Election 2024: David Blanding, Anderson Board of Education, Dist. 9
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
David Blanding is a candidate for the Anderson Board of Education, Dist. 9 seat.
Blanding earned a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from Florida A&M University, and a Master’s degree in Technology Management, University of Phoenix; and Artificial Intelligence, University of California-Los Angeles, CA.
Artificial Intelligence, University of California-Los Angeles, CA;
Artificial Intelligence, University of California-Los Angeles, CA;
Blanding said his community activities include work with the Anderson County Board of Education, former Dean of Anderson Congress of Christian Education of the Rocky River Baptist Association, Board of Directors at the Westside Community Center, Deacon at the Evergreen Baptist Church. Spend time engaging with students at local high schools and alternative schools when asked
Blanding has attended board meetings and has experience talking with students at the Anderson Institute of Technology and the Anderson Renaissance Academy, serving as a mentor for K-12 schools in the Los Angeles, California area, and giving lecture series at California State University at Long Beach and and President Executive Advisory Boards at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL, Also Industry Cluster Advisory Board, Florida A&M University.
Here are his answers to the Anderson Observer’s questions:
1. What is the most important responsibility of public schools? The most important responsibility for public as well as private schools to educate our children and help students with creating a pathway to a successful career. Helping students to create a pathway to a successful career is important whether the students chose to pursue a higher level of education or working trades of interest to them.
2. What are the three most important duties of a public-school board member? Assist the schools and school districts to establish a plan for student success. This includes helping to provide proper resources needed that will keep our teachers and students encouraged and motivated to do their best. Look for ways to help enhance the student education and provide the proper resources to teachers.
3. How is your combination of education and experience relevant to serving the duties identified in question one? I was president of a Christian School Board for over 30 years. In this position I had to oversee budgets as well as the welfare of the students and teachers. In my career as an aerospace engineer, I was able to help mentor and encourage students in grades K thru 12. I also spent time helping/mentoring college students to be engaged in research related to my area of expertise. I have spent time trying to get students of color to pursue careers in advanced research and other areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). As a program manager at the Boeing Company, I managed research contracts well in excess of $1.2 millions
4. Is there a particular issue that motivates you to run for a seat on the board of education? What motivated me to seek a seat on the Anderson County Board of Education is my love for and dedication to young people and a desire to see them have great and rewarding careers. I also have a strong desire and appreciation for the role that teachers play in the lives of our children. I want to make sure teachers and education administrators have the necessary resources to help our students be successful
5. Please explain your understanding of how school board millage works and what you see as the top priorities for using this money. This is my first introduction to school board millage. The way I understand it is a formula used to leverage property taxes to support education. That is $1.00 for every $1000.00 of the property value. The top priorities I see for using the money is to make sure the school districts have the necessary funding to educate our students, pay proper teachers’ salaries, and provide a safe and inviting learning environment.
6. Given all the issues that arise, how can the board stay focused on student achievement? They should focus on and look for opportunities to assist with student achievement by seeking ways to partner with industry and local communities.
7. How does a school board balance the need to provide a quality education with the need to respond to the local taxpayer burden? The school board should always look for ways to assist the schools and school districts provide a quality education. However, this should not be done by putting unnecessary financial burden on the taxpayer by approving and supporting wasteful spending
8. What are your thoughts on the current and the proposed budget for your school district? I think the current budgets for the five school districts in Anderson County were well planned and thought out considering the needs of the students and keeping the teachers encouraged. It appears each of the school districts are managing their budgets very well
9. As a board member, where would you look to make budget cuts? Currently, I am not aware of any areas that I have been exposed to thus far that I could nor would want to make a budget cut. I think if paying for personal vehicles was a budget item, I would look at this very closely.
10. Are there any areas you would not consider cutting? I would not want to consider budget cuts on the areas of teachers’ salaries and student enrichment programs and activities.
11. How would you determine your budget priorities? My number one priority would put the welfare of the teacher and student in a shared category. Safe and environmentally friendly buildings and classrooms would follow. Athletics and extracurricular activities would be next on the list coupled with educationally enriched field trips.
12. What changes should be made on the state and local level regarding public education? The first thing should be to remove the negative political atmosphere associated with public education. I feel teachers’ salaries should be a top priority so that they can focus on the education of the children and help prepare them for successful careers
13. Do you favor renewing the penny sales tax for schools when the current law expires? Yes, I think this approach has done a lot for the school.
14. How important are athletics and extracurricular activities and should the school board support such endeavors for students? I think athletics and extracurricular activities are very important. I think the school boards should do what they can to provide resources so that students will learn how to fully develop how to work and play as a team and find themselves.
15. What is your understanding of separation of church and state when it comes to public schools in Anderson County? I have to say that I see separation of church and state as anti-religion in public school. When I was growing up, we had prayer in school and prayer did not hurt anyone. A religious belief was not forced on you as I saw it. It is funny to see that the foundation of our education was in the church and now it is shocking to see how far we have moved from our basic foundation not only in public schools, but private Christian based colleges and universities.
16. Are you familiar with Moms for Liberty and/or Stop Moms for Liberty groups and how do you view their activities (positively/negatively and why)? I am not familiar with either organization. With what I have read about each group, I would have to say that I view the Moms of Liberty in a negative manner and the Stop Moms of Liberty in a positive manner. If the Stop Moms for Liberty is truly for the total support of a public education, I view their effort as a way to maintain a public education system where all students (rich or poor) and students from all ethics backgrounds are given equal opportunities to succeed.
17. How would you work to find common ground with other school board members and the superintendent on issues of disagreement? The common ground should always be the welfare of our students and teachers. I would seek to understand issues that are causing me to have a disagreement with fellow board members. I feel one should always look at oneself first. I could be the problem and if I am the problem, I should look for ways to make a change.
18. Could you support a board decision you did not vote in favor of? Why or why not? Yes, I could and would support a School Board decision that I was in favor of. Being on the School Board means you are part of a governing body. I do not think a Board member should be an element or individual that would cause the Board not to work effectively and or lose credibility.
19. What is your opinion of current teachers in the district and what would you do as a board member to support them? I think the teachers in the various school districts in Anderson County are dedicated to their work. The first thing I would do is let them know how much I appreciate their efforts. I would and I am currently trying to do what I can the support the teachers in areas of my expertise.
20. How can a school board know if its goals are being accomplished and its policies are being implemented? I would first look at the student success ratio and then look at the total work environment and attitude of the teachers. I would want to see happy faces of both the students and teachers.