Why Wilson County and Lebanon school board candidates are running and why they want your vote
Voters will decide on how much change will come to the Wilson County and Lebanon Special School District school boards, starting with the May 3 primary.
Early voting for the primary is scheduled April 13-28.
Nine candidates are running for four Wilson County School Board seats. There will be at least one new board member as Linda Armistead did not seek reelection for Zone 4.
The primary has two contested school board races for the primary, both on the Republican side.
Three Republicans are running for the Wilson County Zone 4 nomination for the right to face an independent candidate in August.
Two Republicans are seeking the nomination for one Lebanon Special School District at-large seat and advance to August against the election's only Democratic candidate.
A look at the school board candidates:
Wilson County Schools
Republican
Zone 2
Beth Meyers, 59: Moved to Wilson County in 2019 from Louisiana with 31 years experience in education, that include 20 in the classroom.
Meyers also has experience as a superintendent in a private school and two years on its board of directors.
Meyers has concerns about “scripted curricula” being forced on teachers and other policies and initiatives Tennessee is adopting the Meyers believes have not worked in Louisiana.
“The bottom line is the student,” Meyers said. “Are students receiving the best possible programs with the money the taxpayers are giving them? And if not, we need to be willing to recognize and adapt to make things better.”
Meyers is uncontested in the primary and will face an independent candidate in August.
Zone 3
Melissa Walker Lynn, 57: Will be unopposed in the primary and county election.
Lynn was appointed in October to the seat to fill the term vacated by Jon White who resigned.
Lynn retired in 2020 after 34 years of teaching in Wilson County. Lynn is also a 1982 Mt. Juliet High graduate.
“I know what is going on in the classrooms and what is going on in the schools good and bad,” Lynn said.
Teacher retention and pay and allowing educators flexibility to make “professional decisions” and use supplemental materials within mandated standards to “keep Wilson County students at the high level we are at,” are points of emphasis for Lynn.
Zone 4
Preston George, 23: The 2017 Wilson Central High graduate and 2021 Middle Tennessee State University graduate now working toward his master's. George works for Kroger as a floor planning analyst for general office.
George believes recent experience as a student that includes virtual learning can give the board a needed perspective on a new landscape for public education.
Anti-bullying and Career and Technical Education are two points of emphasis for George who wants to bring a "proactive vision for our students and teachers,"
Maurisa Pasick, 39: The parent of a West Wilson Middle student wants to increase parental involvement and choice in school decision-making.
“I believe we’ve gotten further away from local government and closer to federal government,” Pasick said. “I believe the parent’s perspective is very important.”
Pasick also ran in 2018.
Joseph Padilla, 42: The 20-year Marine Corps veteran is critical of federal and state government initiatives such as No Child Left Behind, Critical Race Theory and Social Emotional Learning.
Padilla is campaigning on locally driven decision-making.
“My priority is bringing the educational issues that Zone 4 citizens want to (the) Director of Schools and other school board members,” Padilla said. "Yes, I have opinions on Critical Race Theory and Social-Emotional Learning, but as a representative, it will be my duty to listen to the people in Zone 4 and advocate for their voices to be heard.”
Zone 6
Kimberly McGee, 51: McGee, seeking reelection to a second term, is unopposed in the primary.
"I have learned a lot being on the board," McGee said. "There is a learning curve and I want to take the knowledge I have gained to continue to help our students the next four years. Wilson County is on a new path. We have a new director with new ideas on how to retain and attract staff, including pay raises for all WCS employees."
Capital projects related to growth and the rebuild of Stoner Creek Elementary and West Wilson Middle are among other priorities McGee sees in the coming term.
Independent candidates (not on ballot until Aug. 4)
Zone 2
Bill Robinson, 75: The former teacher and coach for 32 years at Watertown High School has been elected three terms and served nearly 12 years on the school board.
Robinson also spent five years at the former Lebanon Junior High and has 37 years as a teacher in coach.
“I feel like the quality of our facilities have improved, our academic performance has improved and I feel good about what has transpired the last 12 years and I want to keep helping moving forward,” Robinson said. “It’s still important to me.”
Zone 4
Dorothy Critchlow, 70: Retired two years ago after more than 30 years in education, 20 of those in Metro Nashville Public Schools.
Critchlow was a community superintendent in Nashville and supervised schools in the southwest quadrant of Davidson County, all pre-kindergarten, alternative and special education day schools. Critchlow is also a former principal at Hickman Elementary.
Teacher retention and “teacher satisfaction,” are priorities for Critchlow.
“(When teachers) are satisfied they are going to stay,” Critchlow said.
Critchlow also wants the local school board to maintain control of decisions concerning schools and educational services within those community service areas.
Zone 6
Dalton Teel, 24: A former Carroll-Oakland student and 2015 Lebanon High graduate now teaches at Byars Dowdy Elementary in the Lebanon Special School District.
“The people who know most about what is happening in our schools right now are our teachers,” Teel said.
Seeking teacher input and opinions is a priority for Teel, who wants to foster an environment for teachers to remain in the field and to encourage students to stay in the profession.
Equitable access for all students and strategically addressing growth will also be priorities for Teel.
Lebanon Special School District
(one-at-large seat)
Republican Primary
Krissa Stephens, 39: Stephens is a parent of students at Walter J. Baird Middle in the Lebanon Special School District and at Lebanon High in Wilson County Schools.
“After watching the board for the last several years, I think it’s time we have a parent on the LSSD Board,” Stephens said. “As a conservative republican woman, and a parent to a student in the district, I can bring a fresh perspective to the board that is currently absent.”
Stephens works as a realtor, has been on the Coles Ferry Elementary PTO and now volunteers with Moms of Walter J. Baird.
Mark Tomlinson, 62: The incumbent has been on the board since September 2006. Has had children in the district, now has four grandchildren in the school system, a daughter who teaches at Sam Houston Elementary and a nephew who is an assistant principal at Byars Dowdy.
“Preparing for growth due to the number of people moving to our community is a main concern,” Tomlinson said. “I am also very concerned about the immeasurable educational and social learning gaps that were created due to COVID.”
Tomlinson also wants to help foster an environment for parents to be active in their child’s education.
Democratic Primary
Belita McMurry-Fite, 57: The bishop and pastor at Lebanon’s Heaven’s View Baptist Church is the only Democrat who filed for any local office for the primary in Wilson County.
McMurry-Fite has had children in the Lebanon Special School District including one now. McMurry-Fite also has children connected to the church in the district.
“We want to make sure the children and teachers are getting the very best of everything,” McMurry-Fite said. “The best teachers, best teacher support, the best textbooks, technology and I believe in equality for all … We want to be certain they have everything they need to succeed.”
McMurry-Fite is uncontested in the primary and will face the Republican winner in August.
Early voting sites
Early voting for the May 3 primary is scheduled April 13-28. Wilson County will use four locations, Lighthouse Church is no longer being used as a voting site. Times are 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday. Locations are:
Wilson County Election Commission, 230 E. Gay Street, Lebanon
Mt. Juliet Community Center, 1075 Charlie Daniels Parkway
Gladeville Community Center, 95 McCrary Road
Watertown Community Center, 8630 Sparta Pike
Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Wilson County and Lebanon school board candidate profiles
