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Position/philosophy statement
I will ensure that you will have a S-E-A-T and a VOICE at the table concerning the education of our children and youth in Safety, Equity, Advocacy and Transparency
Current Occupation
Retired WSFCS Mathematics Teacher
Age (optional)
67
Campaign Phone
3366823941
I am a triple threat. I graduated (1977) from the WSFCS, I am a former parent of a graduate (2017) of the WSFCS and I taught as a Highly Qualified Mathematics Teacher (2002-2021) in the WSFCS. Additionally, my mother and two of my Aunts worked and retired from our system. I have served in the trenches for nineteen years after working as an engineer for 20 years in both the private and public sector. I entered the profession as a lateral entry teacher so I have experience and skills which is an asset to the board. I continue to serve and volunteer in our community through my church, civic and social organizations.
The most important responsibilities of a school board member is being fully present, engaged and knowledgeable of our Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools. This includes reading all board materials while researching local, national and international trends. It is imperative that a member visits schools, attends extra curricular activities and listens to students, staff, parents and the community.
There are four critical needs I see that our school district is facing.
1. Fiscal stability, oversight and management
2. Equity in our classrooms and schools (teacher-student ratio, funding, qualified veteran staff, etc.)
3. Safety
4. Increasing academic achievement for all student subgroups.
As a district we need to lobby our legislators for increased funding on a state level so that we can meet the needs of our growing EC (exceptional children) population, the need for increased funding per student, the need for increased pay for certified and non-certified staff and lastly funding for mental health assessments and treatments.
We must increase pay for certified and non-certified staff first and foremost. Secondly, we must provide our teachers with much needed access to supplies and materials and we must obtain and value their input in the selection of programs and initiatives. We have to ensure that our teachers have a dedicated ‘untouchable’ planning period for all grade levels. We must provide additional pay and additional planning for veteran teachers, staff and leaders who work in our “lower performing” schools so that we ensure that our most qualified staff work in these schools.
Pre-k is fundamental to the educational health of all students especially students from economically challenged households. Many times, parents in these households are working multiple jobs and some have limited education themselves so their children do not have the same exposure as children from more prominent households. Exposure to new and unfamiliar things is life changing within itself. If a child lives, sleeps, eats in the same environment day in and day out and is never exposed to different things, activities, ideas, or thoughts they remain stagnant and their creativity and learning is stunted.
There are initiatives that I have fought for during my current SEAT at the WSFCS Board of Education that have gone unfulfilled. I would love an opportunity to see these initiatives fulfilled. One such initiative is setting up a one-on-one mentorship with a rising first grade student with a member of our community that will follow that student until the end of their third grade year to see the impact of consistency and exposure to new and unfamiliar things affects educational potential. Additionally, I would love to reassess our Magnet programming so that it can be the catalyst to a better successful and viable school system. Lastly, I would love each of our schools be high performing and look like the community in which we strive to live.
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