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In my responses to Rockingham County News' request for a debate, they had 6 questions for each candidate to respond to before the debate. In my responses below, you will see where I introduced the new "three R's" for public schools. I will expand on them further in a future post.
Paula E. Lam Candidate for Rockingham County District 5 School Board 1. What inspired you to run for this position? Over the past 20 years, I have been engaged in the learning process as my children have all attended RCPS schools. I have volunteered in various roles, including PTA, PTSA, SHS Athletic Boosters, and Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc. Now that we have one child left in school, it is time to take the next step in the educational process. My goal is to represent the current and future parents, teachers, and students of Rockingham County by being a voice of reason on the school board in 2024. I have seen first-hand how things have changed since the oldest child graduated in 2010. As an involved parent, I noticed that my access to what my children were learning became less and less. I’d have to email the teachers to obtain information about assignments instead of being able to open a book and review assignments. There needs to be transparency in what our children are being taught. I have presented to the board several times how that can be achieved quickly and easily using the current software programs that the county already uses. Now is the time for solid leadership that can protect and preserve the conservative family values of Rockingham County. 2. What are your three top agenda items? The safety of our children is my top priority. We must ensure each facility has the appropriate physical security mechanisms and support for mental well-being. The physical safety of our children requires quality relationships with area first responders, and we need their presence in all our schools. We also need to ensure the safety and security of the physical buildings by having card swipe access on all doors at every facility. Keys can easily be misplaced and/or in the wrong hands; the card swipe access will ensure our students are in a secure facility, and access can be granted and denied quickly. Each child has a unique family situation that requires the teachers to amend how they instruct the class so that they can best meet the needs of each student. There are times when additional resources are needed to ensure the entire class can succeed. Qualified guidance counselors and behavior specialists who provide a caring environment for struggling children are essential for the learning environment to succeed. My next priority would be solidifying the partnership between parents, teachers, and students. I would introduce the new “three R’s” of education: relationship, responsibility, and rights.
My final agenda item is to create a culture of community service. Many times, we are unaware of the needs of our community. Providing opportunities for our children to give back to their community will help them look for opportunities to engage in their civic responsibilities as citizens of this country. 3. What makes you the best candidate for this position? I have the skills and experience necessary to protect and preserve the values of our community. These skills include membership in/on professional boards, experience in facility maintenance and oversight, effective policy and procedure implementation, fiscal management in an educational environment, and professional leadership skills. My experience volunteering in the school system has allowed me to build quality relationships with teachers and administration. I’ve enjoyed being a part of my children’s educational journey by supporting our teachers, coaches, and administration by being an involved parent who has led many different parent-led school organizations. 4. Are you willing to participate in a debate or public forum? Here is a list of the dates and times that I have accepted:
5. What is a personality trait that you would like people to know about you? I have a solid work ethic, and I’m not daunted, and when the odds seem to be against me, I work harder. For instance, I sought the endorsement of the Republican Party. I even helped them craft a few of the requirements. One recommendation I made was not incorporated; I thought the process was happening too early in the election cycle. In June 2022, there wasn’t an exemplary process for finding a candidate pool representing various factions within our community. After not being selected for the Republican endorsement in October 2022, I informed the committee that I would prayerfully consider continuing to seek the school board seat. I told them I’d also like to know more about their selected candidate. I did what I told them I would do. I prayed about it and met their candidate. The fact that I would choose to run when the odds are stacked against me, personal attacks are being thrown like darts at my back, and I’m running against the political party that I have consistently voted for almost 30 years shows that I am willing to stand up for what I believe in and work hard towards protecting the future of our educational system. 6. What is your favorite thing about the Shenandoah Valley? The people are my favorite part of this community. When I think of this area, I think of a quilt handmade by my grandmother. That quilt was made from various dresses, shirts, and blankets used by the family members. They are joined together into a beautiful design that holds countless memories of days long gone. The quilt resembles the fabric of this county - one of hard-working farmers, factory workers, churchgoers, and many others who have strived for generations to protect our families and uphold conservative family values. Today, that quilt provides warmth and comfort to those who choose to take a stand; we respect those who have gone before us by honoring the values of our heritage.
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The model policies that Youngkin has proposed are sufficient to ensure parents remain at the forefront of decisions relating to their children’s identity while respecting all students. As a future board member, I want to listen to varying perspectives to make an informed decision representing our community's values. These policies align with the community while maintaining respect for all students.
Below is the statement I prepared to share with the board: Good Evening, My name is Paula Lam, and I am a parent of 4 students; three have graduated, and one is currently in high school. I am also a candidate for Rockingham County District 5 School Board. I am here tonight to express my support for Youngkin’s model policies for our county. The components of these policies include: Schools shall respect all students; Parents have the right to make decisions with respect to their children; schools shall serve the needs of all students; and schools shall partner with parents. At least 50% of transgender youth have considered suicide. That being said, one protective measure is having their family’s support. It would be a dereliction of duty not to inform parents when a student’s life is in the balance. The argument that I’ve heard against this policy is related to concerns about child abuse. Child abuse is a significant concern of mine. That is one of the reasons that I had many conversations with our school board members during COVID because I was concerned about caregiver abuse not being reported during the extended closure of schools. The CPS has stated that child abuse reports were significantly less during COVID. Child abuse is not gender specific and must be handled like the crime it is, no matter the reason. Another concern about the policy I’ve heard is that it would be impossible for a teacher/administrator to call home when a child requests to be called by different pronouns. However, I receive a phone call after my child has been tardy to class three times; tardiness does not directly correlate to a higher risk of suicide for our students. If a child has requested to be called a different gendered name, I can and should receive a phone call because that poses a threat to the child's wellbeing. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I would strongly encourage the board to adopt these policies. Good evening members of the board, and welcome Dr. Shifflett.
My name is Paula Lam and I am now a parent of one student in RCPS our other three sons are now enjoying life as graduates of Spotswood High School. The school year is fast approaching. I would like to follow up on what I presented to the board in May. Transparency is key to fostering healthy relationships between parents, students, and teachers. I have been a parent of students in RCPS schools since books and papers were the method of instruction. It was a daily conversation in our home about what they learned in school and how I could help them achieve success. Then we would follow up by cracking open a book and reviewing the work they brought home on paper. Now, I have children in the technological age where information is flowing faster than ever before, and I have less access to my student's records than I did before technology. It should be the opposite in the technological age. I’m requesting that our board consider amending policy IZE - GRADING, PROMOTION, AND REPORTING STUDENT PROGRESS section 2 under Pupil Reporting. Please consider adding parental view only access to our students' work on Schoology and google classroom. After researching Schoology’s website and consulting with teachers on Google Classroom, this request is a simple flip of a toggle switch by the teacher. My request brings the second bulleted item – the Folder’s of the student’s work – into the technological age in which we are now living. Having access to this information will allow parents to see the progress that our students are making on a regular basis. This transparency will allow parents to view the curriculum that is being taught, follow along with our student's progress, and assist the teachers in sending prepared students to classes that are ready to learn. Access to this information comes with the expectation that we as parents engage in constructive dialogue with teachers and administrators about the educational content being used in our school system. My next concern is that of the educational progress of our students. I would like to hear how RCPS SOL scores are compared to 5, 10, and 20 years ago. This is a concern of mine because I have talked with concerned parents about their children’s scores going down since entering school versus going up. The educational success of our students is imperative to the growth and viability of not only our community but our country. I would like to see RCPS schools lead the way in being the most transparent school in the country that educates our students on the skills and abilities that are necessary for them to thrive in the workforce, military, or in a higher education institution. On Monday night, I shared with the Rockingham County School Board an issue regarding transparency in what our children are being taught.
Here is the statement I prepared and shared: Good Evening. My name is Paula E. Lam, and I’m a parent of two students in District 5. I enjoy being involved in their learning experience and I have chosen to serve the school by being the PTSA president and Vice President of the Boosters here at SHS, serve on REFI Board of Directors, and participated in the Community Dialogue Initiative. I’m running for school board in District 5 as an engaged albeit concerned parent. My background is in policy and compliance, and I wanted to bring this issue to the board as one of several that I will talk about so that we can do what is best for our children. As a parent, I have discovered that things aren’t as transparent as they need to be, and I want to suggest to the board tonight to research this issue. During my time on the Community Dialogue Initiative, we talked about how to rebuild trust of the school system in the community. One step in the right direction would be transparency in what our children are being taught. Technology has provided us with the means to have information available at our fingertips, including our children’s educational record, which includes their full name. At many board meetings, we have heard that parents can access their children’s information anytime; we just need to log in. I tried logging into the library and found out I must use my child’s username and password. I’ve tried logging onto Schoology and I am able to see a little bit of information, but more often than not, I get an access denied page. I’ve had kids in RCPS for the past 20 years. I was able to keep track of the older kids' work because it was on paper and in books. With the technology that we have available, we should be able to access our children’s work and study materials at any time. I’ve had many good conversations, and it seems there is a toggle switch that the teachers can use that will make the work visible to parents. I’d like to request that any instrument of learning (video, website, slide show, etc.) and any work completed that child’s parent would always have access to this information. Through this transparency we will have access to our child’s record. Regarding the library books, I received notifications that my children have overdue books. That means we can receive a notification when our children check out a book. I’m a concerned and engaged parent that wants to make sure our students have a safe environment for learning, a transparent partnership with parents, teachers, and students, and engaged students giving back to the community. That needs to begin with transparency in education. It is apparent that we are being distracted by political hot topics, and the real issue here is the education of our children. Policy IKA - Parental Assistance with Instruction and IKB – Homework relates to parents helping their students with homework. Policy IIA – Instructional Materials states, “Parents may inspect, on request, any instructional material used as part of their student’s curriculum.” The technological resources we have today provide us with an excellent opportunity for transparency in education. The school system should provide access to all instructional materials and our student's assignments without having to request that information formally. Access to instructional materials is vital for us as parents to do our part in supporting our children. Technology is the tool that will provide the transparency needed to rebuild trust in the educational process. Being a mother is one of life’s greatest blessings. I’ve enjoyed watching our boys grow up and become responsible young men. My husband Duane and I struggled many times with the decision to send our children to public schools. Duane and his sister are graduates of Spotswood High School, and his parents were graduates of Elkton High School. I, on the other hand, received my diploma in the mail on a cold March day. I had spent most of my school years at a Christian school, and my senior year was through a home school program so that I could attend our local community college at the same time. We have covered our children in prayer as we sent them off to public school because my experience at a private school showed me that it is what is taught at home that really makes the difference. We wanted our children to have an opportunity to experience the world, and come home and discuss what they experienced at school with us so that we could have those formative conversations before they headed off on their own. Have they shared everything with us? No, I’m sure they have not. Have we monitored their schoolwork, met their friends, volunteered at school, participated in extracurricular activities? Yes, we have. In order to stay in touch, we have been involved in more than one area of the public school experience.
I have spent a great deal of time building relationships with teachers and administrators over the past 20 years. Many times, I have disagreed with how a situation was handled, but because of the relationships I have built, I am able to have a conversation that enables both sides to be heard and a reasonable compromise to be achieved. Face to face conversations are my preferred way to communicate because things can be posted on socials and oftentimes inflict unnecessary harm and confusion. I encourage anyone that has questions or concerns to reach out to me directly and we will find time to have a valuable conversation. My decision to run for District 5 School Board comes from a place of concern for the future of our educational system and our community. The education our children receive should be a solid foundation of English, history, math, science, and the arts. Our schools are fundamental to developing our sense of community. At school, our children develop life long friendships and valuable social skills that will enable them to be citizens that give back to their community. How we educate our children is one of the most difficult decisions that we as parents must make. My experience and knowledge will provide the leadership that you can trust on the school board so that all parents can be confident their values are being respected. With my vast experience and knowledge of state government and the public school system, I am confident that I will be a productive board member that preserves and protects what has made Rockingham County Public Schools a great place to learn and grow. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there sending their kids to school, whether that is homeschooling, private school, or public school. You have my full support and respect for doing what you believe is best for your children. God bless each and every one of you! |
Paula E. LamI love my family and my community. We are so blessed to call Rockingham County home. I want to see our county take the lead on providing a quality K-12 education that retains the heritage and values that has made this county a wonderful place to raise a family. ***The views expressed on this website are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer or the Commonwealth of Virginia.*** Archives
September 2023
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