Patrice Nealon, candidate for Wake County Board of Education District 6
READ MORE
Candidates for Wake County Board of Education District 6
Sam Hershey, Dajma Livingston, Patrice Nealon and Chad Stall are running for Wake County school board district 6. School board member Christine Kushner, who has served in the District 6 seat since 2011, is not seeking another term.
Expand All
.png)
Name: Patrice Nealon
Political party: Unaffiliated
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 66
Campaign website: https://patriceforschools.com
Occupation: Educator (N.C. State Senior Marketing Lecturer)
Education: MBA
Have you run for elected office before? No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Support local nonprofit organizations by mentoring student teams that provide a wide range of marketing activities (marketing research, digital presence, donations and more). Secure grant monies and partner with local industry to maximize final outcomes.
Wake County Public Schools: Currently serve on the Marketing Curriculum Committee and mentor HS marketing competitions. Former PTA member.
Recognized as Outstanding Raleigh Guardian Ad Litem
Why do you want to serve on the Wake County Board of Education?
Our children deserve school leaders who can remove politics from the school board equation and make it a priority to ensure all children receive a quality education. On average, half of our K-12 students are not meeting grade-level expectations. Even more alarming, one of five low-income students meet grade standards. We urgently need leadership that can replace ineffective teaching methodologies with evidence-based learning methods.
What are the Wake County Public Schools doing well?
The most valuable resource our schools have is so many of our committed and caring teachers and support staff. Even with minimal resources, these teachers provide a wide range of support, breaking down educational barriers. Students in our school system are provided numerous options to support diverse learning interests and needs.
What would be your three top priorities if elected? Choose one, and explain how you would address it.
My top three priorities include providing a quality education for all, ensuring school safety and implementing fiscal responsibility.
How do students learn and teachers teach if they do not feel safe? Assure safety by not tolerating bullying (in real time or online), increase mental-health staffing, prioritize school resource officers by school need, nurture healthy relationships with law enforcement and embrace new technologies such as safety apps.
What should the district do in response to calls to remove books from schools that some say are inappropriate for students?
Outside of schools, I don’t believe any book should be banned. Americans have a right to free speech and enjoy intellectual freedom. Both the far left and far right are guilty of wanting books banned, just different books. There are currently an unprecedented number of parental requests for removing sexually explicit children’s books. Let’s start with full transparency of what is in our libraries and be inclusive (schools and parents) in determining what is age-appropriate for children to read.
How should schools discuss issues involving discrimination based on race, gender and other factors?
Just as it is our responsibility to provide a quality education for all, it is our responsibility to teach that discrimination of any kind is wrong. Unfortunately, some of the current attempts to discuss discrimination do not recognize that each person is an individual and not to be judged by societal social constructs.
How would you go about making schools safer in the aftermath of school shootings such as in Uvalde, Texas?
Answered above and a top three priority.
What would you do to try to address student learning loss that was exacerbated by the pandemic?
Federal COVID relief funds expire in two years. Much of what WCPSS has been allotted has not been spent. Our students need tutoring that will address the vast learning gaps. Tutoring should be based on evidence-based learning strategies. The continued use of whole language and MVP math are shown to be ineffective. Join the many states ahead of NC that are embracing evidence-based learning strategies so core reading, writing and math skills are learned.
What’s the appropriate level of funding that should be provided to Wake County schools?
Our schools are underfunded, especially when it comes to teacher and support-staff compensation. Our state has over $6 billion in surplus funds that could be used to fund education. The $2.1 billion school budget needs to be better managed with funds invested in our teachers and students and much less in ballooning administrative expenses.
