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Rob is from Indiana. He has associates degrees from Valencia College and the University of Central Florida College of Business. He is an active volunteer at Connect Christian church. Rob and his wife Amie live in Cabarrus County and have two boys. He is a Board Member on the Carolina Aviation Professionals Association. 

Rob is an aviation manager, security coordinator, and project manager for the Concord-Padgett Regional Airport. Previously, he has been a property manager
for the Fort Wayne - Allen County Airport Authority and an airport operations agent for Broward County. 

Robert (Rob) Walter is currently serving on the Cabarrus County School Board. He was first elected in 2012 is serving his third term. Walter has also been a board member on the Cabarrus County Education Foundation.

Candidate website

Believes current school facilities lack capacity for projected student growth. Plans to adjust the 10-year plan annually to address this issue.

Believes more new schools will be needed soon despite recent funding and construction. Supports temporary solutions like enhanced magnet options, mobile classrooms, and boundary changes but acknowledges ongoing challenges due to growth.

Believes more new schools will be needed soon despite recent funding and construction. Supports temporary solutions like enhanced magnet options, mobile classrooms, and boundary changes.

Believes large schools hinder student engagement and participation. Supports building smaller schools to foster personal connections and involvement.

Believes Cabarrus County Schools should reflect community values and opposes excessive Federal and State control. Supports local officials advocating for community-specific policies and resource allocation.

- Believes current school facilities lack capacity for projected student growth. Plans to adjust the 10-year plan annually to address this issue.
- Believes more new schools will be needed soon despite recent funding and construction. Supports temporary solutions like enhanced magnet options, mobile classrooms, and boundary changes.
- Believes large schools hinder student engagement and participation. Supports building smaller schools to foster personal connections and involvement.
- Believes Cabarrus County Schools should reflect community values and opposes excessive Federal and State control. Supports local officials advocating for community-specific policies and resource allocation.

School Facilities & Resources

Opposes making the CAP the first choice for school options and urges consideration of alternatives like expanding magnet programs and minor redistricting.

Believes in offering diverse educational programs to engage and challenge students at their ability level. Supports providing skills that help students compete for higher education and local workforce opportunities.

Believes in prioritizing parental involvement, keeping families informed, and assisting them in supporting their children and school community.

- Opposes making the CAP the first choice for school options and urges consideration of alternatives like expanding magnet programs and minor redistricting.
- Believes in offering diverse educational programs to engage and challenge students at their ability level. Supports providing skills that help students compete for higher education and local workforce opportunities.
- Believes in prioritizing parental involvement, keeping families informed, and assisting them in supporting their children and school community.

Access to Education

Believes in improving working conditions, resources, professional development, and administrative support for teachers. Supports competitive pay to attract and reward effective teachers.

- Believes in improving working conditions, resources, professional development, and administrative support for teachers. Supports competitive pay to attract and reward effective teachers.

Teachers

Believes performance test scores and student growth need improvement and highlights funding challenges, noting only "$50 per child for all instructional resources, assessment tools, and textbooks."

Believes performance test scores and student growth need improvement, highlighting funding challenges.

Supports initiatives to improve academic outcomes, including STEM programs, Global Ready schools, IB and SPLASH expansions, NAF High School academies, and a new Early College.

- Believes performance test scores and student growth need improvement, highlighting funding challenges.
- Supports initiatives to improve academic outcomes, including STEM programs, Global Ready schools, IB and SPLASH expansions, NAF High School academies, and a new Early College.

School Curriculum

Believes parent involvement is crucial for student success and requires a partnership with schools and teachers. Supports encouraging learning, individual learning styles, and providing accountability to help students reach their full potential.

Believes parent involvement is crucial for student success and requires a partnership with schools and teachers. 

- Believes parent involvement is crucial for student success and requires a partnership with schools and teachers. 

Student Wellbeing

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Robert (Rob) Walter

Robert (Rob) Walter has been a part of the Cabarrus County community for over 19 years, having moved there from Indiana in 2004. He is an active volunteer at Connect Christian church. Rob is married to his wife Amie for 22 years, and they have two boys, Thomas and Matthew, as well as a 6-year-old dog named Zoe.

Robert (Rob) Walter has worked full time for the City of Concord Aviation Department, where he helps run the Concord-Padgett Regional Airport. His professional background also includes serving as an elected board member on the Cabarrus County School Board, with experience as board chair.

Robert (Rob) Walter has served on the Cabarrus County School Board since being first elected in 2012 and has been reelected for subsequent terms in 2016 and 2020. He has served as board chair and is seeking his fourth term in office. Walter has also been a board member on the Cabarrus County Education Foundation.

Supports balancing the replacement of old schools with building new ones for growth. Plans to save money by consolidating small schools and repurposing facilities.

Believes in substantial funding for school facilities and resources, with an annual CCS budget exceeding $300 million and local funding over $70 million for operations. Notes that the County has invested millions in capital projects.

Believes the School Board must rely on County funding to provide necessary resources and facilities for students. Supports prioritizing and justifying school needs to county commissioners for effective funding.

Believes redistricting and relocating programs can delay the need for new school construction. Plans to fully utilize existing middle schools and relocate the Performance Learning Center High School.

Believes in regularly reviewing and adjusting school facilities and resources to accommodate population growth and ensure quality education. Plans to anticipate future needs for school construction and program capacities.

Believes educating a diverse school system of 34,000 students presents both opportunities and challenges. Said, "School Budgets are necessary but complicated" due to various accounts, funds, allocations, mandates, and restrictions imposed by State and Federal Government.

The candidate's website says, "Ms. Rhymer spoke about the likely need to restrict new enrollment ("CAP") schools, including first at Central Cabarrus for next school year. Capping basically prevents anyone new moving into the attendance zone from going to their home school and having a longer bus ride to another school that is not so over capacity. It’s been done before but has a drastic impact on students (going to another school for unknown time), transportation, and community impacts including property values and changing development patterns area where people build or move into. One of the top deciding factors for people choosing a home is what school their child will be going to."

Believes in providing a sound public education to all children, regardless of economic background, disability, or language barrier. Supports efforts to reduce the achievement gap and ensure students achieve a year's worth of learning growth annually.

Believes good teachers and staff are essential to a great school system and are dedicated to making a lasting difference in students' lives.

Believes teacher morale and pay are crucial issues. Remembers impactful teachers and sees their departure as a significant loss.

Believes teacher training is crucial, comparing it to "an auto mechanic's critical training." Emphasizes the long-term impact of education on students' income and health.

Believes in setting SMART goals to improve student proficiency scores by 5%. Supports using aligned assessment tools to gauge individual student progress.

Believes in setting SMART goals for Reading and Math for 3rd to 5th graders. Supports the belief that “All Kids” can achieve grade-level proficiency and aims to change the mindset to go from “Good to Great.”

Believes students must be prepared for success in work, military, higher education, and adult life as citizens.

The candidate's website says, "Mr. Ben Allred, our High School Director does a great job telling stories and making analogies. He went over growth and proficiency scores for last three years. He also reviewed advanced placement exam participation and rankings as well as ACT test scores and graduation rates. He said High Schools will be focusing on three things to go from “Good to Great”:"

Believes the department's title should include "learning" as a focus alongside curriculum and instruction. Supports the "good to great" message in education.

Believes the Curriculum Department's work is complex and essential for engaging diverse student learners. Appreciates the efforts of CCS staff in supporting various educational programs and student needs.

Believes the school curriculum should emphasize "learning" alongside curriculum and instruction. Supports including "learning" in the department's title to reflect its importance.

Believes in engaging with Curriculum department staff to understand and focus on educational goals. Plans to promote the new tagline "Engage Minds and Shape Futures" as part of the Strategic Plan.

Believes in improving student wellbeing by "looking at the data," aligning system efforts, leveraging staff, maximizing supports, and partnering with families.

Believes in aligning resources through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to provide each student with the appropriate level of instruction and interventions for success.

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. They create policies that establish standards, accountability and evaluation of essential operations of the school system.
- The Board of Education member hires a superintendent and can remove them when necessary. The superintendent assists the Board of Education in implementing the board’s policies. 
- The Board of Education is charged with deciding the school budget. This means they decide how to allocate money between different services, such as teacher pay, repairing school facilities, or access to technology.
- Board of Education members are elected every four years. 