A school is not just a place where kids learn the basics of reading and math. It is also a place of social growth and emotional development. A child who attends full day kindergarten through 6th grade spends at least 910 hours each year in the classroom. For students in 7-12th grade the number is even higher: at least 1001 hours are spent in the classroom (Ohio Department of Education). With that much time spent at school, we should really be thinking about the best way we can make that time count. I believe that education should be thought of holistically; including intellectual development, social and life skills, and emotional learning.
Because good education is essential to improving our community.
It pays to invest in public schools!
I have 19 years of experience in taking brands and making them successful and innovative. I can do the same for our schools.
“Improved education and more stable employment greatly increase tax revenue, such as a return of at least 7 dollars for every dollar invested in pre-kindergarten education.”
—The Social and Economic Benefits of Public Education
Quality of school district is one of the most important factors homebuyers consider when finding a new community to live in. USA Today 2020
A 2016 study by Realtor.com shows that homes in top-rated school districts fetch prices up to 49% higher when selling.
As COVID began shutting everything down, parents had to make a decision about schooling online or in person. Being privileged enough to work from home, I was able to spend time helping my sons with their schooling. I began to see some real gaps in the students’ lives in the district. Not only was there a real inequity of technology and supplies, but also of support at home as well as mental health resources.
I believe that every child in Milford has the right to a high quality education and that these gaps must be addressed.
Nationwide, there will be learning loss due to the irregularity of the past school year. We have to make sure that Milford Schools have a plan that continues to address this beyond the next year.
• The plan should address social as well as intellectual loss.
• We need to make sure that families with children on IEPs are getting the extra support they need.
I am listening and researching.
I am talking to parents and educators to find out what has worked during this year and what has not.
Let’s get back on track together.
The CDC reported (Nov 2020) an increase of mental health emergencies of 24% in children aged 5-11 and 31% in children aged 12-17 compared with 2019 data.
We need to keep pushing to make sure our children and their teachers have the mental health supports they need.
Our district has children of diverse backgrounds, abilities, income and education levels.
We need to keep making sure that they are all being taken care of in the best way possible.
We need to provide our educators with what they need so that they can teach effectively.
We need to watch out for our educators’ mental health.
We need to retain the excellent educators that we have and work on attracting new educators as well.
Let’s continue to encourage an innovative learning environment during and after school.
The robotics club is an excellent example of how our entire community can benefit from outstanding extracurriculars.
Let’s not just reach educational standards but exceed them.
By doing so, we are preparing our children for excellence in college, the military, the workforce and beyond.