On October 15, 2024, the Chester County School District's Teacher Forum held a forum for the 2024 School Board Candidates. Each candidate was asked to share their perspective on a variety of school-related topics.
The public can click here to view a recording of the forum on YouTube.
After the forum, each candidate was given additional questions in which their responses would be published below. They could also provide any additional information:
Delores Crocket, School Board District 1
(As of the posting of this article, Ms. Crocket has not responded to the questions sent, but has provided the following statement.)
My name is Deloris Crockett, I am announcing my plans to run for the Chester County School Board for the District I seat in November 2024.
It is my personal goal and Motto “To Be an Advocate for All Children”. I am a life long resident of Richburg SC (Chester County). I am a graduate of Lewisville High School Class of 1982, as well as a graduate of York Technical College with an Associate Degree in Applied Science with a Major in Business Management. My education in Chester County has afforded me many opportunities over the past twenty (20) years. I am the Mother of one son who was also educated in the Lewisville Schools and the proud grandmother of two grandchildren. I am a member of Love and Charity Baptist Church serving as the church secretary.
My professional career, positive attitude, and involvement will be attributes for a fresh perspective on the Chester County School Board. I was previously employed with the Chester County School District in serving as a substitute teacher for eight (8) years and witnessed firsthand the academic excellence of the students. This gave me the unique experience, knowledge, and insight into the education system operations. Currently, I am employed with the Lancaster County Department of Social Services in Lancaster SC for the past ten (12) years as an Administrative Specialist II.
My committed leadership serving on the Planning & Zoning Board of Richburg SC for community growth, Chester County Poll Manager and other various volunteer roles exhibits my community involvement for success. I envision increased student and parental involvement through more enhanced participation. My business background potential, believe that the school board should continue to be proactive and focused on continuously creating a challenging, supportive nurturing student, teacher, and classroom environment. Every year we see visible evidence of the educational success of Chester County Seniors by the millions in scholarship awards that are received.
Tara Thomas, School Board District 1
My name is Tara Thomas, I have lived in Edgemoor, S.C. (Chester County) for 34 years. I am married to Jerry Thomas, an LHS 1988 grad and the current LHS Head Softball Coach. Together we have three children. All of whom have gone through the Lewisville Schools (2011-2013 and 2018). I have an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from USC-Lancaster. As a dedicated Regulatory Cost Analyst for Comporium, Inc. I would bring a detail-oriented and solution-focused approach to the Chester County School Board. My leadership roles across various community boards underscore my commitment to our community’s prosperity.
I am encouraged by the potential to enrich our educational system and nurture youth engagement, ensuring our children’s futures are bright and filled with opportunity,
My vision embraces a community where quality education is accessible to all, supported by robust after-school programs that foster a sense of belonging and achievement among our youth.
My unique blend of analytical prowess and a proven record of community enhancement initiatives sets me apart, highlighting my ability to lead with both insight and action for the betterment of our schools and community. I will be an advocate for greater transparency and higher level of accountability for how tax dollars are spent.
1. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing our public schools right now and what are your plans to address this challenge as a school board member?
Teacher shortages, retention, and morale. The district needs to be more aggressive in recruiting new teachers. Offer incentives, such as more personal days/sick days. Teachers with young children often have pay deducted from their checks because they do not have enough days if something comes up with their children. Smaller classrooms, or if we can’t get smaller classrooms, then have an assistant in the classroom. This would be for 1st grade and up. It's hard for teachers, especially first grade, to give attention to over 20 students. Elementary is where some students have their first experience with learning, if there are 20+ students in a classroom, those who need that extra help may slip through the cracks. This is their formative years, and we need to make sure we are giving them all the advantages we can.
2. What is your perception of the current working and learning climate in our school district?
It appears to me that the teachers feel unsupported in the classrooms, and the administration at the schools feel unsupported from the district. The discipline has gotten worse, a lot of students have little to no respect for teachers. They are disruptive in class, and this takes time away from learning to address the bad behavior.
Do you have any ideas on how to ensure a positive working and learning climate in our district?
I believe that to ensure a positive working/learning climate, it begins at the top. Students must respect and feel supported by the teachers, the teachers need to be respected and supported by their school’s administration, and the school administration needs to feel respected and supported by the district. Without the school board and District working together to make sure that the staff, teachers, and students have support nothing will change. There needs to be a clear plan at the beginning of the school year of what is expected. This expectation needs to be outlined and explained to the parents as well so that everyone is on the same page right from the start of school. Then it needs to be upheld. The only way that the climate will change is to make sure everyone from the top to the students/parents are on the same page. We need to get parents to see that there is a partnership between the school and the parents. We need to be able to hold district/board/schools/teachers/students and parents accountable.
3. What does being a supporter of public education mean to you?
It means community, making sure that all children have access to a great education, no matter their circumstances.
4. What specific actions will you take to promote parental support in public education?
Set up more events/activities for families to take part in at the schools. Elementary schools have PTAs, maybe having one at the middle and high school would be beneficial. Or some form of a PTA, where the parents can be involved with the schools. Have an open forum with the parents and teachers with the board at least 2 times a school year. They could come and discuss issues that are happening in the classrooms and give their thoughts and ideas on what could be done to encourage a better learning environment. If the teachers and parents feel like the board, district, and administration are listening to them, together we can improve learning.
5. If a parent brings you an issue regarding their child, what steps would you take to resolve the parent’s issue or concern?
As a board member, there are limits to what I can do. However, I would listen to the parents' issues or concerns, would let them know I empathize with them but let them know I cannot directly intervene with an individual student. I would then direct them to the appropriate school official, like the school principal or district administrator, so that their concern would be addressed formally. I would let them know that I would support the administration in investigating the issue.
Brenda Fort, School Board District 2
(Ms. Fort is currently serving on the Board, and is running unopposed.)
1. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing our public schools right now and what are your plans to address this challenge as a school board member?
One of the greatest challenges facing public schools right now is staffing our public schools with certified teachers. We have a shortage of certified teachers in our district. We are filling those shortages with foreign teachers (who are certified), computer- assisted programs with certified teachers, long term substitutes, and teachers in training.
a. We need to grow our own teachers by encouraging our students to be teachers. We need to offer scholarships to students who will agree to teach in our schools for at least five years.
b. We need to continue to raise teachers salaries, increase safety in our schools, and scrap useless paper-work, needless meetings, decrease introduction of untested software and training, and encourage teachers to ask for professional development they can actually use in their classrooms.
2. What is your perception of the current working and learning climate in our school district? Do you have any ideas on how to ensure positive working and learning climate in our district
a. Because of the way this question is structured, it is obvious there is something not positive about the working environment and learning climate according to the authors of this question. So that being said, I believe there is a tremendous amount of pressure on teachers to “buckle down” and get students prepared to not just perform adequately on state mandated testing but to have outstanding scores to raise the schools performances and therefore raise the district’s scores.
b. The learning climate at all of our schools has improved some (according to the school climate questionnaire given to students and their parents). The parents and students expressed that they felt safe at school. However, we need to put more boots on the ground to assist students and not keep “coaching” teachers. We need to listen to teachers more and use their expertise.
3. What does being a supporter of public education mean to you?
I believe in public education because it supports the skills needed to think critically and be successful in life after school. It use to be that only the elite did not go to public school. We all had the same experiences and learned the same general knowledge. We were a nation united by the same general education. We all said the pledge of allegiance, had holiday assemblies, learned the same American songs, and had a moment of silence for people to express their religious meditations or other beliefs. Public education provides the opportunity for every child in our great country to learn to read, to write, to learn mathematics, to be safe, and to be accepted as worthy individuals. It is the backbone of our constitutional republic.
4. What specific actions will you take to promote parental support in public education?
Transparency, transparency, transparency is what I intend to keep pushing and for which I will keep pounding. Parents and the public lose confidence in any public institution when they feel they are not getting the true picture on finances, hiring, policies and decisions made by the District Office. We are communicating better on situations involving student safety. Parents and the public can see what improvements have been made by the Chester County School District for student safety. Cameras, fencing, safe entrance vestibules, SRO’s, anonymous tips of dangerous activities or weapons in school, and more police presence at school events and activities. However, they can not see the nuances of the budget process, the procurement procedures, agreements, contracts, and agreements for financial activities and expenses. The state mandates the district put its audits, check register, and credit card expenses on line but many times the public has questions and the school board needs to see that the public gets factual, concise , understandable answers. The more we are transparent, the more the public will trust a public institution. The citizens of this county are smart and can understand anything if we just share (anything we can legally share) the facts with them.
5. If a parent brings you an issue regarding their child, what steps would you take to resolve the parent’s issue or concern?
First: Listen, really listen to what the parent is telling me. Take notes and write down pertinent information. Second: Call the Superintendent, (the one employee that the Board personally hires and fires) and give him everything that the parent expressed along with the information the parent gave me. The Superintendent looks into the matter and reports the findings, solutions, or final resolution to me, and I call the parent or the Superintendent calls them personally and talks to them. I have absolutely no authority outside of the Board Meeting with the 6 other school board members present. I can gather information, listen to parents, students, teachers, administrator, and the public, and I can get information for them or refer them to people who can solve their problem or issue. I can ask questions during the board meetings or call the Superintendent for information outside of board meetings. I can not speak for the Board, make promises without Board authorization, enter into contracts or agreements , or tell employees what to do.
Nakia Houston-White, School Board District 5
(Ms. Houston-White is currently serving on the Board, and is running unopposed.)
1. What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing our public schools right now and what are your plans to address this challenge as a school board member?
Some of the biggest challenges facing our public schools now are the safety and infrastructure concerns of our high schools. We are also challenged with improving our students academically. As a school board member, I will continue to advocate for better school conditions, as well as, for resources and learning opportunities to provide academic support for our students and staff.
2. What is your perception of the current working and learning climate in our school district? Do you have any ideas on how to ensure a positive working and learning climate in our district?
I believe our district consists of professionals who are passionate about education. The professional learning communities throughout our schools work tirelessly to find new ways to promote academic learning and support for our students. I believe our district is progressive in moving learning forward.
3. What does being a supporter of public education mean to you?
My academic career began in the public schools of Chester County. The experiences I gained through my journey, the different world perspectives my teachers exposed me to, and the love and support they gave to me plays a huge part of my passion for public education. Everyone deserves an opportunity to learn and to grow to new heights. Public education makes that possible for children of walks of life across our nation. I am public educator, and nothing brings me more joy than expanding the minds of our youth. They are the future leaders of tomorrow and they deserve access to resources and opportunities to make reach their future goals and fullest potential.
4. What specific actions will you take to promote parental support in public education?
I will communicate with the parents the importance of their participation in their child’s education. Data shows that students who have strong parental involvement and support perform better academically and socially at school. I will promote parental support by sharing with parents’ ways in which they can support public education. I will encourage parents to attend school events, to volunteer, and to be a voice at school meetings and district forums. I will strive to educate our parents on how they can exercise all privileges as stakeholders of the Chester County School District.
5. If a parent brings you an issue regarding their child, what steps would you take to resolve the parent’s issue or concern?
Understanding and support are essential in resolving conflict. I want the parents to know that their issues and concerns are valuable. I will grant our parents a listening ear and an open mind. I will collaboratively work together to support the parents by connecting them to the resources and individuals available to work toward resolving issues of concern.