Issues
While there are many issues that every school district must overcome, often daily, some of them are preventable or self-inflicted, and others are outside their control. I believe that while the district should learn to adapt to the situations at hand, none of the problems that arise should prevent an acute focus on the most important reason we’re all here, to educate the children and prepare them for the future.
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The following are just a few of the most important issues I’d like to outline that will be a focus of mine as I partake in the endeavor of public service.
Fiscal Responsibility
The fiscal irresponsibility of the FHSD Administration and Board that approved the atrocity that has become the vast overspending of OUR funds is clearly unacceptable and what I would consider to be a dereliction of duty. Proposition S was a $240 Million Bond issue which was the largest in State history and to be used for capital repairs in FHSD. The first 3 expenditures, security vestibules, a new Admin Building, and Francis Howell North HS. The bid for the HS was originally $86.5 Million. It’s now at 91% more at $164.7 Million. Completely unacceptable.
Sexualization and Provocation
The sexualization and provocation of our children and overstepping of the Administration has become a great concern of mine. What I mean is…I don’t want ANYONE, other than my wife and me speaking to my children about sex, sexual preference, gender, or gender transformation, etc., and I’m certain that the majority of the parents of the district feel the same. It is not the place of anyone within the administration to insert themselves and their opinions, ethics, values or morals into the lives and homes of the district. The FHSD must stay in their lane and leave the raising of the children and the establishment of the morals, ethics, and values of the children of this district to the parents. It is the responsibility of the parents and teachers to establish a trusted partnership in order to teach the children how to treat others with respect and that they should, in turn, earn the respect of others. Everyone involved must focus on the basics and remove the political distractions so we can educate the children and prepare them for a realistic, lucrative, successful future.
Academics
This District has, for too long, focused on the issues I just spoke about while pushing academic excellence aside. Our test scores have dropped from a Top 10 ranking to #52 in Missouri. Just as a gauge, Fort Zumwalt is ranked #32 and their teachers make about $7k less than ours on average. I believe that this is due to the number of distractions that are plaguing this District as well as a lack of focus on pushing the students to excel, vs pulling them back for the sake of equity. I’ve played baseball all my life and I can promise you; you don’t get better by playing against teams that are your equal. You get better by losing to teams that are better than you, learning from your mistakes, and how to battle to become the best you can be. Typically, this is defined as merit. EVERY ONE of these kids has the potential to be anything they want in life and this district will not, on my watch, crush the dreams of even 1 of them to promote a personal, political, or ideological agenda.
