Why Vote For Kyle Clayton

Hello Washington Elementary School community. Based on community feedback, I wanted to share some of my goals and what I want to work on during my first year of board service.

Please reach out with your concerns, I am all about community engagement. When we engage with each other, focused on doing what is right for all of the kids in our district, we can always have constructive dialogue and find solutions.

What I bring to the Table:

-I speak Spanish fluently and can connect and learn from more of our community. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish and a W.P. Carey School of Business International Business Certificate.

*79% of English Language Learning students speak Spanish.

-Trained Fiduciary, as a REALTOR® I am trained at being a fiduciary to my clients. That means I know how to put my client’s needs first and I plan on doing that for the WESD Community.

-My philosophy is that we need more professionals who are willing to take a less individualistic and more clinical approach to education while serving on our school boards.

-I specialize in Strategic Partnerships with other non-profits to bring resources to the community without it costing the district much money, if any at all.

-During my first year as a board member, I plan to visit every school to learn directly from the community and what they have to say.

-Community forums, I want to engage our community with forums at different locations and different times to hear from them directly. Not all members of the community can attend a board meeting.

Teacher Retention:

-Based on the Culture and Climate survey that teachers and staff filled out we have to focus on some specific areas to maintain and boost teacher retention.

*My son had 3 different teachers in the 2021-2022 school year.

-Overall 45% of teachers don’t feel connected or like they belong.

-Teachers who have been with the district 1-4 years don’t feel respected. They responded at a 10% lower rate than those who’ve been with the district longer.

*These are the teachers we need to focus on and improve with, to impact retention.

What are teachers bringing to my attention?

-Frustration that programs don’t stick around and are changed right when they’ve got the hang of the program.

-Consistency by administration. They want rules and programs to be applied across the board. Right now they feel like some are following the rules and some are not.

-They would like the National Board Certified Teacher program to increase the annual stipend.

*This will give teachers more of an incentive to complete the program. National Board Certified Teachers stay in their jobs longer and have a higher impact on student achievement.

-Teachers want to feel more connected with the board members.

Social Workers and School Psychologists:

-Male students are serving in school suspensions at 3x the rate of female students.

-We need more school psychologists and social workers to be able to address this problem. We need to listen and follow their recommendations.

-My son was bullied last year by one student. Despite phone calls with his teacher, constant communication, and sharing my concerns… nothing was done. No social workers engaged in solving the problem.

*The social worker at my son’s school covers two campuses and her workload is impossible to manage.

Reasoned Decisions:

-All of my work will be focused on and informed by the community.

-Making the best decisions requires data. I will focus on data based decision making.

Endorsements:

-I am one the most endorsed candidates running for Governing Board.

My Opponents:

-You will have to ask them what they stand for and believe in, I am not sure.

-He has been on the board for 16+ years.

-None of them have kids in our district.

I hope that helps you to see my goals and objectives as a governing board member. My son goes to school in the district and my decision will affect my own child. I will be a board member with skin in the game and I think that is important. I am also seeing first hand what is going on in the school he attends and can bring that experience to the board.