07/11/2024
Early VOTING in Maury County begins tomorrow, July 12 and ends on July 27.
The general election is on August 1st.
Early voting takes place at the election commission office on Tradewinds Drive.
Many of you know that I am running for the District 2 position on the school board. I am running as an Independent candidate and would appreciate your consideration when choosing who to vote for. Bettye Kinser, retired CHS teacher, who is currently our board member is retiring, and I would like for our district to have another former educator to take her place.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree, a Masters in Guidance and Counseling, and an additional 30+ graduate hours in psychology and education. I spent 39 years in education, with experience at all levels, including 10 years with multiple various duties in a private school (CMA). From 1980-2007, I was on the faculty at Santa Fe Unit School, serving at various times as middle school teacher, high school guidance counselor, elementary teacher and counselor, testing coordinator, coach, activity bus driver, and athletic director.
In the mid 90’s, I taught Psychology as an off campus adjunct faculty member for CSCC.
I was active in professional organizations such as Tennessee Counseling Association (President of South Central TN School Counselors Association). I was president of the Maury County Professional Educators for several years and on the executive board of the Professional Educators of Tennessee (PET). PET is a professional organization alternative to TEA and NEA unions.
I was happily married 41 years to the former Johnnie Ruth King from Mt Pleasant, until sadly, I lost her in 2010.
Since retiring, I have held several part-time jobs, including a stint at Williams Funeral Home, driving the Mule Town Trolley, and serving as a School Crossing guard for the Columbia Police Department at McDowell and Highland Park schools.
I have been a weekly volunteer at the Family Center for many years and served on the board of directors for seven and as president for four years. I am a member of First Presbyterian Church, and have served as both a deacon and an elder.
I was appointed to the County Commission to serve a year when a commissioner moved.
I am a conservative and have voted almost every time (but not always)since 1968 for Republican candidates in state and national elections. Until recently, most of us did not know, or care, to which party our friends and neighbors belonged to….
I am qualified to be a Republican, but have never been to any party meetings. I want to feel free to study the issues, listen to teachers, principals, students, and parents in my district, and then vote as my conscience dictates. I will listen to members of either party and other independent thinkers, as well as reading and studying policies.
I have not received, or been offered any funds for signs, buttons, banners, etc. If I am offered anything, I will refuse, and want no one to think I am just voting as any group dictates. There is a good chance that my votes will parallel those of Republicans, but if they do, it will be coincidental, not intentional.
Maury Alliance held a forum hosted by CSCC on Tuesday afternoon for each candidate for all the districts electing this year. If you missed that or the livestream, you can go to their website or Google Maury County School Board Election and you will find answers to twelve questions given us by the Alliance. All of us were given the same questions and our answers were left just as we wrote them.
Thank you for reading all this, and I appreciate your vote on August 1, or earlier. Frank Bellamy
