The Clarke BOE

David Huff is impressive in this article where he talks about modeling a program for the Clarke County schools after a successful one for at-risk students in Hall County. It's the type of solution that can go a long way in addressing the low graduation rates in Clarke County.

Which is why I don't agree with this endorsement of Vernon Payne. If you make the argument, as the editorial does, that Payne might just be part of the problem seeing how he's been in office for 30 years, then it's difficult for me to see how he's entitled to another four years.

J.T. Jones's resume speaks for itself, and there's no question that he's genuinely concerned about seeing the students in the district succeed. Not to say that Payne isn't - far from it - but, again, the record doesn't match the rhetoric.

As far as this notion that Jones couldn't find one positive thing to say about the schools, I don't see why that's a legitimate concern. There are many things to be proud of in the Clarke County schools, but I didn't take Jones's non-answer to be either naivity or disapproval. Rather, it's fair to suggest that he's focused on the areas that need improvement and what he can bring to the table to fix them.