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Running for: I-SS school board, district 4
Hometown: Statesville
Occupation: teacher
Education:
High school: West Iredell High, class of ‘75
Undergraduate: Appalachian State University, class of ‘79: B.S. in science education with a minor in music
Graduate: UNC Charlotte, master’s degree in education with additional certification in AIG (academically and intellectually gifted)
What are the biggest issues facing your constituency?
A. The school board must continue to look at programs and procedures to address closing the gap for minority students.
B. Having adequate facilities for the student population now and in the future.
C. Make sure that teachers have the resources they need to teach the subjects that will prepare our children for the job markets of the 21st century.
D. Making sure teachers are appreciated for their hard work and that effort is recognized.
E. Class size, number of students a teacher has in their physical classroom, not an abstract average taking into account teachers with extremely small classes. This leaves some teachers with extremely overcrowded classes. Guidelines need to be set for class size within this county to avoid these overcrowded classes and the effect that has on the ability for students to learn.
Of those issues, which do you feel is the most important?
Education is a complex network of many different components that all work together in order to make the whole. So it is very difficult to pick one issue that is the most important. All the issues are important and in most cases the issues are so intertwined that if you tug on one it affects all the others. Dealing with money issues can affect everything from facilities, teacher supplies, salaries, transportation and so on. Each of the above mentioned issues is very important and each must be addressed in order for Iredell-Statesville Schools to continue to develop a top notch educational system for this county and its citizens.
What, if any, prior experience do you have that will help you if elected?
A. I am a teacher with 29 years experience in the classroom. I have nine years experience in the Rowan-Salisbury school system and 20 years experience in the Iredell-Statesville school system. I was a science teacher at South Iredell High School from 1987-2007. I am currently still in the classroom as a science teacher, which I believe gives me a unique view of what is needed for our teachers to be successful in the classes they teach and what will and won’t work in the classroom.
B. My years as a teacher have been filled with workshops, classes and instruction in a wide array of instructional methods in all areas of education.
C. I have been told throughout the years that I have a common sense outlook in situations. So often decisions have been made and the lack of common sense is what gets the citizens of this county upset.
What is one particular thing you think the current board is doing right?
The current board is working hard with the help of the citizens of Iredell County to keep up with the amazing growth that is taking place in this county. The citizens voted to pass the bond which allowed the board to make plans to try and catch up with the growth that had gotten ahead of them. I feel that trying to keep up with our rapidly growing educational facility needs as our growth rate continues to rock upward will be a challenge for decades to come.
What is one particular thing you think the current board is doing wrong?
They are not addressing problems within our central office and schools’ administrations. Some school leaders are allowed to make irrational decisions which affect hundreds of individuals in a negative way, yet no one listens to the cries for help from students, parents or teachers. Some of our school eladers are allowed to bully their way through the school day causing teacher and student morale to spiral downward.
Considering that Iredell-Statesville Schools has an anti-bullying policy in place, I have often wondered why this policy does NOT seem to apply to administrators. It is a concern of mine that this poor behavior is allowed to continue even after current board members have been notified repeatedly. Programs MUST be implemented to make every school environment a nurturing environment for students and teachers alike. If teachers do not feel appreciated and safe in their own school, then how can they be expected to give their best attention to their students?
All of our teachers should feel that their school board will be there if needed to help in any situation. If the administration hired by the board turns a deaf ear to employee issues, then changes must be made to reduce the flight of outstanding teachers from Iredell County.
What specifically would you do if elected in response to the county’s growth?
This county’s growth is definitely in high gear. The school board approves building plans, remodeling and additions just to find that once the building projects are completed that the facilities are already overburdened by population growth or will be shortly.
Demographics of where the population is today and where it will be in 10, 20, 30 years from now must be maintained and acted upon just to keep Iredell County even with current growth rates. I am hopeful that the citizens of Iredell County will continue to see the needs of our young people as top priority. And that providing the best education possible to our future is a responsibility we all must share.
Posted on 02/11/08 at 04:13 PMCopyright (c) 2008 Media General. All rights reserved