Resolutions

Thank you again for supporting me.  Having been sworn in last night it will not be appropriate for me to "editorialize" here as a board member, although I may use this space to let people know what matters are currently before the board for consideration.

However, being a goal-oriented person and believing in putting my goals "to paper," let me state here those goals that I have for our district that I will hold as standards for accomplishment when my term ends.  So if you don't find that any progress was made in these areas, feel free to retire me from service three years from now!

1. Find the right "fit" for educational leader of our district.  This is an immediate goal of the entire board obviously, and will to a large extent make achievement of the other goals possible.  The board has established their criteria for superintendent selection prior to my board membership, but my primary qualifications are
• a professional educator with classroom and/or principal experience
• someone with a proven track record of bringing people together - specifically staff, parents, kids and community.
2. A fair hearing on the merits of shared superintendent services with Mine Hill.  A lack of leadership in this area does not mean that shared services have failed, only that leadership has.
3. Public deliberation of the board.  There really are not that many subjects for which a board can retreat to executive session.  The district benefits when deliberation is conducted in public, and wouldn't you be more inclined to attend board meetings where you can actually see decisions being made?!
4. Clear and indisputable improvement in academic performance.  Thankfully, we have a great team of educational leaders who can make this happen.  But when the district mission statement calls for "all students to become lifelong learners" and our goal for the year is that 75% of third graders are proficient in math, 80% are proficient in language arts, the board has a moral imperative to treat academic performance with urgency.  Being content with 1 of every 5 children performing at less than grade level would be criminal.
5. School climate: do all students know that we believe they can be lifelong learners?  Do their parents know we hold that same expectation?  the staff?  Unemployment/underemployment, crime, innovation . . . the best and worst our society and community has to offer finds its roots in the elementary education experience of children.  This experience starts with the first morning bell, and the opportunity to improve it is what makes school board service so satisfying.

Five is enough, no?  I'm counting on your interest in our kids and community to bring you to board meetings and hold us, the school board, accountable to improvement and results.