On March 15th, voters will select three out of five Democratic candidates to run for New Hanover County Board of Education. Candidate James Jamison is a retired Master Sergeant of military police and current pastor at Hope Baptist Church for All Nations.
James Jamison says the achievement gap in schools can only be leveled by focusing on early education, so that students are prepared to move on and succeed:
"Things like First 2,000 days and Smart Start, that’s where we can win this fight. And in seven, eight years, we can have the best education program in the state if we put our resources on the front end instead of spending so much money trying to fix something on the back end that pretty much is what it is, and I’m not trying to be callous or hard, but you know, we have to face realities, especially with the budget crunches. We have to put our money in the best place to get the best results."
If elected, Jamison says he would represent a side of the population that needs a voice:
"If you don’t live in an environment where fifteen dollars is a fortune, you’ll make a decision, ‘Well, it’s only going to cost them fifteen dollars a quarter.” It’s a fortune to some people. See, I come from where fifteen dollars is a fortune. It’s not anymore, but I remember. And so, I bring to the Board the rest of the population that we serve. I come with another outlook, another face, and if a little Johnny looks up and says, ‘Hey, there’s somebody who looks like me, and he’s on the Board of Education, he’s in my school and things. Well, you know what, if he can do it, I can do it.'”
The primary elections will be held on March 15th.