District: Wake School Board, District 9
Age: 53
Occupation: Treasurer for company owned with husband/Homemaker
City of Residence: Cary
Incumbent: No
Website
Do you have children in the district? If so, explain.
Yes. My husband and I, married, 25 years, we have three children, three daughters, all products of Wake County public school systems. One graduated and is a sophomore at NC State and the other two are in high school in the Wake County Public School system.
The school board has been divided over partisan politics in recent years. How do you think that’s affected how the district has been run?
This is one of my key concerns and things that I would like to fix. I would like to make sure that the focus of the topic is always around “how does this affect the children and the teacher-student relationship in the classroom.” It’s about children, not politics. How has it affected current policy today? I think sometimes, unfortunately, it’s always been obvious that people are voting along, quote unquote, party lines, and, those parties have no business being paid attention to. We should be working on common goals to increase student achievement and growth for our children and if it doesn’t do that, and it doesn’t turn our children into productive, responsible, and marketable citizens, then to me it’s just volume.
What do you think about the current reassignment plan and what would you do, if anything to change it?
That topic, as everyone knows, is a very touchy topic and convoluted topic. I think it’s very important that we show stability and family unity but I also am very in favor of people being close to their home. I wouldn’t put a child on a bus far away so I wouldn’t force anyone to do it, but I do leave that up to anyone’s option. I do believe that we need to have the magnet schools or some kind of draw to balance things, but again I think that should be optional and not forced.
What is your main priority for the new superintendent for the next year or two?
I want to get the focus on academic growth for all kids. We need to celebrate the child who scores at 50 percent and improves at 70 percent. But we also have to ensure that the average and the higher-scoring child is also showing growth each year. We have to focus on that classroom and that growth in that classroom and again, that teacher-student relationship. We need to support those teachers, train them, give them the correct materials and, again, everything has to be classroom focused. If I can get the superintendent, if I am elected, to focus on the classroom and that student-teacher relationship, I think we’ve gained and gotten back to where we should be.
Do you support the proposed school bond? And, if so, what are your priorities for spending that money?
Oh, well I think the priorities have already set the school bond, I think as an incoming new school board member, I can’t change that, I think that’s pretty laid out where the priorities are. I do support the school bond. I understand people’s reluctancy but the bottom line is the children need the capacity, and also the fiscal capacity. That bond is for long-term building of school buildings and facilities, so, I think children deserve a good place to learn.
