Candidate for Manassas City School Board
Schools should work for everyone!
For Students
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Set higher academic & behavioral expectations
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Give the support & tools needed to succeed
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Consistent consequences & structured discipline
For Parents
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Develop stronger relationships with parents and teachers - open lines of communication
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Develop more community engagement​
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Make sure they are supported & not ignored
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Competitive wages
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Support a strong administration​
For Teachers
I believe Manassas City needs stronger discipline, safer schools, more rigorous academic expectations, and needs to retain quality teachers. I believe all children and families deserve a quality education in safe schools.
Stronger discipline
and safer schools
To strengthen discipline, schools should communicate with parents within 24 hours of incidents. Consistent consequences should be set for all schools, and students should be aware of expectations. Teachers and security officers should be trained in de-escalation and restraint. Schools should also have locked doors and permission for students to leave. This creates a safer environment for students and peace of mind for parents.
Rigorous academic expectations
To ensure student success, the city's grading policy should hold students accountable by enforcing deadlines and allow retakes for tests for students who score below 90 percent after they have completed remediation. The current policy prevents teachers from enforcing deadlines and guarantees full credit for all tests and quizzes using a 50 to 100 scale. This flawed policy sets students up for failure and needs to be changed to prepare them for the real world.
Retain quality teachers
To retain quality teachers, we need a thorough vetting process for administrators and a probationary period. Anonymous exit interviews should be conducted to understand why teachers leave. Hiring more support positions like SPED teachers, Teacher Assistants, ESOL teachers, translators and reading specialists can also help. Teachers need to feel supported regardless of the class they are given.