Do School Board Members Really Make a Difference?

Early voting started today in Arkansas for school board positions. I have been following the Cabot School Board candidates, ever since many unethical and unlawful activities were done by the current school board mem

Two candidates, Noah Welch and Sally Beebe, are the top contenders, when looking at qualifications and backgrounds. But are work experience, college degrees, and school ties the only qualities that make a person qualified? I would say NO!  The current board has all those qualities plus a previous teacher on the board, yet Cabot Schools has wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawsuits, been found guilty of violating the law and tried to quietly settle out of court after violating the rights of two black students and multiple special needs students. But where was the current school board during all of this? Instead of doing what Arkansas Law has given them the power to do, they cowered to the superintended and allowed arrogance to win. Instead of telling Dr. Tony Thurman he had no right to trespass an innocent citizen, they allowed him to waste over $60,000 tax dollars trying to uphold his error. Instead of the school board admitting they had no idea they couldn’t sign contracts and hide superintendent pay from the public, they doubled down and wasted tens of thousands of dollars in court, only to be found guilty. And when two black students were illegally arrested, all the mother wanted was for them to admit they were wrong and give her sons the education they deserved, but instead the board was silent and allowed the administration to waste money and years in litigation.

“isn’t it time we hold our administrators, teachers, paras and school board members to higher standards?”

Will Noah, Sally or Brad be any different?

Noah Welch is the youngest candidate running but has already accomplished so much at just 25 years old. Noah graduated in 2018, which gives him the unique qualifications of first-hand experience of what is currently happening inside the walls of Cabot School District, the type of teaching and curriculum being used and how bullying and harassment are being handled. Noah is a patriot who has been part of the Arkansas National Guard for 6 years, has spent hours doing community service with the Lions club and even helped craft Senate Bill 193, which was recently passed into law. Noah worked closely with Senator Rapert making sure future high school graduates, who enlist with the Arkansas National Guard, will be reimbursed for college classes they attend while waiting to go to basic training. Previously, many high school graduates couldn’t get the National Guard to reimburse or even pay for college until they graduated basic training, causing many students to push off college for years.

When I asked Noah if he will feel intimidated or threatened to stand against opinions or actions of the current school board members or to speak out if he sees something being hidden or done wrong, he boldly said, “No! That is why I am running. I want transparency and to help build a stronger foundation for Cabot Schools for the future generations of teachers and students.”

Sally Beebe is a current employee of Representative Brian Evans and is very connected with Cabot School District. Sally has three boys who attend Cabot Schools and happens to be close friends with many teachers, staff, and a current school board member. Sally did finally answer some questions when she was approached by a parent this past weekend at Strawberry Fest. The mother, who also has children in Cabot Schools, has had both good and bad experiences at Cabot. She asked Sally if she will be willing to go against the majority and hold the school board and administrators’ “feet to the fire” if she sees something being done wrong or incorrectly. Sally confidently stated “yes” and stated she has never been concerned about being liked but is always concerned about doing what is right. The mother also mentioned to her that Cabot is viewed more like an idol and only praises the good things that happen, especially during school board meetings, but will Sally be willing to acknowledge that there is always room for improvement and to start tackling the problems that aren’t being discussed, to which Sally agreed. The mother felt reassured by Sally’s answers.

Brad Tarvin, who tried to withdraw from the race but missed the deadline, is now actively campaigning to earn his seat on the Cabot School Board. Previously, I didn’t mention the information I found about his past because he was no longer campaigning, but now that he is actively running, information should be made public. The documents I acquired through Freedom of Information (FOI) and through Court Connect show qualities I personally wouldn’t want for a school board member especially a school employee. While Brad explained on a Facebook post that he had troubles in the past because of a chronic illness that also caused his previous divorce, his current wife was standing by him to continue running for school board, even if it means his past is brought to light. According to Cabot Police incident reports acquired through FOI, in 2020 Brad went missing and threatened to commit suicide multiple times. One of the police reports filed by one of his children, also stated that he had been in and out of mental hospitals. According to the court documents on Court Connect, Brad filed for bankruptcy, was accused of narcotics abuse by his ex-wife and violated multiple protective orders and financial obligations outlined in his divorce documents.

Looking at the three candidates, isn’t it time we hold our administrators, teachers, paras and school board members to higher standards? Students need role models. Forcing students to follow a set of rules, morals and values at school while engaging in behavior contrary to what you require of them is hypocrisy. Children are very quick to call out hypocrisy and lose all respect for those in authority over them. That includes past behaviors and things done in the classroom and outside of school hours. Educators and school board members must respect the positions they are in, especially those positions that are charged with shaping the lives of our future generations.

Early voting started today and ends on Election day May 13^th. You have a civic duty to elect the most qualified candidate that will shape the future of Arkansas, especially our local communities. GET OUT AND VOTE (click here to find out your nearest polling location)

Missy Bosch

Missy is the author of “Crushed, but Not Broken”, a story detailing her daughter’s diagnosis and her family’s fight with CNS HLH. She has a passion to improve education and help children with disabilities receive the education and respect they deserve. Missy and her husband are AF veterans and have 4 children.