Tuesday is Election Day and Asheville City Schools will not be in session. So on Friday, students at Hall Fletcher Elementary had a case of what principal Dr. Gordon Grant called “election fever”. As part of a real life lesson in civics and government, teachers Virginia Duquet and Rebecca Shaw’s fifth grade classes helped orchestrate a simulated polling place where every student in the school had a chance to vote. Teacher Assistants Neecie Jackson and Michelle Corral also participated.
These young students have set a great example for all of us. So, if you are not among the 2 million plus NC citizens who have already cast a ballot, we encourage you to vote in this important national, state and local election. The authors of our Constitution set the electoral responsibility squarely on the shoulders of each of us and we are certainly privileged to live in a country where we still exercise that right.
In another opportunity to practice civics and government, every Buncombe County polling location will be staffed by Kids Voting volunteers, including many of our own district staff members. The volunteers will be assisting young voters as they practice exercising their rights and responsibilities as informed American citizens.
Superintendent Allen Johnson will serve at the Stephens-Lee Community Center polling site. “Tuesday is a critical milestone in our nation’s political, economic and educational future,” Johnson said on Friday. “I hope that every single member of the Asheville City Schools family will have cast a vote by the time Election Day comes to a close. This is, after all, about the future of each and every child that we serve."