BY JEAN FOSTER
For months, District 5 Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education member Mike Kubiniec has been occupying the Board’s time at meetings with his personal agenda regarding Constitution Day. Kubiniec didn’t come up with Constitution Day. The U.S. Congress did. They did so nearly 20 years ago, and Iredell-Statesville Schools (and every other school in the U.S. that receives Federal funding) has been teaching about the Constitution on that day ever since.
Kubiniec’s presentation about Constitution Day was self-serving
The last part of the working agenda for this past Board meeting on November 6 was an address by Kubiniec about his involvement in Constitution Day on September 18. His presentation shows how utterly uninformed and narrow-minded he is when it comes to public education. He has shown concern only for pushing his own agenda, the agenda of his “puppeteer,” and that of Moms for Liberty (a known hate group, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center). His focus has not been on what is important to educators and students in Iredell-Statesville Schools. Kubiniec stated his volunteers did not provide any content, but at a previous meeting, two of the volunteers who spoke in support of Kubiniec during public comments specifically referenced their “presentations” on Constitution Day.
In his effort to evaluate the success of his involvement in Constitution Day, only Kubiniec’s volunteers were surveyed — not educators or students — so he and his cronies decided they did a good job. That was presented to the public as his proof of the value of his meddling in the curriculum without any backup from the actual stakeholders.
Kubiniec finally admits he didn’t create Constitution Day
Kubiniec has been consistently touting the Constitution Day curriculum as if it were his own idea. He finally admitted in last Monday’s presentation that it is a part of the public school curriculum mandated by the government.
Finding 40 volunteers isn’t something to brag about
Kubiniec’s display of patting himself on the back for finding 40 volunteers to go into the schools for less than an hour each for one day of the school year is indicative of his lack of understanding of the dire needs in our schools. When I talk with educators, the number one desire expressed isn’t for more money in their pockets (though they should certainly have more money in their pockets for the professional positions they hold!) or for supplies or for more staff or any of a long list of possibilities. It is always for more involvement from parents and the community. This school year, I-SS students will collectively attend over 25 million hours (180 days times 7 hours a day times 20,000 students) in our schools. Kubiniec is congratulating himself for finding volunteers for 40 of those 25,000,000 hours.
In contrast, District 3 representative Abby Trent has coordinated efforts to find about 10 volunteers covering five different classrooms at N.B. Mills Elementary School every week to assist students with reading; yet she hasn’t seen a need to waste the Board’s time with how great she is for doing so.
What about finding volunteers for reading and math?
Kubiniec has repeatedly in open sessions at Board meetings (and in illegal meetings via texts), mentioned how our schools are failing and how we need to hold teachers to a higher standard. He references the state-issued report cards based on state testing. Superintendent Jeff James has repeatedly explained that the formula for these scores accurately shows where poverty is in our state and has little to do with the success or failure of our teachers, administrators, and students concerning educational growth. Yet, after Kubiniec’s harping on how our schools are failing, he chose to “help” by rallying volunteers for one tiny piece of curriculum that is not tested instead of finding them for the volumes of state-mandated requirements regarding reading or math. His narrow-minded objective to force his own agenda outweighed the obvious needs of the system.
Kubiniec’s presentation was racist
The percentage of white students in our district (from month two of the School Statistical Data for this school year) is 57.96%. The approximate percentage of white students from the slides that Kubiniec flashed across the screen on Monday night was about 90% (135 of the 150 students shown). I will venture that Kubiniec didn’t even notice that disparity, and if he had, he wouldn’t have cared. Given his way, I would also venture that Constitution Day and every other day of public education should only be for white, straight, able-bodied/able-minded, Christian students. He has disparaged other races and ethnicities in his secret text messages, called to question the need for mental health care for students, ignored the plea for help from LGBTQIA+ students, questioned the need for social and emotional learning, and openly pushed his and Moms for Liberty’s religious and nationalistic beliefs.
Education of I-SS students was not on Board’s agenda
After Kubiniec’s arrogant display of patting himself on the back, the rest of the debacle from Monday night was a feud between those who should be leading our system. It was a demonstration of how NOT to behave for all of our students. My 8-year-old son, who is learning how to deal with big emotions, recently did a presentation for his third-grade class on coping skills. I am hoping the Board will invite him to next month’s meeting so he can present the same information to them. The Board attorney had to step in to stop the in-fighting. The education of I-SS students was nowhere on the night’s agenda and not any part of the Board’s discussion.
This Board is off course and shows little hope of getting back to making any significant, positive impact for our district. They are simply an anvil tied to the feet of our administration, pulling them deeper and deeper out to sea. Mike Kubiniec is doing everything in his power to sink the ship.
What Can You Do?
Volunteer at a school doing something meaningful for an educator. Simply thank an educator. Give an educator a shoulder to lean on and an ear to hear their frustrations. Educate yourself on what’s happening in our system and state. Show up at Board meetings and demand better. Email Board members and demand better. Tell your friends. Contact your state legislators. BE INVOLVED.
Be there for a kid.
Jean Foster is a parent of Iredell-Statesville Schools students and a supporter of public education.
Something else you can do:
STOP VOTING FOR CLOWNS.
Jean Foster does a great job explaining kubiniec’s horrible terrible behavior at school board meetings and what NOT to do as a board member, or while in public. Our children in the ISS are more well-behaved than this man who says he had about 30 years in the military. I would believe he would know how to follow rules, protocol, procedures, and chain of command if he really had that experience. (Wondering if his time was ever verified.) He and Kurn, along with Brian Sloan, are making a mockery of IREDELL County’s schools, teachers, and our children. He, and the others, should quietly disappear. January 6th has taught too many that it is okay to act ridiculous. It is not okay, and students are paying attention. They learn by example. These school board members are the lowest examples our children should see.
Shame on you for questioning the veracity of a military member’s time in service. Also, what a slap in the face it is to spouses, children and family members who supported their loved ones who dedicated their lives in service to their country. Captain K would not have been promoted to this senior rank if he didn’t know how to follow rules, protocol, procedures, and the chain of command.
Great, thoughtful piece. Another thing you can do? Run for school board and truly serve the needs of the community! Seats are up next year.
I guess it’s time to write viewpoints on the other 2 Moms for Liberty clowns .
(Sloan aka crying Brian and Kurn aka the thunder dome queen)
This piece is a logical, well thought out expose’. When ego and bigotry mix it just makes for terrible leadership.
What makes me shake my head is that many of us saw this coming after the election.
There is coming a future where we reconcile the MFL, and the actions of this school board with the attributes of fascism that they deserve. How quick we get to realize that truth is up to the voters.
I’m glad my grandchildren attend school in another county.
Very well said, Jean. Education and its importance needs to be brought back to these board meetings. Not certain board members attacking others from what seems to be out of pure jealousy. They are making a mockery out of our school system, and misusing their positions to push a BS agenda.
Jean Foster, your comment on Mr. Mike Kubiniec reminds me of previous comments and replies published in this newspaper, oftentimes from people ashamed to reveal their names. Instead of intellectual public debate, many of these were vicious cheap shots and character assassinations.
You criticized Mr. Kubiniec for his successful effort to recruit volunteers to assist teachers on Constitution Day, then in the very next paragraph you stated that what was needed in schools was more volunteer involvement. Something doesn’t compute here. You even accused him of racism based on the faces of children in a few slides that he presented. Nonsense! Then you went on to attack Mrs. Anita Kurn and Mr. Brian Sloan, stating that they, along with Kubiniec, were damaging to the school board. Sorry, you got it reversed.
The problems facing the school board exist because of the incompetent and despotic leadership of Chairman Bill Howell, Charles Kelly, Doug Knight, and Abby Trent. These four school board members, under the chairman’s heavy hand, fail to realize that changes to policies and procedures are needed to improve student learning rather than adhering to “the way we’ve always done it” approach.
It’s not my intention to limit free speech, and you have a right to your opinions, but unfortunately, haters gotta hate.
Edward Mimnaugh
I read this opinion piece and while I would agree that some of Kubiniec’s statements and comments are insensitive, the tone of this opinion is also very bias (hence ‘opinion’).
I would suggest that readers review the site https://www.momsforliberty.org/about/ and come to their own conclusions about the group and what they stand for rather than quoting from the questionable “Southern Poverty Law Center” organization.
From an earlier comment: “What makes me shake my head is that many of us saw this coming after the election.”
What makes me shake my head is that many of us saw this coming BEFORE the election. But here in good ol’ Iredell County, you could slap an (R) at the end of a mule’s name and it would be elected to office. One silver lining is that folks seem to be waking up to what “Moms for Liberty” really stands for. The candidates they endorsed didn’t so well as a group nationwide in last week’s elections, including here locally for the MGSD. I hope we can correct some of this for the county next year.
Well said, Jean! This is an excellent write up!