Campaign email: voteforlolitawalker@gmail.com
Website: https://www.lolita4pgcpsd9.com/
Age: 44
Employment: Owner, Walker & Walker Enterprises LLC.
Education: MBA, Simmons College, Boston. I am currently a Ph.D. student at Morgan State University.
Why are you running for the school board?
When we choose to connect across, build up, and thrive together, we commit to acting as a powerful collective of thought leaders with a common goal – to create sustainable and fiscally viable standards and policies that govern the schools and their leaders, resulting in the continued high performance within District 9 schools.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I am focused on this single role to bring a focused shift of providing our scholars with the best education possible. I’ve served in school leadership positions for five years, via both elected and appointed PTSA roles. I know the issues that parents, students, teachers, staff and our communities face, and am excited to bring viable solutions. I am a mother, a corporate leader turned full-time entrepreneur, speaker, certified life, leadership, and executive coach, author, podcaster, involved community leader, and candidate for PGCPS Board of Education. I will use the collection of my individual skill sets to create linkages that connect across, build up, and help us thrive together.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He had a dream and pushed it, despite the odds and political pressures. He stood alone at times and with a committed group of others. He faced adversity with his head held high and spoke unapologetically, with purpose, and with a motivating spirit of action. He taught us that disrupting the status quo is necessary and will evoke change, whether now or in the future.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
When elected, I would like to focus on a few core priorities. However, the most pressing, in my estimation, is safety. When I think of safety, I consider physical, mental, emotional and relational. Each of these has risks associated (with it) and, if not addressed, will continue to spiral our scholars and impede their learning. Creating bridges to connect, build, and thrive will enhance the success of our scholars in school and in life.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
School safety in Prince George’s County is of concern as we continue to see incidents of vandalism, bullying, shootings and increased mental health challenges, to name a few. As mentioned, safety comes in many forms. For physical safety, I am a proponent of trained school resource officers. For mental and emotional safety, I am a proponent of continued relationships with school counselors, in-school resource rooms, and parental connections. For relational safety, partnering with PGCPS on education for bullying, suicide prevention, collaboration, both written and verbal communication, and other key aspects, will enable our scholars to be well-rounded and prepared to navigate the world safely.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
History, in my estimation, should be taught, in its entirety, to ensure that it includes a history that also represents the community in which it serves. Our scholars deserve to learn about the history relevant to themselves, as well as those that helped shape the diversity of our world.
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 banned or removed from school libraries. Books open opportunities for our scholars to explore different perspectives, ask questions, and expand their mindsets beyond what is learned in the classroom and potentially within their homes. Books offer the space to create and innovate differently and open up discussions and room for understanding, articulating, and even debating a varied view of topics. When our scholars are able to read and submerge themselves in books, they may begin to identify with characters and realize that they are not alone in how they feel. This relational connection may offer new ways to connect beyond the book.
