Denise’s top priority is providing a safe and highly effective educational experience for our students. With over 30 years of experience in education, Denise is ready to hit the ground running and begin implementing solutions on day one.
Denise’s Priorities
Provide Safe and Secure Schools
Students and staff deserve a safe place to learn and work, and parents deserve peace of mind that their children are safe throughout the school day. Denise will champion expanding the Guardian Program to enhance campus security and deter threats.
The School District of Lee County currently has one of the highest rates of violence and disruptive behavior offenses in the state. Denise believes it is crucial to provide direct support to students with behavioral problems as well as their families. By increasing communication and providing resources for families, we can ensure these at-risk students have the help they need while maintaining a stable environment for the entire school community.
Improve Student Literacy & Graduation Rates
Improving student literacy is of utmost importance- currently, only 45% of the district’s tenth grade students read on grade level, and the district’s third grade reading scores were one of the lowest in the state. These statistics are unacceptable and are a direct correlation to the district’s low graduation rate of 82.5%. When our students are not reading on grade level, it impacts their overall educational achievement and affects their entire academic career.
On day one, Denise will ensure educators in every Lee County classroom are teaching the Florida Standards and Benchmarks, and will work to streamline curriculum, instruction, and assessment processes to improve student achievement. She will also hold teachers accountable if they are not performing to expectations. It is the district’s responsibility to explore every option for student success, and Denise is committed to improving academic achievement for our kids.
Increase Teacher Retention & Recruitment
Over the past two years, Lee County teachers have been departing at record levels, and it is students who pay the price. In order for our students to thrive in the classroom, we must ensure we are retaining the most effective and recruiting the most qualified teachers.
It is crucial that our teachers are supported and provided with competitive compensation along with a respectful and positive work environment. If teachers do not feel they have an environment where they can thrive, neither will students.
Ensure Fiscal Responsibility
The school district, Lee County’s second largest employer, has a $2.5 billion budget. It is essential that taxpayer dollars are spent in a fiscally responsible manner on supporting students and schools, and in alignment with the District’s Strategic Plan. Denise will slash wasteful spending, that yields little to no return on investment or cannot be quantified to improve academic achievement. She will also scrutinize contracts to ensure that the district is receiving the best services at the best cost, and continuously review the district’s organizational chart and make adjustments, as required, to support the needs of schools.
Empower Parents
Denise understands that parents, not bureaucrats, should be in charge of what their children are learning, and parental rights are a fundamental part of education. She will encourage more parental input, including the ability to opt in or out of curriculum they do not want their children exposed to. As a parent herself, Denise believes parents should be the chief decision maker in their child’s future.
Enhance Trade & Technical Programs
The need has never been greater for skilled trade workers in our local economy. These are high paying jobs that provide great career opportunities, yet do not require college degrees. Denise understands that there are many paths to success outside of college and is dedicated to enhancing our trade and technical programs so that our graduates are ready to enter the workforce and fill these high paying jobs without incurring years of student loan debt.
