My 2 cents on the Charleston school board race
Since a few of you have asked, here are my picks for the Charleston County School Board:
Peninsula: Regina Duggins
North Area: Kristen French and Charles Monteith
West Ashley: Francis Marion Beylotte III and Helen Davis Frazier
For the strangers reading this: Hi! I’m a parent of three CCSD students in North Charleston (that’s my daughter’s art class assignment at the top of the page — she was learning about Piet Mondrian!). From 2011 to 2019, I covered the school district as a journalist at the Charleston City Paper and then The Post and Courier. I write a newsletter called Brutal South now.
I chose Regina Duggins because she’s worked as reading interventionist and after-school assistant coordinator in the school district. The current school board is sorely missing the voices of district employees, and her experience alone is a major consideration in my book. From her interviews and survey responses, I gather that she would help restore the board’s trust relationship with parents and educators, and I am glad to hear her advocating for racial equity. (Also? She’s the founder of Charleston Black Pride! That’s pretty cool.)
I also chose Helen Davis Frazier primarily because of her experience. She’s a former assistant principal in the district who also has worked as a social worker. Her clear opposition to dark money in the election is a plus. And I loved her response to Aliece Hurley’s candidate questionnaire: “Hire more Black teachers and faculty members, not just janitors.” I have heard the same sentiment from many, many teachers and parents over the years.
I’ve met Kristen French and Francis Beylotte personally, and I believe they’d both be independent-minded boardmembers. They would both bring a focus on neighborhood schools and the well-being of teachers. Francis has a moon-shot goal of increasing the starting teacher salary to $65,000, which I think is not feasible in a 4-year term, but I am glad to see someone come out strong with a bargaining position. Kristen and I have talked about the mental health needs of students, and I believe she’d be a strong advocate on that issue.
Charles Monteith is a leader in my church, and I love him. I’ve seen his passion for racial justice, his heart for kids, and his humble approach to service, and I would be happy to see him on the board. While I have my reservations about the undemocratic influence of dark money from unaccountable billionaires, I do not see the Charleston Coalition for Kids’ endorsement as immediately disqualifying (we spoke at length about this after he accepted the endorsement). Charles is a good man with an organized and methodical approach to the world. We need more board members like him.
The following links may be helpful as you weigh your options:
League of Women Voters candidate profiles for the Peninsula, North Area, and West Ashley
Aliece Hurley’s candidate profiles
The Post and Courier’s candidate questionnaire
