Gastonia Times

Moms for Liberty has endorsed Janna Smith in her race for a seat on the Gaston County Board of Education. Early voting will take place from October 17 to November 2 for the November 5 general election.

According to her campaign website, Smith's twin boys attended kindergarten through second grade in a district outside of Gaston County, but they moved to Gastonia after they became concerned about the changes and policies they saw. Having witnessed firsthand how harmful policies can hinder children's education, she decided to run for the Gaston County Board of Education by her desire "to fight for the children of Gaston County to not be victim to what is constantly knocking at the front door of our schools." 

Smith's campaign Facebook page offers insight into her priorities, including student safety and wellbeing, combating bullying, academic excellence, supporting teachers, and encouraging and facilitating parental engagement and involvement in the educational process.

Smith graduated from Ashbrook High School in 2003. She holds a bachelor's degree from Belmont Abbey and a master's degree in human resource management from Clemson University. She currently works as a director for a Raleigh-based broker that supports the public sector — including K-12 schools and community colleges — in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. 

Per the Gaston County Schools Board of Education manual, the Board comprises nine members. Terms are four years and staggered so that four or five members are elected every two years. Elections are nonpartisan.

Moms for Liberty is a parental-rights-in-education advocacy group founded by Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, two former school board members. According to their website, "Moms for Liberty is dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government."