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Educational Unity in or ur ommunity
E
ducation is at the heart of everything that we do. Hence, it is not enough for our schools to just meet goals. We must exceed state-set goals in order for all children to succeed in life. With less than 20% of our schools exceeding state goals, there are areas of improvement and gaps to bridge to make certain of this success. This begins by ensuring that every student is receiving the best education possible. We need a continued focus on our lowest-performing, highest-needs schools, using the successes of our highest-performing schools, as our road map. We will thereby close the fairness gaps in our school system, allowing equal educational freedoms and access to all students. Let’s use what we’ve done right, to improve in other areas. Providing a mindful and responsible allocation of funds to support educational programs that put every student on the same path to success, is a must. Allocation of additional technical resources and putting the teacher assistants back in the classroom will guarantee students from all walks of life, despite their school placement, will have the same opportunities to achieve their goals. Allocation of funds for additional specialized Exceptional Children’s (EC) programs will offer students and parents needed options to better suit the student’s individual needs, close learning gaps and improve not only the student’s performance; but, increase countywide performance. Improvement in the area of discipline is also needed; as, there are specific groups of students who are being suspended at a rate almost four times greater than other groups of students. This not only impacts absenteeism, individual educational and social success, but it creates a lack of unity throughout the school, as well. These students need additional attention and it is our responsibility to find out why. By assessing their needs, creating individualized plans and the implementation of wrap-around services, we can bring about a reduction in the number of suspensions overall. By allocating additional funds to support our education programs, adding more specialized programs for the EC program, a continued focus on lowperforming, high-needs schools, and reducing the number of suspensions, we can begin to exceed the state’s overall goals and unify our educational system in Cabarrus County, which is a WIN for our community.
NeQueela DeasBlanton, candidate for the Cabarrus County School Board, is a Charlotte native, married to a local Attorney, John R. Blanton. She is the proud parent of two sons, living with disabilities (Ne’Quan and John). NeQueela is a nationally-trained and certified NC Disability Rights Advocate and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with trauma training.
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