“I believe that every child should have the same access to a high-quality education regardless as to where they live, the color of their skin, who their parents are, or how much money their parents make.”
Funding for Ward 8 schools must be adequate and equitable. We must ensure that:
- A quality public education is provided for every Ward 8 student.
- Investments in our school facilities and infrastructure are a top budget priority.
We must provide safe, nurturing and supportive school environments. We must work to:
- Implement supportive services for students experiencing trauma—whether it is poverty, homelessness, violence in the community or at home, or family member incarceration.
- Eliminate high-pressured standardized testing which harms both students and teachers.
- Ensure that a full array of opportunities is available that will prepare students for careers,
- college and life.
- Identify and eliminate policies which harshly and disproportionately penalize students with suspensions or expulsions on first offenses.
- Oppose efforts to reduce or eliminate key personnel such as librarians in our schools. They are critical to building a wholesome education environment and providing essential support for students.
No child should go hungry. We must work to:
- Ensure that free and nutritious meals are provided to every student in need without stigma.
- Expand the availability of meals for students in need to include both breakfast and dinner.
Support our educators. We must work to:
- Provide funding to close the educator pay gap.
- Support adequate pay for education support professionals and paraprofessionals.
- Support the right to organize and bargain on matters including education policy.
- Support substitute teachers in their efforts to be recognized and adequately paid.
- Eliminate the stigma of teaching in Ward 8.