Lu Feldman
In one of the two contested local races on the May 24 party primaries’ ballots, Lucille “Lu” Feldman has qualified for the District 2 seat on the Putnam Board of Education.
Feldman and McKenzie Cardwell will vie for the Republican nomination to challenge Simone Jones, the long-time Democratic incumbent, in the November general election. In the Board of Education’s district setup, District 2 includes most of the eastern and southern parts of Eatonton, plus a swath to the east from Lower Harmony Road to MLK Jr. Drive.
Feldman indicates that the trigger for her first-time candidacy for public office came from her favorite “alternative news” show, Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” when Bannon urged his viewers to “get involved, run for office. Start at the school board level.”
“So,” she said, “here I am.”
Of her approach to serving on the board, Feldman said, “education is the key to becoming a productive citizen.”
She opposes the teaching of critical race theory and calls it “indoctrination.” (Critical race theory, often called CRT, for short, generally holds that race and all its ramifications is the central continuing theme in American history, from the present back to colonial days.)
She worries about teachers leaning more on technology and less on inspiring students. “I hear stories about students being taught from laptops. The teacher is not connecting with the students,” she said. “Can you imagine a student being asked 20 years from now who was their most inspiring teacher, and they say, ‘Mr. Google’.”
Feldman lived in her native Rochester, New York, for 55 years before moving to Eatonton 18 years ago. For 14 of her Rochester years, she coached a synchronized swimming team for girls in grades 7-12. In Eatonton, she has served on the board of the Department of Family and Children’s Services and organized a women’s barbershop quartet, The Harmonettes, which has performed at the Dairy Festival and other events.