The Avalon Foundation and The Spy collaborated on another in a series of candidate Town Halls with the most recent this week bringing together a live and online audience with candidates seeking seats on the Talbot County Board of Education.
You can view the 90-minute conversation plus the audience questions and answers by clicking here.
The conversation was candid, informative and very constructive. It was honestly refreshing listening to knowledgeable individuals, each of whom has an opponent, talking substantively about the role of a member of the Board of Education and about the issues confronting public schools today. There viewpoints were offered without tearing town others, and their insights came based on exceptional experience with education.
As I reflect on our conversation, I truly admire these strong individuals who, with backgrounds in education and in parenting, now seek a role on the School Board. I believe our community is fortunate to have people with a passion for education and the needs of our young people stepping forward and to seek these elected positions.
As I listened to the discussion, I came away with the thought that in our Talbot County schools we face all the issues seen across the nation from curriculum questions, to discipline, to the approach so necessary as all said to meet today’s students where they are at and consider the whole set of circumstances these young individuals face.
I was also impressed that we have people dedicated at every level to work with students and their families. So often, we focus on the teacher. But, those seeking the School Board role spoke eloquently about the importance of guidance counselors in the schools, about principals and the leadership that makes a significant difference. And, then, up to the Superintendent and the School Board and the important roles they play in setting policy and direction for our schools.
The candidates spoke frankly about the need to improve achievement in math, reading and other important elements of K-12 education. Suffice it to say, those with careers in education are not satisfied with where scores are at today. However, they described creative approaches and the commitment by all levels to improve student achievement. The candidates also described the importance of preparing young people for whatever path forward they may travel whether to the trades or to college or some other path.
Our discussion provided an better understanding about results from the Spy’s recent survey around the degree of satisfaction with K-12 education. While satisfaction nationally is below 50%, the Spy readers by a two out of three margin registered satisfaction with K-12 education in Talbot County.
It is clear that with strong leaders throughout our educational system, continuous improvement is possible.
For those living in districts (districts 2, 5 and 6) where school board candidates are on the ballot, I hope you will watch our Town Hall meeting.
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