishment needs to get a little bit more severe in every single time, and you need to be counseled.

You need to go to the counselor. You need to be talked to. The parent needs to be in the meeting. We need to find out why.

01:26:35.810 — 01:27:38.580 · Speaker 8

Now we have an alternative school. I think it's a great use of our time, and we need to have more resources at our alternative school for special ed students. We need to have that IP be able to be followed in that alternative school. And I think and this is going to the IEP part. The IEP is a legally binding document.

And it is it is a no. You cannot cannot do that. And again communication with the community with the parents getting them to show up at the IEP meeting. As you know we get parents that don't show up in our IEP meet. Let's find out why. Maybe they didn't have a ride to the IEP. Maybe they I mean, you can come up with a myriad of reasons why parent parents could not come to the to a meeting.

Let's take the IEP meeting for them. Let's try something different. Maybe we can get the community support and get these kids on the right track. But you're going to have to get the community support. And the only way to get the community support is going out and getting.

01:27:43.300 — 01:28:07.540 · Speaker 2

This question, said the new superintendent, will potentially be responsible for vetting and choosing several new principals in our school district, and several are up for possible retirement in the next few years if they choose to retire. What are your plans for recruiting principals for our schools, and what qualifications and vision will you be looking for in the candidates?

01:28:13.180 — 01:28:49.280 · Speaker 1

Well, um, you know, hopefully that we have a, you know, we have good applicants to apply. We're looking for their education. We're looking for their experience. Uh, have they had? Have they had a successful assistant principal experience? Have they been a principal before? What is it look like when they've been in charge of a faculty and staff?

What's a bull like when they have responsibility over students and programs? What does that look like? So we want to make sure that we open that up to the to the hiring process. We're going to pull the candidates. But um, as far as my my self's recruit, obviously we're going to post it in the appropriate places.

Uh, we are going to seek out quality.

01:29:48.130 — 01:30:24.020 · Speaker 1

And those principles need support, especially if we do have a turnover. Like I said in the question of 3 to 5 principles. We're going to need a cohort to help that group get started, because that first year of that principal job is very difficult. From the community to the sports, the athletics to the academics, to the report card piece, to dealing with student discipline, all those things.

It is a difficult job. So having the right supports in place, making sure that we have somebody who can help these new principals, somebody who has seen them, somebody who can help them when they do have those problems and they're going to come.

01:30:26.980 — 01:30:27.460 · Speaker 1

Okay.

01:30:27.500 — 01:31:12.580 · Speaker 8

So I went on to interview for an assistant principal job. Um, and I didn't know what to expect. And I showed them I expected there to be 2 or 3 people doing the interview. There was eight doing the interview. There was two kids, two parents, two teachers, two central office staff. And I walked into the room and they were surrounding me.

And I'm not going to lie, I was pretty intimidated and I had no idea what a kid was going to ask me about being a principal. So an assistant principal. Well, we have three different communities, three different communities in our county, very faith communities. There's two kinds of dome. There's people that don't know anything.

And then there's people that think they know everything. And don't worry, the thing, the second one's worse.

01:31:13.620 — 01:32:19.160 · Speaker 8

I'm not going to pretend that I know everything there is to know about the humble community. So I'm going to get real people. To be on the community. To be on the committee to interview the new principal at Harvard. I don't pretend to know everything about the Berry community. I'm going to get very people to be on the committee, on the on the committee to honor the new principal at very high school or at very elementary school, or at public school or or at Fayetteville School or Fayetteville School, or whichever, whichever job it is.

And I want to get the community's input. And we're going to disagree on some things. We're going to be in that room and we're going to disagree after all the interviews. Of course, they've got to be qualified and of course they've got to apply for the job. But we're going to disagree on this. But when we come out of that room, we're going to have our person and we're going to get behind them, and they're going to be putting forth our vision for what the county should look like.

And we're not going to come out of that room until we can agree on, on, on a candidate. And I just think that you need community input if you're going to hire a principal for a community that you have not. You've not ever lived in before and you've never worked in that school.

01:32:21.800 — 01:32:22.480 · Speaker 9

Okay.

01:32:25.880 — 01:32:39.240 · Speaker 9

What specific strategies, um, are you offering to recruit, retain, and promote African American educators? What specific strategies

01:32:40.520 — 01:32:44.559 · Speaker 9

would you use to recruit, retain, and promote

01:32:45.560 — 01:32:47.320 · Speaker 9

African American educators?

01:32:49.080 — 01:34:49.270 · Speaker 1

Well, I think one thing we need to do again is build those colleges, uh, be at the universities that that are predominantly for African American students so we can make sure they're getting the equal access that we give to Alabama, that we give to you. And I think that's really important. Um, you know, some of our best salesmen are current employees who might be African American.

I think they should go, uh, be there. They should also be able to talk about their experience as far as working in the district, it's a good place. Here's how I get treated. We talked about earlier about tapping into that first year military person who we might, I think I think those people really sell. But again, I think I think it's about, you know, trying to get the the message out there that, hey, we want to hire people that are, um, that are required to, to buy in, but we want to make sure that we're showing up and give them money for them to come to us.

This is a real place. Um, there's not a lot of activity going on on Friday. Saturday night. Sorry, mayor. Uh, it's not a whole lot of things. You know, there's some there's some concerts and different things, but, uh, this this is something that, you know, is not really attractive unless you're from here or unless you're you can't get a job at other places.

So that's just something we have to have to find here. But I think you have to have a voice on, on social media. You have a voice on the platforms as far as this job is posted. You have to get it as advance for their hiring. You have to make a focus on what's our current Percentage. How are we growing? What's our strategy in place to recruit African-American teachers?

Coaches? What does that look like? And bring people in and set that plan? And is that percentage growing at the end of the year? Is it declining? If people are leaving, are we doing exit conferences with them? Are we asking them why they leave, if they're coming? Or we ask them, why are they coming? So try to book one of those things in place as far as what's working.

But again, it has to be monitored. It has to be looked at. It just can't be something that we and we don't know what the percentage is. We don't know. We don't really know what that what their experience was here. And are we mentoring them while they're here and give them that support, especially the first, second, third year teacher?

01:34:52.430 — 01:36:39.090 · Speaker 8

So as a teacher and as a coach, you try to, um, you tried to listen to kids when they come talk to you about what kind of careers they want to have, what kind of job they want to have. And I think that as a teacher, as a principal, as a superintendent, I think you have to go to those kids and you have to make teaching an attractive position.

You have to go to these kids and make teaching the track position, because a lot of them, they see what happens in schools and they they're turned off for it. They don't want to be with them to become a teacher. They don't want to work the long hours. They don't want to do those things. I think that you have college nights where you get your schools to your colleges, and especially if you're HBCUs, to come to your school and set up and start and start recruiting these kids to come to these colleges and to pursue a teaching degree.

We need more coaches. We need more teachers. We need more principals. We need more. We need more parents. We need all of us. We got to get these kids recruited, and you've got to go and call the people that you know. And like, I did it there. We called and I called everybody we knew. Now, I think you also need to look at the the ratio of blacks and whites in your school system.

Are there as many teachers on there on that ratio? Are there many African-American teachers, as there are whites. With respect to the ratio of blacks and white students in your classrooms, are there the same percentages of African-American principals, African-American principals, African-American election staff?

You can go down the list. What are the percentages? If they are not right, then when you post a job, make a requirement that you that you interview a minority candidate or two for every job that you post. Make it a requirement that you hire them. That you interview a minority candidate for every job that you post.

01:36:44.570 — 01:37:15.540 · Speaker 6

Mr. Sawyer. In recent years, Fayette County has seen a rise in the need for credentials to aid special needs students and special education teachers. What actions would you take to ensure that parents are adequately trained and provided with proper training on techniques and special education laws in order to serve our students with research proven tools, while also following the strict rules and regulations of special education.

01:37:16.500 — 01:39:26.530 · Speaker 8

Okay, well, I mentioned earlier about hiring retired teachers as full time selves. Now that's that's gotten a lot of criticism about, you know. Well, we're not going to have the money for that. Well, we're going to we're going to get the money for that. If it's important to you, let's go get the money for it.

We can find the money for it. There are many grants out there. There's there's there's there's plenty of it. You got to go get it. Now, once we get those full time zones, those special ed teachers are going to have the time to work with the parents, to make them understand what is required, what the what all the policies are.

They're going to be able to meet with those teachers and discuss the ideas the teachers are going to the the special education teachers are going to be able to meet with the classroom teachers and see what the goals are, what's in the IEP, how are we going to meet these goals? Then they communicate down to the Paris.

This is the way we're going to do this. This is the way. This is the idea. The goals are going to be done, and you have to get those special ed teachers, because those are the experts. They're going to have to have the time to go and work with the parents, to make them understand what the policies and procedures are that are set in the idea.

And when they work with classroom teachers and they work with the special ed teachers and they work with the parents, then the principal can get involved. We can have data meetings, we can have staff meetings, but you can't do it if you don't have the time. The teachers are going to have to have the time to go meet, because you can't ask a teacher to continually interrupt their planning period every single day.

It can't happen. And that's what we're seeing across the board. Teachers are losing their planning time. Teachers are having to stay after school for this meeting. In that meeting, in this meeting and that meeting. Well, let's find a way to make that not happen. Because if we talk about the teacher who's the most important resource in the classroom.

Well, then let's start acting like. And I start getting them some time to go home and spend with their family. Because teacher mental health is a big thing for them. Teacher mental health is at an all time low. It's just it's terrible now because we're putting more on teachers and putting more on teachers every single day.

Since Covid, we have put more on teachers and more on teachers, and they have stepped up big time. But it's time we step up.

01:39:35.130 — 01:41:24.390 · Speaker 1

Um, you know, we we have annual trainings currently for the paraprofessionals. And, you know, we're getting ready to get a managing process safely for our parents. We've got some people in the building who also go to that. So I think it's important that they receive yearly updates. Our special ed coordinator goes to training each year.

She gets the update. She gets up to the update training for what's going to happen in those classrooms. So it's it's an ongoing process for the parents. Uh, If they're a new pair, obviously there's going to be a lot of things that they have to go back on it. If it's a if it's somebody who's been there a little bit, they're really just adding to what they know as far as the knowledge goes.

But, uh, it's ongoing. Uh, we want to make sure that we're pushing into those classrooms. You know, I love going to the Paris I, I did, because I get to see what they do on a day to day basis. I get to see, you know, how they interact with kids. I could give them some feedback. I always try to invite people from our central office to come out, uh, visit the classrooms and make sure that we're in LA if they have a complaint or if they have something that they're uncomfortable with, we want to make sure we address it with them.

Uh, offer them support. Ask them, you know, what do you need more of? What do you need help with? Uh, what specific training or what specific knowledge are you missing here that we can provide to you that would help in this situation? We have we have some some interesting situations from time to time, uh, with, with with Paras and the roles they serve.

They are a huge piece to the puzzle. Uh, because without them, you know, the students would not have the support they need to balance that playing field in the classroom. So I'm just thinking to look at what we're currently offering. What could we could what could we get to make sure they know the laws, they know what their job is, and they're safe while they're doing the job that the students need and the teacher needs them to do to the actual report.

And we also want to monitor the teachers that they're working for and ask them, hey, how how's this parent doing? What could we do to support them? Uh, what would work better for them?

01:41:29.110 — 01:41:39.270 · Speaker 6

This is for both of you. Leadership is always is often best evaluated by people who work directly under it. Would you encourage voters to speak with current and former.

01:41:39.270 — 01:41:40.270 · Speaker 2

Teachers who have.

01:41:40.270 — 01:41:49.670 · Speaker 6

Served under your leadership? If yes, what do you believe those teachers would say about your greatest strength? Your greatest fear is, and are you a great leader?

01:41:56.270 — 01:44:04.220 · Speaker 8

So, um, I know the the greatest weakness that I would have is the same one that my wife says is that I'm going to get one. Uh, and I'm sure my mom would say the same thing, but, uh, no, I, uh, I believe in, in in being a servant leader. And, you know, I think the, the teachers that I have, uh, have worked with before, uh, they'll say that, you know, I, I, I serve.

And so when we, uh, when we, when we go for when we have somebody to take up money to ballgames, let's just say that. So, um, I took all the base basketball games and all of the, uh, volleyball games to take that off the teachers. They need time to spend in their homes and with their kids. And I wanted to take that off that.

So I think that a, a principal should be a servant leader, and you should be going, you know, you should be doing the job and they should see you doing the jobs that maybe nobody else thinks that they should, that you should do. So, um, I used to, um, when when I was depressed with Barry, I would, I would cut the grass.

And then in the summertime, you know, I'd take that off the janitor and I would have, you know, uh, parents come by and they would, you know, honk the horn and they'd stop. And they said, well, what do you do to cut the grass? Well, I'm taking that off the janitor because the janitor has his forest in it. Right.

So one year I actually helped the janitor with the force because I wanted to know how hard it was. I do not recommend ever doing that, by the way. Never, ever, ever, ever do that. If you've never stripped and waxed floors, I highly suggest doing it one time. It's kind of like running for office. Everybody needs to do it at one time.

But no, I wanted to see what it was like to have to strip and wax those floors. It was miserable every single day in the summer, going out there and mopping, mopping every floor in that school six times and putting that stripper down and having to wear that mask. That's what a leader does. I want to know how hard you guys.

I want to know what it's like to go clean that bathroom. I want to know what it's like. The theme of the Lord.

01:44:07.460 — 01:46:05.650 · Speaker 1

I would encourage anyone to talk to somebody who worked for me at a school. I really would, I would tell you to do that. Um, you know, something that I tried to do. Where I'm at, and we try to meet with teachers. Uh, we try to meet with teachers at the end of each semester and ask them, you know, specific questions.

And I like to get feedback on, on maybe what I'm what I'm not doing a good job at. I like to know what they want to know. You know what's better? Uh, what could I be doing better? What are we not serving you well with? I love that, you know, in a in a in a weird way, I love getting at the point I really do, because we're going to unpack it and find out how to fix it.

I really do. I kind of enjoy it when somebody complains about something, because I know that, hey, there's some merit to it there. They feel that way. Then something from their perspective. It's not. It's not going very well. Um, they think if you talked before your question, when you talk to the teachers, I think you talk to the teachers that work for me.

They would tell you that I'm somebody that's going to work really hard. I'm somebody that, um, you know, may not know everything there is to know about the specific things, but I am going to show up early. I'm going to stay late. I'm going to I'm not going to ask them to do something that I'm not willing to do.

Um, I'm going to be part of the team. I'm not, I'm not. You know, I'm not asking them to do something to sweep in and, you know, take that credit from, uh, I really like to promote the teachers we started. Um, every school I've been at, we've tried to start national boards for our teachers. That's something that I think is really important, to try to get those teachers the gold standard of their profession and, you know, to get them an increase in their salary.

I think it's huge to start that program. And and that's something I would love to see this year. Uh, we're lucky enough to have four people that have committed to start that process on that. And I, I just I love cheerleading, you know, and getting them going on that because I know what the end of that's going to look like for them.

So I would encourage it. Uh, I think they would tell you, too, that. Hey, sometimes I'm demanding. Uh, I am sometimes I want certain things, and I. And I probably push people. I do, and sometimes they probably don't like that. But I still think they would tell you that, uh, it was what was best for kids. I think that's what they would say.

01:46:07.410 — 01:46:23.890 · Speaker 9

All right. Thank you, gentlemen. That ends the question part of this forum. Now you're going to have 3 to 5 minutes to give your closing upon all of us to convince the voters that you are the right candidate for the Fair County school system.

01:46:28.930 — 01:46:47.569 · Speaker 8

Our schools are the heart of Fayette County. They're more than just places where students go to class. There were lifelong friendships. Reformed traditions are carried on and dreams begin to take shape. Friday night ballgames. School plays. Band concerts, graduations. These moments mattered because our schools matter

01:46:49.140 — 01:47:00.140 · Speaker 8

Because our schools matter. Our children deserve every opportunity to succeed. Every child who walks through the doors of our schools deserve to feel valued, supported. Prepared for the future that lies ahead.

01:47:01.260 — 01:47:29.220 · Speaker 8

One of the things I'm most passionate about is making sure we create opportunities for all of our students, not just some students. That's why one of my biggest goals as superintendent is to bring a state of the art career center and expanded career technical opportunities to Fayette County schools.

One of the greatest strengths of Fayette County schools is the strong relationship that we have built with the state. Together, they're creating new opportunities for our students and investing in our community.

01:47:30.260 — 01:48:30.870 · Speaker 8

A pending grant would allow us to establish this center on Bellville State's campus. It's an exciting project and would dramatically expand the number of career tech programs available to Fayette County students, providing them access to high demand career fields. But the benefits go far beyond additional programs.

The grant would also provide increased transportation funding, making it easier for students across our county to participate. It would create additional support services, including a new assistant principal, and accounts were dedicated to helping students succeed and prepare them for life after graduation.

This is what moving forward together looks like. Imagine students graduating from Fayette County Schools with certifications and skills that prepare them immediately for the workforce. You're talking about taking kids who have been living in poverty for the entire of their entire life, and helping them make more money than their parents and their grandparents has ever seen.

And you're changing that kid's life and his his family's life forever.

01:48:32.670 — 01:49:11.040 · Speaker 8

I want our students to know that success is not defined by one single path. College is a wonderful opportunity for many students, but it's not the only path to a successful life. As superintendent, I would work tirelessly to create partnerships, pursue funding opportunities, and build programs that give our students real world skills and real world opportunities.

The strong schools are not built by one person. Strong schools are built by strong teachers, strong staff members, strong parents, and strong communities working together. Our teachers and staff deserve leadership that supports them, listens to them and respects the work that they do every day.

01:49:12.280 — 01:49:28.080 · Speaker 8

They pour their hearts into our children, our teachers do. They stay late? They work long hours and often carry burdens that nobody else sees because they care deeply about their students. They deserve a superintendent who will stand beside them and fight for what is best for our schools.

01:49:29.320 — 01:49:34.200 · Speaker 8

Saint Mary and Humber will have each each have proud traditions and strong community support.

01:49:35.240 — 01:49:46.860 · Speaker 8

Those traditions should be celebrated, but at the end of the day, we're all part of one Fayette County school system. We all share the same goal, creating the best possible future for our children.

01:49:48.020 — 01:49:59.100 · Speaker 8

This campaign is not about politics. It's about people, students, families, and it's about making sure rural schools like ours continue to thrive.

01:50:00.220 — 01:50:17.500 · Speaker 8

When elected, I promise you this I will lead with integrity. I will lead with humility. And I will work hard every single day. And I will always put students first. I'll be a superintendent who is visible in our schools, involved in our communities, and committed to earning your trust.

01:50:18.740 — 01:50:43.150 · Speaker 8

Together, we can continue building schools and communities that our children will be proud to call home. Tonight, the humbly ask for your support, your prayers, and your vote on June 16th. Let's work together to build a stronger future for Fayette County schools and for every child and Mary Fayette and huggable.

May God bless our students, our teachers, our families, and faith. Thank you.

01:50:47.910 — 01:53:10.050 · Speaker 1

Thank you again. The brother brother organization. I want to thank the panel tonight for did an excellent job. And again, I appreciate the opportunity to nod for you guys. And, um, I'll just end in tonight with just a couple of things. Um, I was in the lobby earlier. I told you that earlier had asked me, uh, doctor, why do you want this job?

You know, he he he asked me that earlier, and and I, I just really told him, you know, um, you know, I've always wanted this out. You know, this is a job that I've always wanted. Um, and it's really a job that I feel like I'm prepared to do. And obviously, I wasn't prepared the whole time I wanted it. That's that's not it.

But, uh, today I am, you know, we got the education. Uh, we've got the training. We've got the, you know, the experience of working in these schools and having success, uh, leading a team. And I really think that's what it's about, and it's about putting those opportunities in place for all kids. And that's really, really what you would give and that you would get somebody who is going to work tirelessly.

Somebody is going to put the time in when nobody's looking. I'm going to be there to make sure that we are on par with any of the school district in the state and, and really compete regionally, nationally. That's really my goal, is to make sure the kids at Municipal District have all the access to all the programs that are possible.

Whether that's early literacy, whether that is workforce development. Um, you know, my goal is going to be to fight for those kids. And and I know what it's like to fight for kids. I know what that's like, and I know what it looks like. And I kind of know the time that it takes to put in to kids and fight for purpose and, and stand for things that are hard to stand for.

And and that's what you really would get with me. Um, I, I am somebody that's going to work hard. I am somebody who is highly trained for this job, and I am somebody who's going to fight. And I will tell you that today. Um, I would ask for your vote next Tuesday. Uh, as, as, in my opinion, the most experienced candidate, the candidate who is best qualified for this job, and best of all, for our kids live in this county.

And I appreciate everybody that I have talked to the last six months. I appreciate everybody who has encouraged me and prayed for me and encouraged our family to in this process, and I would be honored to serve this community over the next four years as your Superintendent of Education. Thank you.

01:53:16.970 — 01:53:22.610 · Speaker 10

Again and again for agreeing to be here, as well as the other team members as well.

01:53:32.210 — 01:54:47.470 · Speaker 11

Thanks everyone who came out tonight. Um, this was definitely a tough thing to for us as a group to decide to do. Um, we took the initiative. We invited each candidate to come and speak to us as a round table conversation. So, um, except for you guys, and I apologize for that. Um, the Urban Commission, um, Commissioner.

But, um, these last few weeks have been rough on Facebook. When we personally sat down with sheriff, uh, candidates and superintendent candidates and to watch the back and forth. So we decided tonight we're going to invite the people who who we have and let the people here, uh, ask the questions. If we didn't get your questions, I'm sure these guys and these ladies will be, uh.

I'm sorry. Um, they will take your questions out there. Um, do your homework, ask these things because we are a community that is vested in seeing it grow. Um, once again, I want to thank the mayor. Um, I don't know. Miss Linda is. But thank you so much. Alabama newswire. Our amazing panel. Um, the brother and brother.

Guys, if y'all want to come up. Um, we got to end it, so we might as well.

01:54:48.830 — 01:54:49.150 · Speaker 4

Um.

01:54:49.670 — 01:54:50.990 · Speaker 11

Thank you all for coming out tonight.

01:54:52.070 — 01:54:58.550 · Speaker 11

It just shows that you guys have, you know, you want the best fit for what's been like.

01:55:01.030 — 01:55:01.870 · Speaker 4

You know, no pressure.

01:55:04.150 — 01:55:07.710 · Speaker 11

To do what you do again. A lot of.

01:55:09.030 — 01:55:10.030 · Speaker 4

People are doing it.

01:55:11.110 — 01:55:11.670 · Speaker 11

Well.

01:55:13.230 — 01:55:16.310 · Speaker 11

Yeah. Um, when y'all give the candidates another hand.

01:55:27.230 — 01:55:37.650 · Speaker 11

I do want to give you guys a Bible verse. Um, and this is for the candidates. Um, Galatians. the license is 69 or 69.

01:55:37.650 — 01:55:38.050 · Speaker 4

I'm sorry.

01:55:38.450 — 01:55:38.890 · Speaker 11

Oh.

01:55:43.690 — 01:55:44.090 · Speaker 4

Sorry.

01:55:47.090 — 01:55:47.810 · Speaker 4

But, um.

01:55:48.450 — 01:55:49.450 · Speaker 11

It says, uh.

01:55:52.170 — 01:55:58.050 · Speaker 11

Let us not become weary and doing well, because in due time, we will read.

01:55:58.250 — 01:55:59.930 · Speaker 4

Uh oh.

01:56:02.210 — 01:56:02.730 · Speaker 4

I'm sorry.

01:56:03.770 — 01:56:05.170 · Speaker 11

I know y'all can tell I'm nervous.

01:56:07.810 — 01:56:08.370 · Speaker 11

But don't be.

01:56:08.370 — 01:56:08.610 · Speaker 4

That.

01:56:09.170 — 01:56:24.850 · Speaker 11

Don't get weary in doing well. Oh, yeah, and the hearts of these candidates we can all see tonight. They have a really big heart. Um, so I will encourage you guys to continue to do well. Um, pastor Moore, will you please, uh, press out to let you know my.

01:56:25.370 — 01:56:26.450 · Speaker 4

Come on, people say, now.

01:56:27.770 — 01:56:29.330 · Speaker 11

Let's give it to the hand, y'all.

01:56:37.700 — 01:57:18.340 · Speaker 11

God, we thank you right now for this opportunity. Thank you, God, for the brother of the brother organization. Thank you for these group of brothers that care so much about our community. To get these group of community citizens together. I thank you, God, for each candidate. I ask you God to bless the both of them, bless their their homes, and I ask you to bless the other candidates for the position, revenue and God.

Just thank you for allowing this group of people to come out together. I ask you, as we make ready to benefit from this place, but never from your presence. God allow us to go in peace and in fellowship with one another. This is our prayer. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.