CHARLOTTE ON THE ISSUES
Promote Critical Thinking
Famed scholar Robert M Hutchins put it best when he said, “It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts...it is to teach them to think.” Our ultimate goal as a school district must be to create a community of independent critical thinkers. Our schools should be a safe haven for healthy debate. The ability to weigh competing ideas is critical to turning out well rounded students.
Students First
Our children suffered as a result of COVID education policies. Their needs were not met during school closures and online learning. Chandler Unified School District must return the focus to education that best meets the needs of the individual student so that students are engaged, motivated, and able to learn. This will be key to address learning loss resulting from COVID policies.
Parents Rights
Parents’ rights must be restored in public education. Our rights as parents do not end at the schoolhouse door. It is the fundamental right of parents to raise their children how they see fit. Everyone has a right to tolerance and respect. Each family gets to make decisions for their child, be it medical decisions or decisions on when to teach about sensitive subjects. Schools have become increasingly politicized. This must end. We must focus on our children’s education and discourage the pushing of any particular ideology at school.
Back to Basics
Our goal as a board, a district, and a community should be to foster intellectual curiosity and a life long love of learning. We can do this by focusing on the basics in elementary - reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and history. We must ensure that ALL CHILDREN are reading by the end of third grade. This sets them up for future educational success in middle and high school. At the high school level we need to prepare all of our children for the world with a continued focus on both STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) and vocational education.
Civics and History
“The teaching of honest history and an accurate account of civics is the key to forming good citizens.” – Dean, Van Andel Graduate School of Government
We live in the greatest country in the world. The teaching of the honest history of our republic should be the backbone of our K-12 history and civics curriculum.
Let Teachers Teach
Chandler Unified School District has fantastic teachers and great bones. Chandler leads the nation as a pioneer in public school choice and magnet schools. Our teachers are among the best in the state. We must let our principals lead and allow teachers the freedom to adapt and innovate to create an engaging learning experience for our students. The school board can drive this change by requiring transparency in education. Transparency restores trust, and trust between parents and schools is key to positive learning environment.