We three candidates of the ENI slate share four main goals for Frederick County Public Schools, which we will seek to achieve as Board of Education members:
1. Emphasize the development of cognitive skills.
Promote critical and creative thinking, complex problem solving, and collaboration through school curricula. While the information students learn may change over time, the critical thinking skills they acquire will remain valuable regardless.
2. Build an academically-oriented teaching staff.
Make it a priority to hire teachers distinguished in their academic disciplines. Raw teaching ability can be selected for, and expertise developed through training and experience. Deep subject matter knowledge, however, takes years to acquire.
3. Involve parents closely in decision-making.
Communicate clearly and transparently with parents when making decisions involving their children. Provide parents with direct access to all materials used in the classroom, including culturally-sensitive materials provided by the State.
4. Restore traditional civics to the curriculum.
Instead of indoctrinating students into values and worldviews held by a small minority of people, cultivate good-citizen qualities in students that benefit all of society: integrity, responsibility, and a knowledge of parliamentary procedure.