Local News
School board report card: Cherokee County
Oct 10, 2010
Current school board members
Stephen Bentley*
Post 1, central Cherokee County around Canton
- Education: B.S. in computer information systems
- Occupation: Owner of Quote Burst, an insurance marketing software development company
- Years served: 8 (term ends Dec. 2010) Relatives working for system: None
- Children in Cherokee schools: Two are graduates
- Two-year meeting attendance record: 69% of 29 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: None
- School board-related training: Georgia School Boards Association training (twice)
- How he voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, in favor; June 2010 county charter school application, against; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, absent.
- Issue most known for championing: State funding for state mandates
Mike Chapman
Post 2, mid-east Cherokee County
- Education: Bachelor's degree in business; two master's degrees in management
- Occupation: Plant manager, Morrison Products
- Years served: 8 (current term ends Dec. 31, 2012)
- Relatives working for system: Wife, Mary, is a middle school family and consumer science teacher
- Children in Cherokee schools: Two are graduates
- Two-year meeting attendance record: 97% of 29 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: None
- School board-related training: State and national School Boards Association meetings
- How he voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, against; June 2010 county charter school application, against; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, in favor.
- Issues most known for championing: Cooperation between school boards and legislative lobbying
Gary Puckett***
Post 3, southeast Cherokee County
- Education: Did not respond
- Occupation: Executive director, Council on Occupational Education
- Years served: 8 (current term ends Dec. 31, 2010)
- Relatives working for system: Did not respond
- Children in Cherokee schools: Did not respond
- Two-year meeting attendance record: 83% of 29 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: Did not respond
- School board-related training: Did not respond
- How he voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, in favor; June 2010 county charter school application, absent; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, in favor.
- Issue most known for championing: Did not respond
Janet Read
Post 4, west central Cherokee County near Lake Allatoona
- Education: B.S. in business administration
- Occupation: Former banking supervisor
- Years served: 6 (current term ends Dec. 31, 2012)
- Relatives working for system: No
- Children in Cherokee schools: Two sons are graduates
- Two-year meeting attendance record: 97% of 29 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: None
- School board-related training: Federal Relations Network (FRN), Georgia School Boards Association meetings, National School Boards Association meetings, Georgia Educational Technology Conference.
- How she voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, in favor; June 2010 county charter school application, against; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, in favor.
- Issues most known for championing: Increasing student achievement; focusing on compensation for teachers.
Robert Recksteiner, a.k.a. Rick Steiner**
Post 5, southwest Cherokee County
- Education: B.A. in education
- Occupation: Real estate sales, investment
- Years served: 5 (appointed 2005, elected 2006; current term ends Dec. 31, 2010)
- Relatives working for system: Did not respond
- Children in Cherokee schools: Did not respond
- Two-year meeting attendance record: 100% of 29 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: None
- School board-related training: Did not respond
- How he voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, in favor; June 2010 county charter school application, against; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, in favor.
- Issue most known for championing: Did not respond
Debi Radcliff***, chairwoman
Post 6, Woodstock
- Education: Associate degree in secretarial science from Stark Technical College
- Occupation: Former businesswoman
- Years served: 6 (current term expires Dec. 31, 2010)
- Relatives working for system: Son
- Children in Cherokee schools: Three are graduates
- Two-year meeting attendance record: 90% of 29 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: None
- School board-related training: Georgia School Boards Conference and Training; Georgia School Boards workshops, Dublin, Ga., 2006; National bus sales workshop on multifunction buses in 2008; National School Boards Association conference in 2007, ' 08, '09; annual recurrent training as required by GSBA.
- How she voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, in favor; June 2010 county charter school application, against; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, in favor.
- Issue most known for championing: Pushed to establish a dedicated career technical high school
Kim Cochran
Post 7, north Cherokee County
- Education: B.A. English/writing, M.A. English
- Occupation: Former teacher in Cherokee schools
- Years served: 1 year, 9 months (current term expires Dec. 31, 2012)
- Relatives working for system: None
- Children in Cherokee schools: Children too young for school
- 20-month meeting attendance record: 92% of 25 meetings
- Ethics complaints or recall attempts: None
- School board-related training: Two-day new board member conference and training sessions on policy making, charter schools and the establishment clause in public education.
- How she voted on three key issues: 2010-11 budget, against; June 2010 county charter school application, absent; superintendent's contract renewal in August 2010, in favor.
- Issue most known for championing: Stabilizing revenue
* Chose not to run for re-election
** Running for re-election, no opposition
*** Defeated in primary
Note: Meeting attendance is from Oct. '08 to Sept. '10, unless term is shorter
Compiled by Christopher Quinn, cquinn@ajc.com

