Positions
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Taxes
We feel it is of utmost importance to listen to the taxpayers of our district, and to take their concerns into consideration when making policy. This also means school board directors should know how to spend smart and cut waste to avoid having to raise taxes whenever possible. Our current board is not doing that, and has mounted a $35+ million building project to begin in Spring 2022 that has snowballed into other costs that will likely send the project over-budget. We feel that it is necessary to revisit the reasoning for why the district thinks we need such a building, and make cuts where it is necessary. The board promised taxes would not be raised due to the building project, but raised them by 0.5 mills in June 2021, and blamed it on other issues. This lack of transparency is not how we will operate, especially post-pandemic when families are already siuffering rising costs elsewhere.
Special Education
We will find a better way to tailor the special education program to the student. We want to raise the bar and help them get there, not lower it just to get them through the system and out of school. Our plan will involve going through the budget with a fine-toothed comb to find money to adequately fund the special education department. We will also look into potentially getting out from under expensive and irksome federal mandates by opting out of funding, but not unless we can find money elsewhere in the budget to replace it. We will never make cuts to the special education department unless we can find the dollars elsewhere.
Bullying / Student Discipline
Recently, the district has been experiencing a problem with bullying at the secondary level. Under our leadership, we would revisit Governor Mifflin's anti-bullying policy and support an increase in anti-bullying measures by supporting school-wide events in to raise awareness and promote anti-bullying in our hallways, locker rooms, classrooms, and extracurricular events. Following through with student discipline for any student who engages in bullying, harassment, or assault on their fellow students or teachers is of utmost importance. We need to re-establish that the teachers, support staff, and administration are the ones in charge, not the students.
Music and the Arts
Our music and art programs have seen too many cuts over the years. All three of us are ardent supporters of both the music and art programs. Christina Worley has a long history of supporting and participating in the music program at Governor Mifflin. We will work to find funding for the music and arts programs through smart spending and cutting waste from the overall budget, and redirecting it towards necessary updates to our music facilities. The music program in particular has taken a back seat to athletics for too long, and that stops under our leadership. We believe there is room for both programs to have a seat at the table when it comes to funding.
Athletics
Governor Mifflin has a rich history of success in multiple areas of athletics, and all of the existing programs have our full support. The many sports offered at Governor Mifflin are shining examples of the true potential we have as a district when we work together.
Collective Bargaining
Christina and Cody are teachers, and Annette is a home-school mother, so we understand and appreciate the selfless work done by our teachers, support staff, maintenance, bus drivers, custodians, nurses, and cafeteria workers. As a Governor Mifflin graduate, Cody has a first-hand understanding of the hard work put in by Governor Mifflin's teachers each and every year. Under our leadership, we will commit to making fair deals between the teachers, school board, and taxpayers when it comes to negotiating contracts.
Masking / Vaccines
We believe in parental rights and that the decision to wear a mask or receive a vaccine should be made by parents/guardians in consultation with a child's doctor. We also believe children who are being adversely affected by masking should be heard. We believe we can find a way to accommodate those who require alternatives. We also believe in the rights of teachers and staff to decide for themselves if masking and taking the COVID-19 vaccine is right for them, and we are willing to lead the fight against any government mandates.
Critical Race Theory / The 1619 Project
Annette, Christina, and Cody all stand firm against allowing this divisive ideology anywhere near our children. It has no place in our schools and is a poisonous and racist viewpoint of history and U.S. Law. We feel that labeling children as "oppressors" or "oppressed" based solely on the color of their skin does not accomplish anything positive and leads to violence, tension and disunion withing Mustang Nation. Such reprehensible rhetoric is not worth one red cent of taxpayer money, and any elements of CRT found within the Governor Mifflin curriculum will not be tolerated.