Campaign email: sheridawn777@hotmail.com
Employment: Not employed – retired from 42 years of teaching and being school administrator
Education: Master’s (plus about 80 credits beyond), Salisbury University
Why are you running for the school board?
I want to help make sure that our educational system is the best that it can be for our students. They are why we are here. To that end, I prioritize recruiting and keeping the highest quality teachers we can in a county with a cripplingly small wealth base. Ensuring safety for students and staff is another priority. We must do everything in our power to that end. As one of my classroom roles, I taught reading to high school students who were struggling with the skill. Since I was elected to the school board four years ago, I have worked to get reading instruction extended up through grade 12 so that students don’t fall behind.
What makes you a good candidate for the board?
I have a great deal of well-rounded experience in education, having served in various school-based roles for 42 years. Education is my passion. I care deeply about students getting the best possible education. I am level-headed and consider all sides of an issue before making a decision. As a current board member, I am totally non-partisan, and always ask myself, “What is the best decision for the kids?” My prior students and their parents know that I cared deeply about the kids and their education and that I was always fair in my decisions.
Please name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Vladimir Zelensky, who is inspiring his country’s citizens to stand up to the invasion from Russia. He leads by example and shows courage in the face of overwhelming odds against his country by the huge Russian army. He is an inspiration for people around the world to never give up.
What is the most important issue facing your school board, and what would you do about it if elected?
In today’s world, I think school safely is critical. As a current board member, I voted to increase safety in all schools in our district through various measures, including installing weapons detection systems in secondary schools. The next step is to work on getting those same tools for our elementary schools. All students and staff must be protected and feel safe. If elected, I would continue supporting making all schools as safe as possible, including creating vestibules in those schools that don’t have them. Additionally, I would like to be able to get school resource officers in additional schools.
How concerned are you about school safety, and what if anything should be done to improve it?
Please see above answer.
Do you have any concerns about the way history is taught in your district’s schools, and if so, what are they?
To my knowledge, our district teaches history in an accurate manner. At this moment, I have not been informed of any issues that would make me concerned about how history is being taught.
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 think any books that promote hate or violence would not be appropriate for school libraries. Any book that is pornographic would be inappropriate. Having confidence in school librarians knowing what is suitable for their level of students, makes me believe that they are the first line of defense to keep inappropriate books away from students.
