Cindy Stuart, Candidate for School Board's District 3

General Information

Name : Ms. Cindy Stuart
Age : 45
Place of residence : Tampa

Education

College

Attended college : Yes
College : Florida International Unversity
Degree : Bachelor of Business Administration
Year of graduation : 1995

Grad school

Employment Information

Job titles held : Insurance Software Develpopment
Employers : New England Life, Financial Data Planning

Political Information

Running for a: Local office
Running for position: Hillsborough County School Board District 3
Chamber/district:
Incumbent: No
Previous elective offices : NA
Unsuccessful bids for elective offices: NA

Party HQ

Address P.O. Box 271218
Tampa
FL
33688-1218

URLs

Website : www.votecindystuart.com
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/VoteCindyStuart
Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfNQoBfeZrM

Other facts

I am a candidate for this office because I have a true vested interest in the decisions the Board makes for public education for this county. “Skin in the game” we’ll call it. I have three children currently in public school and I have worked hard for the past 10 years in my children's schools helping their peers, their teachers and other parents get everything they need to be successful. As a very active Past PTA President and Treasurer at two schools, I have been involved in all aspects of what it takes to make parent involvement work and how to engage in meaningful conversations about the successes of our students. Beyond PTA, I believe that parents need to know that this is not just about being a fundraising arm for the school. Parents need to feel there is more opportunity for them to engage in their child’s education on the decision making side. I believe that our students and parents deserve a school board member that understands the challenges facing public education. I believe our students and parents deserve a school board member who will stand and fight for our right to a quality education for all children. I believe our teachers deserve to be a critical component of a quality education and i think teachers should be a part of the decision making process at every level. I think high stakes testing (FCAT) is out of control and has lost it credibility this year with the errors that have come down from the Florida Department of Education. I think FCAT is hurting our students. I believe that we have to find competitive ways to keep our students in local schools, including returning some of the Vocational/ Technical electives to our middle schools. I believe that the school board's main role is to ask the tough questions of the superintendent and her staff and hold them accountable for the items being presented for my approval. I will continue to work hard every day to listen to parents and teachers, and present their issues to staff. I am a product of this community, I have been in classrooms and schools and I will continue to be accessible. The community is part of the solution to some of the issues facing some of our district schools and we must make a more energetic effort to reach out and include them in the game plan. I believe that our District should be a leader as the 3rd largest county in the state. I believe that we need to continue to readjust and watch the Bill & Melinda Gates Grant (Empowering Effective Teachers). I continuously hear from teachers who are frustrated by their new evaluation system and the amount of uncertainty that comes from all the testing that is being administered. Teachers need flexibility within their teaching styles to be able to reach students. If we agree that not every child learns in the same manner why can we not agree that all teachers do not teach in the same way? I want this School Board to be an active, collaborative body that works together to ensure that the district is setting the example for the rest of the state. I want this School Board to be a very loud voice in Tallahassee with our legislatures to ensure that we get the public funds that are needed to continue to educate our youth. I believe in the democratic process and understand my role is to act strategically, in line with the interests of the entire school community. I ensure you, if elected, I will be connected to the community I serve. My campaign has already been endorsed by The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times. Vote Cindy Stuart, Hillsborough County School Board District 3 on Aug. 14th.