But first, we need to find out why so many positions go unfilled. The schools with the most short-term suspensions statewide were CMS with 21,411, Wake County Schools with 11,355, and then Winston Salem/Forsyth County Schools with 10,160 short-term suspensions. Board of Education; Archived Board Meeting Agendas; Archived Board Meeting Minutes 2022-2023. My children have received excellent instruction, have access to multiple extracurricular opportunities, have made great friends, and have a deeper appreciation for people different from them. Chief Officer of Operations Lauren Richards says that the 398 survey responses received suggested changes such as starting the school year earlier, lengthening winter break, lining up spring break with Easter, and creating reserve days at the end of each nine-week period. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Shallow Ford Foundation announces college and job training assistance programs for 2023, Titan Tattler: March will be a busy month at West Forsyth, Clemmons Fire Department receives upgraded insurance rating. A few have said that implementation comes from high up and then they are expected to make it work whether they agree with it or not. 3. After watching kids suffer academically, socially, and mentally through the Covid pandemic, it became a calling I could not ignore. FOLLOW BG ON SOCIAL MEDIA . Crowley is in her fourth year on the board and chairs the Buildings and Grounds Committee. The town of Mooresville, it was shared, recruited a team of employees to lead their outreach in education activities. That means setting an expectation of excellence and respect throughout the district. 1) Describe any experience you have in a public school environment, whether that be as a teacher, administrator, coach, staff member, current member of the school board, substitute teacher, PTA involvement, etc.I worked in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools for 14 years. We all pay a portion of respective incomes to support our public school system and it is up to us on the school board as leaders to give our teachers and students the tools they need to succeed. $2,479 Monthly. In the 1830s, Horace Mann, a Massachusetts legislator and secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, began to advocate for the creation of public schools that would be "universally available to all children, free of charge and funded by the state." Public schools welcome all students and, as such, tend to be more diverse than private or charter schools. The school system needs to get back to the main purpose of guidance counselors, plus provide more training for them to be able to help students with their most pressing mental and emotional needs.. I was a classroom teacher at Wiley Middle School. North Carolina can be a benchmark for Americas teachers. Hardman is an engineer and works for a local construction company. However, they are not federally mandated to offer everything your family may need, such as bus transportation or access to school lunches. I will be open to hear from parents, students, teachers and support staff; and will be a voice for them within the board. This protected planning time should not include cafeteria, bus or hallway duty. By Marc Pruitt. Coone-Godfrey said her daughter has been getting some extra love at school, from her guidance counselor. Establishing a program for college students or recent grads to become teaching assistants or aides for tuition reimbursement would greatly benefit our teachers and students. There's a lot of kids that are in a lot of pain, who've experienced a lot of trauma, and they need help dealing with their emotions.. I would want to reach out to our many local businesses, area hospitals, and non-profit organizations and begin exploring the development of specialized funds to offer supportive services for our staff, especially those that might be facing financial issues such as struggling to pay their rising housing costs and making sure they and/or their family members are able to afford their medications or any other personal needs that they may have. Democratic primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large (3 seats) Incumbent Deanna Frazier Kaplan , Richard Watts , and Sabrina Coone-Godfrey defeated Kimberly Stone in the Democratic primary for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large on May 17, 2022. I am a triple threat to the other candidates. Apply Today. As a life long educator and advocate for public education, I feel it is our responsibility to provide all students with a quality education in our public school system. We must continue to lobby the legislature to fund public education by adhering to the Leandro Case findings and restoring the pay for advanced degrees. Diagnosed in the second grade with ADHD and dyslexia, my husband and I embarked on an arduous journey. In a crowded school board election, how do you stand out among the candidates? In many schools, teaching is the focus when education should be focused on student learning. We are working with community partners to supplement what we dont provide as a district. Hartsfield had board members say parts of the oath together to show unity. Right now, that argument is difficult to make. You can use this area for legal statements, copyright information, a mission statement, etc. Where there's an all-out brawl, if someone is injured, hurt, or something happens, there is accountability and consequences for behaviors, Coone-Godfrey said. I am a concerned parent. Both are Democratic candidates. Address technical requirements, keeping abreast of State Board of Education policies They, along with many others who are employed by the school system, are on the front lines. Shes also a mother of four, with two children attending school in the district, and two in Pre-K. The school board sets the tone for equity and inclusivity in our schools, through the policies we set, she wrote. As a leader of the Office of Communications and External Relations, responsible for facilitating and leading all aspects of a robust community engagement plan that supports the WS/FCS strategic . Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Shallow Ford Foundation announces college and job training assistance programs for 2023, Titan Tattler: March will be a busy month at West Forsyth, Clemmons Fire Department receives upgraded insurance rating. Retention bonuses would also help build a deeper bench of young teachers. I know what it is like to have a large number of families depend on my decision-making skills to feed their families. Not all candidates were given the chance to answer the questions at the forum, but they did provide written responses that were shared with attendees. I know you don't need to suspend them out of school because there are environments that they don't need to be in. The code lays out specific guidelines to determine the appropriate disciplinary action for a student. My platform brings peace and stability to the teachers and staff so that they can focus on the students. The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a calendar for the 2023-24 school year during their meeting last week. Our District is diligently working to expand mental health access, school counseling as well as working with other community providers who focus on different aspects of emotional health, she wrote. It may be difficult not to feel marginalized if you identify with a group that is small in number. I dont think it has to be an either home school, private, or public education debate. Often, if personnel and/or funding is decreased, the program falters, or it is removed. The intersection of Cherry and 25th Streets will now and forever be known as Mildred R. Griffin Way. The decision to home-school, or attend private or charter school should be based on positives those opportunities offer, not out of necessity to receive a quality education. All students and staff need to be insured that everything is being done to create a safe learning environment. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. On the day to day operations, what can we take off the plate of teachers so that they can teach with creativity and enthusiasm? Morale is low in all areas. Working as a paralegal for Litigation Attorneys has taught me to be fast paced and a critical thinker. Brown-Gaither taught middle and high school mathematics in the district for 19 years. I am a part of the system in every way: teacher, parent, taxpayer/homeowner, held various leadership roles in the school system: multi-classroom leader, director after-school program, site lead 21st Century Community Learning Center, member of American Legion Post 128 and FCAE/NCAE member. I want to be an advocate for those voices. Continuing to advocate for teachers to get the pay they deserve from members of the General Assembly and to do what we can locally to provide a positive and supportive working environment. It is the responsibility of each school to provide each student with an opportunity to be successful.. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. . Illustrative Examples of Work Duties of this position include . Those stories are lost and a lot of what is reported is negative. of . The board will need to provide greater security resources on school campuses. The value of public schools is that they reflect the diversity of the world in which we live, bringing together children from all cultural, economic and social backgrounds. I will listen to concerns and address those concerns. Please subscribe to keep reading. Returning board members are Alex Bohannon, Leah Crowley, and Deanna Kaplan. I have experience as a prior student (1977 graduate of R.J. Reynolds Senior High School), as a parent (son, Lemuel, a 2017 graduate of R.J. Reynolds High School), as a recently retired teacher with 19 years of experience in the classroom as a HIGHLY QUALIFIED mathematics teacher on both the middle and high school level. I am uniquely qualified to provide experience and expertise to face WSFCS' biggest challenge which is our low reading proficiency rate, 38.1%. Employer: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Position Type: Teaching Categories: Physical Education School / Org: Wiley Magnet Middle Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina FTE: 1 No. I know what it is like to meet payroll every other week and I know how to analyze the risk/benefit tradeoffs that come with running a small business. EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in Spanish, UNC-G; master's of education degree, University of Southern California. We may not always agree with each other, but we work together to make this the best possible district for our students.. Bohannon currently serves on the board and did not attend the forum. After the new board was sworn in, Deanna Kaplan was voted board chair and Alex Bohannon was voted vice chair. Teachers need to be treated as the professionals and should not be subjected to micromanaging every aspect of their performance. Meeting Minutes 2021-2022; Meeting Minutes 2020-21; Meeting Minutes 2019-20; Meeting Minutes, 2018-19 . We must provide teachers with support, respect, and eliminate the barriers that keep them from doing what we hired them to do, TEACH OUR STUDENTS! 2. 1. Continuing professional growth through educational meetings, visiting related facilities, reading professional literature . by Tevin Stinson. I have continued to volunteer and am currently a volunteer with my sons marching band.2) What do you feel are the biggest issues facing students, teachers and staff at schools currently and within your authority as a member of the BOE, how would you work to fix them?The biggest issues facing students are the lack of safety in our schools and the chaos in the classroom for many. Salaries, bonuses and retention need to be reviewed. We must make sure teachers receive the pay and benefits they are promised. But now we try to make that a part of the schools. There was a problem saving your notification. I am running for the WSFCS school board because I would like to see our school system become the best in the state at education and providing the best opportunities for all students. I have lived in this community for over 30 years, raised kids here and served on my WS/FCS board outside of the board of education, while some candidates are new to this area. With the resources and opportunities that are available within the public schools, I think it is extremely important that our children are a part of the public school system so that we can strengthen what is needed to meet the needs of ALL our students where they will not have a need to look elsewhere for a good education. Such licensing would help make uniformly high standards from state to state and allow teachers to transfer their credentials when they move quickly. EDUCATION: Associate degree in nursing and bachelor's degree in health administration. Listen. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, School safety, classroom equity among priorities for candidates in Winston-Salem/Forsyth school board's District 1 race, At-large race may hold key to partisan control of school board in Winston-Salem/Forsyth, Wide range of school board priorities, concerns among District 2 candidates for WS/FCS Board of Education. That means setting an expectation of . Please make sure you include all prior experience in your portfolio (application). Ive participated in career days and read to my childrens classes. Those questions were related to transportation, school safety, and how candidates intend to change the status quo. Everyone deserves someone who sees you. What does it benefit them to pass them along if they are not proficient? EDUCATION: K-12 in WS/FCS schools; bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, OCCUPATION: Civil engineer/senior project manager. EDUCATION: Fine Arts Painting Degree from the Atlanta College of Art, OCCUPATION: Marketing director and client relations for Cannon Wealth Management. There is a place and space for ALL students in public education. Members of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education are divided into two districts District 1 representing the city's urban core and District 2, which encompasses the ring outside the city. Active in church working with children for over 30 years. That detracts from the ability of every other student in that school to learn, he said. Working with local and federal governmental agencies. My experience spans 30 plus years as an educator, various roles in the medical field and home care. Watts also spoke about the importance of building relationships in schools. This is the disclaimer text. Absher is a nurse and mother of two children. I look forward to visiting many more schools in the capacity of a board member to listen and observe. c. Working in coordination with other basic education teachers and other departments in planning and developing the basic program. Data Manager at Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States . WSFCS Board of Education candidate responses, Michael Hardman, At-Large. We must get "back to basics" if we want our students to be competitive, productive and contributing citizens in society. In 2021, he was appointed to fill the seat of Barbara Burke, who left the school board to fill an unexpired term on the Winston-Salem City Council. Programming: . Some candidates disagreed about the role the district has in promoting an inclusive environment. I believe we need to give classroom educators more automony in deciding how best to deliver the content, while still making sure all standards are covered; relieve them of unnecessary professional development; and give them the support staff they need so they can focus on the educational needs of every student. The candidates were asked about how the school board, with regard to policy and practices, should relate to students who find their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion marginalized. Contact. Whenever I hear concerns, they will be immediately communicated to the superintendent with a follow up conversation about the outcome. The best way to serve teachers is to treat them like professionals. Democrats Andrea Bramer and Elisabeth Motsinger decided not to run for re-election, leaving Democrat Deanna Kaplan, the current board chairwoman, as the lone incumbent. Wide range of school board priorities, concerns among District 2 candidates for WS/FCS Board of Education. 25 talking about this. July 16, 2020 Board of Education Meeting. I believe our public school system can offer that and much more with our parents, community and government support. I am married to a retired school teacher.