Andrew's
PRIORITIES
To achieve our vision of safe and thriving schools where the best teachers want to work, where parents want to send their children and where the environment allows all students the best start to their futures, the School Board must get back to basics.
Put our finances in order & ensure taxpayers’ money is wisely spent.
Currently, DCSD is operating with two financial systems, wasting more than $23 million on a never-ending software transition. In addition to fixing this accounting software debacle, we need to provide taxpayers with more transparency on how our money is being spent. I propose:
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Raising the senior school tax exemptions to help keep our communities multi-generational
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Creating a culture of financial accountability, transparency, and trust:
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Independent audits are conducted regularly
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Deficiencies are disclosed and handled immediately.
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Continue to support a functional Audit Committee who is responsible for fiscal audits and escalation of problems to staff and the Board.
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Fix our school buildings.
The Board has failed to repair and/or replace crumbling and unsafe schools across the County for decades. The district is about to begin a number of large capital improvement projects. My expertise and track record of successful large-scale commercial real estate investments will be valuable in overseeing the costs and construction of these multi-million dollar projects. I believe that we can address those properties with the most need while making improvements across all our schools. It’s not an either/or. I propose:
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Creating an enforceable policy that ensures classroom trailers are only short term solutions and are replaced after their useful life.
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Creating a policy that long-term real estate capital needs assessments are annually planned, reviewed and followed so we do not end up with the mess we are in now. Delays should not be a surprise and contingency plans at the ready.
- Creating a singular position in the system who oversees all capital needs.
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Contracting multiple architectural firms and contractors so our renovations and new buildings get done in a timely fashion. Delays in construction these days end up costing more than double.
Develop safe, supportive school environments.
Students and teachers cannot succeed when they feel unsafe, ill-equipped or overly burdened. We need to focus on the safety and mental health of teachers and students so our schools are places where children can learn. I propose:
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Lowering maximum class size
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Earmarking budget items towards wellness providers and mental health services.
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Developing innovative safety protocols & procedures, including timely and accurate communications about safety issues to parents.
- Creating a robust professional development program for all classroom-based teachers.
- Allowing teachers autonomy to focus on what they do best - teach - and lessen the burdensome administration requirements.
- Creating an environment where parents want to be and are involved in their local school.
- Developing vocational career program opportunities for students.
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Continue to ensure every student has access to a Chromebook and internet in our entire school system, including proper IT support for DCSD-owned devices.