Live from Music Row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed MNPS District Six School Board member Fran Bush to talk about her agenda, common sense school board candidates, and how her record stands for itself.
Leahy: We are joined on our newsmaker line now by our very good friend Fran Bush, the only member of the Metro National Public School Board that, in my view, has any common sense whatsoever. And, Fran, those are my words, not yours. Good morning, Fran.
Bush: (Laughs) Good morning.
Leahy: What is on your agenda, Fran? Are you working to get other common-sense people on the board in the elections? Are you dealing with all of the other folks that have problems looking at reality that are on the school board? Tell me what your agenda is for the next couple of months.
Bush: For the next couple of months, I am running for re-election, and I am definitely trying to try to find those like-minded people that have common sense to step up and be on the board for Metro Nashville Public Schools. So, yes, I am working, and hopefully we will see a big change coming in the near future.
Leahy: You’re up for reelection in the August election, is that correct?
Bush: Yes.
Leahy: And do you have competition?
Bush: I do. I have three others that are running against me. Hey, my record is my record. I think it’s healthy to have some competition, and I’m looking forward to debate then. I’m looking forward to meeting those opponents.
Leahy: Is a debate scheduled?
Bush: Not yet.
Leahy: But you’re saying you would be open to a debate?
Bush: Oh, absolutely.
Leahy: Has any media outlet offered to host such a debate?
Bush: Not yet. I think everyone’s waiting after February 17, which is my birthday, when we have to have all of our petitions in by that deadline. So I think after the deadline everything’s going to start ramping up.
Leahy: First, Crom is going to ask you a question here in a minute, but I will offer on the air right now to you and your three opponents.
I will offer to host a debate between all of you that w can do it live here on our program or we can do it after the program. And I would be delighted to host that debate.
Bush: You know what? I welcome that. I would love that. I would absolutely welcome that. Thank you for offering that.
Leahy: Crom Carmichael is in studio and has a question for you, Fran.
Carmichael: Yes, Fran. Are any of your opponents for school choice?
Bush: I’m not sure about their record. I don’t really know them that well. I have done some research, but I have not seen anything that they have welcomed school choice. So I’m really excited to hear what their agenda will be and so that I can be able to acknowledge that.
Leahy: How many of the nine board seats are up for election this election in August? How many of those nine? Is it four or five that are up?
Bush: It’s four. Four are up.
Leahy: In those other three districts, have you formed a slate with other common sense candidates or not?
Bush: Yes, I have. I actually have. I have been able to identify through board meetings, parents come in to speak, parents with their passion and ready to make some changes in our school system.
And they have been incredibly like minded. And again, it goes with common sense. And these parents are ramped up and they want to see change. Their voices have been silenced for too long. So I think this will be a game changer.
Leahy: Who are the other three candidates that are part of your common sense slate?
Bush: (Chuckles) We have Amy Paid.
Leahy: Amy Paid. Who’s she running against?
Bush: She actually is running unopposed right now.
Leahy: Okay. Who else?
Bush: And we have Kelli Phillips. I think she was on your show.
Leahy: Yes. Who’s she running against?
Bush: She’s running against three others on her ticket.
Leahy: Okay. And who else do you have? Amy, Kelly and who else?
Bush: And then we have TC Weber, Thomas Weber.
Leahy: TC Weber! Are you kidding me?
Bush: I think he’s going to run for it.
Leahy: Has he announced yet?
Bush: He’s there. I mean, he’s there. We’ve had a conversation.
Leahy: All right, TC, you got to come on the show now. TC Weber. My reaction is TC Weber has written a blog for, (Chuckles) I don’t know, 15 years here.
Bush: Yes. He’s good.
Leahy: In that blog he writes extensively about, shall we call it, the flibbles of Metro Nashville Public Schools. And it’s always entertaining to see what TC has to say. Has he formally announced yet, Fran, or is he just thinking about it?
Bush: I would say that he’s in it. He basically told me he’s in it, and I hope he doesn’t, which I don’t think. I think he’ll be fine for me to say that he’s in it.
He shared that he’s in it. Again, we have maybe him and Amy may have not just pulled the papers yet, but they’re on their way doing so.
Leahy: Well, that would be kind of interesting. Tell me how you’re going to campaign. Describe the parameters of your district and how you go about campaigning. Sure.
Bush: My district is the Antioch and Cambridge cluster, so that’s a big area. We’re growing leaps and bounds. We are almost at capacity with all of our schools.
With the capital spending budget, we got push, push, push for another school in this district. So we got approved for another middle school. So the district that I’m serving is the fastest growing district in Davidson County.
My agenda is that I will continue to move my base and making sure that I have so many volunteers, which they have also offered. And I’m going to just get out there like I do. And my record is my record. Very strong record.
Leahy: Fran Bush, a member of the Metro Nashville Public School Board, the only member that actually will actually come on our program and talk to us.
Thanks for talking to us, by the way. And thanks for joining us. Good luck with your campaign, and I look forward to hosting the debate between you and your challengers.
Bush: I look forward to it too. And as always, thank you, thank you. And I appreciate you for having me on the show.
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Fran Bush” by Fran Bush School Board District 6.
