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EDUCATION PLAN
I will continue my advocacy for public education because it's a life priority for me. It's not just for my own kids; it's for all the parents in our community whose kids face challenges within our system. We are a diverse community, a majority-minority County, but this asset comes with its own set of challenges. However, we have the capacity and human resources to prepare our children for a twenty-first century, global economy. Our focus should be to ensure we can provide the kind of quality education that equips and prepares all our children for college, offers our teachers the tools they need to be effective, and addresses safety concerns so that there are no hesitations regarding the protection of our children in our schools. I am looking forward to working with leaders, administrators, teachers, parents, and students across the County to ensure we take care of our teachers and focus on closing achievement gaps for our students in our County's education system.
GRACE'S PRIORITIES FOR
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL SAFETY AND BULLYING
Bringing the Street Outreach Network program into the schools to work closely with students, families, and the School Resource Officer program is just one part of the solution. We must provide mental health support to ensure the public safety of our students and faculty is maintained.
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, ESPECIALLY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
We must support equity in learning and healthcare, regardless of zip codes or neighborhoods. I see the access to programs as one of the greatest barriers for many families in low-income zip codes. We must work to remove such barriers to create an environment of equity for all students.
CLOSING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT GAP
All students must have access to computers and Internet to enhance their learning experience in and out of the classroom. We must ensure every student is provided broadband access, universal Pre-K, and connections to the Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway to close the achievement gap in math and reading for minority students.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC RECOVERY
The focus on the mental health of MCPS students, teachers, and support staff must be the foundation for the decisions we make to foster a welcome environment for all.
FOOD INSECURITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES
We must fight food insecurity by having universal free lunch and working to help every student reach their full potential without being held back by financial and socioeconomic barriers.
SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS, PARAEDUCATORS, AND SUPPORT STAFF
Our current teachers, paraeducators, and support staff need to have their needs and concerns heard so they are motivated to stay, and we must work to establish the resources every educator requires to foster an environment that cultivates new staff members.
