Question 2: What do you want to achieve during your term on the Verona BOE and what is the biggest impediment to making that happen?
Timothy Alworth: My primary goal is to make sure that the Board of Education communicates with the students, parents, teachers and staff, and the overall Verona community to ensure they are meeting the concerns and needs of all groups. I would work towards making sure that everyone feels that they are valued, that they are listened to, and that their concerns and issues are important and matter to the Board. By being models of empathy and understanding and by working together and respecting differences we can provide children with critical life lessons that will carry them through adulthood.
Some more specific goals I hope to work towards would be:
I would like to continue to examine and modify safety standards so that all parents and students are comfortable at school. I’d like to ensure a positive school environment where students feel comfortable being themselves and not afraid of the judgement of others.
I would work to promote a positive relationship with teachers and make sure that we have common goals for the students.
I’d use my experience with curriculum writing to work with the teachers to modify and adjust curriculum as needed to meet the fast-changing world around us.
I’d work to ensure that Verona continues to offer diverse extracurricular opportunities so that all students can be involved in the school community outside of their studies, and make sure that our elementary schools promote technological knowledge to prepare them for the middle school and high school.
I’d strive to provide an open mind, many years of educational experience, and logical, research-based thinking to all decisions.
There may be challenges that we face throughout this process. The needs of the children, technology, educational methods, staffing changes, and budgetary restrictions, to name a few, can change abruptly. These are challenges not impediments, as I believe they can be overcome through collaboration, teamwork, and listening to the concerns of all involved. Communication aligning the school goals with those of the students, parents, teachers, and the overall Verona community is going to be key.
