The gap between our highest- and lowest-performing schools is one of the most important challenges facing District 5. When students fall behind in reading and math early, the gap often widens year after year. Closing it is not about slogans. It is about putting proven strategies and real resources where students need them most.

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As your School Board trustee, I will focus on the practical steps that help students catch up and keep up: strong reading and math instruction, steady support for the teachers who do the work, and targeted help for the students who are struggling. Every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential, and every family deserves a School Board that measures whether we are getting there.

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Here's how we achieve this together!

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STRENGTHEN READING AND MATH

• Prioritizing proven reading and math instruction in the early grades, when catching students up makes the biggest difference for the rest of their education.

• Support small-group tutoring several times a week so students who are behind get focused, consistent help instead of falling further back.

• Make sure classrooms serving special education students and English learners have the staffing they need to keep every student progressing.

• Track reading and math progress at each school so the Board can see where students are gaining ground and where they need more support.

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SUPPORT AND RETAIN TEACHERS

• Pair new educators with experienced veteran teachers so they have the mentoring and support they need to help students succeed. Partner with teacher organizations for volunteer and support opportunities. 

• Strengthen recruitment and retention so District 5 classrooms are led by strong, well-supported teachers year after year.

• Give teachers the time, training, and resources to use instructional strategies that are proven to work, rather than adding to their plates without support.

• Listen directly to teachers about what is helping students learn and what is getting in the way.

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HELP STUDENTS WHO ARE FALLING BEHIND CATCH UP

• Identify students who are struggling early and connect them with tutoring, interventions, and extra instruction before small gaps become large ones.

• Aggressively fund robust incentives for summer and after school programs so students who need additional time and support have the tools they need to catch up.

• Focus extra resources on the schools and students furthest behind, so support reaches where the need is greatest.

• Measure whether these programs are actually improving student outcomes and adjust when they are not.

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PREPARE EVERY STUDENT FOR THE FUTURE

• Partner with community leaders, civic associations, and churches so families stay informed about their schools and everyone shares the same goals for student success.    

• Expand opportunities in career and technical education alongside strong academics, so every student has a route to succeed.

• Make sure students in every corner of District 5, not just the highest-performing schools, have access to these opportunities.

• Connect academic goals to real outcomes families can understand and track.

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HOLD THE DISTRICT ACCOUNTABLE FOR RESULTS

• Set clear, measurable goals for closing the gap and report regularly on whether the district is meeting them.

• Use public-facing information so families can see how their schools are doing and where progress is being made.

• Direct funding toward the strategies that are working and redirect it away from those that are not.

• Keep the Board focused on student achievement as its central job.

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Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.

 

Closing the achievement gap takes more than good intentions. It takes proven strategies, resources aimed where they matter most, strong support for teachers, and a School Board willing to measure results and keep working until every child in District 5 has a real chance to reach their full potential.