Press Release -- Wake County Board of Education Election

It's been a while since I posted here, but as I received some inquiries as to why my name was not on the mail-in ballot. This statement was released (but distributed less widely than I had hoped) early last week, and is reproduced here:


Raleigh, NC -- August 17, 2016 -- Statement from Mr. James McLuckie:

Due to the recently reversion of the Wake County Board of Education districts to their 2011 lines, Mr. McLuckie will not be filing to run for a seat on the Wake County School Board. Christine Kushner has filed for re-election in District 6.

Mr. McLuckie is of the position that it would be inappropriate to run in District 6: "I am unwilling to pursue a seat against Mrs. Kushner -- she has not only been friendly, polite, courteous, and professional in our interactions as candidates, but is also infinitely more familiar with District 6 than I am. Although I am possessed with the desire to serve the public, replacing Mrs. Kushner would not be beneficial to the residents of our district; as such, I withdraw from the race, and wish to extend my warmest congratulations to Christine on her position as District 6 representative during the upcoming term"

"I commend Mr. McLuckie for his interest in public education and public service, and I am grateful for his support," said Mrs. Kushner. "I am honored to serve on the School Board, advocating for our 176 schools and 160,000 students. I am committed to continuing to serve in that role."

With thanks to, and regard for, the citizens of Wake County,

-James McLuckie 

Policy Statement: Triangle Labor Council

After the jump, a questionnaire from the Triangle Labor Council, as well as my positions. I suspect question #6 will address my position regarding Common Core.

Let's Talk Politics

So, the 4th Circuit maintains that this election is non-partisan in name only.

Okay, let's talk politics -- As of Monday, August 1st, I'll be taking one to two questions per week from ISideWith.com, and posting my position on the answer I would choose. I will happily answer (and prioritize) any questions that you want to ask.

Question for the week of 8/1:

- Do you support Common Core standards?

This Is Why People Get Frustrated With 'The System'

So, some of you have noticed that I haven't been posting recently, and I'll address that after the jump.

First, though -- I am trained to work within the bounds of 'The System'. Heck, I'm decent at navigating bureaucracy. But this is getting ridiculous! Are we in Wake County going to end up in the Supreme Court, or are we simply not going to have elections?

Did the 4th Circuit Decide Wrongly in This Case? (Part III-D, Part IV, Part V, & Concluding Notes and Your Opinions)

Did the 4^th Circuit Wrongly Decide Raleigh Wake Citizens Association?

If you have no legal experience… perfect! This is a great “getting your feet wet” case for reading legal decisions! This post series will analyze the recent ruling by the 4th Circuit section by section. For those who are not experienced reading a legal decision:

-I have tried to keep the legal jargon to a minimum.

-Where possible, you’ll see bulleted lists like this one. 

-For this post series, I’ll also critique the majority opinion as necessary

Did the 4th Circuit Decide Wrongly in This Case? (Part III-C)

Did the 4^th Circuit Wrongly Decide Raleigh Wake Citizens Association?

If you have no legal experience… perfect! This is a great “getting your feet wet” case for reading legal decisions! This post will analyze the recent ruling by the 4th Circuit section by section, while referencing the dissent as well as the majority opinion. For those who are not experienced reading a legal decision:

-I have prefaced my analysis with a brief explanation of each section of the decision and why it’s important

-I have opted to use simple page numbers as citations, rather than proper legal format

-I have tried to keep the legal jargon to a minimum.

-And, where possible, you’ll see bulleted lists like this one. 

-For this post series, I’ll also critique the majority opinion as necessary

Did the 4th Circuit Decide Wrongly In This Case? (Part III-A and III-B)

Did the 4^th Circuit Wrongly Decide Raleigh Wake Citizens Association?

If you have no legal experience… perfect! This is a great “getting your feet wet” case for reading legal decisions! This post series will analyze the recent ruling by the 4th Circuit section by section, while referencing the dissent as well as the majority opinion. For those who are not experienced reading a legal decision:

-I have prefaced my analysis with a brief explanation of each section of the decision and why it’s important

-I have opted to use simple page numbers as citations, rather than proper legal format

-I have tried to keep the legal jargon to a minimum.

-And, where possible, you’ll see bulleted lists like this one. 

-For this post series, I’ll also critique the majority opinion as necessary