School board election set for Tuesday
By VIC WHETSTONE, T&D Correspondent Monday, April 09, 2007DENMARK – An election will be held Tuesday to fill three seats on the Bamberg School District 2 (Denmark-Olar) Board of Trustees.
The only candidate filing for Seat 3 on the school board was incumbent Blossom Thompson. Filing to represent Seat 4 was Loretta Goodman. Seat 4 incumbent the Rev. Edward Mintz did not offer for re-election.
The only contested race will be for Seat 5 between newcomers Alvin Maynor of Olar and Beverly Hicks-Frazier of Middle Place in Govan. Seat 5 incumbent Leila Brown did not file for re-election.
Blossom Jamison Thompson, candidate for re-election to Seat 3, is a lifelong resident of the Denmark area.
Thompson graduated from Voorhees High School and Voorhees College, was a middle school teacher in Waynesboro, Ga. and has been employed for the past 10 years at Denmark Technical College as a culinary arts instructor.
Having served eight years as a member of the school board, Thompson said she has accumulated school board policy, law and management knowledge and also has first-hand knowledge of the day-to-day challenges the schools face.
Thompson has achieved Level Six (highest possible level) in the S.C. School Board Association’s Boardmanship Institute.
She said she will increase the voice and input of the public in school district decisions; advocate for more competitive salaries in order to attract and retain highly qualified teachers and administrators; and help in acquiring grants and other financial opportunities available for improvement in facilities, student achievement and personnel.
Thompson is a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
She has five children who all attended Bamberg District 2 schools.
Loretta P. Goodman is seeking election to Seat 4 with no announced opposition.
A graduate of Voorhees College with a B.S. in biology and a master’s in education from South Carolina State University, Goodman was previously employed as a teacher in Bamberg School District 2 and served as Denmark-Olar Band Booster Club president for 10 years. She is presently employed in Allendale County as an instructor in the Adult Education Program.
“My experience as an educator spans 38 years. I have experienced the joy and sometimes the pain of serving the children of South Carolina as a teacher. I have taught and counseled students in grades eight through 12,” she said. “Also, I have instructed classes at Voorhees College.”
Goodman continues to act in the capacity of facilitator/trainee at various district workshops.
“I strive to understand the problems facing South Carolina public schools. As a teacher, my main objective is to ensure that all children learn and grow to become literate members of society,” she said. “I believe that the only way to be a truly effective leader for all children is to ensure that everyone takes a personal stake in pupil achievement. This includes pupils, teachers, parents and the community at large. I encourage partnerships with home and school to accomplish the mission of the school. Parental assistance is one key element ... ”
Goodman said as a member of the school board, she will encourage students and parents to “initiate, preserve and nurture closer positive relationships between school, community, and home, so that your children can grow and see that they can be productive citizens.”
She is the mother of two children, three stepsons and two foster families. She has 25 grandchildren.
Alvin Maynor, one of two candidates vying for Seat 5 on the school board, is a long-time Olar resident and is currently employed at the Allendale County Department of Social Services, where he is the human service coordinator for economic services.
A native of Charleston, he obtained a B.S. degree in organizational management from Voorhees College. In addition, he is a graduate of the Municipal Association of South Carolina Government Institute and of the Leadership for Today and Tomorrow Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy is sponsored by the University of South Carolina and the S.C. Department of Social Services.
Maynor says he has always been concerned about the welfare of others and always encourages others to be the best they can be. His professional experience includes: Youth Programs coordinator, Work Support Services specialist and Family Independence supervisor, all with the Allendale County Department of Social Services. He was state liaison with the South Carolina Department of Social Services in Columbia and director of residential living and program services with the Bamberg Job Corps Center.
In December 2001, Maynor was the first African American elected to the Olar Town Council.
ˇ“I love my community, and I know there is only one way to improve it and that is to get involved,” he said. “I believe that our future leaders of tomorrow are highly dependent upon the education of today.”
Maynor added, “The students of Bamberg School District One and Two (are) our hope to ensure our towns in Bamberg County grow and continue to grow. With my passion for the education and social success of our students and my political background, I am confident that I can assist the Bamberg School District 2 Board of Trustees. And, I have never been known as a ’yes man.’”
Maynor served in the U.S. Army and is a Vietnam veteran. He is an active member of Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Olar, where he serves on several auxiliaries.
Maynor is married to Mary Reed Maynor, and they are the parents of four children and five grandchildren.
Also vying for Seat 5 is Beverly Hicks-Frazier who graduated from Denmark-Olar High School in 1994 and from Claflin University in 1998.
“There is a need to come together and support our school district, our children and our teachers,” Hicks-Frazier said. “We have so many children who are falling through the cracks at an early grade. I want to ensure that our children receive the best quality education possible. As parents, we’ve got to get involved.”
Hicks-Frazier is currently employed with the Department of Social Services in Allendale.
She and her husband, Howard, have three children.
Hicks-Frazier is a lifelong resident of the Middle Place community outside of Govan.
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