Turner Wins Second Term On Bristol Tenn. Board of Educ.
Tony Turner easily took home a second term on the Bristol Tennessee Board of Education after beating his challenger by a margin of almost 20 percentage points in Tuesday’s election.
Winning by that much “was great because it makes me feel like everything I’ve been doing is right,” said Turner, who got 59.2 percent of the vote. “It shows me that the voters appreciate what I have done.”
Turner represents the board’s 4th District, which covers the city’s Anderson Elementary School Zone. He was appointed to the position in October 2007 following the death of former board member Kent Hale. Turner ran for his first, full four-year term Tuesday. He was challenged by Jason Rush, who got 40.8 percent of the vote.
“I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to pull it out,” Rush said Tuesday before promising to seek the 4th district seat again in the next election, in four years.
About 1,300 votes were cast in the school board election, giving the contest a turnout of about 9 percent. Turner said he was impressed by the number of voters who showed up, as was Kelly Buskell, who won the board’s 1st District seat.
“I’m humbled by [the win],” said Buskell, who won his seat with 52 percent of the vote. Buskell beat Aaron Brooks, who took 48 percent of the vote.
The 1st District covers the Holston View Elementary School zone. It was previously represented by Kathy Cooper, who decided not to seek another term.
Buskell said he looked forward to working with the board in the future, though admitting he’ll probably spend his first few meetings getting used to the way things worked.
Brooks could not be reached for comment.
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“About 1,300 votes were cast in the school board election, giving the contest a turnout of about 9 percent. Turner said he was impressed by the number of voters who showed up, as was Kelly Buskell, who won the board’s 1st District seat.“
-Really? These are the people that have been voted in? Obviously not off to a very good start. Sounds like straight up politician talk to me. The tell you what you want to hear types. I can’t imagine anyone thinking that 9% is a turnout worth comending. Personally, I didn’t vote for either of these guys, but I certainly hope for our children’s sake that they are better at being on the school board then they are at public speaking.
I am very disappointed in how this turned out. As a parent in this district it is beyong me how so many people could vote for someone to represent a district that this guy wont even send his own kid to. And I am sure he does have a close relationship with the city council…they are a bunch of waywards as well. His relationship with them does not lay favorably with me because they are inept in moving this city forward, and I question whether Mr. Turner can move our schools forward. I think you should have to live in the district you represent as well as send your children to school in that district, what does he know about what Anderson Elementary needs. All he knows is the money that flows at Avoca. But I guess since the current school board members and city council members were handing out literature to get him voted for…I guess it paid off for him to have friends in low places.
Sorry Jason…I hope you don’t give up. True colors will be seen and I hope you are standing there when they are.
Congratulations to Tony Turner on his victory. While I disagree with him more today than at any other point in the election, one must give him his due for putting himself out there. While he sees nothing amiss with his lack of full disclosure regarding his daughter being “in the school system”, defending his position as representing the system not a district, I am disappointed that Anderson Elementary and District 4 will go another two years without representation as intended by the current set up of electing one person from five districts. If the current system mirrored that of city council, his defense would hold water with me.
I do hope Mr. Turner finally puts his “strength”, as the Bristol Herald Courier called it, to use and brings more technology to our classrooms. I was surprised to learn there is no budget line item for technology at the school level. I will learn more about this, as I plan to accept a challenge issued by Mr. Turner, to me, actually to my wife while she was at the polls, and attend board meetings. I hope he accepts my wife’s challenge and gets active at Anderson Elementary as he says he is at Avoca. PTA membership is only five dollars, and is a good place to start.
It was interesting to watch this election unfold. In three years of having a child at Anderson Elementary, I never heard anyone mention the need for a parking lot there except when picking my son up and talking with other parents. After I exposed this need at the candidates forum, Mr. Turner mentioned it at least three times in his campaign. After Mr. Turner began his campaign touting his experience and his personal relationships with city council members at the forum, it was interesting to hear his stance, after I spoke frequently of the need for better communication with parents, more parental input, and a strengthened partnership between parents, teachers and administrators, shift to parental involvement.
Although he caught flack over it on tricities.com, he is right in saying there is a need for more parental involvement. I said the same thing, several times at the forum.
Bottom line is Mr. Turner and I obviously share some of the same ideas. For this reason I am rooting for him and will be supporting him in his efforts to make our school system the best it can be. At the same time, I challenge him to step up and be what he says he will be. Step up and bring what he says he will bring. Because so far, he has been nothing more than a role player appointed to an elected position of leadership. This is his term and he earned it. He has two years under him and will be the second most senior person on the board.
Mr. Turner you questioned my commitment to the position because I had not attended a school board meeting. I entered this election at the request of parents of Anderson Elementary students who questioned your commitment to their children and their school, while you live in their district and your daughter attends a school outside their district. I plan on seeing you at the school board meetings. Will these parents see you, their clearly defined District 4 board of education representative, at Anderson Elementary functions? As a parent, I can tell you I haven’t seen you at a single event in three years. Mr. Turner you asked for more parental involvement? You sir, now have it.
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