The School Board members are elected and determine policies necessary for the effective operation and general improvement of the Palm Beach County School District, the 10th largest school district in the nation and the fifth largest in Florida with more than 189,000 students in public and charter schools. Seven members are elected from single-member districts, with the board electing its own chairman and vice chairman. The School Board operates separately from the Board of County Commissioners. School Board meetings typically are conducted on the third Wednesday of the month. The 2024 salary for a School Board member is $53,406.
Place of Residence
Palm Beach Gardens
Age
69
Education
Phi Beta Kappa - Northwestern University School of Law
Experience
My mother, grandmother, great aunt, and wife were teachers, and I taught math and English to underprivileged children in the public school system when I was much younger. Our District has a $4.9 Billion Dollar budget and I have a background in finance and law.
Endorsements
The Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association; our local police and sheriffs; the AFL-CIO; Women's Issues NOW
Campaign Phone
561-373-1182
Teacher’s salaries. Multiple studies have shown that the most important in-school determinant of a student's success is the quality of the teacher. We need to prioritize our spending so that we retain and recruit the best possible teachers.
The EPA, estimates that 25% of the energy used in schools is wasted. We need to install smart meters, turn off lights and electrical equipment and adjust temperatures at night and on weekends, improve insulation, utilize energy efficient lighting and HVAC systems, perform preventive maintenance, restrict printing access, and closely monitor the cost of supplies.
Florida is 46th in the nation in per pupil spending. Two-thirds of the teachers in our District earn $60,000 or less. We need to prioritize funding for education in the state budget.
Only 50% of our students in grades 3-10 are performing at grade level in English, and they are not doing much better in math and science. We need to focus on teaching the fundamentals. Our job is to either successfully prepare our students for college or provide them with the vocational skills that they need to obtain high paying jobs when they graduate.
Place of Residence
Palm Beach County District 1
Age
57
Education
Meyerson Academy Ohio 2 year Reading Practitioner Certification Palm Beach State College A.S. Youth Development 2019 Grand Canyon University M.S. Addiction Counseling 2014 Virginia Wesleyan B.A. Communications 1996
Experience
Director of Literacy Urban Youth Impact Admissions Counselor Unity Recovery Owner/Operator Blue Parrot Cafe Real Estate Broker
Endorsements
n/a
Campaign Phone
561-685-1234
Instagram
none
That all of our children can read.
More money should be directed to teachers, school police, and transportation. We need to ensure that we have enough staff to adequately serve our students in a way that ensures safety and directly effects academic outcomes.
I would propose that the legislature work more closely with the school district to ensure that all legislation is practical and funded properly in order to comply.
Our district would be more efficient if we focused more on the basic fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic. We should give our teachers the freedom to teach as they are professionals.
