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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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PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF PAULA E. LAM |
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