Pitt County Board of Education District 4
Voters Choose One Candidate (see district map)
Justin Eastwood
Your current job and title:
Formulation Technician 2 at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Your highest level of education:
Associate’s Degree in Construction Technology
If you’re elected or re-elected, what will be your top priority? Why?
Top priority to me is Teacher Recruitment and Retention. We need to keep qualified instructors in our schools providing quality education to our children. We want teachers to get recruited here and retire happy here. I also want to increase the safety of our children in the schools! We shouldn't have to worry about if our children are safe after we drop them off to get an education, no matter what grade they're in.
If you’re elected or re-elected, how will you involve your constituents in the process of making decisions?
I'm all about the saying, "It takes a village!"I can't do it on my own; it takes the knowledge and understanding from all of
the districts in Pitt County to make smart decisions for our children and students. I think truthful debates and conversations about the issues around should be happening, and I don't believe my vote should be cast based on the decision of "Well, that’s what all the other districts are doing." It's my job to listen to the parents, teachers and students in my district and vote based on what I'm hearing from them as well as what I believe also.Why should voters choose you for the position you’re running for?
I think voters should consider me for the position of District 4 School Board because I'm someone you can trust. I'm someone you know is going to put the best decision for your students as well as my own in the front part of my mind. I have three kids going through District 4 right now and one that just graduated. I am 1,000% committed to making District 4 a district that everybody wants to come and be a part of.
Which three things about you do you most want voters to know?
I am one of the most passionate and hard working individuals you'll ever meet. When I commit to something I am fully committed all of the time. I am an open book: you're going to get the same man talking to your face and when I'm not around. I don't put on a fake smile or put on a show based on who I'm around.
Is there anything else about you that you wish to tell voters?
I think however you vote for District 4 is going to be a positive influence, but I hope you honestly consider voting for me. I think I speak for everybody involved when I say, "It's time to put OUR kids first!"
Desha N. Lane
Your current job and title:
IMPACT Youth - Executive Director
Your highest level of education:
Master of Social Work
If you’re elected or re-elected, what will be your top priority? Why?
My top priority would be to address student behavior problems in our schools. I have worked in both a volunteer and in a
professional capacity with youth who have been suspended from school as a result of negative behaviors. While suspension is intended to deter future misbehavior and to produce safer schools, research has shown that exclusionary discipline is ineffective in accomplishing these outcomes.
Research shows that disciplinary removal appears to have adverse effects on the learning climate and student outcomes, which often results in students ending up in the school-to-prison pipeline. My work has proven time and time again that relationships matter and when we are able to build relationships
with youth and engage them in positive connections, we can make an impact on their behavior.If you’re elected or re-elected, how will you involve your constituents in the process of making decisions?
I plan to make myself available to hear from students, parents, community members, and educators. I will take their voices into
account when making decisions.Why should voters choose you for the position you’re running for?
I am actively involved in several youth and family collaboratives in Pitt County to include serving as a member of the Board of
Directors of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, where I am the current Vice-Chairperson; I serve as the Chairperson for the Pitt County Community Collaborative for Children, Youth and Families; I serve on the Board of Directors for North Carolina Community Alternatives for Youth; and I am also the past president for Parents for Public Schools of Pitt County (PPS-PC) Board of Directors.PPS-PC's Parent Engagement Program was the catalyst for creating IMPACT Youth as a resource for students assigned to the county's alternative education program. For the past two years, IMPACT Youth served Pitt County Schools by providing an Alternative to Suspension option to students who were suspended from school.
Which three things about you do you most want voters to know?
- I am a product of public education as I am a graduate of Farmville Central High School and the proud mom of a graduate of J.H. Rose High School.
- I am not a politician, but I am a community advocate who has worked closely with Pitt County School students, families, staff and administrators over the years. When working with parents and students, I challenge them to be courageous and to make sure that their voices are heard, and as a candidate for the Board of Education, I am now following my own advice in hopes of amplifying those voices.
- I am ready for the responsibility of reviewing and creating policy that will positively affect the best interest of parents, students, community members, and of course, our Pitt County Schools' employees.
Is there anything else about you that you wish to tell voters?
I would appreciate your vote for Desha Lane, District 4, Board of Education.
