Occupation/Current Position
Founder, Thee Outlet Inc. / Advocate, Youth Advocate Program
Education
AS-Human Services/ Social Work
Campaign Phone
5742082911
Candidate has not yet responded.
I'm running for our school board because, like many of you, I've watched with growing concern as our education system has struggled to provide our children with the resources, safety, and support they desperately need. But my concern isn't just as a parent and community member – it's deeply personal and rooted in firsthand experience.
As a substitute teacher, I've stood in our classrooms and witnessed the daily challenges that both our teachers and students face. I've seen dedicated educators trying to make miracles happen with limited resources. I've watched bright, eager students struggle against barriers that shouldn't exist in a well-supported educational system. This experience has given me a unique perspective on the real, day-to-day issues in our schools, and it's fueled my determination to insure safety and valuable resources.
Magnet schools have always meant a lot to me because they give students the opportunity to explore their passions in ways traditional schools often can’t. Hearing about the closure of the arts magnet at Clay High School really hit home—it feels like a loss for the students who thrived in that creative space and for the entire community that benefited from their talents.
This closure makes me question whether magnet schools are still fulfilling their purpose. If they aren’t, we need to consider alternatives like community schools or Project-Based Learning. Ultimately, our focus should be on creating environments where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired.
If important decisions are made behind closed doors or without adequate public notice, it reflects a lack of transparency. For instance, the recent demolition and closure of buildings, including the Greene Middle School site, was not effectively communicated to the public. The fact that the land is no longer owned by the corporation as of July 1, 2024, yet the responsibility for demolishing the building remains with the corporation, highlights this issue.
Transparency should encompass various practices, such as informing the public before decisions are finalized and genuinely considering their input rather than soliciting feedback only after decisions have been made. Ensuring that the community is engaged and informed throughout the process is essential for maintaining trust and accountability.
As a substitute teacher, I've seen firsthand the struggle to maintain order while showing genuine care for each student. It's not just about rules; it's about creating a safe space where every child feels heard and valued. That's why I'm advocating for restorative justice practices in our schools. By implementing culturally relatable learning environments and ensuring all staff receive effective training, we can address the disproportionate discipline rates affecting minority students. It's about building bridges, not walls. Let's tap into community resources to create an atmosphere where discipline becomes a tool for growth, not punishment. Together, we can foster an educational environment that truly serves all our children.
As a educator, I'm thrilled to see our graduation rates climb. While fewer students contributed to this increase, it's an opportunity to build momentum. I envision a future where every student not only graduates but thrives. My plan? Create an engaging learning environment that makes students want to stay and succeed. We'll boost parent and student involvement, ensuring families are partners in education. I'll champion increased support for our dedicated teachers and administrators, empowering them to inspire our youth. By fostering a community-wide commitment to education, we'll not only improve graduation rates but also increase enrollment, creating a vibrant, successful school district we can all be proud of.
As an educator, I've seen how real-life stories captivate young minds. Let's revolutionize our approach to reading! By creating harmony in the classrooms where students eagerly write about their own experiences, turning everyday life into exciting narratives. i seen first hand how introducing incentives make reading and writing attractive – perhaps a published class book or a community storytelling festival. By connecting literacy to students' lives, we'll make it relevant and engaging. Allowing families to share daily reading customs and teachers crafting stories alongside their pupils. Together, we'll transform our students from reluctant readers to passionate authors, boosting proficiency and fostering a lifelong love of learning. Every youth has a story – let's help them read it, write it, and live it, by giving them an outlet!
As an educator who's witnessed the transformative power of innovative education, I'm committed to reinvigorating our public schools. By strategically allocating funds, we can offer a rich tapestry of opportunities – from life skills and diverse trade programs to mentoring for early graduation. We must tackle barriers head-on: enhancing safety, strengthening community connections, and ensuring staff consistency. Imagine schools where nutrition fuels learning, where cultural experiences broaden horizons, and where curriculum resonates with real-world relevance. By embracing diversity and adapting to our students' needs, we'll not only grow enrollment but cultivate an environment where every child thrives. Together, we can make South Bend schools the first choice for families, fostering a community united in educational excellence.
Effective transportation is crucial for a smooth start to the school year. While concerns about bus plans are valid, addressing this issue requires a collaborative effort. Encouraging parents to actively participate in transportation meetings, voicing their expectations and concerns. Timely updates of student addresses by families are essential for accurate planning. The transportation department must commit to implementing more effective communication strategies. This includes finalizing bus routes well before the school year begins, avoiding last-minute changes that cause frustration. By fostering open dialogue, leveraging technology for real-time updates, and prioritizing early planning, we can significantly improve our transportation services. Our goal is to ensure students starts the year with a safe, reliable journey.
Occupation/Current Position
Retired
Education
Graduated from South Bend Washington H.S. and studied at Indiana University
Campaign Phone
574-250-7776
Candidate video
Since I left the school board in 2016, the schools have been allowed to decay. The board hired a superintendent with no experience as well as a fiscal officer who needed to learn on the job.
•My top priority will be to replace the current Superintendent, Todd Cummings. The next superintendent must be a proven leader with demonstrated experience in raising test scores. The next superintendent must have shown leadership in providing a safe environment for all our students to learn.
•The second top priority is to have a complete budget audit to make sure that the district is in sound financial condition as I am totally against raising taxes. As a part of this financial audit, we must have a legitimate audit of our building usage and look to using the abandoned Clay High School as a tech center. Taxpayers were lied to in the referendum.
The magnets must be evaluated. The new leadership team, under the superintendent’s direction, needs to question the need to have all programs centralized as we have successful technology and radio programs at Riley and the medical magnet at Washington. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been invested in these programs and this must be heavily considered. in any, and all deliberations. All citizens need to have the opportunity to address the board with their concerns and ideas. The school board must listen with no time limits.
With the booming job market in our area, we need to work with companies to prepare our students for their job openings. According to the St. Joseph Regional Chamber of Commerce, there are 547,772 jobs in the South Bend regional job shed. We need to promote magnets that will provide workers for our employers.
The current board’s commitment to keep its decision-making transparency to the public loses 5-2, occasionally it is 4-3. There are only 2 board members that always listen and respond to parents and the taxpayers. Jeanette McCullough and Mark Costello have students, parents and taxpayers as their priority. One of the many examples to justify this rating is that the referendum, which promised to renovate Clay High School, was ignored by the majority of the board, after they mislead the public, and they voted to abandon the building.
Recently, it appears that those addressing concerns at the board meetings will be limited to a total of 45 minutes. This is unacceptable and hopefully will be reconsidered by the time this is in print. As a board member, I will encourage the board to host listening sessions that the public can participate in
The first priority must be to recruit and retain qualified teachers who are central to providing a well-managed classroom where students feel safe and know the boundaries. The second priority must be to work with administration, the teacher’s union leadership and classroom teachers to provide a consistent discipline policy that is communicated to parents and students.
We must provide strategies to remove students who are disruptive so that teachers can teach. Years ago, middle schools provided a classroom where students causing classroom disruption were sent for 1, 3, 5 days or more. The student remained in the “time out” classroom all day with their assignments sent to them as well as lunch. It is important to provide teachers qualified in behavior management to work with theses students so that they can return to their classroom.
Personally, I have a difficult time in believing any data provided by the district until we have a legitimate audit, as there is too much whispering that teachers are being forced to pass students to improve our graduation rates. None of our 4 high schools met expectations in raising student achievement. Yes, you read it correctly—None of our 4 high schools met expectations.
We must provide safety to our teachers and allow them to speak without fear of reprisal. Teachers are not respected by this administration.
My first step is the hiring of a new superintendent with demonstrated experience in raising student achievement. Second step would be to work with the administration in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers so that there would be no EP (emergency permits) issued. Third step would be to improve our middle school program
First, the district must develop strategies in recruiting/retaining qualified teachers. We have too many classrooms where no teacher has been hired and when they are hired the teacher only has an EP (emergency permit). Until we get all classrooms filled with highly qualified teachers, we will not meet the needs of our students. Second, we can immediately make a greater out-reach to our local universities and recruit college students to tutor our students giving individual attention. Third, we can follow the lead of Penn where students interested in education begin taking courses in their junior and senior years and graduate with an Associate Degree. They can graduate from college in two years with a teacher degree. We must provide incentives to those wishing to enter the teaching profession, as there is a definite shortage of teachers.
The school corporation must regain the trust of parents and the community as a whole before any growth can occur. First, we must change the leadership of the district and hire a new superintendent that has a proven track record of engaging the community by providing transparency in decision-making. Second, the new superintendent must have strategies in recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers. Third, the new leadership team must have experience in curriculum development and approaches in raising student achievement. Until the district can show parents that we have more that two schools meeting academic expectations, there will be no growth.
The next superintendent must instill openness and transparency from the top down. Two board members as well as the public ask questions and receive no answers. This must stop.
It is fact that the school district receives an F in communicating bus information to parents. The failure is two-fold as the district is negligent in assigning students to their school and second there is incompetence at the transportation center. Until we have a transportation director with experience in the business of transportation, the situation will not improve. The next director of transportation must have proven experience in routing and again it is important to recruit and retain qualified drivers. The contract bus drivers must be shown respect and we must recruit and attract additional contract bus drivers. One of the major problems of communication is that the district has no respect for parents needing correct and timely information. We must change the district leadership as well as the transportation director.
