I've offered all Monrovia city and school district candidates who are running in contested elections the opportunity to make a statement. I'm publishing them in the order I receive them. This is the statement of Abby Veltman, running for the Board of Education. - Brad Haugaard
My name is Abby Veltman, and I’m running for the Monrovia Unified School District Board of Education in Trustee Area 5 this November. I’m an educator and a parent of children currently attending Monrovia schools, and I believe both perspectives are needed on our School Board.
Today, there are no educators serving on the Board, and we need more representation from parents who are experiencing our schools alongside their children every day. As an educator, I know how important it is that the expertise of teachers and principals informs the decisions being made at the district level. As a parent, I also understand how those decisions are experienced by students and families.
That perspective shapes my priorities. I want us to focus relentlessly on student learning, use data to strengthen programs that are working, and give teachers and principals a meaningful role in decisions about curriculum and instruction. I also want to find creative ways to expand opportunities like art and music and strengthen the specialized programs that make families want to stay in Monrovia Unified.
We also have to confront declining enrollment with a real long-term plan. After more than a decade of enrollment decline, our district has faced increasingly difficult financial decisions, including the closure of Santa Fe and the movement of sixth grade to our elementary schools. We cannot continue moving from crisis to crisis. We need transparent, forward-looking enrollment and budget planning that protects classrooms and ensures structural reductions begin as far away from students as possible.
Finally, I believe our district should make much greater use of partnerships across Monrovia. I was a strong advocate for getting the Monrovia High School pool operating again for our student athletes and our broader community. That became possible through collaboration between the City and the school district. I want to bring that same spirit of partnership and creativity to finding resources and opportunities for our schools.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions about my candidacy, background, or priorities. I would be happy to connect.
Thank you for your consideration and for your continued engagement in our community.
abbyformusdschoolboard.com
abbyformusdschoolboard@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment