December 10, 2021

In response to the action taken by local Republicans, the Williamson County Democratic Party (WCDP) on Friday sent a letter to the Williamson County Election Commission formally requesting primaries for the 2022 school board election.

Across the country, and specifically here in Williamson County, school board meetings have turned into chaotic clashes over curriculum, face masks and other politically-charged flashpoints. These issues, while important, have interjected conflict points that can keep a school board from doing its job, which is to understand and serve the needs of our students, teachers and school districts without influence of a biased political agenda.

While the WCDP firmly believes partisanship has no place in school board elections, we can’t sit idly by while Republicans choose political power and polarization over the quality of education and safety of our children. Our intention is not to inject divisive politics into our schools, but rather ensure neutrality and proportional representation in the election process.

Democrats here in Williamson County and in the state legislature have a record of supporting our schools and teachers by advocating for additional funding and resources, and thus we will not shy away from these elections. We believe school boards should focus on what is good for school districts and not serve as a venue for advancing political ideology that further divides our communities, and we stand ready to support candidates who are motivated by public service over political gain and care about investing in the future of our communities by making our public school system the best it can be.

Dr. Jenn Foley, WCDP Chair, was interviewed for a News Channel 5 segment and The Tennesseean about this issue.