Red Clay School Board - District E Choose 1
In Delaware, school board service is an unpaid elected position with a term of 4 years (5 years for board members elected prior to Dec 2021). School board elections are nonpartisan, and are held on the second Tuesday in May each year.Seven citizens elected by the residents of the Red Clay Consolidated School District serve as the Board of Education. Each board member lives in a separate nominating area, but serves (and is elected by) the residents at large. Terms are staggered so that one or two seats come open each year.
Biographical Information
Campaign Phone
302-656-6999
Campaign Email
jason.p.casper@gmail.com
Neighborhood/area of residence
Pleasant Hills
Are you currently a school board member? (Y/N)
Yes
How many school board meetings did you attend last year?
I have never missed a school board meeting.
What is your background and how do those experiences and skills allow you to be an effective school board member?
I currently serve the community as a Red Clay School Board member. In that role, I bring my experiences as an educator and local entrepreneur to the role. Engaging with students daily allows me to understand their struggles and requirements. As your school board member, I will ensure the school system runs effectively and that the Board stays focused on improving the quality of education for all students.
What is the single most important issue facing your school district and how would you address it?
Prioritizing the improvement of student academic achievement in reading and math as a School Board member requires a comprehensive approach that involves setting goals, implementing evidence-based strategies, allocating resources effectively, and monitoring progress.
By prioritizing these strategies and collaborating with stakeholders we can create a supportive learning environment that helps drive improvements in student academic achievement, especially in the critical areas of reading and math.
How should school boards respond to community calls for removing any curriculum topics, subjects, books and programs?
Increasing classroom transparency, including sharing information about the curriculum with parents, is essential for building trust, engaging families in the education process, and promoting student success.
We should conduct parent orientation sessions at the beginning of the school year to provide an overview of the curriculum, instructional practices, and learning objectives for each grade level or subject area.
Additionally, we can host curriculum nights or open houses where teachers can present detailed information about the curriculum, teaching methods, and assessment practices used in the classroom. Parents can ask questions, provide feedback, and gain insights into their child's educational experience.
What kind of mental health supports do you favor in schools and how would you go about advocating for them?
School counseling services, Mental Health Awareness Programs, Partnerships with Mental Health Professionals and Training for Staff, Parent Education & Involvement, are all viable programs that I am in favor of for our public schools.
To advocate for such services, raise awareness, collaborate with stake holders, develop policy and lastly; we must allocate resources to ensure that sufficient funding can support this important work.
How would you ensure the district provides equitable access and meets the needs of all students, including traditionally underserved student populations such as students of color, low-income students, English-language learners and students receiving special education services?
We need to ensure that state and local funding is distributed equitably to all schools and districts, taking into account factors such as student needs, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, and special education requirements. Implement funding formulas that prioritize equity and allocate resources based on student needs.
Additionally, we need to provide additional funding and resources to schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families, English language learners, students with disabilities, and other disadvantaged populations to address their unique needs and promote academic success.
Delaware needs more resource officers in the schools. Scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote in school board elections. Yes or no
Oppose
Biographical Information
Campaign Phone
315-380-0410
Campaign Email
susan.sander4redclay@gmail.com
Campaign Website
http://susansanderforredclay.com
Neighborhood/area of residence
Truitt Farm subdivision
Are you currently a school board member? (Y/N)
N
How many school board meetings did you attend last year?
I attend regularly and I'm very up to date with the issues facing the district.
What is your background and how do those experiences and skills allow you to be an effective school board member?
I have lived in several states throughout the past 40 years, and my children have been educated through the public school system.
I believe that a healthy public school system is vital to the future of our country.
I have a clear understanding of how best to work with families and administrators on issues vital to the Red Clay school district. I believe I have the skills necessary to bridge any gaps in communications that create barriers to achieving the goals of student success.
What is the single most important issue facing your school district and how would you address it?
I believe that there are staffing issues that affect students across the district. Our district needs a more diverse teaching and administrative staff to reflect the diversity of our students. In addition, increasing funding for mental health professionals to provide the best support for our students is critical.
How should school boards respond to community calls for removing any curriculum topics, subjects, books and programs?
As a school board member I would need the answer to several key questions before responding: Who is calling for the changes? What are the concerns about the topics, subjects, books or programs? Are these valid concerns, and what is the data supporting the proposed changes? What is the recommendation of the professionals responsible for the concerned topics, programs, or books?
The critical analysis and recommendations will guide the decisions-making process. History should be taught the way it actually happened.
What kind of mental health supports do you favor in schools and how would you go about advocating for them?
This is a topic of growing concern system-wide. I support any increase in training for staff who are the front line of recognizing the most concerning indicators of mental health issues in students. Using evidence based programs for dealing with classroom behaviors, increasing the mental health professionals and removing barriers that prevent students from accessing them is vital.
I advocate for increasing the role and voices of the professional school psychologists in the district.
Family voices need to be heard.
How would you ensure the district provides equitable access and meets the needs of all students, including traditionally underserved student populations such as students of color, low-income students, English-language learners and students receiving special education services?
As a school board member, I believe that accurate and updated data is necessary in determining where our resources are most needed. This includes low-income, English-language learners and populations of students with special needs who often require supports and resources that are far greater than those of their peers. Using that data, I would work with our district's Community Financial Review Committee to make sure we are allocating resources appropriately.
Delaware needs more resource officers in the schools. Scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote in school board elections. Yes or no
Support