FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
CONTACT: Liz Doherty
Dan Forest Fails to Attend HALF of State Board of Education Meetings
Forest receives an “F” for SBE Attendance during COVID-19 outbreak, missed at least nine of eighteen meetings
RALEIGH — Yesterday, Governor Cooper announced a path forward for reopening K-12 schools. Despite Dan Forest’s frequent political grandstanding, lecturing on reopening plans, and criticism of Governor Cooper, Forest has failed to attend 50% of the State Board of Education meetings since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March.
50% is a failing grade. Forest is failing taxpayers by not bothering to show up to the job they elected him to do. He’s also failing schools, teachers, and students by failing to vote on critical issues facing them.
Forest has been an outspoken critic of reopening plans, claiming that he doesn’t understand the goal. In early June, Forest was the only member of the board to vote against adopting DHHS’s plan to reopen schools.
Liz Doherty, spokesperson for Cooper for NC said, “Dan Forest fails to meet the basic requirement for his current job: showing up. Now he wants a promotion. North Carolina students and teachers deserve better.”
During the meetings that Forest skipped, the State Board of Education:
- Discussed extending a contact with the potential for online learning during statewide school closures;
- Voted on major changes to grading and graduation requirements and millions in support for school districts to address COVID-19;
- Voted on adjusting grading and graduation requirements;
- Voted on requiring schools to develop remote learning plans for the 2020-21 school year;
- Heard a COVID-19 update from NC DHHS;
- Voted to revise the history requirement for students, delaying the implementation of Forest’s proposed personal finance course, to include “the hard truths of history” and racial issues in light of recent protests.
Here’s a few examples of what Forest did instead:
- On June 3rd, Forest missed the State Board of Education meeting and instead interviewed on Fox Business.
- On four separate occasions, Forest opted to give interviews on conservative radio instead of dialing into the State Board of Education meeting.
- On at least two separate days where Forest failed to show up to the State Board of Education Meeting, he found the time to squeeze in multiple campaign fundraisers.
Forest’s Fundraisers, May 7, 2020
Forest’s Fundraisers, May 21, 2020
Forest’s Live Interview with Fox Business, June 3, 2020
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