ISSUES
Promoting Safety in Schools…
Keeping our children safe is imperative. A child is a parent's greatest treasure and a community’s greatest asset. As such, they should be securely protected as they learn, grow, and develop mentally, emotionally, and physically. Children should not be fearful for their safety while attending school. Within our schools, bullying, misconduct, and fighting should not be tolerated. This behavior is crippling to the learning environment and more importantly, it can prove devastating to a developing child.
Additionally, all measures must be taken to protect our children from outside threats. Our schools must be equipped with outstanding security measures and staffed with trained personnel who are prepared to respond immediately to a potential threat. All school administrators and teachers must be trained and ready to successfully execute a precise emergency response plan, should an active threat arise. It is the responsibility of our school board to establish a Safety Audit Committee which incorporates citizens and community leaders who will cooperatively strategize and develop a thorough, effective response plan in conjunction with Suffolk's local law enforcement officers.
Prioritizing Excellence in Reading, Writing & Arithmetic…
Due to poor academic performance, schools in Virginia struggled to achieve accreditation. Instead of holding our school systems accountable for identifying and correcting areas in which they were failing children, in 2019, the Virginia Department of Education approved a revised accreditation standard, lowering the point at which students passed the SOL (Standards of Learning) test. This enabled school districts such as Suffolk to receive accreditation status, not because of improved test scores, but rather because the bar for achievement was lowered. Simply put, accreditation status was achieved at the expense of the children. Although the bar was lowered, our schools are still struggling to meet the approved criteria as it pertains to SOL test scores. The charts below reflect the current academic state of our schools.
While the overall scores are beginning to rebound from the negative impact of COVID and the policies implemented within our local schools during that time, the test scores still show a tremendous amount of room for improvement. According to the Virginia Department of Education's website, Suffolk Public School data shows that achievement is a very big concern for Students with Disabilities, Economically Disadvantaged Students, and Black Students. In 2021-2022 these three subgroups of students achieved the following pass rate on the SOL test:
READING:
Students with Disabilities: 34%
Economically Disadvantaged Students: 58%
Black Students: 63%
MATH:
Students with Disabilities: 31%
Economically Disadvantaged Students: 47%
Black Students: 53%
Both reading and math are essential life skills that all students must acquire in order to achieve success, regardless of whether they plan to go to college, choose a trade, join the military, or immediately enter the workforce. During the school day, students who are struggling in reading and math should receive supplemental, individualized instruction from a tutor or teacher who can work with the student to overcome obstacles and gain understanding in the subject material. If students can gain understanding in reading and math, not only will their self-confidence and self-perception improve, but their ability to tackle other subject matter will also improve. They will be empowered with the necessary tools of learning, and a new horizon of opportunity will unfold before them.
In order to better assist struggling students, teachers and parents must work together as a cooperative team to close an achievement gap. By forming a team approach, teachers can keep parents informed of the students’ progress and provide the parents with tools to support the learning process at home. Parental involvement is a critical component in a child's success. While incorporating these processes may not be the sole solution, implementation and a successful execution of a committed partnership is certainly a step in the right direction.
Protecting Parental Rights...
School systems should not supersede the authority of parents in raising and educating children. Education begins at home well before a child reaches school age; in fact, parents are a child's first teacher and should remain actively engaged and informed even after their child is enrolled in school. Parents have the right to know what is being taught to their children and should possess the right to opt their child in or out of courses they deem suitable or inappropriate. Additionally, concerning the matter of gender identity, sexual orientation, and health, parents should never be kept in the dark. Plain and simple: Schools do not have the right to withhold any information regarding a child from the parents of the child! To do so is destructive to the parent-child relationship and limits a parent's ability to care for and protect the child.
Preparing Students by Educating, Not Indoctrinating…
The goal of our public school system should be to equip children with necessary life skills including reading, writing, mathematics, research, critical thinking, and let’s not forget, hardwork! Political ideology should not be forced upon our children. Not only is it divisive, but it is confusing to young minds and incredibly dangerous to our children’s mental health. In fact, it threatens the well-being of our community. Alarmingly, such ideology has become embedded in our country’s public school systems. It is vital that we, as citizens and parents, stand up and push back against this aggressive tidal wave of indoctrination which seeks to strip our children of their innocence and erode the very foundation upon which America was built.
Partnering with Parents & Teachers…
Teachers and parents play critical roles in public education; therefore, their insights, perspectives, and ideas are vitally important and should be highly valued. Suffolk Public Schools will only flourish if board members and administrators respectfully consider the needs, address the concerns, and attempt to meet the expectations of both the parents and teachers. By fostering a spirit of teamwork and facilitating an open and honest dialogue, the School Board of Suffolk Public Schools will possess the ability to create a healthy partnership with parents and teachers for the purpose of supporting the children within our community. To effectively accomplish this goal, the school board must operate with integrity and be transparent, approachable, non-polarizing, humble, and willing to both celebrate success and acknowledge failure.
A special note to all teachers!
Having taught my five uniquely designed children,
I have a deep appreciation for YOU, our public school
teachers. I recognize your sincere commitment and
sacrificial investment in the lives of children,
and I am keenly aware that YOU play a vital
role as you challenge and inspire each
wonderfully created child to fulfill
his/her God-given purpose.
Thank You!!
~Kim~
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