Gaddis
Jeannie Gaddis believes her three decades of teaching experience would be an asset to the Cherokee County Board of Education.
“I think a lot of decisions are made by people who really don’t know what’s going on in the schools,” Gaddis said. “It (often) sounds good on paper and in theory, but a lot of those things don’t work. There’s lots of room for improvement in all areas, the facilities, the staff.”
Gaddis is a Republican candidate vying for the District 2 seat being vacated by Jeff Martin, who
is not seeking re-election Gaddis taught at Murphy Elementary School for 30 years, a career that served as a true labor of love.
“Thirty years went by really quick,” she said. “I ran (for school board) one other time, but did not campaign.
“I’m not a politician, I just want to serve my community, and do all I can for the students and staff to make the schools in this area better. The children deserve the best we can give them, and that means facilities and that means staff.”
Even in retirement, Gaddis has remained involved in local schools as a volunteer. She is particularly concerned about the lingering effects of COVID-19 pandemic and the amount of face-to-face learning time lost to students during the past two years.
“They have lost so much,” she said. “It’s affected them emotionally.
“They’ve lost right at two years, and it’s sad. You can already see it in the performance of the kids in things that you would think they would know how to do.”
Gaddis said she does not have strong, specific opinions about Cherokee County’s school consolidation plans. However, because schools are funded by the number of students within the county and not by individual campus, she believes smaller, community schools have become an outdated concept in North Carolina.
“I still want to research that more,” Gaddis said. “I want to do what’s best for (students). I love the little school concept, I do, but it’s not feasible for our area anymore.”
One thing Gaddis has observed is the departure of students and teachers to neighboring areas such as Union County, Ga. She said if someone takes a look at Union County High School, the choice can effectively be a “no-brainer” for local parents who have the capability to move their kids across the state line.
“Look at their schools, what they have to offer versus what we have to offer,” Gaddis said. “If we want to draw younger people here, are we not going to have to do something to improve our school system?
“They’re going to have to offer things that Towns County (Ga.) has, that Blairsville has. That’s going to take a whole lot of work.”
Gaddis does see promise in the School of Innovation & Technology under construction in Peachtree. The school will house Tri-County Early College High School and The Oaks Academy alternative school – as well as the new Career Academy, which will offer vocational opportunities for students from all Cherokee County high schools.
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It takes all kinds of people to make the world go ‘round.
“Not everybody is college material, and that’s alright. We need mechanics, we need bakers, we need bricklayers – we need all these people to do all these different jobs, so why not train them?”
Gaddis said individual differences of interest usually can be observed at a young age. She believes when parents and educators have a better understanding of what a child enjoys, it can be used to foster their interest in school.
“If you find what they’re interested in, then they’ll love to come to school and become whatever it is they’re meant to be,” Gaddis said.