The reading and math scores are down. College readiness scores are laughable. Grade inflation is through the roof. Teachers rely on assistants due to class sizes being too big and burnout. Parents are upset over flags in classrooms and indoctrination. Parents are pulling kids out to the district to go to private schools and other districts for better programs or more focus on a religion based curriculum. What gets lost in all of this is the basics: going to school to get a quality education. An education that will prepare the future to carve out their piece of the American Dream. I have 5 kids, and my children attend this district at every single level: high, middle, and elementary school (no other candidate on the ballot can say that). I am also the only candidate who is a military veteran. I know how to meet objectives and get the mission done. I am an army combat veteran who took an oath to protect our country and in addition, having been in law enforcement for close to 20 years, took another oath to protect the community I serve with integrity, equality, and justice. I know what it takes to protect the rights, property, and lives of people. I have family and lifelong friends who are teachers. I've coached high school football, and have coaches who are lifelong friends. So I can relate to every aspect of what is needed to get the job done. It's time to turn our district around and set measurable objectives so that goals can be achieved.
Every child deserves an education that will prepare them for life after high school; be it college, the military, a trade, or the work force. Grade inflation allows actual measures in standard to be lowered, which puts our children behind after graduation. Our children should be taught how to think and not what to think. The purpose of education is for the pursuit of knowledge, while fostering respect and living with others in peace and harmony. We can look at states, where education reform has taken place and worked, i.e. Mississippi. Research it and bring back a template to our district that will work. Kids don't know how to fix things, don't know how to balance a check book, they don't know what stocks, bonds, and investments are. These are skills needed for a prosperous life and by failing to teach skills like these stunts the ceiling that our future can achieve. We teach them stuff to pass tests, which may never be used ever again, but don't teach them things that they will need throughout their life.
We send our kids and staff to school every day and expect them to come home unharmed. School performance and crime rates are two large factors that impact home values in neighborhoods. Violence and disruptions in school are not only disrespectful, but distract from the learning process. In addition, we must protect our boys and girls when it comes to athletic participation and their spaces. Being the only military and law enforcement candidate on the school board ballot, I know better than any other candidate how to keep our families safe. While the district does a good job, it could be better. We need to keep up with trends and work hand in hand with the Prosecutor's Office and law enforcement so we have proper training, resources, and most of all: do not get complacent.
It's no secret that new teachers leave the field within the first 5 years. Burnout, class sizes, and low wages all are reasons teacher retention has been a challenge. With the cost of living, student loan debt, laughable starting wages, and all the other obligations it is no wonder they leave the field. They can do less, get paid more, and not have to go to school as long, nor have to take on as much loan debt to get schooling in other fields. So let's get pay up for newer personnel, rather than administrators. New teachers have energy, passion, are learning the newest training methods that work. Compensate them appropriately.
What goes on in our schools and standards of performance is every tax payers business (parents and non-parents). We cannot just throw more money at problems, putting more financial burden on our residents. We have to have goals and performance measures to track what is working and stop what doesn't work. We need to research where education is thriving in the nation, how those states and districts turned things around (i.e. education reform in Mississippi and Florida amongst other states), and invest in similar models that have proven track records. Curriculum, compliance, quality of education, and training are the measures that the District can control. Compliance, through training, policy, law, and transparency; allows the District to be more likely to receive financial support and decreases the risk of liability and litigation.
We all have to look at the bigger picture: our community. Children can't fight for themselves, so we need to fight for them. Taxpayers, school staff, parents, and all community stakeholders play a role in education. It behooves all of us to get our children a better education, so they can build their American Dream right here in Michigan. Too many families leave our state these days for employment. Too many families aren't making enough to get by. It starts at home and in the classrooms, because after graduation, if students don't feel confident, capable, or know how to do basics like read, write, fix things, feel like they have a skill set, manage money, etc. we have failed.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
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916 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274