My belief has always been that educating children is the responsibility of a community. Sarasota has always strived to meet the complex yet rewarding challenges of public education, as well as to welcome the expansion of charter schools, which meet a variety of children's and parents' needs. Defining public education in Sarasota, Florida, is the need of the hour. As a candidate for the Sarasota School Board District One, I am ready to serve my community and the children of our future.
Over the last decade, enrollment has decreased despite the exciting growth in families. Our district has decreased from an estimated 43,000 students in 2021 to 41,000 students at present. This district needs a transformative candidate who can assess the issues, develop strategies, and implement solutions that enable the exciting educational plans I see from our administration. In short, we can dream and build state-of-the-art projects; however, if we lack marketability to attract transplanted families, this community will fall short and miss the moment.
Financial accountability is a requirement to present to our parents, stakeholders, and generous community partners. We can dream, but can we pay for it? This community has been demanding a line-item budget and with me, they will get it. I will deny any project without proper checks and balances. Our families are struggling with the explosive economic situation we all find ourselves in, and the school budget has fluctuated between $1 billion and $1.5 billion over the last 5 years, while seats and classrooms sit empty. Budgets, audits, and communication are the true cornerstones of fiscal responsibility.
Lastly, Sarasota County Schools do so many things well, but they have fumbled the ball in terms of reading and growth, especially in our K-3 grades. Phonics was removed from our district in 2017 and replaced with a memorization mentality, leaving many teachers shocked and without the true educational fundamentals. Parents did not understand the misguided reports compared to their at-home experiences. We must review the current reading curriculum, ensure there are no hidden-agenda-driven elements embedded, put teachers back in the driver's seat, and place teachers at the top of the financial pyramid. This district is not meeting the moment for additional financial support for support staff, as well.
If you value teachers, you will pay them.
It is time to step up and have the hard, but necessary, conversations to provide the stability and accountability our community demands. As a candidate for District One, I am ready to contribute truth, transparency, and transformative priorities and mandates required to return to the Gold Standard of Education.
Politics is not the need of the hour; progress is.
Thank you,
Teresa DeWitt
Candidate, Sarasota County School Board District One
www.ElectTeresaDeWitt.com
