ATLANTA— State Representative Valencia Stovall (D-Lake City) today released the following statement in opposition of the permanent appointment of the school superintendent by the Clayton County School Board without first conducting a job search:
“After conducting a survey, out of the 3,867 responses, 2,777 respondents said they want a job search conducted for other applicants for the superintendent position. The School Board ignored the request from our stakeholders. This is a crucial leadership position in Clayton County that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and our stakeholders should not be ignored in the decision making process.”
“I have listened and heard concerns over the amount of money that will be spent to conduct the job search. However, this is a small price to pay when we think about the costs associated with putting our children through 12 years of grade school so that they can receive their diplomas. Also, look at the $1.3 billion in the Fiscal ‘15 budget for the Department of Corrections and $300 million for Juvenile Justice, which I believe is somewhat related to lack of proper education. We need a good leader in our community to ensure that our children receive the education that they deserve.”
“As a state representative, I am a voice for those 52,000 students, their parents and the members of our community. How can we honestly believe that the best candidate has been selected when there is no one else to compare them with? Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
On Monday, June 23, 2014, Rep. Stovall spoke at a rally in opposition of the appointment of the superintendent. Rep. Stovall was joined by parents, students, members of the Clayton NAACP, National Action Network, Concerned Citizens of Clayton County, and other community members. She has plans to host an Educational Symposium in the near future to address major issues and will continue to be available in the community.
Representative Valencia Stovall represents the citizens of District 74, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2012, and currently serves on the Code Revision, Interstate Cooperation, and Small Business Development committees.
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