School Board Member Pat Bryant changes mind, decides to run again

Here’s the announcement from Buncombe County Board of Education member Pat Bryant:

On the last possible day to file, Buncombe County Board of Education member Pat Bryant, who has represented the Erwin District since December of 2006, took a deep breath and honored the outpouring of support from the many constituents who have contacted him over the past few months since he announced he would not seek re-election this fall.

“I’ve been truly shocked and very humbled by the many phone calls, text messages and emails from people I know and many I don’t, both within and outside the school system. I haven’t been able to go to a game or the grocery store without someone asking me to reconsider,” says Bryant. “Having served for eight years, I felt it was time to step back, but the tremendous outreach has made me realize that wasn’t the right decision. Apparently people feel I’ve made a difference, so if re-elected, I will keep working on behalf of our students, educators, parents and the entire Buncombe County Schools community.”

Buncombe County Board of Education Chairman Bob Rhinehart is among those pleased to see Bryant reconsider. “Pat has always been very fair, level and balanced in his approach to decisions while on the Board,” says Rhinehart. “He can be counted on to listen carefully, do his research, and think things through before voting. I’m glad to see him take this step.”
Bryant, a Realtor with Beverly-Hanks and Associates in Asheville, worked for over 19 years in higher education, most recently at UNC Asheville as Assistant Men’s Basketball coach and then as an Associate Athletic Director.  He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physical Education from West Georgia College.  Bryant’s wife, Debbie, is the school system’s Healthful Living Coordinator. The couple’s 2 children both attended Erwin District Schools.

“The essence of what I learned about teamwork and service I learned from athletics,” says Bryant. “That’s always been my approach as a board member…we’re a team, pulling together for the best possible outcomes for the 25,000+ kids we serve. That doesn’t mean we always agree; in fact, we often have different ideas as to the best course of action, but that’s okay—it’s good, actually—so long as the goal is the same: the best interest of our students.”

Asked about his priorities should he be re-elected, Bryant says, “I will continue to work as an advocate for public education and the Buncombe County Schools as we continue the work to improve in many areas.  Challenges have and will be many, and it is our work as elected Board members to find solutions to those challenges.”

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About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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2 thoughts on “School Board Member Pat Bryant changes mind, decides to run again

  1. Unaffiliated Voter

    ‘thanks for nothing’ was his tweet to several legislators for the biggest teacher’s raise in NC history…
    sounds like sour grapes when his wife’s compensation package will jump to about $82,000 with all the benefits…
    are the teachers EVER grateful for anything these days? (like having a JOB!) …

  2. “The state sets the base pay for our teachers, and this has an included extra amount paid out each year (after 10 years of teaching) called “longevity pay.” The new raises included in the budget is on top of that extra amount, and under the proposed budget plan, the process is reformed and simplified by folding the extra longevity pay back into the new base pay. By rolling longevity pay into base pay, it gives the public a more honest accounting of what our teachers receive from the state. The chart below shows the raises from the state that each teacher will receive next year (in green) over what they currently receive (in blue), based on how many years they have taught school. The new average base salary (including longevity pay and the new pay raises) is $49,117 — now the fourth highest in the southeast. (When you divide $49,117 by the total number of weeks spent working (44), you get an average new weekly wage of $1,116. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average weekly wage across North Carolina was just $673 in 2012. In most counties, it is significantly lower.)…”

    http://nchouse116.com/show-me-the-money/

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