Traynor to run for Marshall County school board

Elizabeth Traynor, of Guntersville, announces that she is running for Marshall County Schools Board of Education, at-large.

Traynor is a nationally recognized illustrator as well as a retired college Professor. Born in Alabama, she has lived and worked in the North as well as the South. She resettled here in 2014, buying a home in the McDonald Lane subdivision. A member of St. William’s Catholic Church, she is the daughter of Dr. Mary Traynor of Guntersville.

She is very active in the arts, an avid reader who loves crossword puzzles, college football, and Lake Guntersville for fishing and birding. She is passionate about teaching and education.

Traynor states, “I’m running for the Marshall County School Board for the future of our children. I’m a democrat, but this is NOT about political parties - it’s about education. 83% of Marshall County Schools teachers are women - yet there is not a single one on our school board. We urgently need a qualified, diverse school board that gives our kids the best schools possible. I AM qualified and will bring a fresh, enthusiastic educator’s voice to the board. I’m a very qualified female business owner and retired college professor who can represent our teachers, our families, and most of all, our children.”

Traynor brings extensive experience as an educator of children and young adults to this position. She was a professor at Delaware College of Art & Design from 1998 to 2004, and Head of the Illustration Department for four of those years. She loved mentoring and is still in touch with many former students.

She started her career with a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, where she also studied Educational Psychology. As a postgraduate, she studied Child Development and General Psychology at UNC Chapel Hill.

Ms. Traynor has been a freelance illustrator for over 30 years. (You can see her work at www.ElizabethTraynor.com). She says, “It’s a career that requires talent, dedication, and teamwork, with the ability to work with many different clients. I’ve created art for everything from newspapers & magazines to logos & packaging. I especially enjoy illustrating and designing book jackets and children’s books, many for Barnes & Noble, National Geographic, Penguin Books, and Simon & Schuster, and educational publishers.

Ms.Traynor’s platform for the School Board is:

1. Improve Grades & Funding:

The recent overall county district grade of “B” is a great improvement. But we can do more: mandatory Kindergarten & more Preschool options and improved allocation of

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funding are some goals to make our schools excellent.

2. Refresh the Marshall County Schools Board of Education:

The board needs new voices, fresh ideas, and balance - including a female board member. And education MUST transcend politics. It’s about children and teachers, not a political party.

3. Bring the Arts back to our schools:

The Arts are not “‘Extra”... they are Extraordinary!

Children NEED the Arts (Art, Music, Drama, etc.), and the Arts ARE academics.

Nurturing intelligence is a primary mission of education, and Creative Intelligence is an essential part of it. It fosters curiosity, inventiveness, and improves problem solving. It takes creative intelligence to “Think outside the Box”.

A policy of cutting Arts funding every time there is budget cut has been very shortsighted - and it’s shortchanging our kids. School without the arts can be dull and boring. Let’s not take the fun out of school!

4. Improve Security:

Our children must have a secure education on every level:

A. School-wide:

Safety both inside and out, with the most up-to-date security possible - including more security personnel, checkpoints, even metal detectors.

B. In the Classroom:

A secure environment where learning is enjoyed, not just endured, where kids look forward to the school day, not the end of it. And where teachers feel supported by their school families, peers, and School Board.

C. Personal:

Every child deserves to feel safe. Safe from discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hunger - and encouraged by respect, support, and a love of learning.”

Ms. Traynor concludes, “You’ll see my name on the ballot on November 3 - and I hope to get your vote. Feel free to contact me directly: 256-486-3996 or through Facebook: @TraynorForSchoolBoard. I welcome your thoughts and ideas about our schools, and volunteering or donations for my campaign. I’m looking forward to meeting you!”