Parents Should Have a Voice in their Children's Education

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Local school boards should work closely with the community as well as hearing input from local citizens on policy and administrative concern.  For D87,  I want to increase the message parents, students and teachers are voicing to the administration.  Currenly, too great a number of parents are feeling discounted, helpless, and marginalized.  Parents feel left out of their kid’s educational process.   They do not feel that anyone is listening to them.

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A Push for Growth Minded Students

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There is value in one being challenged even if you don't always come up on top.  I am for student choice in forming their own paths in their education with more accepted academic choices and pathways, and we need to ensure that all students are provided equitable pathways to achieve their goals.  Currently, there is still a huge learning gap left behind from COVID that needs more focus.  The % of students at or below state averages for math and english is upsetting, and the trend has been one of mostly decline.

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Decision Making

 

I subscribe to values that are essential to collaboration and decision making such as trust, accountability, respect and fairness.  I listen to all sides of a position, and seek out and value community input.  When I eventually must choose one side of an issue as the strongest for my position, I do not do so lightly.  I have a passion for knowledge, researching facts and listening.  As a parent, I am very open to listening to parent and student voices.  Board policy is also there for a reason, and needs to be followed, and if it can't be followed, with community input, should be changed.

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My Approach 

 

I consider myself as an independent candidate for school board and I am not backed by any organization.  I feel strongly about the need for district transparency and the need for accountability.  

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Why is it important to have an independent candidate running for a board and not a member of any outside political group or endorsed by one?   While good governance doesn’t call for dissension it does call for diverse viewpoints and discussion.  My views are my own.  I don’t believe any one person thinks the same as any other on every single issue.  I don’t want my vote for the public to be influenced by another organization because of an alliance formed.  Candidates backed by a particular group have an underlying obligation to vote a certain way for various reasons. 

 

It may be tempting to build a board that has the power and prestige to present a good unified image. Superintendents like a compliant board that’s easy to manage and that doesn’t push back too much. Those are also the kinds of boards that do just enough to get by, rather than doing enough work.   The whole point of a 7 member board is to have 7 people with different perspectives so one viewpoint doesn’t dominate and other views at least get their say.   When governance is good, it’s a benefit to all stakeholders.   The benefits of diversity on boards become more apparent as more distinctive questions are asked.