Campaign Phone
8658056065
Facebook Page
Robertdaspit
KCS & Board are not getting the voices of parents heard. Our teachers are not being able to teach or kids, as the classroom are too large. Shortage of teachers & staff.
Students/Parents- Voices not heard
Discipline in Schools- Parents must have a say in any of our Discipline Programs.
School Board- must be accountable for budgets & curriculum must be at the forefront.
Security & Bullying- Must provide more School Officers & address Cyber Bulling. Protect the students.
I am for the program, with a specific plan to address all areas of the program. School choice must have some plans in place to cover all variables.
Currently KCS needs to focus on this area more. Some of our schools are falling well below the standards. The diversity must be address & parents should have an input.
Too much student testing is not the answer. We must try to hire more teachers & ones that can help address the needs of our schools.
Parents must have a voice in this decision & must be brought into any debate on this very sensitive issue. What we expose our students to could effect their lives & our school board must include our parents in any decision.
Campaign Phone
8654061432
Facebook Page
facebook.com/patforknoxschools
I am a 30 year career teacher in Knox County Schools and I am retiring in May. I feel like the next chapter in my life still lies with KCS, and I felt the best way I could do that is to run for school board. I believe that there should be a voice for the students and educators on the school board that can give first-hand knowledge of the climate in which they learn and teach. It is imperative that the adversarial attitudes towards our schools must stop; and I strongly feel that my experience in leadership roles during my career will help people understand that there are ways in which we can convince stakeholders that we are, indeed, not failing our students.
I believe the biggest challenge to Knox County is the inevitable passage of the private school voucher system. One thing that we must do is convince our community that public money must stay with our public schools. Schools should be fully funded so that our teachers do not have to spend, sometimes hundreds of dollars, out of their own pockets to make their classrooms a place where children can thrive. Teachers should be paid a competitive wage with other professionals with comparable training. The cost of living has risen exponentially compared to the rate of pay for our educators, and this includes Educational Support Personnel (ESPs). We can make this happen by keeping public money in public schools.
I chose to teach in a public school because public schools admit every child who walks through their doors. Socioeconomically challenged students, students with special needs, immigrant students just coming to America, gifted students, and everyone in between. Unlike public schools, private schools can pick and choose which children are admitted; they are not required by law to provide services to students with special needs; they are not required to give tests that align with state standards; there is no accountability for student performance; and they are not accountable for how public funds are used.
All students are diverse. Public schools are teeming with educators, including our Educational Support Professionals (ESPs), and many licensed teachers have advanced degrees in programs that address diverse groups. English Language Learning (ELL) teachers must hold accreditation in this important subject. With the large numbers of immigrants coming into our school system, it is imperative that our teachers are trained to meet their needs. Some are coming to school within days of arriving in the United States and are nervous and frightened. Our ELL educators welcome them warmly, and begin to teach them English as soon as they reach their classroom with creative and impactful lessons.
Testing that tracks a student's progress is absolutely necessary to know how to best help that student in the learning process. Tests that show exactly what the student struggles with understanding help the teachers and assistants target certain skills. However, high stakes tests such as the TCAP really just show whether they can take a test or not. Students who are able to “show what they know” do better when they don’t feel like their whole future depends on finishing a test within a certain set time. Our teachers in Knox County are thoroughly trained in assessing whether a child is ready to move on to the next grade. Giving schools a letter grade is misleading, at best.
Our librarians are college educated, many with advanced degrees in media and library science. I believe wholeheartedly that our librarians are capable of filling their libraries with books that are appropriate for our students. Many of our students are facing challenging issues, and our librarians need to be able to find books that speak to them. The students need to see people like them in their books and schools so that they know they are not alone. Children who feel alone or persecuted are more likely to think about, plan, or carry out suicide. They need to be heard. Oppressing the ability to have access to a varied and appropriate collection of books could be considered fascism, not freedom.
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