I've lived in Charles County for 47 years, and have 2 grandchildren in their school system. They are why I chose to get involved in the school board. I see political agenda's coming into our schools, regarding issues that should be discussed and addressed by parents. I'm seeing the GPA lowered, dumbing down our children, so they can play sports or other extra curricular activities. Our youth are already very behind in their academic classes, shouldn't we be concentrating on providing them with a good education? Parents are slowly losing their rights to what goes on in their child's school, so I am an advocate for parental rights, and will fight along with parents to demand 100% transparency from schools and the school board. However, along with those rights, parents need to take responsibility for teaching their child respect, along with what is unacceptable behavior because, I will also fight to put discipline back in our schools, and hold kids responsible for their behavior, and that applies to parents also. So parental involvement and parental rights, go hand in hand in m book. It's a 2 way street. I will fight for parent's rights and their ability to be involved in what they're taught and the materials they see, but parents need to step up and be the first teachers of discipline and consequences.
We have a severe shortage of teachers, and it's not all due to pay, most of it is due to what they have to deal with everyday from children who misbehave, and they have no backing them up, not their school, principle or school board. That all needs to change. Teachers need to be able to discipline children, and demand respect and civil behavior, not only for themselves but for every other child in their class. We ask out teachers to wear far too many hats, when their main goal is to provide children with a quality education, engage and encourage them, challenge them to be their best selves, so they can have the confidence to know the world is at their feet and with hard work and effort, anything is possible. Their goal is to produce responsible, self sufficient young adults who are ready to step into the real world post HS. So, no, they are not your child's parent, or counselor or babysitter. Parents need to start parenting and be your child's moral compass, as that is YOUR responsiblity not a teachers.
I will be a voice for the children who can't speak up for themselves, an advocate for parental rights, and their say in what is in their child's educational curriculum. We need to get back to the basics of a strong academic base in our schools and keep the politics out. Stop promoting racism and hatred. The more we box children in by the color of their skin or their culture, the more divisive they will become, and we've been doing it for decades. Let's try a different approach, and let them see they are all much more alike than different and give them a safe place to make friends of all colors and cultures with the freedom of knowing diversity is a GOOD thing, and making friends with all types of people that look or act different than them, is not only acceptable but encouraged. If given the freedom to do that, they will learn about different backgrounds and cultures from their peers and friends. Maybe if we took the spotlight OFF their differences, stop TELLING them how different they are, the next generation just might stand a chance of enduring less divisiveness and hatred, but it has to start at home. Racism is generational, let this upcoming generation be the one to help put an end to it.
A good candidate knows the value of being connected to the people they serve. Parents and teachers and a good school board should have ONE common goal; to produce educated, responsible, respectful young adults, who post HS can be productive members of society. I am proud to be endorsed by the Parent2Parent (P2P) Union, The Stand for Health Freedom Org. and Reopen Charles County. I would like to thank EVERYONE who believed in me and voted for me during the primary's, so I can now move onto the general election. God speed!I
