Politics & Government
Four Elected to Lawrence Board of Education, All Ran Unopposed
Patricia "Pepper" Evans, Michael P. Horan and Laura Waters will serve three-year terms. Dana R. Drake will fill a one-year unexpired term on the board.
All four candidates for the Lawrence Board of Education won their seats on Tuesday. All were running unopposed. Patricia "Pepper" Evans, Michael P. Horan and Laura Waters will serve three-year terms. Dana R. Drake will fill a one-year unexpired term on the board.
The board’s most pressing issues include maintaining academic excellence in the face of financial pressure and the new teacher evaluation system. A school system is a people enterprise. Students cannot excel if the school system cannot attract, retain and develop the highest quality employees. New state-mandated changes, such as the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system that links tenure decisions to evaluation ratings can stress staff and damage morale. A background in labor and employee relations and performance management can help reduce the problems by assisting with a smooth transition. Focusing on the district's budget and curtailing rising expenses, while maintaining a high standard of excellence, continues to be a top issue. One of my growing concerns is allocating and prioritizing funds and resources to provide programs that support a child's entire well-being, including enrichment activities, athletics, music & arts, and technology. Additionally, I think we need to do more to encourage parental and community involvement in our schools. When our son was at EPS my husband and I were proud to be a part of a very active group of parents, and a community that took interest in our child’s development. We need to encourage this involvement, from both parents and the community, beyond the elementary school level. We have a diverse student body, and therefore a diverse group of parents whose increased involvement can foster student growth and achievement. Also, continued community support will help save additional money and provide opportunities to enhance the student’s learning experience.
Patricia "Pepper" Evans is a part time independent living specialist and a consultant consultant for the Silver Century Foundation. She is also past president of the Lawrence Township Education Foundation. Before the election, she told Patch the following:
My two children are receiving a top-notch education and I come in support of the current administration and their goals. I applaud the concern for the children at both ends of the academic spectrum and never at to lose sight of the 70% in the middle. All our students deserve their fair share of the resources. And while I want the best for all our students, as a widow with a limited income, am acutely aware of the importance of fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers.
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I would hope to serve as a bridge between the community—both businesses and residents--and the schools, to forge bonds, build partnerships and showcase what our amazing students can do with township-wide support.
Candidate responses from Horan and Waters were not immediately available.
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