Voters should support me for Henrico School Board Fairfield District because: Our children deserve the best teachers, best facilities and access to the right resources and opportunities to prepare them for suc- cess. I’m proud of the accomplishments we’ve made during the past four years — increased graduation rates, decreased drop-out rates; increased the number of accredited schools; approved the plans to construct two new high schools by 2021; and approved the largest budget increase for HCPS that supports raises for teachers, critical staff hirings and expands many innovative programs such as the GYSA at Wilder Middle School. There’s more work to be done and I look forward to continuing this momentum.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the district? The Fairfield District continues to experience challenges related to full accreditation of all schools and disparities in discipline for certain students. During my Eastern Henrico Schools Town Hall last month, Dr. Cashwell and seven principals from schools in Fairfield discussed the schools’ efforts at boosting attendance, increasing parental/community involvement and improving equitable access to resources, which all impact learning and accreditation. As a result of the School Board ap- proving the largest budget increase for HCPS in 13 years, Dr. Cashwell and her team are addressing these issues as part of an aggressive strategy to ensure all schools reach/maintain accreditation.

How I plan to address those issues: I will continue to support initiatives that close the achievement gap; recruit, retain and reward the best teachers and support staff; promote resource equity; increase racial diversity in gifted programs and Advanced Placement courses; and address discipline disparities for students of color and students with disabilities. I recently established the Eastern Henrico Equity Fund in partnership with Henrico Education Foundation to encourage greater participation and investment by the business and faith communities. As the Fairfield representative, I will continue to ensure our children have access to the same opportunities as children in western Henrico, as we strive to achieve OneHenrico.

Voters should support me for Henrico County School Board Fairfield District because: I am the only candidate who has worked in the classroom in the Fairfield District and clearly understand the lack of adequate resources that our children need to be successful. The Fairfield District schools have great teachers and staff, but lack all the necessary tools to prepare students to understand, contribute to and succeed in our rapidly changing society. I will provide these resources, which will ensure that our students develop the skills that a compre- hensive education requires. I will be the voice for the voiceless and fight for equitable educational opportunities for all.

What do you see as the top two issues facing the district? The first issue facing the district is the lack of Fairfield District schools meeting full accreditation status. The second top issue is the defunding of the MathScience Innovation Center.

How I plan to address those issues: On accreditation, I plan to provide each school with additional teachers and instructional assistants. I also will seek to ensure that the quality and transparency of the school staff to the students and parents promotes an internal continuous improvement process. There will be a more teacher-focused learning environment, where the teacher will determine what resources are needed to be successful, and the administration approves it. On the MathScience Innovation Center funding, the center has hands-on learning opportunities that cannot be achieved in the classroom. The center also hosts interactive workshops, seminars and classes for teachers.