School Board District 6
Patrice Nealon
Are you an incumbent?
No
1. Do you support the City of Raleigh’s $275 million parks bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
2. Do you support the $353.2 million Wake Tech bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
3. Do you support the $530.7 million Wake County schools bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
4. If elected, what are your plans for working with the Wake County Board of Commissioners to achieve our schools’ needs?
As a school board member, I recognize it is critical to maintain a positive dialog with the County Board of Commissioners. More so, I will work together on common education goals related to Pre-K and WCPSS educational outcomes. My business background will serve me well as I advocate for WCPSS capital needs to ensure there is a well-funded long term plan for our schools. If the Board of Commissioners underfunds critical needs, I will be a tireless advocate for appropriate funding to ensure all students in Wake County receive a quality education.
5. How do you plan to engage and build trust with parents, employers, and other stakeholders of your school district?
As a school board member, I will be an active listener to all stakeholders and be fully transparent in all decisions. Sadly, many parents do not trust our current school board. Parents are frustrated and tired from the broken promises made during the COVID closures. Parents are also highly concerned with student outcomes. They are seeing the learning loss first hand and want a board that will address the loss. This is not healthy and needs immediate change. A parent is a child's first teacher. I will promote the valuable bond between student, teacher, and parent by reinstilling past parent/teacher activities and create new opportunities. As a college educator for over twenty years, I have always nurtured strong employer relationships. It is a win-win relationship for all. As so many companies move to Wake County, I will continue to build the school/employer partnership.
6. What will you do to improve school safety in Wake County?
It is paramount we ensure our schools are safe from harm and danger. Every child sitting in a classroom or playing on the playground should not have to think about their safety. The recent safety audit needs to be executed and implemented in a timely manner. The last two years have seen a reluctance by some members of our community and school board for School Resource Officers (SROs). Thankfully, this mindset is changing. To keep our schools safe, we need to implement a multi-solution response:
• Properly trained SROs in every school (with a priority to higher level schools)
• Increased safety training for teachers, staff and students
• Partnerships with law enforcement, mental health professionals and youth serving community agencies
• New technologies such as safety apps
7. What are the growing trends in student needs, and how should the Wake County Public School System address them?
Lower Student Grade Level Proficiencies
-It is good to see learning loss is being recognized as a real construct. The data is clear that substantial learning loss occurred in most every subject because of school closures and virtual learning. We have a significant amount of federal COVID relief funds, that if not used, we will lose in two years. Prioritize these funds to tutoring based on individual student needs so every student can move forward with their education. In addition, reach out to our community for volunteer parents, college students, and retirees to supplement tutoring needs. Evidenced-based learning methodologies need to be used. There is hard data that proves the current MVP math program is not effective with most of our students. Sadly, these students will lack the needed math skills post-high school.
Increased Mental Health Issues
-Mental health in our youth, especially young women, suffered greatly under COVID closures. A student’s emotional well-being is a contributing factor to academic success. Social and emotional teacher check-ins should be the first line of defense. As a school board member, I will be a strong voice for increased mental health funding. Just as we are far behind in teacher pay, we are also behind in our ratios for mental health professionals, with 1 psychologist for every 2527 students versus the recommended 1:500.
Safety & Respect
-As a board member, I will take a proactive approach to stop the bullying, including cyberbully, and outright fighting happening too often in our schools. As a mother of three children, I learned quickly children want structure in their life with consequences when rules are broken. Our schools need to have rules that ensure safety and respect for all.
8. How do you propose the Wake County Public School System overcome its current labor shortage? Please give specific steps you wish to see taken.
With baby boomer teachers retiring and a dwindling pipeline of new teachers, I will prioritize hiring qualified teachers and support staff. In the short term, I will utilize unspent COVID funds for hiring bonuses to attract applications for teachers and staff. In the longer term, I would be a relentless advocate for increased teacher pay. I would also work with higher ed to attract more students to the teaching profession by providing scholarships and other creative incentives like the highly successful NC Teaching Fellows Program that was dropped several years ago.
9. What should the school system focus on to ensure children are ready for the jobs of tomorrow?
The report card for our schools shows there is a need for significant improvement and change. On average, half of our students are not meeting grade level standards, with low-income schools as low as one in five students. Basic skills of reading, writing and math are needed post-high school regardless if a student ends their education with a high school degree, goes on to learn technical skills, or continues their education to earn a college degree. With a solid basic skills foundation, our schools should ensure students know how to think critically, be adaptable and embrace diversity.
Are you an incumbent?
No
1. Do you support the City of Raleigh’s $275 million parks bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
2. Do you support the $353.2 million Wake Tech bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
3. Do you support the $530.7 million Wake County schools bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
4. If elected, what are your plans for working with the Wake County Board of Commissioners to achieve our schools’ needs?
As a school board member, I recognize it is critical to maintain a positive dialog with the County Board of Commissioners. More so, I will work together on common education goals related to Pre-K and WCPSS educational outcomes. My business background will serve me well as I advocate for WCPSS capital needs to ensure there is a well-funded long term plan for our schools. If the Board of Commissioners underfunds critical needs, I will be a tireless advocate for appropriate funding to ensure all students in Wake County receive a quality education.
5. How do you plan to engage and build trust with parents, employers, and other stakeholders of your school district?
As a school board member, I will be an active listener to all stakeholders and be fully transparent in all decisions. Sadly, many parents do not trust our current school board. Parents are frustrated and tired from the broken promises made during the COVID closures. Parents are also highly concerned with student outcomes. They are seeing the learning loss first hand and want a board that will address the loss. This is not healthy and needs immediate change. A parent is a child's first teacher. I will promote the valuable bond between student, teacher, and parent by reinstilling past parent/teacher activities and create new opportunities. As a college educator for over twenty years, I have always nurtured strong employer relationships. It is a win-win relationship for all. As so many companies move to Wake County, I will continue to build the school/employer partnership.
6. What will you do to improve school safety in Wake County?
It is paramount we ensure our schools are safe from harm and danger. Every child sitting in a classroom or playing on the playground should not have to think about their safety. The recent safety audit needs to be executed and implemented in a timely manner. The last two years have seen a reluctance by some members of our community and school board for School Resource Officers (SROs). Thankfully, this mindset is changing. To keep our schools safe, we need to implement a multi-solution response:
• Properly trained SROs in every school (with a priority to higher level schools)
• Increased safety training for teachers, staff and students
• Partnerships with law enforcement, mental health professionals and youth serving community agencies
• New technologies such as safety apps
7. What are the growing trends in student needs, and how should the Wake County Public School System address them?
Lower Student Grade Level Proficiencies
-It is good to see learning loss is being recognized as a real construct. The data is clear that substantial learning loss occurred in most every subject because of school closures and virtual learning. We have a significant amount of federal COVID relief funds, that if not used, we will lose in two years. Prioritize these funds to tutoring based on individual student needs so every student can move forward with their education. In addition, reach out to our community for volunteer parents, college students, and retirees to supplement tutoring needs. Evidenced-based learning methodologies need to be used. There is hard data that proves the current MVP math program is not effective with most of our students. Sadly, these students will lack the needed math skills post-high school.
Increased Mental Health Issues
-Mental health in our youth, especially young women, suffered greatly under COVID closures. A student’s emotional well-being is a contributing factor to academic success. Social and emotional teacher check-ins should be the first line of defense. As a school board member, I will be a strong voice for increased mental health funding. Just as we are far behind in teacher pay, we are also behind in our ratios for mental health professionals, with 1 psychologist for every 2527 students versus the recommended 1:500.
Safety & Respect
-As a board member, I will take a proactive approach to stop the bullying, including cyberbully, and outright fighting happening too often in our schools. As a mother of three children, I learned quickly children want structure in their life with consequences when rules are broken. Our schools need to have rules that ensure safety and respect for all.
8. How do you propose the Wake County Public School System overcome its current labor shortage? Please give specific steps you wish to see taken.
With baby boomer teachers retiring and a dwindling pipeline of new teachers, I will prioritize hiring qualified teachers and support staff. In the short term, I will utilize unspent COVID funds for hiring bonuses to attract applications for teachers and staff. In the longer term, I would be a relentless advocate for increased teacher pay. I would also work with higher ed to attract more students to the teaching profession by providing scholarships and other creative incentives like the highly successful NC Teaching Fellows Program that was dropped several years ago.
9. What should the school system focus on to ensure children are ready for the jobs of tomorrow?
The report card for our schools shows there is a need for significant improvement and change. On average, half of our students are not meeting grade level standards, with low-income schools as low as one in five students. Basic skills of reading, writing and math are needed post-high school regardless if a student ends their education with a high school degree, goes on to learn technical skills, or continues their education to earn a college degree. With a solid basic skills foundation, our schools should ensure students know how to think critically, be adaptable and embrace diversity.
