Amanda Tyler McGuire

Party:

Republican

Incumbent:

Yes

Age:

Approximately 50

Previous experience in elected office:

Hickory City Schools Board of Education (2021-present)

Occupation:

Chairperson, Hickory City Schools Board of Education

Description:

McGuire is the board chair. She authored an op-ed in July in the Hickory Daily Record critical of taxpayer dollars used for Opportunity Scholarships. She said the scholarships go to “private institutions that are not subject to the same transparency, governance, accountability and access requirements as public schools.” She said in that piece that $10 million had been disbursed to private schools in the last school year. She also opposed the merger of the three Catawba school districts, which Catawba County commissioners approved in April. McGuire previously served on the K-64 board.

Other personal:

McGuire was a former math and science teacher in the Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools (east of Raleigh).

Questionnaire from The Chamber of Catawba County

Please tell us a little about yourself and what prompted you to run for office.

I am a mother of 3 that have attended 4 of the 9 schools in our district. They are currently attending 3 of our schools.

What experiences, skills, or perspectives have best prepared you to serve in this role?

I am a trained teacher. I have also served on the Hickory City Board for five years.

If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

My priorities are to support our students with opportunities for success and provide them with skills to become a contributing member of society.

Elected officials often face difficult decisions involving competing priorities, limited resources, and differing perspectives. How would you approach those decisions and work with people who may see an issue differently than you do?

I’ve served on the Board for five years. During my term, we hired an amazing superintendent. She has created a wonderful team. The collective Hickory City Schools team has done an excellent job of listening, discussing, and respecting each other through the process of challenging decisions.

What steps should the school system take to recruit, support, and retain high-quality teachers and other employees?

This year we started a new program with our high schools to introduce students to the teaching profession. It gives them an opportunity to explore teaching while obtaining college credit through CVCC. A strong partnership with our local colleges is so important for recruitment.

How should the school board measure student success, and what should it prioritize to improve student outcomes and ensure students and educators have effective, safe learning environments?

Success can be measured many ways. Testing is only one of those ways. Growth looks different for each student, and test scores alone don’t show the whole picture. Offering a variety of academic and career opportunities support student growth and engagement. We offer an AP Academy for students that want to receive college credit while in high school. We also offer course credit through CVCC and LR programs for students. Hickory Career and Arts Magnet School offers 7 different career path program for students that want to pursue those paths. Hickory High School offers numerous CTE programs such as automotive, carpentry, and health sciences. A variety of programs give students an opportunity to graduate with skills ready for college or the workforce.

How should the school system prepare students for success after graduation, and what role, if any, should employers, community colleges, higher education, and other community partners play in that work?

Partnerships with colleges and the community are so important for our schools and our students. Education isn’t just about what you’re doing today. It’s about what you’re doing for your future. The plethora of programs we offer students gives them an advantage in their next step following graduation. High school students are given an opportunity to intern locally with businesses. My son interned with CVCC last year and my daughter will be interning this year with an art program in HCS.

How should the school board prioritize and communicate its facility and capital needs while working with county commissioners, who are responsible for funding school construction and maintenance?

Our Board, along with Superintendent and Facility Manager discusses the district’s facility and capital needs. Through a facility study, we have our needs planned with timelines. Those plans are shared with county commissioners.

Catawba County commissioners have approved a plan to merge the county’s three public school systems, subject to State Board of Education approval. What opportunities and challenges do you see in the proposed merger?

The proposed merger poses a lot of challenges. Reduction in funding with no evidence it will benefit our students. We will lose some of those CTE programs we know are valuable. Our specialty programs like orchestra, AP academy and HCAM school are only promised for two years after the merger takes place.

It will result in a loss of local representation. Each of our 6 wards are voted on by people in that ward. People I know and see regularly. I am able to visit all 9 of our schools multiple times a year to talk to staff and students. I attend lots of HCS sporting events because it’s important to be present and support our schools. If the merger is approved, we will be roughly the 16th largest school district in the state. How do you represent schools you don’t have time to even visit?

If approved, in 2032 our entire district will have 1 seat on the new board. That seat will be voted on by the entire county. Local representation matters.