It is time to put parents back in the driver’s seat of their kid’s education. I want to give parents a voice on what goes on in the schools to ensure their kids’ educational needs are addressed. First, schools must not withhold information about their child’s well-being or education. They must have a regular system for notifying families of activities at school.
It is a parent’s absolute, fundamental right to be actively involved in what is taking place in their child’s school. They cannot be shoved to the sidelines, bullied, or have information withheld from them. This includes ideas presented to students by teachers and staff, the technology they are using, and the media content they view. Any healthcare decisions, such as mask wearing and immunizations, should be up to the family to decide what is best. Educators are there to educate, not make healthcare related decisions.
As a parent, I do not want a school curriculum that divides our kids based on race, sex, religion, or social groups. All kids deserve to be treated with fairness and respect. I want to give parents a voice on what goes on in the schools to ensure their kids’ educational needs are addressed. Parents are a partner, and all views and beliefs should be voiced respectfully by engaging in debate. Our main goal is to prepare our children for their future lives, and teaching them how to think and not what to think is essential.
We should be teaching students how to master “The Basics.” A robust curriculum consisting of science, mathematics, reading, writing, trades, and life skills. I believe all students should graduate from high school prepared for college, careers, and life.
Our kids have suffered tremendously over the past few years by school shutdowns that failed on many levels. The lack of learning that resulted will have a profound effect for years to come.
We must provide support and appreciation to our teachers so we can retain our quality educators. Teachers are crucial to our children’s success, and we must support them. Public funding and other resources spent in the classroom must include “those who partner with us to help develop our children every day.”
We need to course-correct and provide an environment where relationships matter. A place where students feel part of their school community while growing into independent young adults with unique skills and personalities. A place where academic success is encouraged and all students are celebrated for their achievements.
School safety is a high priority. No parent should be worried about their children’s safety while at school. Likewise, no child should worry about their safety while at school.
Schools should be where students can feel free to bring their authentic selves and be able to express themselves freely without fearing retaliation. Any sort of bullying behavior can have a long-lasting impact on children and should be dealt with severely without any tolerance.
Moreover, if anyone has to go through any unfortunate traumatic experience, we must make sure they have the support they need to be able to readjust to normal student life. Promoting and supporting mental health is essential to achieving personal and academic success.
Transparency and accountability are critical to building trust with parents, students, stakeholders, and teachers. I am committed to ensuring that our tax dollars are focused on our students first.
School funding is a significant portion of every resident’s property tax residing in the school district. All budgets and spending should be carefully reviewed to find savings where possible, ensure taxpayer dollars are being used as intended and spent as effectively and efficiently as possible. I will not tolerate any fraud, waste, or abuse of funds in our school district.
I believe that a district’s ability to run efficiently and effectively is a critical foundation for success. When we demonstrate that we are good stewards of taxpayer and community resources, we can unlock private and public partnerships that benefit our students and our community. I believe each financial decision must be made with the goal of providing a superior educational return on our stakeholders’ investment.
My goal is to ensure we continue to invest in programs and practices that are proven to deliver improved academic outcomes while quickly pivoting away from initiatives that fail to deliver as expected. Further, I believe that we should test and learn, or pilot, to effectively evaluate new initiatives before significant investment decisions are considered.
