Platform
Everybody matters or nobody does
This is my platform. It isn't complete, nor is it perfect. It is just general thoughts I have about the core concepts that form the foundation to the way I plan on serving if elected to the Derby Board of Education
Collaboration
Too often with political power comes the temptation to ram through policies that are a product of one’s personal preference. Time and time again I have seen groups of people at various levels of government think that winning an election or having a controlling vote share in a body means they can enact whatever policies without doing the hard work of building consensus at all levels. While having a majority on a governing body certainly gives the legal power to do this it is rarely the most effective way to move forward. As I mentioned at the DNEA forum, even good policies can fall apart if there is not buy-in with stakeholders. Few of us like simply being told what to do, but many of us want to be a collaborative part of a team focused on common goals. As I have told the board during a public meeting, the more one squeezes their fist, the more slips through their fingers. If elected, a major part of my effort will engaging in the hard work of collaboration to make sure as many people as possible have an aligned vision and buy into a coordinated effort towards the ultimate goal of educating students. That means a whole lot of listening, consideration and cooperation and less just issuing directives.
Community
Public schools are anchored in the community. Here in Derby in addition to the town we have McConnell AFB, Oaklawn-Sunview District and outlying rural areas. Community engagement benefits everyone involved and is a major priority, oriented around each building and its place anchored in its various area within the overall community. Our relationship with McConnell itself is very good. I know this is in no small part because McConnell itself works hard on their end, but we need to do a better job at making Derby Schools a desired destination for incoming military members who choose where to live when they are stationed at McConnell. The relationship itself with McConnell is a good thing, being the place military members want to send their kids is far better.
Staff Support
Turnover has been above average over the past few years, starting with the COVID turnover across most locations and industries. Even as the dust settled from that initial shock we still have higher than historical average staff turnover. Labor markets are tight everywhere and that is true of professional educators as well. Every effort should be made to hire and retain quality professionals, from teachers to building support staff to paraprofessionals and more. Of course that means competitive pay and benefits, but it also means treating professionals with respect. Every quality teacher or administrator driven away board action takes away from the overall effort to educate kids and adds to the already challenging task of filling every job in the district.
Parental Involvement
Parents are the first and primary teachers of their children. They start teaching their children from birth and never stop. Ensuring parents are supported by district actions and the focus of the school is paramount. As a general rule the more active parents are with the public education process the more success students will have. This requires open dialogue with parents throughout the educational process as well as a balanced view of school activities that facilitate parental involvement. Let’s face it, this world pulls us all in a multitude of direction and the more we as a school district can help balance our share of it, the more parents can effectively participate. This is a continuous process that I plan on devoting much focus and effort.
Student Achievement
The sine qua non of public schooling is the pedagogy. But teaching itself cannot be the sole focus of the system as so much more goes into building student success in education. Supporting students and staff is paramount. Support teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, building support staff, etc and they will take care of student educating. Students, too, need a supportive environment that meets basic needs before effective learning can occur. Continuous work to make sure students have opportunities to eat nutritional food as well as feel respected and safe are a must for an effective learning environment.