Special 2014 Announcement

…our work is not done!

Approximately four years ago I began on a journey to run for this office and serve the students and schools of the Citrus County public school district.  I believe we have accomplished much but there is still more work to do, and therefore I today January 17^th, 2014, I filed papers with the Citrus County Election Office to again serve as a Citrus County School Board Member for District 1.

The support, encouragement and prayers that I have received over the last four years have helped me serve our schools and community.  I have valued the growing number of readers of my newsletters and blog which has over 80,000 hits a month. I am humbled by the vast numbers of you that have reached out to me, shared concerns with me, and/or asked for assistance. I am honored to be a representative and advocate for our students, parents, teachers, staff, schools, district, and community.

We have faced great challenges since I was sworn into office three years ago.  During my tenure our school district has experienced a funding reduction that has forced cuts of over $10 million dollars a year out of the budget.  Despite these challenges we have worked to bring engaging and relevant technology devices to individual students to better prepare them for their future college and career paths.  We have continued to be a state leader by increasing our high school graduation rate while at the same time reducing our dropout rate, even with the revised state mandates, directives, and rigorous graduation requirements. We have worked with our local legislators to build relationships to help them better understand our district’s and students’ needs.  In the wake of these challenges I have provided a voice for parents, advocated for ESE and at-risk students, and been readily accessible to those expressing concerns about the issues public education is facing today.

But with all that we have accomplished, our work is not done.  Our students and our public schools are an investment in our future. We must continue to focus on making our curriculum and standards relevant to the world in which our students will live and work. We must continue to maintain positive working relationships with our legislators to empower them to better represent our students and schools. We must continue to support our teachers and bring us back to a time when teachers were revered for the positive work they do.  And we must continue to challenge and inspire our students to be more and go further.

I ask for your continuous support.

Thomas Kennedy

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