FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
CONTACT: Liz Doherty
Dan Forest Claims 70% of His Time “Spent on Education” — Fails to Attend Nearly 50% State Board of Education Meetings
Is Forest including time spent with some of his biggest donors — for-profit charter school operators?
RALEIGH — At an event over the weekend, Dan Forest said that he spends “70% of his time [as Lt. Governor] on education.” That math really does not add up when you consider his abysmal attendance record (~50%) at State Board of Education meetings during COVID-19.
Interestingly, Forest seems to have no concerns drawing attention to the responsibilities of the Lt. Governor’s office — responsibilities which he has severely neglected throughout the time he has served. Forest explained: “I preside over the Senate. I’m also a member of the State Board of Education…Community colleges. I chair a number of boards and commissions…But I spend probably about 70% of my time on education.”
But Forest has missed:
- Nearly 200 Senate sessions in five years.
- Over 80% of State Community College Board meetings.
- Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly half of the State Board of Education meetings.
On Monday, Cooper for NC released a new spot, “Hardly Working,” highlighting Dan Forest’s failure to show up to work.
Liz Doherty, Cooper for NC spokesperson, said, “If Forest spends 70% of his time on education, he must be including time spent with some of his biggest donors, for-profit charter school operators. Otherwise, it doesn’t add up. North Carolina deserves a leader who actually shows up for students, parents, and teachers.”
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