Youngblood Wants to Focus on Student Achievement, Work Force Readiness

Brenda Youngblood said her priorities are improving student performance and helping students to be active members of the future workforce.

Youngblood is one of four candidates running for three seats on the Hazelwood School District's Board of Education in the April 5 election. The others are Ann Gibbons, Charles “Chuck” Woods and Nita Curry. Gibbons and Woods are incumbents. A third incumbent, Diane Dowdy, decided not to seek re-election.

Youngblood served in the district for 22 years as a principal at Keeven and McCurdy elementary schools. She worked for the Hazelwood School District for 37 years all together.

She teaches on the graduate faculty as an adjunct professor at Lindenwood University and works with administrators in the Missouri Schools Improvement Grant Program.

“No. 1, the Hazelwood School District is a strong district and a very caring district,” Youngblood said. She said the district has a strong base of parents, community and business leaders who care about the district.

“We need to engage and invite our community to be active in the district,” Youngblood said. “We should be able to share and seek other resources and ideas in a collaborative fashion."

According to Youngblood, all efforts should be directed toward improving student achievement.

“My platform is locally educated and locally equipped,” she said. “We need to prepare students to be active members of the work force.

"They will be competing all the time with other citizens of the world.”

She said she has perspective in competing globally, having traveled to 38 countries.

“I believe that helps me with respect to seeing the big picture. I feel I can see things outside the box,” Youngblood said.

She said the district teachers should rely on research-based strategies that impact student achievement and performance.

“How do we continually motivate students? I’ve always had high expectations of our students and our staff members,” Youngblood said.

“I think my experience has provided me the opportunity to see the overall picture,” she said of her time. “I won’t have to play catch up, because I’ve been a part of it."

Her philosophy on budget decisions is simple.

“Whatever decisions are made, make them on behalf of what’s best for the kids,” she said. “You start with that perspective. That’s why we exist.”

She said HSD could use an alternative-school setting within existing schools and with current staff. Some believe Hazelwood should start an alternative school to address needs of students not succeeding in traditional classrooms.

“You don’t always need an alternative school to do those types of things,” Youngblood said. “Perhaps we can achieve those things in our existing settings.”

Schools include special needs children in the regular school setting by using qualified teachers and aides. Youngblood said the same approach could apply to alternative education.

“You need people qualified to address the needs of the children,” she said. "That approach could be more fiscally responsible and might be able to use existing staff."

This is the second of a series of articles on all four Hazelwood School District Board of Education candidates. Check back Tuesday, March 29 for a profile on Charles Woods. For a schedule of election coverage .