For Students and Families
I firmly believe that one way our current School Board could improve is by communicating and engaging more regularly with Students, their Families and other Stakeholders. Having spent a great deal of time studying our shared past, and as someone with a great deal of concern for our future, I also believe that one of the greatest things that adults can do for young people is ensure they have agency as they mature into well-educated and empowered Citizens.
Many School Districts, including some in surrounding cities, have student representatives appointed by their School Boards. I believe Chesapeake Public Schools can do more for its students. I am committed to working with current and future Board Members in forming a group of Student Advisors, who provide feedback and regularly engage with our School Board—especially before implementing any major policy revisions.
For Educators and Staff
In addition to serving the needs of nearly 40,000 students, our School District employees nearly 4,000 essential workers. Over the past several years, trust has been eroded between those who have dedicated their careers to public education and that public who relies on their dedication. Our School Board can do more for its educators and support staff by rebuilding and protecting that trust.
I believe that trust can be restored by electing members of a School Board who understands how to respect healthy boundaries between employer and employee, a School Board who understands that the contributions of its educators and support staff are invaluable, and a School Board who understands that our District can only succeed by attracting, employing, and retaining highly qualified experts in the field of Public Education.