The Issues
Our campaign operates under the deeply held belief that to improve not just our schools, but our community as a whole, a firm commitment to collaboration, mutual respect, and civil discourse across all stakeholder groups is essential.
Fiscal Stewardship
With consistently diminishing state aid and instability at the federal level, the Board and Administration must work to streamline operations at the administrative level in a way that does not compromise the quality of our children's education. As a board member, I will be proactive in crafting budgets and will ensure that the district is looking ahead to 2027, 2028, and so on. If we know budget cuts are coming and will continue, why stack the District's Executive Offices with additional six-figure personnel positions? Why take $13 million from the capital reserve fund to turn Lewis into a building, all while facing stagnant enrollment and a rapidly decreasing pre-school funding grant. Upon my arrival in Lewis, I will work as a voice for tightening the district's purse strings and investing wisely in our future.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is undeniably the future of not just the technological world, but our entire lives. As a former "Never AI'er," I believe that our kids should know how to operate, prompt, and learn from it responsibly. The Board must conduct extensive studies, work with stakeholders, and consult with technological and policy experts to develop a comprehensive curriculum and strict policy regarding AI. We must ensure that students remain safe while forming at least a basic understanding of this new technology before graduation. A basic understanding that, in just the next decade, will be an extremely desirable job skill and key differentiator between job candidates in a plethora of industries. This may look like the establishment of new courses, or perhaps modifications to existing curriculums, so that each class incorporates a small amount of AI application to demonstrate to students how it could be relevant in that subjects particular field of study.
Special Education
As a board member, but really as a human being, it is my moral duty to treat every child equally and ensure that they receive the same treatment as any other student. It is essential to me that our special education population (around 25 percent of our student population) has access to Honors and AP courses. It is equally important for us as a board to provide support mechanisms to ensure that these students thrive in rigorous academic environments. Furthermore, I will also work to make CHPS a district where every student, regardless of ability, remains stationed and supported at their home school. The board must get into the habit, and will with my election, of allowing the community to steer the boat on this topic. When it comes to our neurodivergent population, we have no other job that to listen to the parents, the experts, and act accordingly. It is not our place, specifically those of us with no background in special education, personal or professional, to be calling the shots. The board must be an open forum for this population to receive support and understanding from the district.
Social Climate
Arguably, the most essential quality of a board member is compassion; compassion for students' stories, their struggles, and their identity. As a board member, I vow to be compassionate towards every student and not just hear them, but listen to them. I will not only safeguard your child's rights, but I will also ensure the district procedures/appeals process for HIB is clear, efficient, and fair, especially for our non-english speaking community for whom this process has been made especially difficult and monotonous. I will also ensure that students take the forefront in determining their school's climate. As we begin to train our Student BOE Reps and become more involved as a Board with student governance, we must listen to the students and make the necessary changes. From painting murals in the halls, and senior privileges, to new the creation of new electives and clubs, we must be there to listen and act.
Start Times/SACC
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a position statement, endorsed by the AMA and CDC, stating that school start times should not begin before 8:30 a.m. for middle and high school students. This is a subject critical to improving student performance, yet a subject that impacts stakeholder lives in nearly every respect. The modification of start times however, must be made in tandem with an expansion of SACC. Changing start times even by 15 minutes can have catastrophic impacts on family schedules, highlight a need for more community supports. We have 6 new APRs which can be utilized as SACC facilities as well as hundreds of students who can benefit from the opportunities created by this expansion. As a board member, I will commit to reopening the discussion on adjusting school start times not just to remedy the adolescent sleep-deprivation epidemic, but to also accommodate working families and our local businesses that employ our students.
Pre-School
As one of the largest districts in the state, we are lucky to be a district with pre-school. Our pre-school program is something that's heavily desired by new families, and homebuyers. It is a key differentiator between CHPS and other surrounding districts. As we know, frivolous spending coupled with diminishing state aid and pre-school funding grants have put us in a precarious position. If elected, I will fight tirelessly to ensure our pre-school program gets the attention and funding it deserves. I'll ensure there's a fair share of administrative responsibilities, rigorous staffing requirements, a premier curriculum, and more.
Want to know more?
If I missed a topic important to you, please don't hesitate to email me at
Duckettforcherryhill@gmail.com
And I'll be more than happy to chat over email or set up a time to call about your questions and/or concerns! As your candidate, I want to know exactly what is bothering you, or your ideas for areas of improvement so that I can be yours and your child's board representative.
