Thomas Kennedy is running for the District 1 seat on the Citrus County School Board.
1. Why are you running for this office?
To ensure that a parent's voice and viewpoint continues to be part of the discussion and decision making process.
It is critical that we continue have on our school board a parent’s voice from one that is embedded in our schools, who children are affected by the decisions made, a person that is student focused, business minded, fiscally responsible, that has a positive proven track record and experience of being knowledge and working well with all stakeholders to get work accomplished for the benefit of all our students.
I have been that person on the school board and I will continue to be that person.
2. Why do you think you are the best qualified candidate for the office?
I am recognized as being a fiscally responsible board member and my votes reflect that. My experience as an owner/operator of a successful business in Citrus County has been helpful when making difficult decisions. For example, in the last four years our school district experienced funding cuts that necessitated reductions of over $10 million out of the budget.
As a private business owner I well understand and know the importance of keeping to a budget. I have never been afraid to ask tough questions and address tough issues and work to ensure positive change for all our students.
As a board member I make decisions carefully, fully aware that each decision has an effect upon other students or programs. I am proud that we have a balanced budget, that does not cuts services in the classroom, that adds money to the fund savings and that puts our students first.
I am proud to be known as a school board member that is visible, accessible and communicates well. I typically visit three or more schools a week. I have set a new standard of how board members communicate. I use blogging and social media to share about our schools, students’ activities and educational issues and my blog (www.ThomasTalks.org) receives over 80,000 hits monthly. I have set a new standard of how board members communicate.
Board members I feel should be examples and as a former ESE student myself I serve as an example that students with learning disabilities can excel. I am regularly asked by parents to speak to their students and teachers to come into their classrooms to speak about my ESE experiences and to motivate their students.
In addition as a parent when as a board we talk about things like FCAT, PERT, Common Core, and Florida Standards, I have been the board member who has children that have been and will continue to be directly affected by these issues. As a parent I well understand the impact these decisions are having on students.
3. If you are elected, what will be your top priorities?
There are two, technology and providing more Career & Technical Education (CTE) options for our students.
First, it is essential that we continue to support engaging and relevant technology and curriculum to students to better prepare them for their future college and career paths. Because the state’s legislative mandate on transitioning from print to digital curriculum was just accelerated this last legislative session, it is critical that our schools, teachers and most especially students have the necessary individual digital student devices (a.k.a. tables, iPads, etc.).
The state has now mandated that beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, 50 percent of all text funds must be used for individual digital textbooks. Furthermore, beginning this 2014-2015 school year, all 3rd through 12th grade students’ state high-stakes assessments, such as AIR--FCAT’s replacement--, EOCs, etc., must be given on a digital device. (Only 3rd & 4th grade ELA and math are excluded from this mandate.)
Citrus is further along than most districts in this massive and critical “real world” undertaking. I have been the Board member that has been at the forefront of helping my fellow board members understand the technology components that are now key in our curriculum needs. District leaders and staff have continuously used my technology knowledge to help meet the demands of these new mandates.
Secondly, I do not agree with the state’s belief that education is “one size fits all” or their actions that support that belief. I do not support the state’s concept that “all students must be college eligible in order to graduate,” which in now in law.
Our state and local economy needs a cross section of workers and recent studies confirm that nearly half of the jobs in the next ten years in Florida will require specific technical training and certifications.
This has led me to be chosen as chairman of the State Representative’s Jimmie T. Smith's task force on Career & Technical Education, which played a role in the 2013 legislature revising the HS graduation requirements to have more common sense. However, we need go further.
A standard state high school diploma is critical for in order for students to be successful on their college or career path. As an example, a GED alone is no longer good enough to be admitted into the Armed Forces.
Even with the 2013 and 2014 modification revising high school graduation requirements, the state still has graduation requirements equal to college entrance requirements. In order for the Freshman class of 2013 to graduate, students have to pass Florida's State Assessment for Reading along with Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics. They also must pass another science course that is equally as rigorous as Chemistry or Physics and pass at least one on-line high school course.
The standard graduation requirements for high school are higher than the entrance requirements to UF. I have and will continue to use my influence with our state legislators to make further revisions in state requirements to provide greater options for our students.
I am a great supporter of our career academies' career readiness training. For example, at the Crystal River High School Academy of Health students can earn a certification as a CNA and/or other certifications their Junior year which allows them to begin work immediately after high school.
Another great example is the Citrus High School & CRHS Drafting Academy which is 1st in the Southeast and 2nd in the entire nation in having the largest number of drafters become ADDA certified drafters. The Academy’s walls are filled with copies of the certifications former students have received. These students have the skills to be hired directly out of high school or to continue their education in many other areas.
I am working to have one of our high schools offer an Engineer & Manufacturing Academy and for CRHS to expand the Academy of Health to include patients billing and coding, environmental services and mechanical operations. This is most challenging due to the issues I explained above. The students that need these training are the students that have to take remediation courses as their electives instead of CTE.