Jarvis E. Bailey, Jannan W. Holmes and Charlotte G. Horne are running for two at-large Fredericksburg City School Board seats in the the May 3, 2016, general election.
Fredericksburg Today invited each of the candidates to respond to a brief candidate questionnaire.
Following are the complete and unedited answers provided by Charlotte Horne.
Why are your running for school board?
I was fortunate enough to be sent to Fredericksburg City Schools by my parents. The teachers there work day in and day out to make sure that my peers and I got the best education possible and I want to give back. I want to make sure our students have every opportunity to follow their dreams once they walk across that stage at graduation. I would love the opportunity to work with all members of the current School Board to make sure our schools are the best they possibly can be, and if elected along with Mr. Bailey that would be possible as Mrs. Holmes would retain her Ward 3 seat. We all must work together, and I want to be able to give back to the community that gave me the necessary resources to accomplish my goals.
What do you believe are the three most pressing issues facing city schools, and what do you propose to do about these issues? Please limit your response to 100 words per issue.
2a. First and foremost is resources. We need to make sure that our teachers and classrooms have every possible resource available to make sure our students are as successful as possible. FCPS Superintendent makes 257 thousand dollars a year with just over 3500 students. Stafford has 27 thousand students and Spotsylvania has between 23 and 24 thousand students and both make less than FCPS. Are our resources being used properly? We need to evaluate how they are being used and where changes can be made to make sure resources go to the most important place, our classroom.
2b. We need to increase access to vocational programs for our students. While it is the goal of some students to go to college, that is not true for all, and we need to offer other alternatives. With only 2 on site vocational programs, our students do not have many choices. We need to look into programs such JROTC and mechanics, along with others. We need to ensure that our students are ready for whatever their plans are after high school so that they can be as successful as possible the day they receive their diploma.
2c. Access to our elected officials at any level is paramount to a successful society. When the future of our children is in play, access to members of the Fredericksburg City School board is a must. Without input from the community, we could be missing issues that need to be addressed. I will ensure that parents feel comfortable enough to come address issues that they are seeing in our School System so that we can make it the best it possibly can be.
Please provide a brief biography (100 words maximum), to include your current or previous civic service, education, and occupation.
I am a lifelong resident of the Fredericksburg Area, and I graduated from James Monroe in 2011. From there I went to Randolph-Macon College where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communication Studies in 2015. While there I was fortunate enough to intern for three different local elected officials. I now work for Rappahannock Insurance Services as a Licensed Sales Producer and Customer Service Representative. I am a provisional member of the Fredericksburg Area Service League, I volunteer for Rappahannock United Way, and the Moss Free Clinic.
The Other School Board Candidates
School Board Candidate Questionnaire: Jarvis Bailey
School Board Candidate Questionnaire: Jannan Holmes
School Board Candidate’s Uncle Believes Another Candidate Should Not Be Running
Video: Fredericksburg Candidate Forum by FredXchange
Additional stories about the City of Fredericksburg May 3, 2016, General Election:
Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire: Mary Katherine Greenlaw
Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire: Richard Dynes
City Council Candidate Questionnaire: Kerry Devine
City Council Candidate Questionnaire: Matt Kelly
Video: Closing Statements from Mayoral Candidates Debate
City of Fredericksburg May 3 General Election Details
New Voting System Will Be Launched for May 3 General Election
FredXchange Hosts Candidate Forum
Second Fredericksburg Mayoral Debate Scheduled for April 20
Richard Dynes Enters Race for Fredericksburg Mayor
Mayor Greenlaw Announces Bid for Re-Election
Matt Kelly Announces Re-Election Run
