Issues
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Expand our early education program.
Our district is a destination for families as evident by our immense housing growth. Access to early childhood programs and schools attract families and offer additional revenue for the district. Studies* show that for every $1 invested in an early childcare program the return on that investment is anywhere from $4-$12. This opportunity needs to be explored to help take the burden off families looking for high quality early childhood education in our area. It also becomes a benefit for our district to attract and recruit new teachers to the district by providing an early childhood education option that aligns with their work schedule.
*https://www.impact.upenn.edu/early-childhood-toolkit/why-invest/what-is-the-return-on-investment/
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Advocating for our educators.
Every student in our district should feel like they belong and have every opportunity to succeed. Our educators need the training, freedom, resources and support to identify the needs of each individual student. The largest obstacle we currently face is time. Our teachers are overworked and under supported. They are picking up the slack from a lack of funding to fully staff our schools support staff. It is imperative to ensure our teachers the time needed to collaborate, prepare lessons and continue their education so they can prepare our children for their futures in the diverse global world.
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Learning today, leading tomorrow.
DE&I means a lot of different things to different people. To me every kid should feel welcome and that they belong in school. A child in a wheelchair should have every chance to feel as comfortable in school as the starting quarterback. A kid that is raised by a single parent should not be bullied because of it. A child who has difficulty reading should have an opportunity for additional resources and instruction so they can achieve their goals. These are things our entire community should strive to work together to ensure our children are successful.
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Education grows with opportunity.
There are multiple paths to a successful education in today’s world. And our students should be given every opportunity to explore those paths, be it a four year University, STEM Education, skilled labor, computer programing and more. By providing these opportunities it gives out teachers a chance to continue their education and share their passions with our students. We can become an outlet to our neighboring districts and trade unions to develop programs for students to explore options in things they find interesting and rewarding.
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A Comprehensive Approach
Before our students can learn and excel in the classroom they must feel as though they are safe. We need a comprehensive approach to increase physical security, such as controlled access so we know who is in our buildings at all times. We must collaborate with our local law enforcement to foster a safe and inclusive culture. We must have open and clear communication with parents about what is happening in our schools. We need a board that will take a hard look on how to prevent bullying. It is also imperative to provide metal health services so we can prevent issues before they happen.
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Keeping Politics Out of Education
As someone who is committed to keeping school board nonpartisan we must keep politics out of the education environment. I will focus on helping our district achieve academic excellence over partisan ideologies. I will work to create an environment that respects diverse perspectives. We can not make our kids education a political pawn piece or bargaining chip.