Kennedy files for re-election

Always advocating for students

When I first ran for this office, I promised you that I would serve the needs of the students, families, teachers and schools of Citrus County every day, I have kept my promise.  With all of us working together, much has been accomplished, but much more is still to be done.  Today, February 19^th, 2018, I have filed papers with the Citrus County Election Office to run for re-election to again serve as your Citrus County School Board Member for District 1.

The support, encouragement, and prayers I have received each day from you encourage and empower me to serve our schools and community.  I very much value the citizens that follow me on Facebook, Twitter, on my blogs at Talk on Citrus Schools and www.ThomasTalks.org. I am honored by the number of you that have reached out to me, shared your concerns with me, and/or asked for assistance. I am continually honored to be your representative and to be a vocal advocate for the students, parents, teachers, staff, schools, district, and community.

During my tenure on the Citrus County School Board, I’ve watched as public education funding in Florida has been reduced as per-pupil funding by the legislature has been cut, which has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in lost funding for our school district. We are now funded at a per-pupil rate LESS than the 2007 levels!  Despite these challenges we have worked strategically to protect the classroom level needs of our students, bringing engaging and relevant academic technology integration to individual students so they are prepared for the challenging expectations of their future college and/or career paths.

I have taken an active role in building relationships with our local state legislative representatives to help them better understand our district’s and students’ needs.   I have stood against high stakes testing, while advocating for relevant and appropriate alternatives, by working to influence proposed legislation that would reduce state-mandated testing and offer alternative graduation options for our students.  I was instrumental in the Citrus County School District’s removal of the controversial “Value-Added Model” from the teacher evaluation formula.  I play an active role in creating effective policies, improving effective budget development and improving job descriptions that led to enhancements for our students, staff, and schools.  I have made it my priority to regularly communicate with you, the public, on the education issues that are impacting the classrooms, students, teachers, and ultimately the entire Citrus County community. It has been my honor to provide a needed voice for parents, advocate for special needs and at-risk students, and to have been readily accessible to those with concerns about the issues public education is facing today.

But with all that the school board has tried to accomplish, public education is clearly under great attack.  The State of Florida through legislative mandates continues to penalize our students using the snapshot of a high stakes standardized test that may keep many students from earning a high school diploma.   Our schools struggle to find qualified teachers; we are facing a teaching shortage in our county, state, and nation which will have monumental negative impacts if we do not immediately and strategically address it.

Our students and our public schools are an investment in our country’s future and Florida’s future economy is dependent on their successes. We must continue to focus on making the curriculum and standards relevant to the world in which our students will live and work. We must continue to foster positive working relationships with our state legislators to educate them so they can make better decisions that enhance and promote improving education, rather then hampering it.  We must continue to support our teachers and reverse the great teaching shortage.  And we must continue to challenge and inspire our students to be more and go further. As we face some of the greatest challenges to education our generation has ever seen, I will continue to work tirelessly to support, promote and improve public education for our students, parents, teachers, staff, schools, district, and community.

I ask for your continual prayers and support.

Thomas Kennedy

Comments Off on Kennedy files for re-election
Filed under: News & Updates