My Philosophy on Education
A Quality Education for Every Child

I believe in a quality education for every child. Quality means several things:

Instruction - Fulton County needs to attract and retain high quality teachers and administrators. We need to be sure that our teachers receive staff development and support in such areas as classroom management, discipline, newest instruction techniques, and technology.  We also need to close the gap between test scores in the North and South ends of the county.

Curriculum - Our curriculum needs to meet the needs of today's students. The new State curriculum, Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) is being implemented and should better prepare our children  to graduate and move on to productive lives.  Parents need to be able to understand what the goals and expectations of their children are for each school year in order to be able to help participate in their children's learning at home.

Facility Development - Every child and every Fulton County School employee deserves a decent building in which to go to school each day. As Fulton County's population continues to grow, our school system needs to be able to provide a safe, nurturing environment conducive to learning.

Administration - Fulton County Schools needs to attract and retain quality administrators if we are going to remain at the forefront of education in this state. We need to continue to examine best practices of states leading the nation in education reform.  At the same time, we need to have leadership who will help us in putting these innovations to work in our schools.

Financial Stability - Fulton County Schools needs to continue to explore ways to help provide a quality education for our children while serving as good stewards for the taxpayers' money. We need to investigate zero-based budgeting. We need to continue to monitor the effectiveness of our in-house operations (transportation, maintenance, food service, accounting, warehousing). We need to make better projections regarding growth, so we can plan for future land acquisition and construction in those areas where it is needed. We need to make sure the voters understand the necessity of continuing with the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), and how important this money is for construction, technology, transportation, and other capital programs.

Local School Control - In a school system as large and diverse as Fulton County, local school control is paramount. Local administrators and advisory committees know best what works for their communities, and I support the efforts of every school to provide the best type of education for its community, whether it is a magnet school, charter school, theme school, or a cluster approach to learning.

I believe that quality schools help support quality neighborhoods and communities and that we all need to work together to help retain a high quality of life for the future. The job of the public school system is to educate every child who walks through its door. Education includes collaboration and cooperation among home, school, and community. It is important for Fulton County Schools to communicate to the public the new and innovative approaches it is taking toward educating our children, because the average perception of public schools is not a good one.

In order for our schools to be successful, we need to involve our communities and businesses in helping to support public schools. I don't believe in running away from problems, and I don't believe in offering up criticism without trying to come up with some solutions. As a volunteer, I have done everything from serve food in the cafeteria to serving as PTA President, Vice President, Local School and Area Advisory Chair. I have substituted in the front office at both the elementary and middle school level, and I have seen firsthand the challenges faced by educators today.

I believe that communication and knowledge are key elements in the business of education. In order for public education to function at its most effective level, communication is vital in helping our Board to make knowledgeable decisions. I believe that the role of staff, administration, and our communities is to educate and inform our School Board members. This type of education and communication will then enable the Board to operate in the most effective manner and for the good of the entire system. A balance of interaction with professional staff, lay Board leadership, and community involvement (through committee structure, LSAC and PTA) helps to ensure optimum effectiveness of the Board in determining school policies and procedures. Within the Board itself, the importance of dialogue, listening, and other effective communication skills is essential to its efficient operation. A Board member needs to be able to balance individual concerns and issues, while at the same time maintaining a global perspective for the needs of the entire county. It takes the collaborative effort of the School Board, our staff and our communities to help assure that the motto of Fulton County Schools, "Where students come first," is indeed a reality.

I have three children who have been in the Georgia public school system, and I have been an involved parent volunteer and advocate for children for many years.   I have a vested interest in the success of our system, and I will continue to work toward making a difference for the children, families, and school communities of Fulton County.

I have several goals which I have been working on during my service on the Board:

• To meet with administrators and parent leaders in each of the schools in District 7 in order to learn about their concerns and aspirations for their individual schools


• To meet with parent leaders and administrators in the other districts to see how their concerns and aspirations are different from or mirror those of District 7


• To keep an open door to anyone with school issues; to work toward continuing to improve our school system as a whole 


• To explore and learn about other school systems' challenges and successes in order to help enhance our own

I have visited each of the schools in District 7 and believe it is important to maintain a close working relationship with the school principals, PTA leaders, and Local School Advisory Committees. I encourage dialogue and communication with each of these groups. I also believe that teachers, assistants, custodians, office staff, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers have wonderful ideas to share with Board members to help improve our school system, and I am always willing to listen to suggestions from staff members and community members.

I believe that the Governor's office and the State Board of Eduction are starting to address some of the bigger issues of education in this State, but I also have concerns about how some of its requirements will affect Fulton County Schools. During eachlegislative session, it has become increasingly important to educate and lobby our legislators about Fulton County Schools' concerns. I have developed relationships with our legislators to make sure they are aware, not only of our concerns, but of suggestions on how these challenges can be faced. From my service on the Georgia School Boards Association, I have been able to see how the needs of Fulton County Schools align and compare with the needs of other school systems across this state.