Campaign email: jst3005@gmail.com
Age: 46
Employment: John and Janice Wyatt Foundation, Director of Programs; Polaris Village Academy, Cofounder/Head of Schools
Education: Master’s degree, Trinity University; Certificate of Advanced Studies, Howard University
Why are you running for the school board?
I am running to make a difference in the community in which I reside, and to provide a different perspective.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have over 15 years of experience working in the field of education and a vast amount of experience working in diverse communities. I have experienced every level of education, early childhood, elementary and secondary. I also have an expertise in special education as I have been a special education teacher, special education coordinator, and director of special education. This gives me an opportunity to provide a different perspective as a board member and use my experience to help shape a diverse policy.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I currently do not have a public leader that I admire.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
There are a wide range of issues that our school system is facing, which all appear equally important. However, improving third grade reading proficiency is highly important as it determines a child’s life trajectory. Third grade reading proficiency is correlated with high school dropout, continued poverty, criminal activity, and behavioral concerns. In order to increase third grade proficiency, we must improve kindergarten readiness. This entails improving community educational programs, child care center, Head Start. Once students arrive in kindergarten we must improve teaching and learning from grades K-3 to ensure students are proficient by the spring assessment window.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
School safety is the utmost important in education. We need to ensure that as a district we open the lines of communication about any possible threats to the school. All threats should be taken seriously, in addition (to) practicing safety drills, and deploying safety mechanisms to reduce the chances of violence occurring, will be key.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
I believe that all aspects of history should be taught, the good and the bad. History is the past, as an educational system we can not only choose the good facts to teach and dismiss bad facts. Bad facts provide opportunity to gain understanding and a holistic perspective.
Do you think there are circumstances when books should be removed from school libraries, and if so, what kind of books should be removed?
I do not believe books should be removed from the library. However, I do believe books in the library should be culturally relevant to the population of students in that specific school.
