Dr. Amanda Inabinett for Covington County School Board

Tuesday I attended the superintendent interviews and there was only one other community member in attendance.

I will give some positives from what I heard. I liked Jed Blackwell’s question, I liked that Jeff Bailey verbalized the need for improvement, and I liked that Dr. James Barton saw the importance of a candidate who understood current data and the importance of how to use it to move the schools forward.

It was a super long day for me with meetings, work, interviews, and finally the election.

Our schools deserve a community that is engaged, informed, and willing to show up, not just in conversation, but at the ballot box.

One thing this election made clear is how important every single vote truly is. Out of more than 30,000 eligible voters, only 3,823 people showed up to vote.

A friend of mine from Prattville called me Wednesday morning and said, “Do the people there just not care?”

I’ve also had my inbox flooded this week with the Josh Moon article of the Anthony Clark saga that went on in Covington County for years with questions of how do we fix that. The answer is on days like May 19th.

I want to sincerely thank every person who supported me, encouraged me, prayed for me, volunteered, shared my message, and believed in this campaign. Your support meant more than words can express. And I will tell you if you ever want to know who your friends are, run in an election. It’s been one of the most eye opening experiences of my life.

Most importantly, I want to thank my children. They sacrificed time with me, stood beside me through long days and late nights, and reminded me every day why this work matters so much. Everything I do is rooted in wanting a better future for them and for all children in our schools and my middle one has paid the ultimate price.

She’s been bullied by teachers at school, in the community, even in her extra curriculars because of this election.

For now, I’ll be stepping away from this campaign page for a little while to rest, reset, and spend much-needed time with my family. This journey has been challenging, rewarding, and eye-opening, and I’m grateful for every lesson and every connection made along the way.

While we may have lost the battle for the school board seat, we have not lost the fight for our schools, our children, and our community. There are five men who will be making the decisions for our community’s children and they need to hear from you. There is also a new superintendent with a lot of work ahead of her.

I will be watching to see that academics, accountability, and transparency improve. This may be the end of a campaign, but it is not the end of my commitment to our community or our schools.

Thank you all again.

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Back in February, I got a call from a fellow I’ve never met in person. It went like this:

“Hello, this is Amanda.”

“Was your goal to p**s everyone off or did it just happen that way?”

I laugh.

“I seem to have a gift for it at times, but no, it’s never intentional. I’m just always going to be honest. It’s my greatest vice and my greatest virtue.”

“Some of these people have been real nasty but all you did was post public information.”

“I know, it’s crazy, but people were like that to Jesus too, and He didn’t give up or back down. I won’t either.”

If you know me you know I’m as straightforward as they come. You should also know I will always answer you honestly even if it means losing a vote.

I don't want to lose a vote but my integrity means everything to me.

I want my children to always be respectful, caring and honest, and since they are an extension of me, I hold myself to the same standards.

My hope is that people will respect me for being honest with them. Some won’t. Some will defend wrong to their dying breath.

We will never all agree on every single thing. It's not possible and I don’t spin my wheels. I used to enjoy the back and forth, but when I hit 40 I stopped because I realized I’ve already lived half of my days and I can’t waste any more time.

On things we disagree on, we can try and find middle ground. That is what governing is about. It is about working and getting something done for the people.

Sometimes we will agree to disagree and go our separate ways and that’s okay too.

I have worked in education all my life in all different facets with folks all over the state. I’ve built a lot of solid relationships and connections and I am willing to spend my time looking out for the children and families of Covington County’s best interest. I have learned through this campaign that being willing to help others “just because” is a foreign concept to some, but it’s how I was raised.

I had someone ask a friend of mine yesterday why I was running for county school board when my children attend city schools. It makes me sad to think adults lack reasoning skills but I can’t fix that. It makes me sadder when they are educators because it hurts children. Do better.

I’ve already told you I’m a biblical Christian so I’ll explain my reasons for running and serving the best way I know how.

I have nothing to gain from this work except knowing I did what I could to help (Philippians 2:3-4).

I can’t make a lot of promises because a board member doesn’t govern alone, but this is what I can tell you and what any friend of mine would tell you. You have my word, I will not treat any school or person differently in this county. (Philippians 2:3-4)

If I can help you, I will. (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31).

If I can tell you, I will. If I don’t know, or can’t, I’ll tell you that. (Proverbs 12:19).

I don't need glory, I don't need accolades, I get plenty of that at home. I do want a school system that works for all children. (Matthew 6:1-2).

All children are ours no matter where they are educated and I’ll help all of them however I can. When everyone changes to that mindset, good will prevail. (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:37)

I don’t mind disagreement. (Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:18).

I won’t tolerate harassment. (Romans 12:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:14).

I have zero obligations to any person, business, family, or groups. I don't owe one single thing to anybody and I have to tell you, that’s a fine place to be and live.

You have the opportunity to vote for a candidate who is different than everyone running and serving. I am an educator, a mother, and have no personal bias towards any person or particular school. I have been vocal about where I stand on the issues and answered constituents’ questions openly and honestly.

Today you make a choice for the children who can’t choose for themselves. Choose wisely.

Finally, I want to take a moment to say thank you.

Thank you to every person who supported, encouraged, prayed, shared a kind word, or simply took the time to care about our schools and our children. No matter the outcome, I am deeply grateful for this community and the honest conversations we’ve had about the future of education here.

There is an incredible amount of work to be done going forward for a new superintendent and a new school board member. I ask everyone to keep them in your prayers; I know I will.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be making our way around the county picking up yard signs. If you have one in your yard, I’ll come by to collect it.

Again, thank you for being engaged, informed, and invested. That’s what truly makes a difference for our schools, our children, and the future here.
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As a reminder, these are your current board members’ 5 choices; I am just the messenger. 😅

I encourage everyone to attend and listen for answers that do not offer more complacency from people comfortable with the status quo.

When outcomes decline in the private sector or in government oversight work, you do not ignore the data and continue doing business as usual. You investigate root causes. You identify inefficiencies. You ask difficult questions. You challenge assumptions. You bring stakeholders together and implement measurable corrective actions.

Education should be no different.

Parents are not asking for miracles. We are asking for common sense.

We want schools focused on reading, math, writing, discipline, and preparing students for real-world success.

We want classrooms where technology supports learning instead of dominating it.

We want transparency.

We want accountability.

And we want leaders willing to acknowledge problems honestly instead of protecting the status quo.

Get involved and let your representatives know who you want; remember they were elected to represent you.

In Alabama, a primary candidate must earn a majority of the vote to win. If no candidate wins a majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m hopeful we have a board member come Tuesday night, so get up and vote and remind your friends.

The wrong vote can have real consequences. Ask yourself who best understands how to improve academic performance, demand accountability, and find funding and growth.

Our children cannot afford a “learn as you go” school board. They deserve leadership from someone who understands education firsthand and knows what it takes to help schools succeed. It’s true I have nothing to gain from this position; I do not need any family employed, no children favored, and I have no bias towards any school. I was asked to serve and I’m willing to. It’s just that simple.

School board members are paid and I intend to offer the pay as a scholarship in my father’s name.

This election is about protecting the future of our students, supporting educators, and making decisions that strengthen our schools for years to come. It matters to me and we will find out if it matters to Covington County tomorrow.

We are hosting a 5k fun run next month and hope to see everyone there!!

Online registration is coming in the next few days or you can register the night of under the pavilion!

Please share this post and help us spread the word!

Thank you to everyone who came out to tonight’s public forum in Florala. It was encouraging to see such a large turnout from citizens who care deeply about the future of our schools and community.

The forum was professionally organized and provided voters with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, ask questions, and learn more about the issues facing our schools. Events like this are important because informed voters make stronger communities.

I appreciate everyone who took the time to attend, participate respectfully, and stay engaged in the process. Florala deserves leadership that listens, communicates openly, and works together for the benefit of our students, teachers, and families.

Thank you again to those who organized tonight’s event and to everyone who continues to stay involved in shaping the future of Florala. 💚 💛

Constituent question: Families of students with special needs often feel unheard and forced to become full-time advocates just to secure appropriate services and support. As diagnoses of dyslexia, autism, and other learning disabilities continue to rise, what would you do as a School Board member to improve accountability, resources, and outcomes for these students?

Answer:
This question really made me think back to how this journey began. A few years back, a couple with a child enrolled in Covington County called me because they were concerned about their two children. The parents felt their children needed to be tested for special education and had made the request. The father said he was told, “Just wait until next school year and then we will look at testing.”

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I was shook. If you know, you know.

Delay of testing is not an option. I helped advocate for this family and have helped many others since that time and no matter the outcome of this race, my advocacy efforts won’t cease. I am happy to support anyone who needs a special education advocate. It is helpful to have someone who understands the law, and also understands how fast temperatures rise and how you feel as a parent just wanting to give your child the very best opportunities.

I’ve sat on both sides of the table and this is yet another reason why having an educator on the board is imperative. The family asked me to run for school board and help our community and here I am, years later, following through on that request.

As a school board member, addressing the systemic challenges facing families of students with special needs requires shifting from a compliance-driven model to a student-centered culture of partnership. With rising diagnoses of autism and dyslexia, the goal is to proactively support students in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) while empowering families, not forcing them into adversarial advocacy roles.

Here are specific actions I would suggest to the board to take to improve accountability, resources, and outcomes:

1. Improving Accountability & Transparency
* Establish a Special Education Advisory Committee: Create a formal committee reporting directly to the Board, composed of parents, special educators, and district leaders to ensure parent voice in policy development.
* Set Measurable, Public Outcomes: I would request regular board reports on inclusion rates, reading proficiency growth for students with IEPs, and graduation rates.
* Reduce Adversarial Interactions: Implement mandatory training for administrators and staff on collaborative IEP meetings, focusing on problem solving rather than defending rigid positions, reducing the need for families to hire external advocates. I attended some phenomenal training this year and would recommend it for every educator in Alabama.

2. Increasing Resources & Staff Support
* Invest in In-District Specialized Programs: We need to know what professional development is currently used? Rather than relying solely on expensive out-of-district placements, allocate budget to develop in-district expertise for autism and dyslexia support (e.g., Orton-Gillingham training for reading specialists).
* Maximize Educator Strengths: Request reports on staffing structure. We need to know if the special educators are playing to their strengths—case management specialists, content experts (e.g., math/reading), or social-emotional behavioral specialists—rather than forcing one person to be a master of everything.
* Fund Assistive Technology: Request reports on what technology is available and what is needed? We must ensure every school has immediate access to tools like text-to-speech apps, AAC devices, and sensory supports, allowing students with disabilities to access general education content.

3. Improving Outcomes for Students
* Strengthen Early Identification: the board must find out what screenings are used and when and then implement district-wide, evidence-based reading screenings to identify potential dyslexia markers early, providing interventions before a child qualifies for special education.
* Prioritize In-Classroom Support (Co-Teaching): If it’s needed,increase funding for co-teaching models where general and special education teachers serve students together in the mainstream classroom, promoting inclusion over pull-out models.
* Empower Student Self-Advocacy: If not being used, introduce student-led IEP meetings (when appropriate), allowing students to share their own interests, challenges, and aspirations to build ownership of their learning journey. Too many times students are left out of the conversation and all children must learn to advocate for themselves.
By prioritizing these strategies, the county can move from simply complying with the law to providing a supportive, effective, and empowering educational environment.

I could go on for days about special education. As a community member, I would be interested in hearing from you:

* Which areas (dyslexia, autism, emotional support) are currently most lacking resources in our district?
* Are you primarily concerned with early identification (elementary) or transition services (high school)?
* What is the number one barrier parents in our district currently face?