Note: This is a revision of my original blog post on the subject of civility, which more accurately reflects my thoughts on the subject. While I completely stand by all the contentions of my original post, this revision more accurately reflects the proper level of civility in discourse that I aspire to. I am not perfect, but great leaders will admit their mistakes, learn from them, and become even better leaders.
Civility is not a Cure-All
As a candidate for our school board, I would rather be talking about my own platform, and my innovative ideas on how to solve the serious problems we have in our school district. However, in this case, I feel compelled to critique the emphasis, shared by many fellow Republicans, on the idea of “Civility in Education.”
For one of my election opponents this is a flagship issue. She leads with it across her marketing channels and spends much time talking about it while campaigning.
On first impression you might be asking “What’s wrong with civility?” While the concept of civility elicits a “warm and fuzzy” nostalgic feeling, restoring civility is not the most important issue facing our school district. We have an uncontrollable Superintendent who is far more concerned with using our students as pawns in his plans for social revolution than he is about the education of individual students. We have a school culture (made up of school administrators and SOME teachers) who don’t respect family rights and family boundaries. And finally, we have a teacher shortage that is only getting worse because we have failed to make teachers our #1 fiscal priority. Being civil to one another is not a magic potion that will solve these critical issues.
Our School Board Needs More Frank Discussion, Not Civility
I grew up in New England where, in general, people are culturally more direct in their interactions with others. Direct, but less polite and less civil. I moved to North Carolina in 2012 and I must admit it has taken some time to adapt to the Southern notion of civility. In many ways Southern civility is refreshing. In general, people are more friendly, polite, and kind. However, it has its drawbacks. One of these is the notion that it is better to say nothing than to say something unkind or critical. When it comes to personal relationships this is usually good advice. However, this advice also impedes our ability to speak our minds when we ought to and call out wrongdoing when it is happening. When this happens, the results can be disastrous. Close to 300 people knew that our children were being sexually abused in our schools, but said nothing. A warped sense of “civility” allowed the abuse to unnecessarily continue for a great many years. Excessive civility has proven to be unsafe for our children. In fact, we need less civility and more frank discussion. Frank honesty is missing in our local school board.
Once elected, I vow to incorporate the best of Southern civility with the honesty and directness that I was brought up with and that our community deserves. I will always present myself politely and will not be engaging in personal attacks. However, I will stand up for my constitutionally conservative principles and the welfare of our students each and every time. I will not bow to public or political pressure that urges me to not “rock the boat.” I will not relent, compromise, or give up the fight to fix our schools until the job is complete. I urge my fellow Republican school board candidates to vow the same.
