Ashley Peele for School Board
forward, TOGETHER
"Students in District 3 deserve a world-class education and successful outcomes that will prepare them for success inside and outside of the classroom. Right now, the Charleston County education system is failing too many of its students. Bold actions are required to tackle the toughest challenges facing district leaders, educators, and students."
PLATFORM FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR EVERY STUDENT
A Highly-Qualified Superintendent
The Superintendent serves as the chief executive officer of the school system and is ultimately responsible for implementing an educational structure that will enable successful outcomes for the schools. This role is critical in providing excellent educational opportunities for Charleston County students. As the search for a new superintendent gets underway, the district needs to identify a highly-qualified candidate that possesses the leadership, vision, and collaboration skills required to deliver results for our students, educators, and parents.
Support for the Whole Student
Understanding who students are as individuals is key to engaging them and helping them be successful. Educators need access to resources that provide support for students for a wide range of issues that may impact their ability to learn. Every child in Charleston County deserves an equitable education, and that requires educators to address issues like hunger, mental health and well being, and a student's unique learning needs. Supporting the whole student requires an understanding of the actions that need to take place, outside of general education, to help students thrive.
Exceptional Principal Leadership
Exceptional leaders attract and retain exceptional talent. Every Charleston County school needs a great principal that inspires teachers and ensures excellent learning spreads beyond single classrooms. The district must identify, hire, support, and retain exceptional principals. This may be the single most effective element in the strategy to turnaround underperforming schools.
Teacher Investment and Retention
Teachers have the most direct impact on successful student outcomes. The need to attract and retain high-quality educators cannot be understated. Establishing pipelines to talented professionals, investing in their success, and supporting innovative ideas for improved student outcomes are critical to enabling a first-class education. Teachers should feel like they have the tools, resources, and support they need to be successful.
Bold, Collaborative Problem-Solving
It is important to identify and adopt research-based practices and collect data to understand performance. The goal should always be to move the needle in a measurable way for students in Charleston County. It will require courage and honesty to understand when a policy is not effective and an alternative approach needs to be taken. The performance gap in our schools, including the gap between students of color and their white counterparts, must be closed. The Board, educators, and administrators should all be working collaboratively towards the same goal: providing world-class educational opportunities for all students in Charleston County.
Transparency and Community Engagement
Being accessible to the community, engaging stakeholders and parents, being transparent and honest, and advocating for students is the foundation of an effective Board member. This ensures our schools move forward, together.