Ward 8 Member, State Board of Education candidate
Candidate Statement
“Catered Education, Empowers Youth”
The youth and young adults of the District of Columbia deserve the best choices and practices of attaining a high quality education. This is why I believe that “Catered Education, Empowers Youth”. Giving our students the choice of a College Preparatory Education and a Vocational Skills Licensed Trade Education will allow schools to partner with local colleges and businesses to provide students the skills and guidance they need to succeed.
I believe that we must prepare students for the workforce and college, while allowing students to choose rather or not they want to attend college and/or obtain a job. We cannot make neither of the two seem like a requirement since students will feel forced into making decisions.
This is the generation of “freedom of speech and choice”.
I understand that all students who graduate do not wish to attend college, some want jobs after finishing or while still in school. Students must be educated that college is a “financial decision with long-term responsibility” that involves student loans and maintaining a good academic performance to retain loan eligibility. It also bears a course & grade transcript that follows the student.
Students are no longer motivated by the notion that they have to have a High School Diploma to be successful. We have to answer the question, “what’s in it for me?” We cannot continue to set standards for our students to pass required standardized test, when we are not catering to their community and teaching what they want to learn. How can we require students to attend school and force a standardized curriculum on them?
Our students are convinced that today’s curriculum teaches them skills they will never use or things they wish not to learn. We have to survey students and reshape schools to fit our students. We have to wipe away stereotypes of communities and establish concern for each student.
Students in Ward 8 cannot be bound by the same expectations of students in a Ward that has textbooks, dedicated teachers and parental involvement.
We have to build proficiency in English, through creative reading and writing practices. For High School students, offering two required years of “English” and two required years of a “History” course will seem less demanding to students.
The same notion applies to Math and Science. We have to structure these courses so that overall students will essentially receive four full years of English and Math while still gaining some familiarity with History and Science. I can attest by experience that students get to college and cannot recall their “Calculus” math skills.
If elected to the State Board of Education, I will work jointly with students, parents, teachers, principals and my colleagues to build community-based curriculums and community schools that allow schools to cater to the academic needs of its students in real-time.
I will establish Parental involvement workshops, “Parents Evolved in Education” and advocate a progressive youth curfew.
I will advocate policies to protect LGBT youth from verbal and physical harassment and abuse. I will also work to ensure the safety and unbiased treatment of LGBT youth. This is done by conducting “talk about it sessions” where teachers, parents, students and LGBT youth discuss the LGBT community to establish a mutual ground in understanding the lives of LGBT youth. Students who commit criminal offenses against LGBT youth may be require to attend some sessions.
** Official Site http://www.pretlow4education.com/ **
