By Mark Millican

markmillican@daltoncitizen.com

Having “always hung around at school” while growing up led Rebecca Whaley to believe her future was in the classroom.

“My mom was a teacher at Cisco and taught me there,” she said, “so I grew up in education. I am an advocate for public education, and believe the answer to our future is education.”

Whaley, a Republican, is running against Democrat Jerry Davis for the District 3 seat on the Murray County Board of Education in the Nov. 4 general election. She faced no opposition in the July Republican primary. The seat is now held by Jerome Mathis, who was appointed in July to replace Fred Gibson, who resigned because of health reasons.

Whaley, 66, graduated from Murray County High in 1959 and was hired as a teacher at Eton Elementary the day after she graduated from Bob Jones University with a bachelor’s degree. She also taught at Dawnville Elementary before coming back into the Murray system.

Whaley believes any future budget cuts should be steered away from students in the classroom.

“The state has indicated that indeed we should expect cuts of an additional 3 percent for the next school year,” she said. “I feel that as a board member I must consider those areas that will least affect instruction. I prefer to first cut ‘things’ rather than personnel.

“I feel that input from certified personnel as well as non-certified personnel is extremely valuable. These individuals work daily in the school system and are in a much better position to determine the areas that most critically impact instruction than a member of the board of education. Without input from these valuable resources, I would not venture to conclude what should or should not be suspended.”

With 26 years experience as a teacher and nine years in the central office, Whaley has seen several boards of education guiding the system. She is not concerned about the number of meetings per month as much as the compensation, currently $50 per board member per meeting.

“I believe the board should receive a set amount per month regardless of the number of meetings that transpire,” Whaley said. “The amount should not exceed what is usually paid for two meetings per month. That way if the board meets twice per month or 25 times per month, each member is paid the same amount. It would allow the finance director to adequately budget for board expenses without going over budget, plus save money for the system.

“I personally would not be adverse to following Dalton’s (school board) example and receive no recompense other than training expenses.”

Whaley also has a master’s degree from Brenau University, an education specialist degree from the University of West Georgia and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Sarasota.

“Regardless of the outcome of this election, I’ll still be active,” she said, citing volunteering at the “alternative school” (now Mountain Creek Academy) and continuing to teach Sunday school for 10- and 11-year-olds, as she has for 40 years.